DR. TRACEY FORD

Dr. Tracey Ford has a successful private voice studio in Western Springs, Illinois and has been teaching voice full-time for over 15 years. She trains students in diverse styles including: Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM), Musical Theatre and Classical Vocal Performance. Her students regularly place as the top performers in Chicago NATS Student Auditions, are cast in leading roles in local musicals and have been recognized as outstanding musicians at State ILMEA (Illinois Music Educators Association). In addition to her training and experience in Classical Vocal Performance, she has trained with some of the best teachers of contemporary vocal pedagogy and can demonstrate a range of singing techniques ranging from opera to belt and mix.  Each of Tracey’s students receives the appropriate training needed to achieve their singing goals in a fun, supportive atmosphere.

Tracey is a Certified Teacher of Elementary and Intermediate Level Voice and Theory and joined the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) College of Examiners in 2022. She was awarded an Outstanding Teacher award from RCM in 2019. She regularly prepares students for RCM Voice Exams and has had two Gold Medal Winners in Voice; these students earned the highest score in the United States for their level. She has prepared students from the Preparatory Level through Level 8. She is currently training to join the RCM College of Examiners.

Originally from Michigan, Tracey started her studies in liberal arts and earned her B.A. in French Language and Literature from the University of Michigan.  After earning a second Bachelors in Music from Wayne State University, she completed her M.M. and D.M.A. in Vocal Performance and Literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Her performing credits span opera, oratorio, recital and musical theater.  Tracey has served as an adjunct faculty member of Joliet Junior College (Applied Voice and Music Appreciation) VanderCook College of Music (Applied Voice) and College of DuPage (Humanities). Tracey has twenty years of experience as a cantor and section leader in the Catholic music ministry. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and is a past President of Chicago Chapter NATS.

Tracey’s specialties include:

  • Building adolescent voices

  • Cross-training adolescents in musical theatre and classical styles

  • French diction

  • Selecting unique repertoire choices for auditions to helps students stand out

  • RCM Exam Preparation in Voice and Theory

GRETEL MINK HANSEN

Gretel Mink Hansen

Gretel Mink Hansen, a Miami native, holds both her Bachelor's Degree in Vocal performance from The University of Miami's Frost School of Music and her Master's in Vocal Pedagogy from Northeastern Illinois University. Since graduating, Mrs. Hansen has led a fulfilling performance career in both opera and musical theater.  She has worked for Walt Disney World, The Orlando Opera, and Chamber Opera Chicago.  She has also toured Europe every year since 2013 with Chamber Opera Chicago Tours as a performing artist.  Though, Mrs. Hansen loves performing, she also loves teaching and has had a full studio of budding singers.  Her specialty is students ages 7-13 with changing voices, which is what her graduate studies centered around, but she also loves teaching high school and adult students as well. Mrs. Hansen's philosophy in vocal studies is "Every style can be sung with the right technique and the right attitude."  Click here for Gretel’s bio.

Gretel’s specialties include:

  • Teaching Children ages 8-12

  • Building healthy technique in young singers

  • Audition Preparation

  • Gesturing techniques

  • Coaching British accents

DR. VICTORIA HOLLAND

Dr. Victoria Holland has a life-long passion for singing and music education. Victoria guides each of her students through the exploration of their unique voice, building a technical foundation with which to sing with ease and expression. Her students have won top prizes in Chicago NATS Student Auditions and received Gold Medal Awards in Voice through the Royal Conservatory of Music’s Certificate Program. In lessons and for public singing opportunities, Victoria’s students explore a variety of song styles, always with the aim to learn and grow and to engage in storytelling through song. 

Victoria earned a B.A. in Music (Rhodes College) and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Voice and Opera Performance (Northwestern University). She is the Lead Editor and Compiler of The Royal Conservatory of Music’s (RCM) 2019 Voice Series and Syllabus, and adjudicates singers throughout the U.S. and Canada as a member of RCM’s College of Examiners. An active member of NATS since 1997, Victoria has presented for multiple NATS conferences and served as past president of the Chicago Chapter. She also served as President of the Musicians Club of Women, an historic Chicago-based organization founded in 1875.

 As a lyric soprano, Victoria performs as a featured soloist on recital series and in live and recorded radio and television broadcasts. With a passion for songs that celebrate the human experience, she is always learning new music to present to the public with the desire to spread joy and encourage compassion.

Victoria’s specialties include:

  • Building voices of all levels

  • RCM Exam Preparation for Voice and Theory

  • Italian Diction coaching

  • Helping students master breath management

  • Effective Zoom lessons

  • Small group training for singers

Alexa Williams

Alexa Williams, a Chicagoland native, holds a Bachelor’s in Music Theatre and a minor in Dance Education from Elmhurst University. During her study she trained in both Classical and Musical Theatre vocal technique in addition to acting technique and many styles of dance. She has been a finalist and won several NATS Vocal competitions in the Chicago Region, Central Region, and Nationally both during college as well as post-grad. She has been seen on stages all over the Chicagoland area for many years and has no plans to stop! Alexa’s dedication to performance is matched by her passion for vocal pedagogy and helping to shape her students as artists. She strongly believes in training performance interpretation with an equal emphasis on healthy, sustainable technique. Alexa continues to fulfill her own performance career while working with students and consistently seeks out opportunities for her students to exercise their performance skills and discover their unique artistic voice. 

Alexa’s Specialties Include:

  • Nurturing voices at all levels

  • Cross-training classical and musical theatre vocal technique

  • Song Interpretation

  • Audition Preparation

  • Curating an individualized Musical Theatre Songbook

  • Building confident performers & storytellers

  • Creating a bridge between interpretation and technique

PEDER REIFF

Tenor Peder Reiff has been singing and teaching in the Chicago area for over twenty years and can frequently be found singing in the choruses of the Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony, and Grant Park Music Festival.  In addition to chorus work, Mr Reiff has been seen throughout the country as a soloist with such companies as The Fort Wayne Symphony, The Northwest Indiana Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, Opera Illinois, Apollo Chorus, and the Chicago Master Singers.  Most recently, he was seen performing as the tenor soloist in the Northwestern Symphony’s production of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

As a teacher, Peder’s students are known for their vocal clarity and musical flexibility within a number of styles.  They have been seen performing in such varied places as the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Drury Lane Music Theater, and the House of Blues in styles ranging from classical to music theater, country, pop, and ska.  Peder currently resides in Westchester, IL with his wife and three children

Dr. Kelly Hill

Dr. Kelly Hill holds degrees from the University of Northern Iowa (Bachelor of Music), Yale School of Music (MM, AD), and the University of Iowa (DMA). She’s apprenticed at the Central City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Aspen Music School and Festival, and has professionally performed regionally with Cedar Rapids Opera, Quad Cities Opera, and Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra. Recently, she moved to Chicago while completing her dissertation, a method guide for working on vocalizing with instrumentalists, and is looking forward to growing her singing and teaching network in the Chicagoland area.

While living in the Quad Cities, Dr. Hill previously held teaching positions at Augustana College and St. Ambrose University. She also maintained a private studio of middle school and high school aged students who found success in All-State Auditions and State Solo Contests, and also landed leading roles in musicals at school and local theater companies. Also, she thoroughly enjoys working with adult students in helping them discover the potential of their vocal instruments. Dr. Hill believes that a strong vocal technique can lead to a life of healthy vocal music-making, and works with each student to help them uncover their own understanding of the human voice. She’s also a big proponent of developing skills that extend beyond the vocal studio, including self-confidence, self-discipline, multi-tasking, and creative expression. She looks forward to having the opportunity to help any singer grow in their understanding and implementation of their voice.


DAN MACKEY

Dan Mackey is a voice teacher who has generously offered to take on Tracey's advanced students.  Dan has degrees from Roosevelt University and Northeastern University.  Dan performs extensively in the Chicago area as a singer, dancer and vocal director and maintains his own private teaching studio. His ability and experience will benefit you greatly as a young artist until Tracey is able to return to teaching.