My Story

 

It all started in a small town called Chatham, NJ, where I spent the first thirteen years of my life.  I remember loving music as early as I could walk and talk.  I started taking guitar lessons when I was seven years old.  Along with the guitar, came a love for singing and writing my own songs.  When we moved to Pennsylvania the guitar came with me.  Throughout my high school years, I spent hours playing with teachers, fellow students and at gatherings.

 

Every week, from age sixteen to nineteen, I would drive an hour into Philadelphia by myself to study with world famous Artie Singer.  His students included such names as Chubby Checker, Frankie Avalon, Al Martino, and Bobby Rydel.  Artie co-wrote and produced two massive hit records “At the Hop” and “Rock ‘n Roll is Here to Stay,” both recorded by Danny and the Juniors.  Artie was personal friends with Dick Clark and would bring him acts for his show.

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While going to a Delaware Community College the music teacher there took notice of me, pulled me aside, and told me about a great music school for aspiring musicians.  He then sent away for the application and helped me fill it out.  The next thing I knew I was in Boston attending Berklee School of Music!   

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I had originally gone to Berklee intending to major in voice, but started having vocal problems, and ended up with nodules on my vocal cords. Having to stop singing I turned my attention to guitar and composition.  I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Jazz and Rock Composition, Arranging, and Guitar.

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During those four years I tried every vocal teacher in town, wanting more than anything to be a singer/songwriter.  What I found was that none of these teachers could help me. I later came to realize that they didn't seem to know the finer details of how the voice truly operated.  I continued having vocal difficulties and was losing hope. The combination of this roadblock and my persistence led me to the greatest thing that ever happened in my life.  I met Dante Pavone!

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I kept hearing about this singing teacher named Dante Pavone.  Since I had already tried everyone else, I decided to give him a shot.  On my first lesson with Dante I noticed a big difference.  My throat didn't hurt and a pure tone was coming out of me. My voice was cured on my first lesson!

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As I studied with Dante throughout the years, I found out that he was a world renowned vocal teacher. Originally from Italy, he was the son of a famous opera singer and toured the world.  He even sang with the most famous singer of all time, Carusso!

 

Dante’s studies were extensive and he had doctorates in voice, music history, psychology and many other subjects.  He was the most intelligent; insightful person I had ever met in my life!  Not only did he teach me about voice, but taught me many things about life. He one time told me that he had a more profound knowledge of all the fine singing muscles more than anyone else.

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Dante was the first, a “pioneer”,  in popular singing, breaking from the traditional operatic style. He taught, and was contacted by, such singers as John Lennon and Paul McCartney (Beatles), Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones), Aretha Franklin, Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane), Steve Tyler (Aerosmith), Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young)Peter Wolf (JGiles Band), James and Livingston Taylor, Tom Jones, Donna Summer, Jonathan Richmond, Julianna Hatfield, Andy Pratt, at their prime and the list goes on and on.  One day John Lennon and Paul McCartney showed up unannounced at his door handing him a blank check!  Singers from New York City Opera Company used to sneak away from their teachers and come to Boston to study with Dante who would cure their wrecked voices from their famous opera teachers they had in NY. 

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I studied with Dante every day for the first couple of years, then two or three times a week after that for fifteen years until his demise in 1998. I never missed a lesson!  He gave me over a four-octave range where I started with only a five-note one. Not only did he improve my pitch and tone, but I can now sing and scream all night without ever a single vocal problem.  In fact the more I sing the better my voice feels!  With this method the voice gets better, more mature and more resonant year after year.

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One day at my lesson Dante told me I was his most serious student and asked if he could pass his method down to me. Yes! This has been the greatest honor of my life.  Many teachers try to emulate his method, but I am the only one with an actual certificate that has seriously studied with the master for over fifteen years.  Not only was Dante my mentor, but still to this day is one of the most incredible people I have ever encountered in my life and was my best friend.  We were very close and he would spend hours talking to me at lessons not only about music, but about many fascinating subjects and opened my eyes to many incredible things.

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I have also studied piano, guitar, and drums extensively and teach all instruments. Other teachers were world renowned Charlie Banacos on guitar and John Horrigan on drums.  

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Besides teaching in my studio I previously taught pre-teens drums, voice, piano and guitar at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School and am currently teaching infants one hour a week at a Buswell Daycare in Cambridge.

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Since I was seven years old I have written hundreds of songs and have been performing and recording my own music in major New England and New York venues.  Thirteen of my songs were chosen to be in one movie called Getting Personal and other songs in the movies Fillbilly and Dykeotomies.  My band has won world wide contests.  Taught Juliana Hatfield and many others.  Besides teaching you to be a great singer and musician I can also help produce and record your songs!

Karen D

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Interests:  Acting, Apple Computers, Art, Audio Engineer, Business, CD Art, Dancing, Film Making, Film Editing, Landscape Artist, Musician, Multi-Instrumentalist, Photoshop, Photography, Poetry, Producing, Screen Plays, Song Writer, Videographer, Web Site Designer, and Writer.