New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Meet Debra Perry, 52-year-old Singer and Vocal Coach.
Debra has always loved singing and teaching, even organizing the children in her neighborhood and practicing Christmas Carols in October, only at the age of 9. As she got older she continued to perfect her voice, training with Katie Linder-Tetzel at the Music Center.
Debra attended the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and studied Music and Psychology, because she wanted to eventually work as music therapist. Upon graduating, she sang for various bands, choirs, and events, including weddings, baptisms, and corporate functions. Her most memorable moment was singing with a choir in a church in Leningrad, Russia which hadn’t had any music for 100 years.
Debra taught at as a Vocal coach at the Music Center for 11 years. She also taught under the direction of Jeannie at her voice studio in Boston. During this time, she learned the technique that she has been using for the past 20 years. In 2004, Debra then opened her own studio in New Bedford, The Vocal Development Studio. She opened the studio in New Bedford, because their weren’t studios in the city that taught vocalists to gain control of their voice, while also building a strong stage presence and confidence in their vocal abilities.
In her time as a Vocal Coach, Debra has had the opportunity to train vocalist who have gone on to lead lasting careers, such as Devin Lima (LFO), Sean Gallagher (Beyond the Embrace), Aoife Clancy, and many more. She has also worked in studio with big names like Denny Dias (Steely Dan) and Dinky Dawson (Tour Manager and Sound Engineer of Fleetwood Mac).
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