private lesson offerings
Lesson rates: $80 per hour; $40 per half hour
To schedule, contact Christina Spiegler at actingacademy4kids@gmail.com
To schedule, contact Christina Spiegler at actingacademy4kids@gmail.com
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MICHELE ATKINS
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Acting fundamentals/ Theatre, TV/Film:
This lesson is based on specific acting techniques. These techniques allow the actor to be serious about their craft and act the scene, at their best, for a TV show, film, or a play. It is what makes the difference between someone who doesn’t know how to act and someone who has skill in acting. Scene Study/ Monologues: This lesson is based on how to break down a monologue. Performing a great monologue is just one of many tools, in an actor’s toolbox, to present themselves as eligible for an acting role. Learn what you need to provide directors with a glimpse of who you are and how you work. Audition prep/ Theatre, TV/ Film: Learn how to analyze the script, character breakdown and important tips to navigate an audition. An audition is the opportunity to show the panel who you are and your ability to perform the role. Audition preparation is the key to success. Be confident, win the casting panel and get the role! |
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HAILEY DEPOTO 
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Acting/Auditions:
Fresh out of the recent audition ring and constantly providing updated technique, Hailey’s coaching is a guaranteed way to make an impression and get the gig! Whether it be for a school play or a national tour, she provides dynamic instruction that is invaluable to young actors. Her relatable feedback and no judgement space allows students to really perfect their act before any audition, ensuring that each student finds what will make them unique and make them stand out as the star they are! Her acting coaching is catered for exactly what each student wants and she takes it at their pace, using what works for them and always making it a fun, positive experience! For older students looking for guidance as they enter high school or college auditions/interviews/etc. , Hailey connects them with great resources to cover every detail of the interview or audition process, practices techniques to find what feels natural in a high stress situation, and stays on top of their progress to set them up for success. Shakespeare: “‘‘Tis true that a good play need no epilogue”-As You Like It (V.IV)...and Hailey’s students of Shakespeare produce nothing but good plays! Having always had a fascination with the roots of theater, Hailey has studied Shakespeare extensively in New York at Wagner College and has starred in productions such as Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. Going at each students pace, she teaches them Shakespeares history, how to scan and interpret text, and annotate sonnets, soliloquy’s, and Shakespeares great works. Students also learn how to deliver Shakespeare, from cadence and intonation to the subtle jokes and jabs of the clever writings. She selects pieces that interest each student and connects them to modern resources that update the “archaic” texts, and makes the normally tedious subject a joy to learn! |
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MARISA DICAMILLO
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Marisa has been teaching privately for the past 3 years. Students of all ages, abilities, and levels are welcome! Marisa is about to receive her master's degree in music therapy and will be eligible to hold the MT-BC credential in 2021.
Voice: Marisa has been singing for the past 19 years in a variety of styles and can help your child learn healthy vocal technique at any level! She can use the songs your child loves to sing to teach proper breathing, tone, articulation, and style. As an expert in musical theatre, classical, and jazz music, Marisa's students have gone on to be accepted into collegiate music and musical theatre programs. Marisa has also taught young children to use their voices healthily and proudly - your child could be next! Piano: Marisa can provide your child with a structured piano environment that is fun and engaging! She will help your child learn the basics of piano technique, ear training, and music theory with the help of musical friends. For older students, Marisa can help you learn to accompany yourself while singing, sight-reading, and common chord progressions used in all your favorite songs. No matter what you or your child need or your ability level, Marisa can adapt the lesson to suit your needs best. Guitar/Ukulele: Do you have a guitar or ukulele, but never had the time to pick it up and learn? Now is your chance! Marisa also teaches beginning guitar and ukulele lessons, focused on popular music and self-accompaniment. Music Theory Bootcamp: High school students who are interested in getting music or musical theatre degrees in college, these lessons are for you! Prepare for college music theory, aural skills, and musicianship classes with Marisa's help. Sight-reading practice, higher-level theory concepts you may not have covered yet, review of the basics, and help studying for the AP Music Theory exam or college music theory entrance exams are all possible in Music Theory Bootcamp. |
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WILLIAM HARTERY
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Voice: learn proper technique, healthy singing, expand your range, find appropriate repertoire material, musical interpretation & style, connect to the song honestly (aka acting!)
Audition Prep: for OCSA, plays, musicals, TV, coaching on songs & monologues/scenes, help finding the right material, editing the material for to right length of time, proper audition etiquette. Acting Coaching: character developement, script analysis, connecting to the material honestly, editing material, voice and speach coaching, accent and dialect help when necessary. Piano (beginner-intermediate) Piano Accompaniment: Play and sing, learn to comp, accompany yourself or others, make your own arrangements) |
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CHRISSY OBERMEYER
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Chrissy has been working with private vocal students for over 10 years and credits her style of teaching to the vocal instructors she learned from while at Azusa Pacific University, as well as her primary vocal teacher who she worked with for 8 years. She prides herself on emphasizing vocal safety, breath control, vocal individuality, and style techniques to help students discover their true voice! Chrissy has also worked with students ranging in ages 5 to 14 all over Orange County. Chrissy's attention to detail, technique, and encouraging in coaching will provide your student with the tools needed to become a stronger singer! |
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TAMMY PAULINO
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Tammy’s teaches students age 8 and up. Her lessons follow a traditional voice lesson format that include warm ups and exercises to learn and build vocal technique for the first part of the lesson, followed by work on repertoire (song choices). Tammy finds it very important that students love the songs they sing! She likes to take the student’s song ideas when they have them, but she specializes guiding students toward repertoire that best showcases each individual student. Tammy likes to look at the overall performance aspect of a song during lessons, so students will learn song performance techniques in their lessons as well. The goal is to not only improve vocal technique, but have songs performance ready over time.
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KATHERINE ROBINSON
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Katherine comes to us from NYC with over 20 years of experience as director, teacher, and performer. As a performer, she has toured the world and country with companies including Disney Cruise Lines and Sesame St Live. As a teacher, her studio is based on a strong, dual focus of training technique and preparing performance. Her wide knowledge of repertoire, experience in the professional audition scene, and warm zany energy make her a perfect match for your young artist’s needs!
Voice As a comedic, high soprano, Katherine is trained in both classical and contemporary styles. The music world today asks us to be more flexible, strong, and diverse than ever before. The Voice is an amazing instrument, but it takes training, just like any other part of the body. I truly know that anyone can sing, if they just have guidance to train and understand their instrument! In my studio, students will learn about the alignment, support, and ease necessary to produce healthy, sustainable tone, while also identifying and exploring all the various colors of their unique voices. A lesson begins with a physical warmup, where we get the body ready to work. Then, it moves into vocal exercises, which both warm up the Voice and do the very important work of training technique and understanding. Finally, we move into working on Repetoire, songs that the student and/or I choose to apply the technique studied in the vocal warm ups. Together, we work through and discuss the tricky technical moments in a song, as well as prepare the song as actors, presenting it’s character and story. Together, we prepare for auditions and performances of all levels, but most of all, we empower the student to a lifelong journey of excellence and growth! Piano: Beginning and Intermediate My experience has been that classical pianists and jazz/rock pianists operate from completely separate approaches, and each island kind of shuns the other. As someone who started with classical training and later got thrown into reading and playing from a jazz/rock approach, I dearly value BOTH and start all of my students out learning the two approaches, side by side. Students who think piano is stressful or boring haven’t worked with me! I strongly believe in the power of games, and employ that in my teaching. An hour is recommended for piano with me, as students will spend time playing games that teach them to read and write music at a white board before moving to game based warm ups at the piano, including playing scales and common chord progressions, all before playing their songs. Finger training, reading, and interpretation are the focus at all ages but the result is always uproarious fun! Acting: Stage and Film “I can’t believe how much goes into it!” This is the quote that I hear more than all others as parents watch their children progress through Acting lessons. The art of Acting is both as natural and as complicated as the human psyche. Acting is Re-Action, and we all know, organically, how to react. That’s why we can see amazing young performers in movies, onstage, and in television. However, there’s a reason there are so many Self-Help books and methods out there to put us in touch with our feelings, to help us understand the ways we interact with each other. Most of the time, we aren’t aware of what we’re doing! There are as many methods to understand and connect with our characters as there are ways to learn, and it is our job as private teachers to distill those methods down into the approach that works best for each student. The basics are always the same, but the way in to understanding varies from actor to actor. In my studio, students will learn the fundamentals of many acting methods, all with the end goal of creating engaging and convincing characters that will reach their audiences and help them land that part! Students are welcome to bring material they have been assigned or to work on scenes and monologues we choose together. Acting for stage and for camera have some important differences, but I am trained in both and ready to assist! |
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JULIA SIEGEL
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Voice lessons: Your child will learn the proper techniques used to provide a clean, comfortable, and vocally healthy sound by using the classical voice approach of learning to sing, as well as how to apply the said technique to classical and/or musical theater repertoire.
Acting lessons: Your child will learn how to take a script and turn it into a believable performance by learning basic acting techniques and applying them to channel themselves into whatever character they are portraying. Musical theater: Acting and singing go hand-in-hand and unlike standard voice lessons that focus just on the technical aspects of singing, here your child will learn how to apply the methods taught in the acting lessons and apply it specifically to singing, thus turning any song into a truly theatrical performance. Audition prep: Need help picking the right song/monologue for that audition coming up? Not sure how to shake off those nerves? As someone who has been on both sides of the auditioning process, your child will learn the dos and don'ts of how to turn in the best audition possible. Piano: This beginner course is for anyone who has never learned how to play the piano before and would like to learn the basics. Easy songs will be taught throughout as your child builds up the skills and confidence to tackle the fundamentals of piano. Public Speaking: Does your child need help with speaking in front of a crowd? This course is for learning the technical skills of how to present themselves to an audience, as well as exercises to make them more comfortable and confident with their presentations. |
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STEPHEN J. ZYGO
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Stephen is the Founder and Director of Acting Academy for Kids & Teens and has had the unique experience to work, lead and train thousands of kids and teens in New York, Hawaii and Orange County. With Bachelor Degree’s in Musical Theater and Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Education, Stephen’s ability to instruct, inspire and speak on a student’s level is one-of-a-kind. He has privately trained students in voice, audition prep and acting for two decades. Many of Stephen’s private lesson students have been accepted into OCHA, have landed numerous lead roles in High School, and have been accepted into prestigious Universities across the United States. Stephen believes that private lessons are the missing ingredient for so many students that train in the arts. The one-on-one focused attention to build fundamental skills, repair bad habits, and take students to new levels can all be accomplished during consistent private lessons.
Vocal Training: Stephen employs his training in musical theater, classical, opera, contemporary, pop, rock and more to instruct students from beginners to advanced to build healthy and safe voices utilizing proven strategies and techniques that will help them for years to come. In 2008, Stephen’s youngest student started when she was 3 and has since gone on to be seen by millions on television and online. Other students have appeared on American Idol, the Voice and more. A student is never too young or too old to learn how to sing correctly. Stephen’s techniques will meet your son or daughter exactly where they are at in their journey and help them reach new heights! “Mr. Zygo has a wonderful gift for working with kids, bringing out their natural talents and building their confidence. With the help of private voice lessons, we have gone from singing in the shower to starring on the stage!” Julie H. (parent) Acting/Audition Prep: Whether a student is preparing for an audition for a sitcom in Hollywood, getting their monologue ready for their OCHA audition, or even practicing for their classroom presentation, Stephen’s ability to coach students is a game changer. Honest critique, functional and attainable feedback and practical application are met during the students’ time with Mr. Zygo. His suggestions, real-world applications and years of experience help students discover stronger strategies to achieve their goals. |
