New York Vocal Coaching was established in 2005 by leading vocal technician Justin Stoney. We firmly believe that everyone can — and was meant to — sing and make music. Our renowned vocal coaches and staff members execute our vision every day.
We teach students of all ages from all walks of life local to New York City out of our Midtown Manhattan studio, as well as through online/Skype sessions.
Click on a staff member to learn more.
Founder and President
An internationally-recognized voice teacher and vocal coach, voted one of New York City’s "Best Voice Teachers and Vocal Coaches" by Backstage readers.
Director of NYVC Australia
Zac’s clients have reached the Top #10 on the US Billboard Charts, have been featured in Hollywood Films, Television Shows & Commercials and have worked as backing singers and band members for Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, and Stevie Wonder, among others.
Associate Director
Andy King is Associate Director and a Senior Voice Teacher at New York Vocal Coaching. He specializes in voice technique for Musical Theatre, Pop/Rock/R&B, and Classical. His clients have been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway, on National Tours, and Regional Theaters.
Associate Director, Musical Theatre Career Consultant, Resident Music Director
Andrea is a Broadway music director, arranger, composer, and voice teacher with a
focus on developing new work.
Andrea is currently on hiatus to music direct the new Broadway musical Suffs. Email assistant@newyorkvocalcoaching.com for inquiries about future lessons.
Senior Voice Teacher Associate, Head of New York Piano Teachers
Abby Payne has been teaching and performing in New York City and beyond for nearly 20 years. She holds a bachelor of music from SUNY Purchase (Jazz Studies) and has completed the NYVC Voice Teacher Training and Certification program.
Senior Voice Teacher Associate, Songwriting Instructor
Kacey Velazquez is a seasoned vocal coach, songwriter, and recording artist from New York City. Kacey works with singers of all ages and levels, and specializes in Contemporary styles of music including pop, rock, indie, country, R&B, and soul.
Senior Voice Teacher Associate
An NYVC Voice Teacher Associate, Tim Rosser specializes in Pop, Contemporary Musical Theatre, and Classic Musical Theatre styles.
Voice Teacher Associate
Bryan Chan is a voice teacher for all and a trilingual cross-genre performer who strives to provide support for singers wanting to sing any genre of their liking. He is experienced in performing and teaching musical theatre, classical, and pop/r&b/soul singing.
Voice Teacher Associate, Piano Instructor
Jamie Kaufman is a professional singer and dedicated vocal coach with a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Minor in Music Education, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching from The University of The Arts. She specializes in Jazz, Musical Theatre, Classical, Pop, and R&B, and loves working with singers at all stages of their vocal journey, from beginners to seasoned performers.
Voice Teacher Associate, Creative Director of New York Acting Coaching, Senior Acting Coach
Joe is a NYC based actor, coach, creative, and 4 time Ironman Endurance Athlete. He is Creative Director and Senior Acting Coach for New York Acting Coaching.
Voice Teacher Associate
Laura Castrillón, voice teacher, life coach and musical actress. Laura Castrillón, profesora de canto, life coach y actriz musical.
Musical Theatre Acting Coach
Arbender Robinson is currently the Musical Theatre Coaching Associate at New York Vocal Coaching, and Co-Director of New York Acting Coaching. No stranger to the stage, Mr. Robinson has appeared in ten (10) Broadway musicals.
Rock Distortion Specialist
Nicolás Hormazábal is a teacher of Vocal Distortions and Extreme Vocals with an emphasis on Rock and Metal styles. A pioneer in teaching vocal distortions in Chile, he has trained many singers of the South American metal scene.
Co-Founder and Head Instructor of New York Speech Coaching
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MA CCC-SLP, Senior Instructor and Head of Corporate Training
Brendan specializes in corporate training with an emphasis on fundraising, pitch decks, sales calls, presentation delivery, and negotiation & persuasion tactics. His clients come from Google, Disney, Forbes, and Amazon, among others.
Associate Instructor, Head of Instructor Management Team and Education
Caleb specializes in confidence in presentations, vocal depth and strength, leadership in speech, and accent acquisition, Caleb has coached professionals from Uber, Google, Unilever, Shearman & Sterling, the Department of Education, and the Swedish-American Chamber of Congress, among others.
Lead Instructor
Brontë is invested in helping clients develop a sense of authenticity, generosity, and confidence in their communication.
MS CCC-SLP, Associate Instructor, and Head of Company Communication
Currently residing in Savannah, GA, Tricia is an associate speech coach, able to reach clients virtually all over the world, and Head of Georgia Speech Coaching. She is a certified bilingual speech-language pathologist.
Associate Instructor
Daniel Reece is a speech instructor with over ten years of experience in education. With a background in performance, Daniel fosters authenticity in his approach to voice and speech. He works with clients to explore their instrument with curiosity and guides them toward a visceral, full-body consciousness of their range and power.
Associate Instructor
Courtney Ricketts (MS, CCC-SLP) is a speech-language pathologist with extensive experience in accent modification training and public speaking. Her technical degree and research background combine with her love of interpersonal connection to provide holistic client-centered therapy.
Associate Instructor
Lorene’s passion for teaching is in her DNA. After developing a love for education observing her grandmother, a stellar educator in the Charles County, Maryland public schools, Lorene combined teaching with her love of theater and discovered that coaching was a natural fit.
Associate Instructor
Wolfe believes your ability to share and express your authentic self is a gift to the world. Small talk doesn't have to feel arduous, and large-scale engagements don't have to feel overbearing. Together, Wolfe is passionate about helping clients find the power of their voice.
Associate Instructor
Stephanie’s talent is helping others speak with confidence and clarity, passion and ease, and joy and enthusiasm while introducing techniques to find breath support, open vocal resonators, maintain vocal health, strengthen articulators, and incorporate elements of dynamic speech.
Associate Instructor
Joti Patel is an Executive Coach with a multifaceted career in business and the arts with communication as the common thread. Her unique skill set has served as an ideal foundation for providing high-value communication for global organizations across legal, finance, retail, tech, health, and service sectors.
Pilot Instructor
Jackie is dedicated to helping everyone find their unique way of communicating by catering to her clients' needs and strengths. Using a "toolbox approach," Jackie believes it is important to have a constant dialogue—or open communication—about what is working and what is not. She utilizes a range of coaching methods, from imagery to breath work to repetition and more.
Head of New York Guitar Teachers
Director of New York Guitar Teachers with clients having major success in the film/television industry, as well as in the recording industry and on Broadway.
Admin Assistant, Musical Theatre Writing Coach
Evelio is a composer-lyricist and performer in the musical theatre. He received his BFA in drama from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied musical theatre performance at the New Studio on Broadway. He received his MFA in musical theatre writing from the NYU Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, where he studied as a composer.
Studio Manager
As a long-time student of New York Vocal Coaching Founder and President Justin Stoney, Tara is honored to be on the team as Studio Manager.
Executive Assistant
Becky is thrilled to be on the team as the Executive Assistant at New York Vocal Coaching. Originally a Pittsburgh native, Becky attended the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance.
Recording and Videography Services
Josh Couvares is a recording engineer, singer-songwriter, and musician based out of Brooklyn. Josh delivers NYVC clients polished mixes that are the standard in today's media landscape using the highest quality equipment in a hybrid analog/digital recording rig.
Customer Relations Specialist
Manny Cooner has been a part of the New York Vocal Coaching family from the very beginning. His extensive training and expertise as a Customer Relations Specialist has served to put many singers at ease and has assisted them being at their vocal best.
Brendan’s deepest satisfaction comes from his work leading group and private sessions across the corporate world, where he enables companies and individuals to transform communication from being a liability to among their greatest assets.
Brendan’s coaching combines an intricate knowledge of anatomy and physiology with a background in philosophy. He is passionate about teaching effective business communication, executive presence, and vocal production, equipping clients with control and flexibility to present themselves professionally and authentically. His training covers not only the technical aspects of speech production, but also presentational performance and perspective work.
In addition to his work as a speech coach, Brendan is a NYS-licensed and ASHA-certified speech-language pathologist, specializing in voice and fluency disorders. He holds a Masters of Arts from Hofstra University and Bachelor’s in Philosophy / Religious studies from St. Joseph’s.
Brendan specializes in corporate training with an emphasis on fundraising, pitch decks, sales calls, presentation delivery, and negotiation & persuasion tactics. His clients come from Google, Disney, Forbes, Nasdaq, Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Capital One, MetLife, and Amazon, among others.
Using his voice across multiple mediums, Brendan is also a singer, multi-instrumentalist, and voice impressionist, hosting the show Voice Breakdown on YouTube. While entertaining, his impersonation skills also provide valuable insight into speech and vocal production, fostering both precise and intuitive instruction.
I believe that communication is at the core of what makes us human. Whether it be through the spoken word or through song, our ability to express our ideas, our needs, or our very selves is a distinctly human activity. Every individual has a right to experience this gift to the fullest. That fullness comes from the ability to control one’s vocal and speaking abilities to be utilized as they see fit and enjoying the process thereof. It is my greatest joy to return this gift to those for whom it has been impaired and to enhance the use of it in those who strive for vocal and communication excellence.
Public speaking has always been one of my GREATEST fears – this is not a hyperbole in the slightest. Growing up, I was the student who would fake sick, or actually make myself sick, to avoid speaking in front of the class; and on those rare occasions I couldn’t talk my way out of it, I would end up delivering a presentation completely red in the face, shaking like a leaf, and speaking in a voice that made me sound strangled. It should come as no surprise that I carried this fear with me from the classroom to the office, which resulted in me never having the courage to speak in meetings (even small ones!) and getting passed over for promotions. I started my sessions at New York Speech Coaching hopeful, but skeptical that such a long-standing and deep rooted issue could be overcome, but working with Brendan Houdek has been an absolute game changer for me! I went from being the person who ran away from every opportunity to speak, preferring to fake illness rather than stand in front of a room, to a person who confidently contributes in every meeting and practically leaps at any opportunity to speak in front of a group. The amount of co-workers and my leaders who’ve mentioned that they’ve noticed a change in me is both surprising and gratifying. I now speak with confidence and control – and it’s having a huge impact on my life, both professionally and personally.
Katie C. Senior Executive Assistant The Walt Disney Company
Brendan's dynamic personality and NYSC's innovative and effective communication techniques have proven to be a winning formula for me. Over the past year, I have increased depth and tone, reduced filler words, learned how to breathe properly, gained confidence in my communication style and even improved body language. Highly recommend Brendan---not only will you make great progress in a short amount of time, but you'll also have fun along the way!
Ezra Levine CEO Collectable Technologies, Inc.
The ability to converse, communicate and connect to diverse audiences is critical both as a singer and media consultant. Interestingly, I was always much further along in confidence as a singer than as a speaker. I've presented many times over the course of my media career, but never felt fully natural doing it, the way I did with singing. As both a speech and vocal (singing) coach, Brendan had just the right skillset for me to close the confidence gap. Before working with him, I'd developed a vocal fry in my speech and often stumbled over my words, primarily due to my improper breathing and “urgency pulse” to speak before I was ready. Not only did it affect me as a performer but my presence as a speaker. With his fun and practical exercises and inspiring philosophies, I've grown tremendously as a communicator. Through better pacing, greater commitment to my words and a much-needed shift in perspective, I've moved closer and closer to my fully authentic self, one who can communicate not just through song, but in everyday life.
Maribel Malit Market Research Consultant and Singer
My sessions with Brendan have been the most impactful learning experiences of my career. Brendan understood exactly what I wanted to improve in my public speaking, and tailor-made lessons that fit both my needs and my learning style. My goal was to become a better and more calm public speaker; Brendan taught me not only that, but how to control my outward presence and how I’m perceived in any situation. Brendan has a contagious energy that stems from his genuine belief in the power of what he teaches; I always leave our sessions truly inspired.
Dylan Kindler
I have felt insecure and embarrassed about my own voice for as long as I can remember, and I missed out on countless social and professional opportunities as a result. I was convinced I simply had a “bad voice”. Brendan Houdek at New York Speech Coaching made me realize that there was nothing wrong with my voice, I just wasn't using it effectively. He taught me simple, powerful techniques to speak more clearly, confidently, and authentically -- using my own voice to its fullest. The changes have been dramatic. At work, among friends, even when delivering speeches, I feel at ease and can focus completely on getting my message across and connecting with the listener. Brendan is a fantastic teacher. I only wish I had met him sooner!
Markus Ziegler