“Michelle Kei is an Awesome Voice Teacher. I sing opera and was looking for a teacher to help me prepare for a college audition; within two weeks I have learned several techniques, including the importance of stretching, breathing and diction. I now sing with more confidence and can hit all the high notes without hurting my voice. I highly recommend Michelle Kei to anyone who wants an amazing voice teacher.” (Soprano) ~Ashley D.

“Michelle is Fantastic! I started taking lessons with her my sophomore year in high school and she really helped me find my voice and become more confident throughout my range. I wish I could have studied with her longer, but she gave me a great foundation to further my studies in both Classical and Broadway techniques.” (Soprano) ~Monica C.

“Michelle and Robert are wonderful, patient, and professional. My daughter (Sophia) 15 years old benefited greatly from the many techniques (classical and operatic) taught by Michelle and Robert. They always stress the importance of vocal health, even incorporating stretching, proper exercises, breathing, and proper vowel sounds. Not only did they prepare my daughter vocally but taught her facial structure, posture and how to add her acting and emotion into her singing while still having a great projection. An added benefit being instructed by this wonderful duo is having the knowledge from both female and male seasoned professionals. I highly recommend you meet with them at least once and see the difference. I can’t wait to see them again.” (Parent) ~Jess M. 

“My husband and I are both musicians and have studied music for many years. We were looking for a qualified voice teacher for our daughter, to prepare for an important audition. She wanted to sing Opera and did well learning the arias and studying various opera singers on You Tube; but sometimes her throat would hurt. She needed to learn healthy vocal techniques.

Robert and Michelle immediately, gave Ashley several exercises to develop her breathing, an increase her volume. They also worked on her diction in Italian, French and German, always enthusiastic and encouraging.  Robert went above and beyond to help Ashley gain the confidence that she needed. Michelle showed her techniques to use her body to develop that big sound. Together Robert and Michelle were able to bring out the best in her.

Sometimes while in another room, we listen to Ashley sing and can’t distinguish if she’s singing or if it’s one of her favorite Opera Singers.

We highly recommend Robert Aaron Taylor and Michelle Kei Ishuu. They are more than voice teachers; they are truly a “Dynamic Teaching Duo”.  Thank You!” (Parents) ~George & Joselyn D. 

“Our daughter, Monica, has been studying with Michelle and Robert Taylor for the last year.  The vocal development we have seen and heard has been remarkable.  Her performance competence and confidence have grown exponentially.  This development would not have occurred without Michelle and Robert’s dedicated attention.” (Parents) ~Wayne & Charlene C. 

“I have had 5 lessons with Michelle, and they are going great! I got the lead role in my musical thanks to her amazing dedication and supportive teaching. I would definitely recommend this teacher to anyone who wants to improve their voice or musical theatre performance.” (Soprano) ~Meilyn W. 

“Professionalism is the first word to come to mind regarding Michelle. I have had over a decade of music and voice lessons with various teachers. By far, Michelle is the most professional educator. Michelle understands that our voices are like any other instrument, and has a holistic approach to the health of the body and voice. With her guidance I am confident I will sing healthy and strong well into my senior years. Personality would be my second word for Michelle. She is very engaging and as excited about my progress as I am. She inspires the confidence that we can reach our goals and beyond. This has been time and money well spent.” (Alto) ~Debra A. 

“Robert is a fantastic Baritone! He has given me so much great advice over the years in advancing my own career as a singer. With his lengthy performance background, he approaches students with a great deal of on stage experience and his lessons are highly rooted in professionalism and achieving a high standard of musicianship. He pays great attention to musical expression and emphasizes the importance of knowing and understanding the text and context of the music. I would highly recommend studying/coaching with Robert.” (Bass-Baritone) ~ Daren S. 

“I’ve taken a few lessons with Michelle now and I am very happy with my experience! Michelle is great at customizing her lesson to her student. I actually tried a few different teachers in the area (Chicago-land) before finding Michelle and no one seemed to “get” what I was looking for. With Michelle I feel challenged at an appropriate pace and am able to focus on the important details. Michelle has lots to offer and even in just a short time has helped me to improve immensely! I am very excited to continue studying with Michelle.” (Soprano) ~Tina M.

UPDATE:

“I started working with Michelle and Robert in mid-March. I clicked with them right away. Knowing that we only had about a month and a half before my audition date, we worked very diligently. They did a great job customizing my lessons to really prepare me for my audition. I had a couple of songs picked out and we began ironing out the details right away. Michelle and Robert knew exactly how to challenge me more and more each lesson. They quickly helped me to find my own unique and healthy sound that felt very comfortable. We not only focused on the music and the voice, but also stage presence, interview preparation, and acting out the pieces. I went into the audition feeling positively over-prepared. I was not only accepted into the program, but also offered a generous scholarship. Quickly after my audition we began working on new, more challenging pieces. I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with Michelle and Robert. I cannot thank them enough for all the hard work they put in for their students. I would definitely recommend studying with them for any serious vocalist looking to fine-tune their craft.” (Soprano) ~Tina M.

“Wonderful experience and Great teacher! Really enjoying myself!” (Soprano) ~Angelica P. 

“I have just begun taking singing lessons with Michelle, and I have to say she is a wonderful teacher, who not only will educate you on the fundamentals of using your voice as an instrument, and exploring your voice, but also give you the confidence, and motivation to do so. I look forward to my lesson every week with Michelle, knowing that I will learn something new, explore the strength of my voice, and also be encouraged, and given guidance to reach my highest potential as a singer, and an actress.” (Soprano) ~Annu D. 

“I just had my first lesson with Michelle and Robert and I cannot wait for my next one. They provide insightful feedback, explain the importance of what they are teaching you in regards to your voice and are extremely encouraging and engaging during the whole process. They both have extensive knowledge and experience and are flexible in their teaching methods to ensure that you will understand what they are asking of you. In just the one lesson I already felt an improvement in my singing technique. I still have a long way to go, but I am confident in their ability to get me there. I highly recommend them.” (Soprano) ~Heather W. 

“I wrote a review several months ago after my first lesson. I have been taking lessons once a week with Michelle and Robert for several months now and felt it was time to write another review. I listened to a recording of my last lesson and compared it to my first lesson. Wow, what a difference! I couldn’t believe it was me on the recording! My voice has developed a powerful and refined quality it never had before. My singing has become effortless and my range has expanded greatly and continues to expand. I can’t recommend them enough. I look forward to every lesson because not only are they amazing vocal coaches, they are the nicest people you will ever meet. They are enthusiastic, encouraging, fun, and quite hilarious. My lessons always end too soon and I always improve upon my technique in some way after each lesson. I had taken voice lessons before many, many years ago and the experience was not so great. I found Michelle and Robert through an online search and decided to give them a try and I won the vocal coach lottery. I couldn’t have found two better coaches. Wherever you are in your vocal training–whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve upon your technique–I am convinced that Robert and Michelle will be able to help you.”  (Soprano) ~Heather W. 

“Excellent! I feel I will learn a great deal. Improvement in flipping into head voice will be very helpful.” (Tenor) ~Ken K. 

“I worked with Michelle on several occasions. She was always completely professional and prepared.  Her insights have helped me on a personal level as a singer and on a professional level as an elementary music teacher. You will be in great hands (and great voice!) with Michelle guiding you!” (Soprano) ~ Carey H. 

“Michelle is an amazing soprano with an understanding of the voice and much insight to offer to young inexperienced singers alike. You will find her to be supportive and encouraging and ready to help you would be the best singer you can possibly be.” (Baritone) ~Terry S. 

“Michelle is very understanding and really works with you to find your voice! I noticed a difference in my voice in the first lesson alone. She provides constructive feedback and creates an environment that is supportive and lets you be yourself. Her positive attitude helps me to believe in myself. I greatly enjoy lessons with Michelle!

P.S. Her voice is amazing!!” (Soprano) ~Tiffany B. 

“I highly, highly recommend Robert and Michelle to anybody. They are both incredible singers themselves and are very friendly, encouraging, and patient. They tailored each lesson for me to use what I knew, and develop areas that need polishing. Robert learned about my musical background, and took the time to understand the way I learn to make the most of the time. I was impressed by all the great reviews for both Robert and Michelle when I was searching for an instructor. I am happy to add my own to the list.” (Baritone) ~Michael B. 

“In the space of 2 months, my vocal quality has improved immensely. Robert really focuses on the mechanics of proper singing. Like building a house, the end product requires a good foundation.” (Tenor) ~Kenneth K.

“Robert is Awesome. He is very patient, very knowledgeable, and is excellent at explaining what you need to do. This is no easy task when you are beginning, and don’t really understand what you are supposed to be doing with your mouth to get a good sound. He is great at explaining and demonstrating, and pointing out which parts you did right and how to fix any that you did wrong. Not only that, he has a great sense of humor and is a lot of fun. This makes the lessons a lot less stressful.” (Baritone) ~Lynn G.

“Robert is an Amazing teacher. He is gifted with ability to quick identify strengths and deficiencies in student’s vocal traits. He also has infinite patience and praise when working to correct deficiencies. If you are looking for immediate and steady improvement in your skills, both voice and performance, he is definitely the person for you. Definitely money well spent for the serious student.” (Alto) ~Neva A.

“Robert has a real gift for communication – he was able to not just understand what changes I needed to make in the physical production of my sound, but was the first teacher ever to be able to explain those changes to me in ways I could understand and reproduce. The exercises he provides are fun and build on each other over time. Most importantly, Robert is patient, flexible, and supportive – he’s more interested in unlocking your vocal potential (in any field) than in teaching to any specific repertoire or genre. He’s also an excellent artist, and will encourage you to access the emotion and the beauty of any piece you work with him. Robert brought a strong artistic sensibility, great compassion and friendship, and a practical understanding of physical technique to my lessons, and I’m a much better singer for it.”(Baritone) ~Chris M. 

“Robert has an excellent understanding of the voice and is extremely talented at communicating with students. Several times I have observed his ability to really improve a student. He has helped me several times, work out very tricky vocal difficulties.” (Bass) ~Dennis R.

“I am so excited about my voice lessons. I am a university trained classical singer with extensive operatic and art song experience who wanted to get back to singing after a long absence.  I was looking for a teacher that could help me to navigate the changes in my voice due to the aging process and provide me with the tools to steady a vibrato that had gotten out of hand.  Michelle and Robert are exactly what I needed.  They have extensive and commanding knowledge of the voice and support mechanism and teach from the Italian “Bel Canto School” perspective. That is to say pure vowels, open throated but focused sound and a healthy, low laryngeal position.  I am loving my voice again and it has only been 3 lessons.  They are exceptional at finding the beauty in the individual voice and not requiring a “carbon copy” sound.  One of the best things about my lessons is that they complement each other as teachers and find a number of ways to facilitate a natural and beautiful sound by articulating suggestions in many and varied ways. If the student is unable to reproduce the desired outcome by one method, they will find another way to achieve it.  Not one minute of a lesson is wasted and each week brings quick and substantial progress.  It has been a joy to work with them and I look forward to each lesson and the progress they bring.  In short, I am thrilled.” (Soprano) ~Vikki S.

“What a Wonderful Experience! It does not matter what genre you sing, Robert will show you the foundation you need to be great at any genre. For me, it’s vocal rehab since I picked up some bad singing habits along the way of self-learning. You can’t go wrong with the professionalism and expertise you will get here.

If you’re looking for a vocal teacher, I strongly recommend you stop here and look no further, because you will be very satisfied with how quickly you will start to see improvements in your singing and talking voice. “(Tenor) ~Hubert P.