top of page
ahribelle, erin lee bender, singer, versatile singer, erin bender

Ahribelle

soprano vocalist

Clips

Don't Know Why
Norah Jones
Seth Finch Trio, Chorum Hall

Sarah's Lullaby
Seth Finch
Seth Finch Trio, Chorum Hall

I'd Give My Life for You (from Miss Saigon)
Schonberg & Boublil

I Read (from Passion)
Stephen Sondheim

Fiona
Shrek is Love
Carrollton Station

The Advent Prose
Richard Floyd
Duke University Chapel Evensong Choir

When Silent Night
Sergei Rachmaninoff
New Orleans Opera Association Guild Home

Ave Maria
Franz Schubert
Wedding Ceremony

American Boy
Estelle & Kanye West
The Joy Theatre

The Lord is Kind and Merciful
Jeanne Cotter
Wedding Ceremony

Screenshot 2024-03-09 171015.png

Voice Lessons

uptown, New Orleans

What is Songbird Studio?

Songbird Studio is my home vocal studio where I offer private lessons for anyone who loves (or is intrigued by) singing.

What are some benefits of singing lessons?

Singing serves so many purposes - social, spiritual, physical, intellectual, expressive, creative.... here are just a few!

​

Health

- deepening your practice of body awareness

- full-body connection & core strengthening improves cardiovascular health

- controlling the full breath cycle strengthens respiratory system and improves blood flow

 

Personal

- develop inner journey of your relationship with music, the creative arts, and your unique expressive voice

- intellectual exploration of anatomy, music theory, stylizations, lyricism, history, psychology and more

- boost self-confidence and joyful stage presence

​

Community

- cultural appreciation when studying a particular genre/style

- sense of belonging & mutual support in local music scenes

- learn about different types of musical relationships and group cohesion

What is your teaching style?

I take a holistic approach to truly versatile singing - focusing on objective and subjective truths, rather than what is "right" or "wrong." I organize my teaching ideology into four core tenants:

​

Mind

   mental, contextual, historical elements of singing and performing

Sound

   basic music theory, resonance, timbre, listening skills

Body

   anatomy, breath control, registers, producing consonants & vowels

Soul

   artistry, creative expression, lyricism

​

Within this framework, our exercises and curriculum will be completely tailored to the individual needs and interests of each student - including various combinations of breathing exercises, vocal warm-ups, physical movement, lyrical study, and song study.

​

I draw upon my varied experiences studying and performing in opera, musical theatre, oratorio, and jazz. I believe joyful and self-driven learning make successful and sustainable vocal study!

What experience levels do you work with?

I coach new, casual, frequent & versant singers. We can embark on an open-ended voice study journey and/or do specific work like audition preparation, stage work, and workshop recording sessions.

How do scheduling and pricing work?

We'll start with a half-price trial lesson to discuss your interests and hear your voice. After that, my rate is $60 per hour-long lesson, and I offer sliding scale options.

​

Email me at belle@lovely-creature.com to schedule your trial lesson! I look forward to working collaboratively to find your true voice!

New Orleans, LA

The city of New Orleans and surrounding areas is the traditional territory of the Chahta Yakni (Choctaw), Houma, Chitimacha, Acolapissa, Biloxi, and other Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land since time immemorial. These lands were home to numerous nations before the arrival of Europeans, who used enslaved African peoples to build New Orleans upon their soil. The largest slave markets in the Deep South were in New Orleans, and many local institutions were built by the labor of enslaved peoples and their descendants, who suffered the horrors of transatlantic trafficking, chattel slavery, Jim Crow, and other harms and injustices. These harms and injustices endure in the form of economic gaps and other inequities that Black communities experience today.

Before the city of New Orleans or the state of Louisiana, this land was known in Choctaw as Bulbancha, “the place of other tongues.” It was a place for diverse cultures to come together, for hunting, trading, and sacred rituals. The culture of New Orleans was significantly influenced by the Indigenous heritage of Bulbancha, and the Indigenous peoples of this area continue to leave their mark on the city and community. Governmental, academic, and cultural institutions were founded and are perpetuated on the exclusion and erasure of Indigenous Peoples. Colonialism has sustained oppression, genocide, land dispossession, and involuntary removals of Indigenous Peoples from this place. This statement is a tribute to the original peoples of this land and the sacrifice of those whose labor built this city. Acknowledgment alone is not enough, and Ahribelle pledges to incorporate this commitment into restorative action.

adapted from the NASP 2024 Convention land & labor acknowledgement

bottom of page