Optimally, teaching is a labor of love as well as a way to earn a living. Rebecca Parris' teaching is not only a labor of love, it is about love; love for words, for soul, for conversation and communication with an audience. She has long been known fondly as the "singer's shrink," showing her students how to look deep into themselves for the meaning of a lyric; to find that moment or moments when the singer owned a particular song, so that singer can call to mind mood and memory and deliver the message of the song intently and individualistically.

Her respect and knowledge of music and musicians is profound. She teaches the whole song - chord changes, melody, rhythm, and improvisation. Delivery of truth is her earmark. There can be no mistruths in delivery or expectation in her schooling. She is a master diagnostician and is able to go straight to the heart of what is wanted and needed. She is a creative teacher who nurtures and nudges the individual into peak performance.

Direct, honest, funny, and sincere, Ms. Parris derives her natural teaching ability from a long line of creative teachers and performers who cared deeply for education and the sharing of experience. She has performed and directed in every genre and her ability to share her vast experience is truly something extremely precious to students of jazz, cabaret and pop alike.

Her classes have extended themselves into corporate arena where she assists "9 to 5ers" in finding their "own voice," and regaining their "personal power." She is an avid "humanist."

Ms. Parris is available for private study, master classes, artist in residence positions and seminars. Visit the Contact page for information about booking Ms. Parris.

"Rebecca Parris gets to the "Heart" of the matter. After being involved with Ms. Parris's career for over thirty years, I am still amazed at how her talent, both teaching and performing, inspires all those that are fortunate enough to be in her presence. It never seems to amaze me that 1200 people can be sitting in an audience and leave each performance with their hearts full -feeling that each one of them was personally involved and intertwined in the universal love that Rebecca Parris delivers in every word and every sentence that she speaks and sings. It is an honor to have been one of her agents and friends." Diane Barry, President Barry Productions "I've been a professional singer for over 25 years and was wanting to have more freedom within my tunes to do more improvising and to make them more my own. A workshop with Rebecca Parris turned my head around. She showed me how to really own the lyric and that opened up a whole new world in my singing. I wish I had studied with her when I was just beginning my career. I have since taken more workshops and a few private lessons with Rebecca and each time I am taken to a new level in my performances. I have studied with many wonderful vocal teachers over the years but none have so succinctly put their finger on exactly what I needed. I highly reccomend her teaching for any level of vocalist." Cat Conner Hello Rebecca, I was lucky enough to sing in one of your master classes in March in Southern California. I say I got lucky because I happened to draw the highest card out of everyone who wanted to sing that day. I'm not sure if you remember me, so I attached a picture of us. I never got to tell you that your clinic was one of the most inspiring experiences of my life. I am a grad student of Christine Guter at Cal State Long Beach, and in the academic world, it is easy to lose sight of why we make music, especially jazz, in the first place. Your words about honest, open expression enlightened me to how important it is for artists to exist. I learned so much from you about connecting with other people through music; making these connections with people, even those with whom I seem to have nothing in common, has become my goal as an artist and as a person, thanks to you. Your performance was proof that true artistry still exists and cannot be replaced. Thank you for opening your heart to me and everyone else who was there that day. I now feel like I can open my own heart to others. Sincerely, Genevieve Artadi