Patricia Feltmann received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Western Oregon State College in 1985 where she received training in music theory, music history, conducting, vocal technique, foreign languages, piano, teaching methods, and many other subjects. She also has graduate work in Classical Performance and Contemporary Vocal Pedagogy from the University of Oregon and Shenandoah University in Virginia, respectively.
After graduation she focused on performing opera and classical music along with private teaching and choral conducting. As a classical singer she has been a soloist with the Juniper Opera, Eugene Opera, Linn-Benton Community Chorus, Sunriver Music Festival, Obsidian Opera, and Lebanon-Sweet Home Community Concert Association, and numerous churches as a soloist and music director. In addition she sang the world premiere of the opera “Anna”, a one-act, solo opera by Corvallis, Oregon composer Robert Mix, as well as singing the part of the Ghost of Christmas Past in Mr. Mix’s opera “A Christmas Carol”.
In 1998 she turned her focus more on teaching and began pursuing her interest in contemporary styles of singing. She saw the need for informed, accurate information for the singer of popular music. She began analyzing the differences in sound and production for these styles and searched for reliable information to help her students achieve a healthy and authentic production. She found lots of classically trained singing teachers trying to push their techniques onto popular singers, or popular singers trying to teach other singers without a good understanding of anatomy and physiology of singing.
Since then Ms. Feltmann has studied under Lisa Popeil, MFA, founder of Voiceworks in Los Angeles, and has become a Voiceworks™ Associate. She also completed training with Jeanette LoVetri to be a certified Somatic Voicework™ teacher. With this information and the continuing desire to find new, and accurate information, Ms. Feltmann has become one of the few singing teachers with training in contemporary styles, as well as classical.
Other training she has received has been in: anatomy & physiology of the voice, spectral analysis of the singing voice, medical care and the voice, the aging voice, the changing male voice, performance psychology, Alexander Method (a body usage technique), acting and foreign languages (4 years of college level German, 1 year of college level Italian, private coaching in French and Spanish).
Ms. Feltmann is the author of “Vocal Exercises for the Contemporary Singer” a vocal technique booklet and CD aimed at singers of contemporary styles. She has given seminars and been a guest clinician at conferences.
Ms. Feltmann currently teaches in Falls City, Oregon where she teaches voice, piano, music theory, composition, stage presence, and beginning guitar and ukulele. She teaches students from beginners to professional recording artists, ages 9 to 75.
After leaving the classical performance world, she has performed in jazz and big bands, and folk groups; singing, as well as playing piano, flute, bass, and guitar. She has also been a church music director and vocal director for performances at the Majestic Theatre in Corvallis.
Ms. Feltmann is also a wildlife photographer and sells her photography under the business name of Feltmann Photography. Check it out at p-feltmann-photography.com
She lives in rural Polk County, Oregon with her husband, horses, dog, cats, chickens, and an extensive organic garden.
