Our Story

Where Hello, Voice!™ Began

Twenty-two years in the studio have taught me a lot, but through the years, as I have worked with young singers, I really noticed one thing. 

Most students were not learning the basic foundational concepts of music in other music classes like I thought they would be.  It seemed like it was going to be up to me to teach my students sight-singing, ear-training, music theory, voice technique, new repertoire, performance skills, and so, so much more.  

I was struggling to fit everything into a once-a-week lesson with them, and felt like they were underprepared for what they wanted to do with their voices; whether it be teaching, performing, or even being able to learn music on their own. 

I've spent over two decades teaching voice lessons in different capacities: private lessons, classroom settings, a summer performing arts camp, and a nonprofit built around getting kids on stage. And no matter what approach I tried,  I kept running into the same problem: the "theory book" was boring, sight-singing was treated like a chore, and the advanced voice technique that I use with my older students felt wrong with young singers.

So I built the curriculum I wished existed.

Hello, Voice!™ is solfege, sight-singing, ear training, music theory, and real voice technique (the actual mechanics of the voice and body) woven into one sequence, told through one story.

That's where Maestro came from. Every lesson follows him on a journey that makes theory feel like plot instead of homework, with a comic, a joke, and a "did you know" tucked into every single lesson, because kids (and let's be honest, adults too) learn better when they're also having a good time.

The illustrations that bring Maestro to life come from my partner, who took on the job of making sure every page looked as alive as the lessons feel to teach.

Hello, Voice! started as one workbook and is growing into a full library of resources.  We are constantly adding new levels of the workbook, teacher's guides, classroom posters, flashcards, practice journals, and more, all built the same way: tested in a real studio, with real students, before it ever reaches yours.

Whether you're teaching one student at your piano or a full classroom of young singers, I built this so you could open the book and teach, without having to build the curriculum yourself.

Jessica Schable