Testimonials
Julieta Mendez Singer
https://vimeo.com/48675154
I studied for years straight with Gudrun Buhler. Ms. Buhler is by far one of the most effective vocal coaches I've ever worked with. What makes her so effective is that she very masterfully weaves together her operatic skills, acting background, and spiritual discipline into her teachings, making her approach to vocal coaching a very holistic experience that allowed me to not only tap into my voice physically, but also emotionally, and spiritually. The degree of dedication and conviction that she devotes to each one of her students, and her faith in their talent, is also something that sets Ms. Buhler apart; and as she gives, she also demands discipline and commitment from her students, which is understandable because the voice is an instrument that requires real dedication and strength to fully develop it. Suffice it to say, I became a singer with Ms. Buhler. I was a closeted singer all of my life, mainly because I didn't really like the sound of my voice. After four years of lessons with Gudrun, I began to like the richness of my voice, and that gave me the confidence to come out of the closet. I now have my own band and perform on a weekly basis around the City, and the many tools and techniques I learned from Ms. Buhler help me tremendously every step of the way. I still continue to take lessons with Ms. Buhler to keep honing my voice, and I look forward to continuing to work with her for many years to come.
Mary O'Riordan Mother of PaulVoice and Piano
Gudrun Buhler started giving my son, now 11, voice lessons over two years ago. He is an intense, sensitive child who has not always been the easiest student. However, Gudrun sensed his potential. She is warm, yet firm, and totally dedicated to her students. At least as important, she brings to her teaching not only experience as a performer but also graduate studies in music and in music education. education a year, he started studying piano with Gudrun as well. My son’s father and I are amazed at his progress in music as is his violin teacher of six years. As a professional educator myself, who has supervised other teachers and taught education courses at the graduate level, I cannot recommend Gudrun more highly. Mary O'Riordan Ed.D.
Ed Koenig Pianist
https://youtu.be/hOP8hfMn9ec
Gudrun is thorough in teaching all aspects of playing the piano. She started, and continuously, helps me to improve my hand position and posture. She always has to remind me to "breathe." Gudrun employs fun exercises to help me learn the rhythm of a particular piece. She helps to break down difficult passages into smaller sections and is inventive in finding techniques to help me master those sections. When it comes time for a recital, Gudrun has tips to help calm performance anxiety that make the experience pleasurable rather than frightening.
At all times, Gudrun is encouraging and friendly and, most importantly, she is patient when it takes me time to overcome difficulties. Gudrun makes learning to play the piano a pleasure that I look forward to every week.
Canning Robb Singer and Pianist
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I have been working with Gudrun as my vocal coach and piano teacher for over a decade, since I was 10 years old. During this time, she has coached me through physically and vocally demanding roles and performances in New York, including Hildy in On The Town and Maria in West Side Story. When I moved away for college, I was introduced to other coaches but always came back to Gudrun in preparation for performances because of her reliability and technique. With her, I know that I can work on expanding my skills in a healthy and beneficial way for my voice. I love to sing musical theater and classical bel canto and her technique works beautifully for both. She leads by example with her own beautiful voice and technique, and she is a patient and intuitive teacher. Her passion for music inspires my own. I just graduated from Brown University with a double major in music and theater, and was awarded the David Laurent Music Prize, given annually by the Department of Music to the outstanding vocalist. I know that none of that would have been possible without Gudrun. She helped me to prepare for most department performances throughout my college years, and more intensely leading up to my senior concert performance through Skype. She is an unbelievably supportive teacher with a devotion to her craft and her students, as well as a kind and generous person.
Martha Hernandez Singer/Songwriter
I am a singer/ musician from Seville, Spain, based in
Brooklyn. My songs are a mixed of the flamenco infused rhythms from Spain and the eclectic sounds of New York City. I think I sang all my life, but started composing only about 10 years ago.
But it was not until i met Gudrun that my life as a singer changed completely. I came to her with zero technique and pure intuition. Due to this lack of technique, i was using my voice wrongly,
creating dysphonia at times, and very often losing my voice at the end of each performance. I started working five years ago, meeting once a week and my voice not only has become fuller, richer and
more colorful, but I have learned to use it in a way that I minimize muscle effort, relax my body, giving space for the voice to travel, and have much more control over it. Gudrun has taught me
patiently and in very much detail the nuances that makes a voice unique.
Gudrun is a very dedicated teacher, who loves her students passionately. This passion shows in her teaching. I am very grateful to have studied with her and intend to continue doing so. Thank you for all your teachings and for your beautiful disposition and love.
Jayant Ray Father of Sandhya and ElliPiano
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e5TdRumP1Q
Meeting Gudrun Buhler was one of the happiest accidents of my life. I had recently acquired an upright piano and my twin daughters, Sandhya and Elli, were beginning to get frustrated, perhaps because they couldn't get it to do what they wanted.
At our first meeting I was instantly impressed by Gudrun’s firm but friendly demeanor which is perfect for a teacher. When she did begin teaching them, Gudrun elicited a mixture of respect and admiration from Sandhya and Elli. When she was firm with them, I always supported her since I trusted her judgment more than my own, although I do remember feeling a bit overwhelmed in the beginning because she expected a certain commitment.
Today, thanks to Gudrun, piano and classical music in general, have become a part of our lives. The girls enjoy playing the piano and completing their pianistic tasks. It helps, that apart from being a music teacher, Gudrun has an active and productive creative life. She sings operatic arias and lieder in performances that we have attended.
Under Gudrun’s tutelage Sandhya and Elli have progressed from playing simple melodies like Greensleeves to Chopin Waltzes, Mozart Sonatas, and piano duets. They have got one Gold Cup each from the Young Musicians Festival in Fairfield, Connecticut for solid performances three years in a row, and are working on getting their second Gold Cup. They have also successfully auditioned for the Summer Program at the Manhattan School of Music, two years in a row. If they were not so burdened by school work I am sure they would have accomplished even more at the piano.
Music apart, Gudrun has played a great role in developing the character of my children. Even if they had not achieved what they have with the piano, our association with her would have been worthwhile because Sandhya and Elli have learned from her the virtues of punctuality, attention to detail, and respect for one’s teachers. She also taught them to listen to their bodies by making them warm up with yoga and other exercises. As a result they have played without injury and mental stress which is no small matter in the musical world.
Gudrun is the real thing. A real, practicing musician with impeccable credentials who will always deliver what she promised and always tell the truth. If that is something that works for you, your search for a music teacher is over.
