Heather Lyle is considered one of the leading voice teachers in Los Angeles for singers, actors and anyone who wants to expand their voice. She is a dedicated educator who received her Bachelor and Master's Degrees in voice, from California State University, Northridge. She specialized in singing, diction and speech science graduating summa cum laude. A winner of the prestigious California University Sally Casanova Doctoral Scholarship, Lyle completed advanced doctoral voice research and a doctoral internship at the renowned Indiana University School of Music under the tutelage of Paul Kiesgen. Heather Lyle is also a Certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework, and was one of the teachers of the Fitzmaurice Teacher Certification Program. Fitzmaurice Voicework is the leading voice work for actors today, taught at Harvard, Juilliard and professional acting conservatories. Fitzmaurice Voice Work is also rapidly being discovered and embraced by singers and is a fabulous addition to traditional singing techniques.
The combination of Heather Lyle's training in voice work for actors and extensive training in singing has given Lyle a unique approach to teaching that students find fresh and innovative. Lyle has taught singing and vocal technique for University of Southern California, Santa Monica College, LA Mission College, the Los Angeles High School for the Arts, Studio 5 in New York, Chelsea Studios in NYC, Seydways Acting Studio in Hollywood, numerous other acting schools, and the private sector. Many of Lyle's students have gone on to starring roles on television,
film and in theater. Lyle strongly believes in preserving the privacy of
clients lives and will not use celebrity clients names to further her
own business. Lyle also delights in helping the beginner in finding
their voice and forming a career direction.
Lyle is also the founder of Vocal Yoga, a workshop utilizing techniques from Yoga, Fitzmaurice Voicework, Alexander Technique, Roy Hart. the Bel Canto School of Singing, Qi Gong, kirtan chanting, primal voice work, circle singing and jazz improvisation to free the voice. Vocal Yoga uses a series of modified yoga postures that are designed to unblock the breath and voice from parts of the body where it has been braced or blocked due to the emotional and physical stresses of life. When the body is free to breathe and released from encumbrances, the singer will discover a new depth and expansion to his or her voice.
Heather Lyle was born into the world of music and musical theatre. All of her Great Aunts were Ziegfeld Follies girls and she grew up listening to the hit songs of her great uncle, Buddy DeSylva, co-founder of Capitol Records and president of Paramount Pictures. Buddy was
famous for his hits of the 20's, 30's and 40's, such as “Somebody Loves Me”
and “Lucky In Love,” written with Al Jolsen, Henderson and Brown, and
Gershwin. DeSylva also produced many of the musical theatre hits during the golden age of Broadway and went on to produce movie musicals during the Bing Crosby /Gene Kelly era.
Lyle was also
influenced by her mother, the first female Hollywood press agent, the first female NBC executive and a musician's agent and writer for
Downbeat Jazz Magazine who constantly played jazz standards written by the
prominent musicians she managed. One of her
most notorious clients was the blues legend W.C. Handy.
Lyle's passion for song writing and music production was nurtured from an early age leading her to receive acclaim as a composer, musical director and voice and speech coach. She has worked for the San Fernando Repertory Theater and the Theatre Tribe Theater Company as a musical director. Dramalogue singled out her musical direction for special praise in the critically acclaimed production of Anne of a Thousand Days at CBS Studios in Los Angeles. Lyle has also served as a singing and voice coach for record and TV productions, and has contributed music to television shows including NBC's Emmy Award winning, "The Mystery of the Sphinx". One of Lyle's favorite jobs is helping the singer or actor attain their best sound in the studio during the recording process. Many Los Angeles producers have delighted in the time they have saved by hiring Lyle as an in-studio vocal coach. One prominent LA producer uses Lyle's vocal exercises CD to warm up his clients.
Heather Lyle is also a successful professional singer for film, T.V. and stage. She has sung every style of music from opera and musical theater to jazz and pop. She has even sung traditional Middle Eastern music for movie sound-tracks. Lyle has performed in over fifty productions and recorded four original CDs. Her love of adventure has sent her to Brazil performing concerts traveling down the Amazon River and to Egypt to record inside the Great Pyramid for a movie soundtrack. She has performed on every type of stage from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the smoky caves of Paris to the Playboy Mansion. Lyle presently sings with her eight-piece band "The Bluecat Express." Their last CD release "The Spirit of New Orleans," on Rhombus Records, playied on jazz stations across the U.S. and is available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and itunes. The Bluecat Express has appeared at The Jacksonville Jazz Festival with Kenny G., Herbie Hancock, Dee Bridgewater and Ramsey Lewis and performed as part of the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles. An international singing career has made Lyle a fascinating, eclectic teacher who can sing in seven languages. Lyle's vast musical experience has made her an amazingly versatile teacher and enabled her to teach a variety of musical styles. Lyle's ongoing professional career and music business background also aids her in giving invaluable professional advice to students embarking into the world of professional singing.
