We are very proud of our staff of highly-qualified singing instructors, who are available to teach in your home. Mr. Laws, an accomplished tenor who has years of performance and teaching experience, teaches voice students of all ages and styles, including the seasoned professional singer. Read more about one of our instructors below, or give our office a call at (516) 433-1822 for more information.
J.C. Laws
J.C. Laws is an accomplished Operatic Tenor, Choral Director, and Conductor. He is also a highly skilled Rehearsal Pianist, Lyricist, Composer, and Arranger who offers master classes, voice training and coaching, audition/adjudication preparation, and workshops on singing technique and acting. In addition, Mr. Laws has served as a judge for a diverse array of musical and theatrical competitions. Mr. Laws teaches using the bel canto technique, combined with modern scientific study of the anatomy of the voice, larynx, and mouth as well as positioning of the body to achieve the healthiest resonance in any style or genre of music.
For more than 15 years, Mr. Laws has taught people of all ages and skill levels including professional singers, recording artists, college and university students majoring in music, high school pupils auditioning for New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) recognition and awards, and students auditioning for various musical activities. Mr. Laws’ students have had great success in earning high scores on NYSSMA adjudications, auditioning for and earning lead roles in musicals and operas, winning solos for choirs, and gaining entry into top university music schools. In addition, Mr. Laws’ Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) students have gone on to strengthen their voices and better prepare themselves for recording and touring.
Over the course of his extensive career, Mr. Laws has performed in many Operas and Musicals at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York, NY), Avery Fischer Hall (New York, NY), The Beacon Theatre (New York, NY), The Howard Gilman Opera House (The Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY), The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (Newark, NJ), The NYCB Theatre at Westbury (Westbury, NY), The Wellmont Theatre (Montclair NJ), The Waterville Opera House (Waterville, ME), Symphony Hall (Boston, MA), Atlas Performing Arts Center (Washington, D.C.), Koger Center for the Arts (Columbia, SC), The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts/Ziff Ballet Opera House (Miami, FL), and many more. He has studied and performed with some of the most renowned voice teachers and coaches in the opera and musical theatre worlds including Lucine Amara, Marni Nixon, Nico Castel, Licia Albanese, and Cornelius Reid. He has sung and has an expertise in teaching the finesse of singing in such diverse languages as Italian, French, German, Spanish, Latin, and, of course, English. Besides offering private lessons and workshops, he has been the Music Director for various Churches and sings for the Televised Mass on the Telecare Network. Mr. Laws has also studied conducting under great conductors such as Vincent LaSelva, Tony Amato, Robert Shaw, and John Rutter.
Mr. Laws is a member of The National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), The New York Singing Teachers Association (NYSTA), The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), The National Association of Pastoral Musicians on both the national level as well as the local Rockville Centre Chapter (NPM), Opera America, and the Metropolitan Opera Guild.
“Singing is the life blood of music; by far the most expressive form of the human soul. It is our duty to cultivate it, nurture it, and express it as fully as possible.” (J.C. Laws)
Success Stories
I’ve worked with Karen for over 10 years- she is absolutely terrific!
Karen is the best of the best. I went to her in high school when I had nodes and with her help, they went away after just a few months. Fast forward 14 years later: I had an emergency singing issue happen while on a gig and with her advice and breathing exercises, I made it through the next week of gigs without another episode. She knows exactly how to take care of the voice and is caring and fun on top of that! I couldn’t recommend her more.
Karen is just brilliant! I recommend so many of my students to Karen! She is just the kindest most talented woman! And I had the real privilege to work with her when I was in high school!
All of your techniques work!
When the doctor referred us to you last November, I was doubtful my son would ever regain the magnificent voice he once had. The doctor said he had nodules on his vocal cords and recommended voice therapy. This month my son performed in his first community theater production. It was a musical, and thanks to you, this was the thrill of his life. You brought his voice back. It is as beautiful as ever. Through your expertise, he can continue to do what he loves most – SING!
Dear Karen, I am so glad that you are working with my son and stressing the proper technique in your lessons because his voice sounds so beautiful! Thanks to you Sean was recently cast in a leading role in the Off Broadway musical, A Stoop on Orchard Street. I know that with continued hard work, a little luck and your guidance he can achieve his goal of someday performing on Broadway! Thanks again.
I’m truly enjoying the first of what I hope will be years of sessions at Professional Voice. Working with Karen Sussman is a true delight… and I’m already seeing (and singing) results. Thank you, Karen… here’s to many years and many new roads!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the help you gave me in regaining my voice. All of your suggestions and techniques you taught me helped me to sing beautifully this holiday season.
You are the whole reason why I still have a voice….you are the BEST teacher Karen….
I met you when I was five years old for speech therapy. You made it so much fun. I would look forward to seeing you every week. From speech you helped me with my singing. Not many vocal teachers like to teach young kids. You were a life saver, because you knew how much I loved to sing and belt. You made sure I would learn to do it correctly and not strain my vocal cords. You have helped me prepare for performances, even the one with Kristin Chenoweth, and help pick out the right songs to sing. Thank you for inspiring me and continuing to help my voice grow. I am very lucky to have you as a vocal coach.
Words can not express my sincere gratitude towards you and your staff! Ava is a changed person! She has not had any breathing episodes and utilizes all her strategies during practice and meets! Your kindness and support along with your passion for helping your patients is what makes you a unique medical professional! Finding those qualities in doctors is unfortunately hard to come by these days. It truly amazes me how a few months ago we didn’t think this was going to be resolved. Seeing doctor after doctor with no answers became very frustrating. Then we found you! A medical professional who truly cares about her patients, fun, funny and is a mountain climber! (How cool) again…thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! Xxoo
Karen – there’s no one better than you!!!! We’ve been through it all – nodes, hemorrhages, wrong diagnoses, etc. – you name it, we got through it – all because of you!!! And I’m still singing after all these years – how long ago did I meet you? 27 years!!!!!!!!!!!!
Karen Sussman is an absolute joy to work with! Her vocal techniques have helped me tremendously over the last 7+ years and I recommend her to every singer I come across. She is always up to date on vocal exercises that help keep your vocal chords healthy/strong and you can tell immediately how much she genuinely cares for all her students. There is no better voice coach on Long Island than Karen Sussman.
When I’m on my fourth gig for the week . . . and it’s the last set of the night . . . and I haven’t squeaked . . . and my falsetto is still working . . . I say out loud “Thank you, Karen Sussman!
I have studied with Ms. Sussman for years, having come to her with vocal problems and voice limitations, which have been overcome through using her techniques. As a professional, new vocal challenges regularly come along in performance and recording work. Ms. Sussman has always been able to quickly identify the problem and its solution. Her techniques are very accessible and effective, often yielding results beyond my own vocal expectations.
I would simply like to thank you for the exceptional service that you have provided thus far! Your performance has been absolutely amazing. Your perky personality makes me look forward to each and every meeting. I am more than satisfied with your work and extremely excited to continue working with you in the future.
Thanks for being an incredible voice teacher!!! I wouldn’t be able to sing without you! You’re the best!
Thank you for all the help and caring. It’s good to be able to ‘tawk’ again.
Thanks Karen! Your help has been invaluable. You’ve really shown me how to sound richer and less forced; how to get more without pushing as hard. It’s been making a huge difference!
All this being said, Karen Sussman is a fun, upbeat and positive person – making vocal studies with her really enjoyable. What more could I ask, except that she never retire!
I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You helped me at a very crucial time in my singing career. I really thank you and I will always practice what you taught me.
The improvement in my voice and breathing over a relatively short time has been remarkable. I find that I can speak and sing comfortably for longer periods of time and the throat pain I had been experiencing is greatly reduced. You have been a great help to me. I only wish I had found you years ago and would recommend you to anyone without reservation.
Karen’s mastery of proper technique for the singer/professional voice user is simply unparalleled. She imparts her philosophy, approach and techniques in ways that clients of every age and level can benefit.
Karen Sussman’s Practice has been recognized as one of the top Hicksville Speech Language Pathology practices.
Recent Posts
- Happy Holidays – AND a Healthy Voice
- IT’S NYSSMA TIME – DON’T PANIC! READ THIS!
- “Tune In To Tune Up” Episode 6: Muscle Tension & Your Voice
- “Tune In to Tune Up” Episode 5: Stress & Your Voice
- How to Have a Dog Without Losing Your Voice