Kris Adams

Senior Music Performance Faculty in Vocal Jazz

Teaches commercial singing styles and technique, specializing in jazz, blues, pop, and Brazilian music.

Studying jazz voice in my studio covers a variety of topics. Usually I start with technique as it applies to the style of singing commercial music. This means that you will sing exercises that mix (or blend) your head and chest registers. I also cover basic topics of vocal physiology and maintenance. Once there is a basic practice routine established, we start to sing songs, mostly from the standard jazz repertoire. This repertoire can include swing, Brazilian (in Portuguese), contemporary or even original songs. We may also study improvisation (scat singing), theory, arranging, and/or ear training. At the end of the semester, students studying for credit must sing for the Jazz/World Music Juries. This means that they sing for the faculty. In preparation for this, there is usually at least one performance workshop near the end of the semester in which my students sing their prepared pieces (using a microphone) for each other, accompanied by a jazz pianist.

I love to sing! I have four CDs, available digitally and through CDBaby, and I perform regularly in the Boston area singing mostly jazz standards, Brazilian bossa novas and original music. It is difficult to balance teaching and performing but I believe that these two parts of my career feed each other. Performing gives credence to my teaching and teaching allows me to communicate and share my passion for singing.

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Education

  • B.M., Berklee College of Music
  • M.M., The New England Conservatory of Music