Rachel Parra DeLong
About
Rachel is primarily a Voice instructor. She also teaches beginner Piano as well as beginner and intermediate music theory. Rachel started taking piano lessons at age 7 in Douglasville, Georgia. At the age of 12 she moved to Bartlesville, Oklahoma where her musical interests continued to grow. She started taking voice and flute lessons and volunteering to sing, play piano and bass at a local Spanish church. By the time Rachel finished high school she had participated in masterclasses, competitions, and sang and played for private events and weddings. After graduating Rachel went abroad and worked on a film score for an independent foreign film called La Montana where she recorded vocals, piano, and flute. Rachel completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver which included a Minor in Music. While at university she took private voice, ensemble, group piano, music theory, as well as music history courses which included Music’s of the World and Music’s of America. Rachel not only loves music, but also music history and sharing the impact music has had on our world. Rachel has studied and performed many different genres of music including classical, opera, musical theater, film scores, folk music, church/religious music, and pop. Rachel’s vocal influences include, but are not limited to, Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Celine Dion, Anna Netrebko, Lana Del Rey, Enya Norah Jones and Emmy Rossem. Rachel also enjoys and is influenced by the works of Ramin Djawadi, Howard Shore, Hans Zimmer and the late James Horner. Rachel is also currently studying to earn her Spanish Language Certificate at UC San Diego with the goal of becoming truly fluent and offering bilingual instruction.
Teaching Style
Rachel believes that being patient, encouraging and having a optimistic attitude are key qualities for a successful music instructor. She tailors the lesson plan to the individual student’s needs and musical interests, whether it be their desire to learn for fun, prepare for a performance or wanting to support them as they embark down a professional music path.
Curriculum
Vocals: Rachel likes to create tailored lesson plans that start with vocal warm-ups such as scales, arpeggios, breathing exercises and then practicing 1-3 songs of the students choice. She also can teach from textbooks such as Vocal Techique by Julia Davids and Vocal Warm Ups by Klaus Heizmann.
Music Theory: Rachel would use a fusion of Music Theory in 30s , Alfreds Essentials of Music Thoery and Music Theory and Composition by Stephen C. Stone.
Any materias suggested or needed for a student would be provided such as the material and or copies but any matieral a student partically wants to use they are responible for providing.
Credentials & Affiliations
A Bachelor's degree from Metropolitan State University of Denver which includes a Minor in Music.
Music courses taken while at university includ; Music Theory I and II Music Lab I and II, Private Vocal Instruction I-IV, Choir and Band Ensemble, Class Piano I and II, Music History Early Romantic Era, Musics of America, Musics of the World, Songwriting.
Vocal and piano instructor at the Colorado Music Institute in Centennial Colorado.
Vocal instructor on Takelessons platform.
Performed for weddings, business events, recitals, choral and solo concerts and competitions.
Worked on a filmscore doing vocals, piano and flute.