Q&A with Holly Sickinger-Bifulci

We asked Lessonface Teachers of the Year about their process and goals for 2025. Here are the responses from Holly Sickinger-Bifulci, our jazz voice and musical teacher of the year for 2024.

Can you share a story about a student’s breakthrough or notable accomplishment?

I had one student that was preparing for an audition for a musical, something she had never done. We were working on a song and a monologue. When she first read me the monologue, she copied what she had heard other people do on recordings, but we worked together on thinking about how the character felt when she was saying the words, and at our last lesson before her audition, she performed the script and was so natural. It was so cool!

What’s the funniest thing that happened during a lesson this year? We’d love to hear any other entertaining anecdotes you’d like to share!

I was recently telling one of my piano students how a previous student said that a dotted half note was like a regular half note with a beauty mark! 😆

What’s one lasting takeaway you hope your students will carry with them from your teaching, even years from now?

Making music isn’t just about the technique, it’s about connecting to what the piece is saying in the lyrics or expressing in the music on the page.

What’s the first song you ever learned to play, and does it still hold meaning for you?

I don’t remember the first song I learned to sing, but my parents said I used to sing along with Sesame Street and The Chipmunks as early as three years old.

If you could jam with any musician, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I would love to take a voice lesson with Dawn Upshaw, because classically, I always felt that her voice was the most like mine.

What are some of your most indispensable pieces of gear, for teaching online and for playing your instrument(s)?

I have a Stellar X2 microphone that I really like, plus it’s not crazy expensive. I also love my Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 250 Ohm Over-Ear Studio Headphones. They really do have the best sound!

What’s a skill or idea you’re excited to explore in 2025?

I actually want to work on improving my time management skills for myself this year, because I have so many things I want to do and feel like I never have the time.

What exciting goals are your students chasing in 2025?

My students will definitely have some auditions to prepare for, and one of my students has a goal of getting back to performing after being away for a while.

Learn more with Holly Sickinger-Bifulci.