Chad Burris

“I worked with Melissa while I was in Chicago touring with The Book of Mormon. I had been in the show for a couple of years and was, honestly, in a rut with the show and my voice. Melissa, with her bubbly personality and incredible teaching style, helped me find the fun in the score again. I am thankful for my time with her and I HIGHLY recommend that you work with her as well if you get the opportunity.” 

JAY REYNOLDS JR.

"Melissa helps you do eight shows a week. As a tenor with tongue tension and a hiked larynx, she was exactly what I needed to take my singing to the next level. A wealth of knowledge, Melissa is overwhelmingly supportive, yet not someone that will lie to you to protect an inflated ego. I'm never intimidated by the material of today's Musical Theatre, because of the strong foundation that Melissa Foster has helped me build."

WILL SKRIP

"Melissa Foster completely transformed my voice. Because she comes from a classical background, yet knows the demands and trends of Musical Theatre today, she excels at bridging the gap between technique and performance. Her strongest asset is her unique ability to hone a voice based on the performer's "type" or skill set. She has her hand on the pulse of the theatre scenes in both New York City and Chicago and therefore sculpts her students into the best versions of themselves so they're ready to enter those markets. She was instrumental in helping me move beyond habits developed prior to studying with her. She opened up my range, adding several notes to the top by developing all facets of my range and bridging my chest voice to my head voice. She broadened my understanding of the industry by expanding my repertoire and challenging me both vocally and as an actor. Her ear for approach and line is unparalleled. I am so grateful for the sustainable, healthily trained voice Melissa found in me. She really is among the best in the nation."

Lucy Godinez

“Melissa is the only person I trust with my voice - she is the first and only voice teacher I have ever worked with. I graduated college with an additional octave-and-a-half to my range, but the confidence and assuredness she helped me find in my instrument cannot be quantified. Her abilities to shape and refine my instrument make her a phenomenal voice teacher, however it is her abilities as a steadfast and fiercely loyal professor that make her a phenomenal mentor and friend. I will thank her in every bio I write, and will be forever indebted to her commitment to my instrument.”

Natalie Welch

“Melissa has completely changed my voice. I went into her studio thinking I was a legit soprano who couldn’t do anything else, and she uncovered a whole new pop/rock voice that I didn’t even know I had. Not only that, Melissa has become a career advisor, mentor, and friend. She understands that theatre is both an art and a business, and she flawlessly balances these two in her teaching. I will forever be loyal to Melissa and recommend her to any professional looking for inspiration and a no-nonsense technician. She is such a joy.”

ALEX NEe

"Melissa strikes an impressive balance of friend and mentor, simultaneously assisting you pursue your personal goals and pushing you outside of your comfort zone. If I was excited, she was excited. The environment she creates fosters growth, fueled by passion and joy."

BEN ESTUS

"Melissa is wonderful. She has been an incredible teacher, mentor, and friend. She helped me find a richer resonance in all parts of my range and made me feel much more confident in my singing. I found parts of my voice in her studio that I didn't even know I had. And even when those parts sounded like a pubescent rooster, she was there for me. In addition to singing, Melissa provides so much life and career guidance and I knew I could always come to her for anything I needed, whether it be rep questions, "biz" advice, or even dissuading me from wearing a certain tie in auditions. She has helped me more than words can say and I would recommend her to anyone!"

LILLIE CUMMINGS

"Melissa has changed me as a performer. She is a concise, honest, and kind advice-giver with a vast knowledge of repertoire and "the business." She's helped me hone in on (and achieve) technique-based goals over the years--and on a smaller scale, she gives great feedback on audition material, sending me into the room with a clear vision of what I'm there to do. Most of all, Melissa has taught me vocal endurance. When I started taking lessons, I could barely make it through a 4-show weekend without being completely exhausted. Now, I get through 8 shows a week without a problem, and have been told I'm known for my consistency and healthy sound!"

LANDREE FLEMING

"Taking lessons with Melissa has wholly improved my singing and overall quality of voice. Her methods are clear, and if there's any instruction that doesn't make sense to me, she works until we find something that does. Through our work together I have developed a tool that I feel confident about, a tool that is now consistently reliable thanks to her training. I feel confident going into an 8 show week knowing that my voice will show up for me and stay healthy because of the proper technique she's taught me. Most recently, I had a month long bout of bronchitis, and because of the tools Melissa has given me I did not have to call off one show. I was able to maintain quality and health of my vocal chords despite having bronchitis. I recommend her to everyone. She has changed my career for the better and I couldn't be more grateful!"

WILL CARLYON

"I studied voice with Melissa Foster for four years and I could not have been more pleased with the time I spent in her studio. Melissa is so good at pinpointing what might be going wrong with your voice or what could be better and then figuring out unique methods of getting past the problem and moving forward in healthy and productive ways. But on top of being a wonderful coach and teacher Melissa is incredibly kind and giving and cares about each of her students so deeply you can't help but be excited for your next lesson the minute you walk out of her room."

ANDREW MUELLER

"Melissa understands both the physiology and psychology of singing. She has been able to pinpoint areas for improvement and suggest multiple physical techniques/thought processes to improve them. If one technique didn't prove immediately intuitive, she had more to offer. In only a few lessons, she has helped me begin to correct years of bad habits, crucially without making me sound like anyone other than myself."

Jay Miguel Rivera-Herrans

“Melissa is a vocal wizard. I worked with her during the rehearsal process for my role as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar  and before I met her, I was barely able to belt a Bb4. After Melissa taught me some really cool vocal techniques through intuitive and memorable exercises, I was able to consistently belt a C5!!! I never thought I’d be able to do that. Melissa also helped me improve my breathing support and vocal stamina so I could sing more difficult pieces. She really helped me break through my limits and made me a much better vocalist! I hope to work with her again in the near future!”

ANDREA HOCHKEPPEL

"From day one, Melissa elevated my vocal technique and performance skills to a new level. The exercises she teaches are not just warm-ups; they have become the blueprint for how I use my instrument on a daily basis. She is one of those teachers that brilliantly connects all the dots, and there's never a question she can't answer. But the greatest gift Melissa gave me was confidence: to make choices, to sing the songs I love, and to be the unique performer that I was too scared to be. She was the first person to teach me how to perform a song, and not just sing it--how to be that performer that an audience connects with, that they BELIEVE. Melissa is a goddess. I wouldn't be where I am today without her. I only wish I could bring her with me to all the places I work so I could continue weekly lessons with her forever!"

JESSE MANOCHERIAN

"Melissa’s love of music and beauty is only surpassed by her generosity. Having studied with Melissa for more than a decade, I feel blessed to have a partner with whom I can really explore and learn about my voice. And as Melissa learns more, as she always is doing, she immediately gives those new gifts to her students. Always sympathetic and encouraging (even on her toughest days), I feel I sing the best version of my authentic voice with Melissa, and when I sing well, I always send a little thank you for all she continues to teach me—even though distance prevents me from training weekly with her. I came to Melissa as an actor who could sing; working with Melissa, I am proud to call myself a singer. She is one of the great gifts.”

A recent research endeavor, “Trauma, Music, and the Breath,” was selected to receive funding for 2021-2022 from the Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs as part of its Idea Incubation Process. “Trauma, Music, and the Breath” will examine how music might be used globally to improve children's health and well-being following the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic.