JOURNEY WITH JMB MUSIC STUDIOS

ABOUT JMB MUSIC STUDIOS

Private Voice and Piano Instruction

Jacqueline has taught privately in her own New York City studio for many years under the auspices of The Institute for Musical Arts with master vocal pedagogue, Betti McDonald, as well as Monique McDonald (their combined credentials comprise The Curtis Institute of Music, The Julliard Opera Center, New York City Opera and Seattle Opera), where, as part of IMA, Ms. Ballarin also traveled to hold master classes in North Carolina and Florida.  She has been a vocal graduate teaching artist, and a music teacher within private, parochial and charter schools throughout New York and Pennsylvania.  Her teaching philosophy encompasses her extensive studies of the vocal apparatus and her belief to provide “tools” to her students in order for them to develop these skills independently and if desired, blossom into a professional music career.  She welcomes vocal and piano students, all ages.

Originally from the Lehigh Valley, Jacqueline participated in all aspects of music and theater growing up, ranging from leads in school musicals, vocal ensembles, choirs, clarinet in band and orchestra, and studying clarinet and piano privately with Paul Schocker (The Juilliard School, and composer and student of the great harpist, Mildred Dilling), where at a young age he taught her the essentials of musicianship and musical phrasing.  In the latter years of junior high school, she started being cast in lead roles in community theater productions with The Pennsylvania Youth Theater, and private voice lessons with Joan and Doug Barber (Broadway “veterans”), which led to performances at venues such as Musikfest and The Zoellner Arts Center (both in Bethlehem, PA), and Lafayette College’s Performing Arts Center (Easton, PA).

Jacqueline has appeared on such stages as The Zoellner Arts Center, The Mann Music Center and The Academy of Music, and at NYC’s famed Madison Square Garden as a back-up vocalist for Barbra Streisand’s “Timeless” Farewell Concert under the direction of Bob Esty, playing to that legendary vocalist’s sell-out crowd of nearly 35,000.  Her broad vocal abilities include musical theater roles, oratorio and self-produced jazz and cabaret shows.  She appeared to a standing-room only audience at NYC’s Enrico Caruso Room, where her performance was called “brilliant” by NYC Producer, Mort Berkowitz, and was featured on broadwayworld.com.  As a versatile stage performer, she has performed numerous operatic roles ranging from 20th Century opera to Verismo, appearing with such opera companies as:  The Utah Festival Opera, Opera Festival of New Jersey, The Bronx Opera Company, Opera of the Hamptons and Chelsea Opera in New York City,

In September 2011 and 2012, Ms. Ballarin was honored by the prestigious Sergio Franchi Foundation’s Scholarship of the Arts, and was invited to perform at the organization’s 17th and 18th Annual Memorial Concerts, respectively, receiving enthusiastic raves from each concert’s five thousand-plus attendees.

Spring 2013 held two noteworthy debuts, the first in March at New York’s celebrated Lincoln Center Bruno Walter Auditorium, followed by her appearance in June at the city’s longest-standing off-Broadway cabaret theater, The Duplex, presenting an abbreviated version at each venue of her self-produced cabaret showcase, Passions.

Her charitable work has included Sing for Hope (notable board members include Renee Fleming, Placido Domingo and Andrea Bocelli), and Enchanted Makeovers (as featured on Oprah! and Katie, and in People Magazine), where she was selected in July 2014 to perform in a ceremony for their National Tour.

Most recently, she has recorded and formed an ensemble with jazz guitarist, Dr. Frank DiBussolo—an eight-time Grammy Award nominee—in a collaboration entitled, Duetto, presenting a mix of international selections, jazz standards and The Great American Songbook.  Currently, Ms. Ballarin offers a continuing education course teaching vocal techniques in the Spring/Summer and Fall 2014 semesters at Northampton Community College, as well as private voice and piano classes with Saucon Valley Music.