Meet Coreen Sheehan | Vocalist, Vocal Coach, Music Educator, Published Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Coreen Sheehan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Coreen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting my business was many years in the making! I’m a vocalist and songwriter who loves to record and perform on stage. I’ve toured and recorded domestically and internationally. Having a career as a musician/vocalist has been a dream of mine from a very young age. My father was a huge inspiration for me. My earliest memories were my father coming home from work and asking me, “Have you been a good girl today”? I would yell YES. So my reward was singing three songs with my father while he played acoustic guitar and sang along with me. I loved singing then and will always feel way for the rest of my life.  Fast-forward, I moved from MD to Hollywood, CA., to study at Musicians Institute. I did not know anyone in Hollywood or at MI. But I didn’t care I was determined to network and prove myself as a vocalist and performer! I performed as much as I could each week. I would sleep in the hallway outside the library so I could be the first to sign up early to sing for all the performances that week.
Finally, I became noticed by a few instructors there, especially two whom I was fortunate to meet and work alongside. These mentors were Tim Bogert (bass player Vanilla Fudge, Beck, Bogert & Appice) and Keith Wyatt (guitarist The Blasters) I was thrilled to learn the ropes from these professionals and eventually able to perform with them onstage here at MI and in the US and Japan. About a year into their guidance Tim Bogert and a few other instructors at MI had a meeting with college staff and requested that I become hired as a vocal instructor and continue to work alongside them. So I was hired as a vocal instructor and soon became Certified by the State of California to work at the college. I began my new job singing and instructing vocalists in live performance classes along with my mentor’s guidance. These were all successful jam-packed attended classes. The school then asked me if I could create other performance classes? So, I developed and taught in the Hard Rock LPW, Metal LPW, and Pro Performance classes for all musicians. I went on to study with some incredible vocal instructors through the years and finally began instructing private lessons. The school asked me again to continue creating more vocal classes. An so, I wrote curricula and taught Vocal Technique levels 1-4, Teaching Training, Rock Vocals, and two-Vocal Performance classes. All these classes were successful, and the students seemed to love them. Hal Leonard Publications reached out to me to write an educational book about Rock Vocals with a recorded CD with scale exercises. So I wrote and recorded that and sold in the US and abroad. Then I was asked to write vocal technique and performance class curricula for a few schools in Japan. An so I did! This meant I would have to fly to Japan from time to time to work and teach while working at MI. Around this time, I approached Hal Leonard to pitch and write a second book for what became Five Star Music Makeover about Singing, Songwriting, Recording, Publishing, and Promoting, with five authors for each section of the book. At this point in time, I had worked in the college system for 17 yrs. I had instructed hundreds of vocalists in my career, and word of mouth (from students, instructors, and others) spread like wildfire, to other vocalists wanting to work with me privately. So my Coreen Sheehan Vocal Coach business was born. I slowly moved from teaching at the colleges to working full time with my own private business. I have been blessed to work with many professional vocalists/musicians who are signed artists, have management deals, celebrities, and others that are serious about their careers. I also prep vocalists performing or auditioning for domestic and international TV shows (Idol, The Voice, The Four) and actors for film. I’ve been blessed to win awards through the years a few are; Vocal Instructor of the Year (2008) and Curricular Appreciation at MI (2014), as well as three Best Female Vocals – Rock City News 2006-2008 and, and nominated twice for the Grammy’s Music Educator Award (2013 & 2014) recognized by The Recording Academy and Grammy Foundation. I continue to lecture at different colleges, universities, and music camps. It is a dream come true for me to have a successful business. I am very passionate and love vocal coaching all of my clients!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m passionate about educating vocalists. I typically work with contemporary artists. I always say to my clients that “we have ONE voice to last us a lifetime!” So I’m adamant that a correct and natural development targets a healthy and controlled vocal production. I want each of my vocal clients (domestic and internationally) to fully understand what and how to properly exercise, strengthen, and have 100% control of their voices. Especially when singing during rehearsing, recording, and performing! Pre Pandemic, I vocal coached 45% of the time online. When my clients are on tour or have crazy rehearsal schedules it’s easier for them to work together online. When I’m working with clients that live in other countries, it’s always been online vocal sessions. During the pandemic, I went 100% online with my clients. Even though they were not on tour, they were recording and continued to practice and maintain their voice in preparation to go back out there. They never stop practicing and working with their vocal coach. A good comparison is a professional football player have coaches to help them maintain their excellent health condition continually! Can you imagine one of those players saying, Yeah I don’t need a coach because I’m a professional? This would never happen! A professional vocalist wants to have a great vocal coach to help them maintain their A-game continually! When you don’t perform 100% to your best ability then you are perceived as unprofessional. Another outlet I’m using to reach musicians who don’t have a vocal coach is social media for instructional and inspirational videos.

What role has taken risks played in your life/career?
I equate risk with fear. I’ve always believed that in order to achieve your absolute best you must face your fears and take those risks. For example, you’re dreaming about singing on stage with a great band night after night. Then get yourself out there in clubs, rehearsal studios, on social media, and network as much as you can with other musicians and use every opportunity to showcase your talent. Whether you are performing during open mic nights, on social media and etc. You must be fearless and put yourself out there to meet and talk with people. If you don’t constantly push yourself to be your best, then you’ll remain static.
You must continually push yourself to achieve every goal even when it feels uncomfortable. No one will simply hand over opportunities to you. You must fight for them!

How to know whether to keep going or give up?
If you have the drive, passion, and determination to love singing, performing, and being a musician, keep going! Music is continually changing and evolving. You want to strive to be your best and be a part of it because you love it! Music is in your blood. But if you feel that you are less driven, or that you’ve learned enough and don’t feel you need to better yourself, then it’s time to throw in the towel.

Work-life balance how has your balance changed over time. What do you think about balance?
I learned this lesson the hard way. Sometimes we learn through our mistakes. My work schedule was seven days a week & 11+ hours a day. I thought this was normal. I figured everyone who knew me understood that this was my schedule. After one failed marriage where we both worked so much and never saw one another, everything fell apart. Years later, I began dating my now-husband Ben. After three months of dating, he asked, why do you work so much? You don’t seem to have any time for me and our friends. I was confused because I didn’t understand. My answer was I see you for a couple of hours & dinner and our friends on calendar holidays. He laughed and said this is not normal! He said you can’t even sit still to watch an entire movie. You get up and leave to go back to work on something. He said you will collapse one day! Ben told me if you are serious about me and our relationship and friends, take one day off a week and see what it is like. So I decided to take off Sundays. Wow-what a difference this made in our relationship, and visiting friends. I also realized how to recharge my batteries by having a day off per week. I guess I figured that having a day off was me being lazy and non-productive. I have no idea why I thought this way! There is so much more to life than working and gigging 24/7. If you don’t take time off and enjoy your family, friends, and life in general, you are truly missing out on life.

What makes me happy?

Being happy is what you make of your life. I love singing and performing. I love to get up on stage and sing my heart and soul out! Whether it’s singing on a worship team or rocking out with a talented band of musicians, that makes me the happiest. I love being a vocal coach and watching my clients improve and reach their goals! Especially when watching them perform onstage! My job is fun, intense, and fulfilling. I love my new two days off a week with my husband. We are always off having fun with some outdoor adventure and truly feel blessed and loving life!

Website: https://www.coreensheehanvocalcoach.com

Instagram: @coreensheehanvocalcoach

Facebook: facebook.com/coreen.sheehan

Youtube: Coreen Sheehan Vocal Coach