CERTIFIED TUNELARK INSTRUCTOR
Jacob S.
voice
Jacob teaches video chat lessons from his studio in Washington D.C.
Meet Jacob Scharfman, a classically-trained baritone who loves to teach. He currently offers remote lessons from his home studio outside Washington, DC. He teaches consistent, confident technique in any style—classical to contemporary—and welcomes students of all skill levels and backgrounds. To make lessons most successful, he expects clear communication, dedication, and a commitment to vocal happiness and health.
Jacob holds degrees in music from the Juilliard School and Brown University. As a performer, he sang the 2019-20 season in Strasbourg, France, following his European début in Salzburg, Austria. He has sung in major houses including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu, and the Théâtre du Capitole in Toulouse.
Jacob is a Certified Tunelark Voice Instructor
Jacob has been background-checked and vetted by Tunelark’s admissions team
Videos from Jacob
YouTube
Jacob Scharfman sings "Joey, Joey, Joey"
What Jacob's students are saying
"I started studying with Jacob to improve my singing and contribution to the choir at Trinity Church in Boston. I loved our work together! He made me feel much more confident in my singing and helped me actually like my own sound. We did a lot of work on basics, of course (breathing, vowel shape, etc). But, my favorite thing that Jacob helped me achieve was a really resonant and present tone for that head/chest mix — so important for the alto part of the choral pieces that frequent our repertoire. In fact, my head/chest mix is one of the things I like best about my voice now." ~ Jonah S.
"Jacob is an excellent teacher. He opened my eyes to my ingrained bad habits, like tension, and we did a lot of helpful exercises to help remedy that. He's a very flexible teacher and open to suggestion; I wanted to sing more confidently in duets and he made that a part of our lessons. But for the lessons where I wasn't sure what I wanted, Jacob provided challenging exercises for me to attempt. I still use the valuable exercises that he taught me." ~ Ben H.
"Jacob unlocked my voice's potential through his lessons. We worked on breath support and sustainment to enhance my sound, strategically tackling each vowel and consonant, and he gave me so many tips for expanding the upper end of my range. As a low alto, it was amazing to see how high I could go! Unlike voice teachers who speak in abstract terms, Jacob is attentive to details of the mechanics of singing and frames these details in a way that is easy to understand and immediately apply. Not to mention, he is encouraging and a pleasure to work with; I looked forward to his lessons and they always brightened my day!" ~ Rob L.
Book a trial lesson with Jacob
Trial lessons are $25 off, and you can book one for yourself or for a child. View rates & availability
About Tunelark:
A diverse community of exceptional teachers. Tunelark connects students with world-class educators for 1-on-1 virtual lessons. Teachers in our community have been hand-picked from a large pool of applicants, and every teacher has been vetted and background-checked.
The instructors you’ll choose from range from young beginner student specialists to Juilliard grads and Carnegie Hall performers. They all have two things in common: They are experienced music educators, and they are talented musicians in their own right.
Our vision is to help our students connect with their intrinsic love of music and follow their curiosity to grow as musicians and people.
The power of 1-on-1 lessons
Nothing beats learning directly from an expert musician. The right teacher can inspire us, guide us, and answer our endless questions as we reach forward to master musical skills.
The convenience of home
Learning from home via Zoom is relaxing and extremely convenient. Scheduling lessons is easy and flexible. Learn from the comfort of your at-home practice environment.
Virtual lessons: effective & fun
1-on-1 video chat lessons have been proven to be extremely effective. Communicating via video chat requires more focus which leads to better results.
What Tunelark students are saying
"Alex is terrific! My daughter is learning new skills and better yet, she’s practicing on her own without me even asking! I say that’s the best sign of all. Alex is super engaged and makes sure to offer up songs to learn that Leah is interested in." ~ Julie B.
"It’s been awesome! Seth is a great teacher and skilled musician. I’ve learned so much in the sessions and it’s been really therapeutic getting more into musical expression and learning! This was such a great choice to do this for myself. I’m very appreciative." ~ Mimi Z.
"We are very happy and grateful for Berit, my daughter’s teacher. She is just PERFECT for her, and she is helping her a lot and bringing the best out of her. Sara managed to be accepted at the Musical Lyceum in Italy where we live, based on an audition for which Berit also helped her." ~ Cristina Z.
"My lessons with Shai are so enjoyable. She is a wonderful musician but importantly a highly skilled teacher as well. She has me exploring new musical concepts each week and is able to convey complex ideas via Zoom very effectively. I’m learning so many new things about playing the piano more musically and creatively. Shai is a treasure." ~ Carole S.
"My daughter Lucy is taking violin with Pricila and it’s been a perfect match. Lucy loves her and looks forward to lessons every week. Pricila is flexible with scheduling and is always on time. I can hear Lucy’s improvement, but for me, the important thing is that she enjoys it. Lucy is a serious swimmer, so her time is limited. Virtual lessons work so well for her schedule. I’m really happy with Tunelark and highly recommend it." ~ Dawn C.
"We love James! James is so encouraging and warm, and has a million workarounds for when a concept or technique is difficult for my 6 year old to grasp. They have been very positive, encouraging, and full of energy. Lucas has been asking for more lessons." ~ Dorothy G.
"Rebecca has been a far better instructor than I could have ever wanted! She is exactly the kind of a teacher I was looking for and I have learned much, much more from her in just a few months than I have from my other teachers in the past over multiple years!" ~ Katie N.
"Jacob has been absolutely amazing, and I’m thrilled with the progress I’ve made. He’s definitely the right teacher for me." ~ Sam Hall
Gamified learning in-between lessons
Tunelark students get free, instructor-guided access to 150+ skill-building games used by classroom and lesson educators across the United States.
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