Our students come from many paths—
working artists, tech professionals, educators, and creative explorers. Some have trained for years- others are just beginning.
Some come for the joy of singing in community. Some come to prepare for auditions or professional shows. Others come to develop a skill they’ve always wanted—but never prioritized.
What they share is a drive to create meaningful work—and to do it with others. They show up ready to make mistakes, support each other, and grow into more confident, connected artists.
From the founder & Director
McKenna Troy — Soprano. Head Vocal Coach. Arts Educator. Lifelong Student.
“When I started singing, I wasn’t particularly good— I just absolutely loved it.”
I grew up in Western Massachusetts, raised by two single moms and surrounded by books, nature, and creativity. No one in my family was musical. I fell in love with singing during a fifth-grade school musical and started formal voice lessons soon after.
By thirteen, I was training in opera. I earned my degree in Voice and Opera Performance from Northwestern University, started performing professionally, and continued my studies in Italy and Austria. I had extraordinary teachers and was held to a high standard of excellence—technically, musically, and artistically. Despite all that training, there were long stretches when singing didn’t feel like mine.
“I was a technically excellent singer —but my voice felt like it belonged to someone else.”
I was chasing perfection, performing for approval, trying to get it “right” by someone else's standards instead of my own. I felt like a stranger to my own sound.
That experience shaped everything I teach now. The more I performed—and especially the more I taught—the more I learned how to rebuild the connection I had lost. Working with primarily adult students helped me clarify my philosophy: that strong technique should support, not override, individuality. That excellence should never come at the cost of expression.
Damato Performance School was built from everything I learned—through study, performance, and the process of reclaiming my own voice. Yes, I still perform. But now I do it with the same values that guide everything we teach.
We train with structure. We coach with intention. We honor individuality—while building the kind of technique that earns real artistic fulfillment.
WHAT WE TEACH
Our pedagogy draws from current research in vocology, motor learning, anatomy, and adult education.
Technique is taught through coordination-based methods that strengthen breath management, resonance, smooth registration when desired, and flexibility—across all vocal styles.
We use scaffolded instruction to support progress over time, not one-size-fits-all corrections. Students receive direct, clear feedback grounded in vocal function and artistic reflection. Every session, class, and performance opportunity is designed to build skill that lasts.
The name D’Amato means “beloved” in Italian.
It reflects the music that shaped our founder—Italian opera—and also the kind of studio culture we build here. We believe that great voice work begins with a foundation of safety, care, and respect. Our students are not just welcomed. They are known and beloved.
WHAT WE VALUE
You belong here.
If you’re looking for voice training that’s structured, intelligent, and artistically engaged—you’re in the right place.
We take your goals seriously. And we teach in a way that helps you meet them with fun and community.