Vocal Performance at DAMATO

Take your singing and artistry to the next level.

The DAMATO Vocal Performance Studio is a weekly, conservatory-style vocal performance program lead by DAMATO founder, McKenna Troy, designed for intermediate through advanced singers. At any given time, this program has no more than 14 students total.

The curriculum pairs private 1-on-1 vocal coaching with small group masterclasses and technique intensives for singers of all genres and ages (adults, 16+) in Noe Valley, San Francisco. Each student’s path through the program is tailored to them.

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4 Seats Remaining

  • “My voice has transformed and I'm able to sing what I thought I never could. I gained a ton of confidence and even started performing. I couldn’t recommend McKenna enough”

    - Kelley, Vocal Coaching Student

A Better Alternative to Voice Lessons

Quarterly goal setting + Private vocal coaching + Masterclasses of only 4-8 students + Practice accountability + Final performance: Once a week in-person commitment.

You shouldn’t need a four-year classical degree, $100,000 in student debt, or a 16-year-old’s schedule to train seriously as a vocalist. The idea that if you aren't trying to make singing your full-time living, you have to settle for casual, beginner hobby classes where you can’t be challenged is entirely rejected here at DAMATO. You do not need to quit your day job to engage in high-level, artistically fulfilling vocal training.

Join DAMATO

Curriculum Pillars

  • 1-on-1 Coaching

    Focused, targeted feedback on what you’re working on. Each session, you wil record a set of exercises to practice with that are designed specifically for their voice - to practice with extensively.

    After exercise assignment, every coaching can look different based on what you need- ranging from song troubleshooting to working through a performance mindset block. There is an option to continue your study with a vocal coach outside of DAMATO and join only for group sessions. Weekly, Biweekly or Monthly Enrollment.

  • Studio Class

    DAMATO’S CORE VOCAL CURRICULUM

    Each Studio Class of the quarter has a different planned lesson topic. These lessons are designed to be applicable to a vast range of skill levels. After 3 months of enrollment, students will have completed our core curriculum.

    After the lesson, students have the option to perform masterclass-style for personalized vocal coaching from McKenna and occasional guest coaches as well as any requested feedback from peers. This is many of our students favorite part of class.

    Offered Twice Monthly | Wednesdays @ 7:00pm | 4-8 Students / Session

  • Technique Intensives

    SPECIALIZED VOCAL SKILL BUILDING

    Intensives are a monthly 3 hour deep-dive on one vocal or musical skill at a time — such as belting, runs, stamina, or expression. You receive the vocal mechanics, practice tools, and take home curriculum. Students choose which intensives to enroll in based on their interests and core areas for improvement.

    Offered Monthly Sundays @ 3:30pm | In Person & Online

  • Salon & Social

    QUARTERLY FINAL PERFORMANCE

    DAMATO’s signature end-of-quarter performance salon. Students invite guests, test new material for a live audience, build stage presence, and receive media for portfolio / promotional use.

    Each Salon is followed by a social / celebration over light refreshments (in person) or a separate cohort social (online).

    Quarterly | In Person Fridays @ 7:00pm

Additional Benefits

  • DAMATO Practice Coach

    Coming November 1st. We are training an online coach on all of our curriculum and current research on adult learning science and vocology to use as a coach and resource during your practice sessions.

  • Community + Social Events

    We host a discord with student channels, facilitate a Martuni’s social twice a year in addition to Salon, and offer open social time before and after our sessions.

  • Creative Practice Club (Virtual)

    A place to be held accountable for your singing practice and discuss any blocks you’re experiencing with other creatives.

  • Studio Practice Rooms

    As an active vocal student, you can book our rehearsal spaces to use for your practice for an extremely low hourly rate.

  • Student Shows & Recitals at DAMATO

    Vocal performance students can host their own solo show (upon approval) in DAMATO’s facilities.

For Intermediate Hobbyist & Professional Singers

DAMATO’s Vocal Performance Studio is for you if…

  • Have an understanding of singing fundamentals and want your singing to stand out as 100% unique to you.

  • Value evidence-based, science driven arts learning.

  • Planning on pursuing auditions, performances, or recording sessions.

  • Are starting (or continuing) a band.

  • Want vocal and expressive power and reliability under pressure.

  • Are looking for coaching, accountability, and performance opportunities, not just a drop in class or karaoke-therapy style singing lessons.

  • You’ve completed The Art of Singing and are ready to continue developing your voice and artistry at the next level.

New to singing or looking to focus on fundamentals like breath, stage fright, how to practice effectively, volume, and range? The Art of Singing is a better fit.

Lucas L.

“As an adult student with singing anxiety, McKenna created a wonderfully patient and nonjudgmental space. She also adapted her teaching to the way that I conceptualize and mechanize my own voice… I would (and have) recommend(ed) her to any adult student.”

Invest in Your Voice

The Private Studio of DAMATO Founder, McKenna Troy

McKenna Troy is a San Francisco–based vocal coach and the founder and artistic director of DAMATO Performance School. For seven years, she has coached professional singers and committed amateurs across the United States. She treats students as equal partners in the learning process and works best with passionate, curious singers who want to be excellent whether they are managing performing careers or singing just because they love it.

McKenna approaches vocal development as an athletic pursuit: identify the coordination that needs to change, train it deliberately, and make the new skill reliable under performance conditions. Students record personalized exercise sequences designed for their voices and goals, drawn from McKenna’s extensive library or created in the moment. She also trains singers to phonate healthfully, reduce fatigue, build stamina, and manage demanding performance schedules.

McKenna specializes in mix development, rebalancing chest- or head-dominant voices, upper-range expansion across all voice types, and authentic expression. Her technical work helps singers develop a more complete, reliable instrument, while her performance coaching gives them concrete tools for interpretation and emotional connection. Singers who have felt technically limited, inhibited, or disconnected become exponentially freer and more compelling performers.

McKenna’s students sing with professional bands, tour, mount their first full shows, and earn leading roles in musicals and operas. A classical singer with performance experience in Europe and the United States, she holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice and Opera Performance from Northwestern University, where she completed the Vocal Honors Program and conducted grant-funded research in opera singing and physiology. She has also been a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and Vocology in Practice. Her goal is to give every singer a voice they can trust and the artistic freedom to use it fully.

Fully realize your potential as a singer & artist.

Each student takes a different path through the available curriculum based on McKenna’s recommendation after reviewing their application. Applying to work with McKenna does not commit you to joining the vocal performance studio.

Potential students will receive more detailed pricing information in their intro call after being determined a good fit for the program. Every training plan includes private coaching, and prices currently start at $250 monthly. If you are looking for the cheapest overall voice lessons, DAMATO is not your studio. If you are looking for the best value for your investment, organized structure, and rapid, focused improvement, we recommend that you apply.

Apply

How Applications Work

1. Complete the application with information about your vocal experience, goals, and availability. McKenna works with dedicated hobbyist, preprofessional, and professional singers, primarily adults and select singers aged 16 and older. The application helps determine whether the program and schedule align with your needs.

2. You will receive a response within three days. Applicants who may be a good fit will be invited to schedule a 15 minute consultation with McKenna to discuss the program and receive a recommended training path.

3. If you and McKenna determine that the program is a good fit, you will receive enrollment information and an invitation to the next studio class, where you will meet fellow students and faculty and begin your training.

Apply to Work with McKenna
Apply to Work with McKenna

FAQ

Have any other questions? Not sure if this program is for you? Text us at +1 (415)384-9954 or email us at office@damatoperformanceschool.com

  • 100%- But in our Vocal Performance Mini Program (See the “More” tab on our website navigation). We love Bay Area private voice teachers, and our curriculum exists to compliment theirs- not to compete with it.

    Many of our students are in private lessons alongside their study here.

    For our students who time is a concern, they often schedule their private lessons biweekly, on the alternating week of our biweekly studio class. Other students continue weekly study and add our curriculum on.

  • 16 - 116. Adults of all ages are welcome here. Any teenagers accepted into the program will be fully treated and challenged like adults.

  • This program is designed for singers with understand the technical foundations of singing. Most singers in this program have either studied in private lessons (at any time in their past) for over a year or have taken a fundamentals singing course like The Art of Singing.

    It’s most important that vocal performance students understand the key concepts of singing intellectually- like how to practice effectively, basic vocal health, how to learn a song, basic stage fright management, etc. It’s okay if students are ‘out of practice’ vocally when they join if they understand they key concepts of how to improve.

  • We design your goal and practice plan together based on the time you want to commit to singing. We have a wide range of commitment - from students who practice twice a week outside of class to twice a day.

    Our philosophy is that the minute singing becomes a source of stress in your life, we need to pause and reevaluate. We can always adjust your plan or work on mindset to keep singing joyful and inspiring while challenging yourself to meet your goals. We will always be honest with you about what’s realistic to achieve with your level of time commitment, and to help you make the most of the time you have.

  • All potential students for our vocal performance program first schedule an introduction call with our head vocal coach / DAMATO founder: McKenna.

    This will be a 15 minute consultation where you’ll discuss your goals and see if you’re the right fit for the program (and if we’re the right fit for you). McKenna will make a recommendation of your path through our curriculum and how we could best serve you.

  • Coaching sessions take place at DAMATO Performance School, located at 1270 Sanchez St, San Francisco, CA 94114 in the Noe Valley neighborhood, as well as online.

  • We coach adult singers across musical theater, pop, rock, jazz, and contemporary commercial music (CCM), focusing on healthy vocal function, breath support, and artistic interpretation.

Vocal Performance Calendar

Sessions that are only bookable by active vocal performance students.