Holistic Voice Coach, LLC

Karen was very helpful in gaining my vocal confidence back. Very easy to work with and encouraging.

Karen is very helpful and encouraging. Very knowledgeable about vocal training and exercises to help you reach your goals.

Reviewed on Google Maps

Karen Lyu has been so helpful in helping me to improve my singing voice. She has been so supportive and felt that she was assessing my progress and did not feel judged or uncomfortable. Instead, she made me feel relaxed offered me many tips and techniques to help me increase my breathing from the diaphragm. Her expertise has been very helpful and therefore would highly recommend her to all who would love to improve their singing ability. You will not be disappointed! More...

I had the privilege of working with Karen Liu for about 18 months taking voice lessons from her. We met on zoom for our lessons. I had previously studied voice in college and earned my B. S. in Music Education. Over the years I had become 'rusty' with my singing(I sung in choirs and weddings and gave voice lessons also). Karen is creative, insightful, clear, experienced, organized and monitors the progress of her students. My very first lesson I re-discovered my vocal range and became excited for lessons to come. Those included phrasing, singing with emotion, memorizing, studying the background of the song and/or composer. I felt challenged and energized studying with Karen, learned a number of songs fluently with musical expressiveness and feeling. We remedied my tightness when singing high notes, as well as my breath support and articulation.
I highly recommend Karen Liu as a voice coach as she will hear possibilities in your vocal production and performance. She will hear loss of vocal support and will provide coaching tricks to remedy breath support on long phrases, the many styles of vocal expression, high notes, low notes, audience etiquette, microphone skills and so much more! Her decades of vocal performance and training provide master level exoerience, wisdom and coaching! Besides, her lessons are fun and empowering! More...

I had such a great experience working with Karen. At the time, I was focused on continuing my singing career and preparing for my American Idol auditions, and she helped me tremendously with my voice training. She not only strengthened my technique but also gave me the confidence I needed to trust my range. I used to get really nervous, especially when singing higher notes, even though I could hit them, Karen helped me feel comfortable and stop second-guessing myself. Her guidance went beyond just the technical side of singing; she supported me through the nerves and taught me how to approach performing with confidence. I’m truly grateful for her patience, encouragement, and expertise. I highly recommend Karen to anyone who wants to grow as a singer, whether it’s building confidence, expanding range, or preparing for big opportunities like auditions. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

Karen is tough but fair and seems to know what she's talking about. My time with her was limited as I was gifted four short lessons by a friend. As someone on the spectrum, after what felt like a rough introduction, I felt like Karen was relatively patient with me, even in the time I'm sure I frustrated her since I had no faith in my own abilities and simply could not hear what she heard in myself. I knew I could follow a melody and wasn't tone deaf but any stretch but I did not have strong vocal/pitch control. But after a while, even in that brief period of time, I was starting to hear certain levels of improvement and it became clear that it was only a matter of time and practice before something might actually develop. Unfortunately, my personal situation didn't allow me to continue lessons but if I could have, I would have. In the meantime, I keep trying to apply those brief lessons when I can. But it's not the same. There's no substitute for that feedback and coaching by someone with experience. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

I am not a professional singer. I am just someone who loves to sing and knows that I am not always in tune with the singers around me. Karen Lyu’s lessons are so positive and so much fun that I don’t even get nervous when I sing solo to her, or get self-conscious when I know I’ve strayed off key. And my pitch is improving. Choose Karen Lyu if you want a supportive teacher to help you improve your singing! More...

I am not a professional singer. I am just someone who loves to sing and knows that I am not always in tune with the singers around me. Karen Lyu’s lessons are so positive and so much fun that I don’t even get nervous when I sing solo to her, or get self-conscious when I know I’ve strayed off key. And my pitch is improving! Choose Karen Lyu if you want a supportive teacher to help you improve your singing! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

When Karen said she could make me a singer in 12 lessons, I was a little skeptical. I had tried learning to sing in the past without much success. Well, I had my 12 lessons and I am pleased to share that Karen did what she said she could. I am comfortable singing, including in public. Her holistic approach has helped me improve my overall health, including body alignment and tension release. I highly recommend Karen! More...

I had contacted Karen Lyu because of her work for Warren Park, founder of the West Bank School of Music in Minneapolis, MN. I understood that Karen could help me gain my confidence in my singing. Plus there were high notes that concerned me. Karen treated our sessions with professionalism and seriousness that already affected my confidence positively. Her no nonsense approach saved time and filled our sessions with solutions and vocalizing toward the results I wanted. More...

Karen is the best teacher I could ever ask for. At every class, I learn something new and I make progress on my voice/singing capabilities. She is SUPER knowledgeable, about absolutely anything related to vocal training. It's not just about breathing: it's about learning to put emotions into your singing, to use your whole body, to take care of your body, train your muscles, where to direct your eyes when you sing... She is a true holistic coach, exactly what I was looking for.
Before studying with her, I doubted that an online teacher could work out. But she proved me wrong! It's amazing all the things we can do via distance.
Karen is very kind, and with her I discover I'm more capable than what I thought! More...

I have struggled for years to improve my singing. I was honestly losing confidence in my singing abilities because I struggled to maintain my pitch and sing steadily. However, by the second session, she helped me gain control and power in my voice. Each lesson feels tailored to my abilities. Karen teaches me new techniques and exercises to improve my singing, and shares recourses to further my growth! She gives superb support and guidance!! I love the progress I've already made and couldn't ask for a better vocal coach!! More...

Karen has been really helpful to me in my learning experience of becoming a better singer, I’ve only had 4 lessons with her so far and she’s already seeing progress I’ve made, I definitely recommend Karen to anyone who may have doubted themselves about their ability to sing because she will help you get away from those negative thoughts and build up your confidence! she’s definitely made me feel more hopeful and trusting of myself and ability to grow and to become a better singer! Im happy to continue more lessons with her in the future! More...

Karen did an excellent job preparing my daughter for several competitions. As a result of her training my child placed in numerous categories including: semifinals for monologue, 2nd place lip sync, 4th place solo performance, 6th place costume design.

I am a former K-POP Trainee who trained in Korea for over 3 years, and no one has been able to help me more than Karen! In the beginning of my training, my teachers told me that I was tone-deaf and quickly became uninvested in my growth, giving me alternative roles to fill. However, with Karen, it only took her 15 minutes to identify and fix my issues! She tells great stories and makes sure that every concept she introduces is well understood with many analogies. She also provides many resources and goes truly above and beyond just a voice lesson. I feel as though I have gained a friend who is invested in my growth and I have never been so inspired to learn singing! I would 100% recommend this program to ANY one of ANY level. More...

I took voice lessons from Karen many years ago for 3 years. I enjoyed her enthusiasm, creativity, thoughtful approach to reaching my goals. My voice had never been stronger than when I was working with Karen.

After a couple of rounds of bronchitis and laryngitis recently, I decided to reach out to her again to see if she could help me strengthen my speaking and singing voice, as well as dealing with the effects of a nagging cough. 2 months in and I can get through a day of client calls and still have enough voice left to sing in the evenings! And less strain on my vocal chords. Looking forward to more improvement in the near future. She is just have creative and focused on my goals as ever! More...

I am a relatively new student with Karen , having had four lessons so far. I was immediately struck by the kind and positive way that Karen had of interacting with her students. I felt like she was truly excited about getting to know me and work with me. She is highly creative and motivational. I am 69 years old taking lessons for the first time in my life, and Karen was able to quickly discern what I needed with great sensitivity to my personal limitations. She made me believe , right away, that she saw potential for me to grow and improve in my singing. I look forward to each lesson and always have fun! Karen is innovative and intuitive that creativity of hers is evident in her techniques. I would highly recommend her to anyone. More...

I really enjoy learning from Karen Lyu. Karen's imagination, creativity, and ingenuity keep everything I am learning fresh and exciting.

With her vast experience, she intuitively knows how to get the best results from your voice., whatever your goals are.

With Karen, I am truly accessing my feelings while improving my voice, my pace, and my acting.

I have learned to be patient and positive, as I continue to practice and to keep moving forward.

I am so grateful that I found Karen. She is a teacher with kindness and the passion to teach.

It feels so wonderful!! More...

My name is Carol Nicodemi, professional singer, songwriter and vocal coach. I first met Karen Lyu some years ago through a Songwriting Group that she facilitated. Her musical insights and leadership qualities are impeccable. Karen takes on a situation- and she owns it. A dynamic, warm and compassionate person, Karen's private voice students have flourished through her teaching. I should know. I attended one of her keynote concerts. Every person she works with, no matter the level of expertise, can benefit from her skill. She's inspired me to take on complicated, famous jazz instrumentals...and sing them! Something I haven't done for years! I'm having a blast:) Her original songs, singing and speaking skills draw you in immediately. Authentic and reliable, Karen Lyu turns everything, and everyone in her path- to gold. More...

I really love the knowledge Karen brings to her coaching. I have learned so much from her. Her exercises are surprising and immediately helpful. I can recommend Karen Lyu to those who want to add holistic ideas to their practice. Karen has a keen ear and recognizes areas that need improvement very quickly.

Recently I woke up sick. I wasn't sure if I could make it to a gig. I had been exposed to 4 hours of refrigeration at a grocery store the day before and it affected me having crummy voice when I woke up. I had a short coaching session which effectively helped me, my voice, my placement and power. Karen is so amazing guiding me to the promise of being able to sing later that evening. I can't thank Karen enough for being there right when I needed her. More...

Karen is a great voice coach. She is very good at motivating students who are beginners, in a holistic way. I would recommend her to any student or any institution who is looking to train future singers. Any organization would be lucky to have her as a coach. More...

Karen is a fantastic voice coach. I've know her for 10+years and she truly cares her students. People just loves her as a coach and as person. If you are thinking of getting to the next level, I highly encourage you to reach out to Karen. You will be amazed. More...

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Reply from Holistic Voice Coach, LLC

Thanks, Phong Cao!

It’s such a pleasure to be working a beautiful spirit as Karen! She has definitely help me pull out my voice that I didn’t even know was there! I look forward to continue working and with her guidance there is no limitations!! More...

She’s so nice and understanding and helps you get results I’ve been working with her for almost two months and have received results highly recommend thank you Karen💕💕

Knows what she’s doing and how to pinpoint what you need to work on.

Karen was magical! I literally went to her with damaged vocals. She taught me how to use my voice safely and beautifully. My experience with her coaching over the years has had me sending vocalists to her for coaching as well. She’s simply magical! ♥️

I have been working with Karen for the past couple of months to improve my singing ability. During this time, she has offered a ton of helpful feedback and shared everything from quick tips and tricks to advice on long-term changes in lifestyle to get the most out of my voice. She keeps up to date with and delivers best practices with highly personalized coaching. She is the real deal.

I spent 4 years in choir in high school and took private voice lessons throughout, and I now have 7 years of professional experience in voice acting, so when I first signed up with Karen I wasn't really expecting any quick wins. I was wrong. Instead, I find that I walk away from each lesson with Karen having learned something new or made some noticeable improvement. As far as I am concerned, that is no small feat and is a credit to Karen's experience and expertise.

Be aware: Her time is not cheap and you do need to know what you want to get out of her to make the most of it. But if you come in with a goal, an open mind, and a readiness to learn, and if you put in the work she asks you to, she is going to help get you there. More...

In just 20 minutes, Karen helped me find the magic in my voice! She was clear, fun, and so knows about immense amount about the voice and techniques to utilize it beautifully.

Karen is clearly a professional singer who knows what she’s doing. She taught me a lot of new techniques in only one hour, such as using my mask, avoiding the ‘H’ sound when I sing to prevent breathiness, narrowing the width of my mouth to hit higher notes, and switching between five genres of music by changing the shape of my vocal resonators. I also became better informed on how to take care of my vocal instrument: I suffer from post-nasal drip, and the mucus in my nose and throat affects my ability to sing on a day to day basis. Some days, my voice sounds better; other days, it’s worse. Karen recommended Neti pots and sinus rinses that have the potential to help clear my instrument and improve my singing. More...

I had the pleasure of studying with Karen for 3 years. She took me from an off-key somewhat muffled singer to a person who often gets compliments singing Karaoke and am active in two choirs.

Karen created custom singing and physical exercises based on my weaknesses. She demonstrated and exuded enthusiasm in my success and was a terrific mentor. Given that I stuck with her for 3 years indicates how much I appreciated her approach. More...

Karen is an absolutely outstanding vocal teacher! My first interaction with her was through one of her previous vocal health workshops for voice actors. It was extremely informative, and her tips have been incredibly helpful to me in my career. I've returned for singing lessons, and I appreciate her unique, compassionate approach. Her methods are fast, effective, and FUN! I haven't sang in years, and Karen is helping me bring my voice back. I've made a dramatic improvement - even after just one lesson! More...

She is very thoughtful and her course is very thorough when it comes to improving your performance as soon as possible. She is a go-to voice coach!

Learning from a trust worthy vocal coach is an amazing experience!! Karen is very caring and makes you feel like a friend even tho she a teacher she lets you be you and help you understand where you need to be for singing. The lessons feel like an enjoyable hobby or activity without any worries. She lets you know where you're going wrong and find ways to make it simple for you to get better at singing. I really am grateful to find an amazing coach like her and I hope you guys can give her a check up and let you experience the great times of learning from this vocal coach!!! More...

I really enjoy working with Karen. She has helped me a lot in so many ways. She is ernest in her coaching and very compassionate as well. She can find weaknesses and strengths in a voice easily. I felt comforatable righ away with Karen and I trust her. I feel I have learned a lot and can improve within moments from her clear direction. Learning to use my voice is really a whole body experience and she has the knowledge to get me where I need to go! More...

Karen Lyu helped me to think about my body alignment, my mouth and facial movement and really getting the most out of my instrument, my voice.

She’s an inspiration because I know she herself really worked hard and studiously to learn her singing craft and become the accomplished singer and vocal teacher she is.

I am grateful for her teachings and would recommend her to anybody who is serious and passionate about signing.

Sincerely,

Benjamin More...

It was an absolute joy to work with Karen, her detailed teaching style and apparent years of experience truly helped me truly engage my true vocal skills and allowed me to take care of my voice in a much more healthy way. My Reason for searching her out was for my first major musical theatre production that I was auditioning for. I truly believed that if I hadn’t gotten into contact with Karen I wouldn’t have gotten into the production let alone the part that I got. More...

Facing doing a substantial part in a big musical, I was searching for a teacher to help revive my voice after years of idleness away from the stage. When I found Bark, Karen Lyu's approach resonated with me immediately. Her holistic outlook incorporates the body as well as working on placement of the voice. She is knowledgeable, experienced, and fun to work with, and I have improved so much in just three lessons. If you are looking for teaching beyond just vocal coaching, you'll likely find your way back to the voice you once had or even discover one you didn't know you had! I highly recommend Karen Lyu. More...

She's very knowledgeable about vocal health and helped me learn more about caring for my voice. As a voice actor, vocal health is a priority.

Best at helping many vocals evolve to something better

I only coached with Karen for about two months, but the time I spent with her was incredibly effective and efficient! Karen fixed some postural issues hampering my singing that my past voice teachers somehow missed. She also introduced a neat way to vary the beats in my performances by using a color wheel. In the short time I spent with Karen, she equipped me with the tools I needed. More...

I’ve gotten to know Karen as a very passionate and professional educator. It’s inspiring to learn from someone with the amount of experience that she has, and I recommend her classes wholeheartedly!

Let me first say that I came to Karen for voice acting and not singing and she was still able to teach me so many techniques! She has many unique teaching methods that help you understand singing/voice techniques easily, even for a beginner like me.

From her I learned breathing technique, how to warm up properly, my range, vocal placement, and much more. By the time I finished my lessons with her I was able to go learn some character voices I thought I never had and even expand my range in my lower register, which is something I really wanted out of these lessons.

I cannot recommend Karen enough! More...

"Within a few sessions Karen showed me how to expand my range, breathe correctly, and to really learn to use my instrument - my whole body not just those rusty vocal chords. Within a few months I had the confidence to sing without accompaniment, to sing with friends and family (and with a waitress at a funky coffee shop who actually knew all the words to 'My Funny Valentine"). I love to sing now!

My 19 year-old daughter was Karen's student for several weeks. She's more confident in her singing and speaking voice. She really owns the sense of competence she's developed.

We have received so many benefits from working with Karen. She's skilled, intuitive and very patient with us novices. Take a few lessons from her, you'll be amazed!" More...

I want to highlight the AMAZING Karen Lyu @holisticvoicecoach. I cannot even begin to tell you all the miraculous things that have happened since I started working with her (I'll have to make a video to share all that she has helped me with) Truly-- no one has been able to figure out what was going on with my mouth and words-- and she did! ! Brought me to tears in session. EVERY. SINGLE. #voiceoverartist and #audiobooknarrator should at least do one session with her. I'm truly... just blown away grateful for her. More...

Karen has taught me so many practical solutions for improving the quality of my voice for singing and for interpreting, especially for simultaneous interpretation. I had no idea what I was missing before training with her. Each of her techniques are so clever and make so much sense. Every lesson is like a light bulb going off in my head. She is a therapist, treating the whole body, not just the vocal cords. More...