The Voice Lab
Program Description:
Who are you becoming—and how will the world hear you?
Do you want to grow as a vocalist, connect with others, and express your true self as you prepare for college?
Ready to turn up the volume on your confidence, creativity, and community?
This course explores the deep connection between vocal identity, personal growth, and community. Designed for teens, it supports the development of both literal and figurative voices during a key stage of identity formation, which continues into early adulthood. Through daily vocal work, students will gain knowledge of their own voices; experience diverse repertoire—including jazz, gospel, and singer-songwriter traditions—broadening their cultural awareness; and through ensemble singing, they will build a sense of belonging and shared purpose. By combining vocal, musical, and collaborative goals, the course fosters artistic growth, cultural understanding, and community well-being.
Specific Course Goals
This course is designed to support teens in developing across three interconnected spheres of learning:
- Vocally – Students will develop both their literal voices and their figurative voices, strengthening their sense of identity and self-expression. Research shows a strong connection between vocal identity and self-awareness (Monks, 2003; Becker & Goffi-Fynn, 2016).
- Musically – Students will explore diverse repertoire, sharing cultural ideas and themes through styles such as jazz, gospel, and singer-songwriter traditions.
- Community & Shared Experience – Students will come together in a larger ensemble setting to create music collectively. Singing together fosters belonging, shared purpose, and community well-being.
In summary, through this course, teens will explore their voices while building confidence, creativity, and community. Together we’ll sing music from a wide range of styles—jazz, gospel, singer-songwriter, and more—while also working on daily vocal skills to help each student discover and strengthen their unique voice. Along the way, we’ll share music, learn from different cultures, and create a supportive ensemble where everyone belongs. Please join us!
Dates: July 6 - 17, 2026
Times: 10:00am - 4:00pm Monday through Friday
Location: In-person at Teachers College
Price: $3,995 - Application fee waived until January 1, 2026, a $75 savings
For more information, questions or to register: Email tcacademy@tc.columbia.edu
Instructor(s)
Jeanne Goffi-Fynn is a Senior Lecturer and Director of the Doctoral Cohort Program in the Program of Music and Music Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, where Dr. Goffi-Fynn also received her doctorate. A soprano, Dr. Goffi-Fynn is active both as a performer and teacher in the New York City area. Her areas of interest include Studio Teaching (Applied Music Instruction), Voice Development and Instruction, and Choral Singing. Previously, she was on the faculty of New York University, the New School Actor's Studio M.F.A. Program, William Paterson University, and The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She credits the beginning of her teaching career to Dr. Barbara Doscher (author of The Functional Unity of the Singing Voice) with whom she studied voice and pedagogy at the University of Colorado at Boulder. She continues working in the area of Vocology, specifically in the retraining of singers, after completing internships at the Grabscheid Voice Center at Mt. Sinai, NYC and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, NYC. She has presented workshops, master classes and pedagogical presentations with NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing), The Voice Foundation Annual Conference, the New York Singing Teachers Association, CMS (College Music Society), ACDA (American Choral Directors Association), NYSSMA and ISME (International Society for Music Education).
She is currently a member of the American Academy of Teachers of Singing (AATS) and serves as a member at the Opera America’s Singers Training Forum, as well as their Board of Overseers and Strategic Committees. She also is currently Vice-President of NATS-NYC where she is piloting a new Mentorship Program. Finally, she serves on the board with Every Voice Choir, working as Singing Voice Specialist with children ages 7-16. At EVC, she oversees programs for Music Theatre (Voice Workshop), Audition Preparation, and Young Men’s Vocal Workshop. Formally, Jeanne was a board member of New York Singing Teachers Association (NYSTA) and a co-director of their Professional Development Program, a course of voice studies for the professional voice teacher.
Dr. Goffi-Fynn is most active as a recitalist, singing a variety of programs often with newly commissioned works. Former operatic roles include Marie in Daughter of the Regiment, Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro) and Olympia (Les Contes d'Hoffmann). Concert and oratorio performances include the Cantata Singers (NYC), and Temple Emmanu-El (NYC) while performances in Europe include the Lugano Radio Orchestra (Switzerland) and the Rumanian Radio Orchestra in a tour of Northern Italy. She has also studied and performed at the Zurich Opera Studio and with the American Institute of Musical Studies (A.I.M.S.) in Graz, Austria. Dr. Goffi-Fynn is currently the director of the Singers Workshop, which offers a unique opportunity for singers at all ages to work together collaboratively. Her website is JeanneGoffiFynn.com.
Learning Objectives
This course is designed to support teens in developing across three interconnected spheres of learning:
- Vocally: Students will develop both their literal voices and their figurative voices, strengthening their sense of identity and self-expression. Research shows a strong connection between vocal identity and self-awareness (Monks, 2003; Becker & Goffi-Fynn, 2016).
- Musically: Students will explore diverse repertoire, sharing cultural ideas and themes through styles such as jazz, gospel, and singer-songwriter traditions.
- Community and a shared experience: Students will come together in a larger ensemble setting to create music collectively. Singing together fosters belonging, shared purpose, and community well-being.
Who Should Attend
TC Pre-College courses are open to students ages 14-17. All courses are conducted in English and learners should have sufficient fluency to participate.
The goal of this course is for students to develop in three spheres of learning (vocally, musically, and in community) and to explore potential majors of interest. Students will gain experience across genres and will have recordings and recommendations to use for their college applications.
Upon Completion
Participants who successfully complete this program will earn a verified Certificate of Participation and an official Digital Badge—valuable credentials that can be shared on LinkedIn or digital portfolios.
View our sample program badge and certificate below:
