Study with one of our Teachers

Jacob Thomas Carr is a voice teacher and the founder of Howl, a NYC based vocal studio and contemporary singing training platform. He is currently on the voice faculty at NYU Tisch New Studio on Broadway and a vocal director for Celebrity Cruise Lines.

The approach he has engineered at Howl works to unlock the singer's instincts from their first session. It is grounded in evidence-based teaching practices as well as inspired by the methods of the original Italian teachers of Bel Canto as researched by Cornelius Reid.

With a background as a music director who has MD’d over 50 productions, he's been coaching singers for over 15 years.  Originally from Dallas, Texas, he was on the voice faculty at Sam Houston State University Department of Theatre and Dance before moving to New York City.

His educational background is multi-faceted: He is a classically trained pianist, schooled in the Suzuki method, with a B.M. in Music Theory and Composition from SHSU. He also trained in the Meisner technique at The Esper Studio under Bill Esper. Additionally, he has several years of experience with the Alexander Technique, studying under Judith Grodowitz. These areas of focus, combined with numerous certifications in CCM vocal pedagogy, give him a rich background from which to inform his teaching.

Jacob’s first passion in life was training horses using natural horsemanship techniques like those pioneered by Monty Roberts & John Lyons, and this continues to be a strong influence on his teaching practices. Current vocal projects include country/folk duo Guipago Dreams. Joined on vocals by Shannon Barnes, their singles are available for streaming on Spotify. Learn more about his NYC studio by finding Howl on IG @howlvoicemethod. 

22 years ago, Jess was born in Boston, Massachusetts (GO SOX!) with an esophageal and tracheal birth defect called TEFEA. Her surgeon warned her parents that she may never speak. Eight years later, she enrolled in voice lessons. The irony!

Jess has been studying with Howl founder Jacob Thomas Carr since 2022. She is certified to teach using the unique approach to instinct based training found at Howl. She’s excited to develop her abilities as a teacher and looks forward to helping her students grow as singers.

She's a 2024 graduate from NYU Tisch, where she studied both musical theater and screen acting. At the end of her senior year, she received the outstanding achievement in studio award for Stonestreet Studios school of screen acting. She currently resides in New York. She has produced and appeared in several concerts at 54 Below and The Green Room 42. She plans to produce an original play about women’s mental health in the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Jess has found a passion for promoting mental health awareness, specifically surrounding grief and loss. After tragically losing both of her parents during her college career, Jess plans to speak openly about her experience through grief in her new podcast, in hopes of helping someone suffering feel less alone. The first episode will be released in 2025. In her free time, Jess can be seen at a group fitness class, watching a (Boston) game, or running around a theme park with her best friends. She's constantly inspired by her family and chosen family, and wouldn't be able to live life without them. All the love!

FAQs

  • There are many useful approaches to singer training. The Howl Voice Method works to build functional freedom into your technique. This method is an accumulation of many influences and practices, and the beauty of this is approach is that we are never coming at singing from just one angle.. In order to effectively learn you need to be challenged, and at the same time given a way to build your skills and knowledge so that you can approach difficult vocal maneuvers gradually. This slow and steady approach is the backbone of the method, and we at Howl are always working to simplify your process without skimming over vital information.

  • Singers are just like athletes, and for an athlete the best defense against injury is a strong body and an understanding of your capacities and limitations. The right training can massively increase your odds of avoiding injury, and/or help you quickly recover when anything does go wrong. The wrong training can injure your voice, especially if applied for a substantial length of time.

    When we begin to understand singing as an athletic endeavor as well as a creative one, we realize the necessity of having an outside set of eyes & ears. There is no great athlete that doesn’t have a coach. That coach exists to make sure they push themselves when needed, rest when required, and maintain ideal form so they are able to be as competitive as possible. Sustainability is key, but so is building strength and endurance.

    Most importantly, your artistic instincts must be freed to make use of your vocal abilities and connect and inspire your audience.

  • Practicing is by far the most important thing you can do to improve your voice - in our opinion, even more important than lessons. That said, one of the major benefits to voice lessons is that they can help give you a practice strategy. The right strategy will begin to unlock and build your instrument. The best vocal technique is simply having healthy vocal habits that are second nature, and this can only happen through repetition. Lessons are key - but the real progress happens in the daily time you set aside to work on your voice.

  • Anyone can learn to ride a bike. Anyone can learn to play tennis. And yes, anyone can learn to sing. Some people posses an obvious musical knack or talent, in the way that some people are initially quite good at bouncing a ball and catching it. With time, anyone can learn to sing in a pleasing tone with musicality.

    Will everyone be a great performer? That is a complicated question. It takes something unique inside of you to do that. Do you have that special something? You honestly won’t know unless you dig deep and explore that side of yourself. Either way, regardless of what natural talent you posses, your voice is something you can learn to use with skill.

  • The common way that mix is defined is the ability to use a combination of head and chest voice to create sound. This is key for any great singer - but having an effective mix is just the beginning. You want to have numerous options open to you throughout your range! Want a piercing cry? Check. An intimate whisper? Check. The ability to navigate your voice in such a way that your audience isn’t even aware of your vocal breaks? Check. The knowledge to learn and approach any style with nuance and believability? Check.

    And yes, you want the ability to easily belt out notes you may have previously only dreamed of.

Have you been frustrated by vocal training that…

  • Isn’t tailored toward the music genre you sing in?

  • Appears to lack strategy?

  • Doesn’t seem to show tangible results?

  • Fails to explain the meaning behind certain warm-ups?

  • Can’t be replicated when you’re by yourself?

  • Feels like it’s not helping you find your unique sound?

At HOWL we offer a clear roadmap to develop your singing!

Virtual training as well as convenient in-person options in NYC!

Exceptional value offered at every price point!

An approach that helps you fast track your progress practicing on your own!