Athena R. TakeLessons Instructor Piano, Voice, Guitar, Songwriting, Acting New York, NY

Athena has enjoyed tremendous success as a singer/songwriter, actress, musician and teacher. She is originally from Toronto, but is now based out of New York City.

Athena has released 5 CDs, toured North America (both as a singer/songwriter and as an actress), and taught voice, piano, guitar, songwriting and acting for the past 11 years.  She has shared the stage Sarah McLachlan and Jim Carrey, and taught songwriting to 5th Grade girls with Lisa Loeb (the teaching project with Lisa Loeb was made into a documentary and premiered at Tribeca Cinemas).

As a teacher, Athena has worked at numerous schools, organizations, and colleges across North America, including Oregon State University, Montcalm College, Manhattan New Music Project, TADA!, and The Ontario Science Center.  She teaches privately (voice, piano, guitar, acting & songwriting), and facilitates workshops to kids and adults on topics ranging from "Vocal Technique", to "Booking Your Own Tour", to "Creating Original Musical Theater".  She also conducts staff development workshops on "How to Integrate the Arts into Your Classroom" in New York City schools.

As a singer/songwriter, Athena is currently working on her 5th CD, “Little Girl Dreams” with Emmy/Grammy Winning Producer Cynthia Daniels (Melissa Etheridge, Dave Mathews Band, “Producers” on Broadway).  Athena’s music is storytelling pop with a theatrical twist.  She combines a dramatic 4 octave range voice with gorgeous piano and guitar arrangements.  She performs regularly in the New York circuit, at notable clubs including the Knitting Factory, The Cutting Room, and Jacob Javitz Center.  She has been featured in radio, TV, newspapers and magazines around the world. 

As an actress, Athena has appeared in numerous commercials, Film, TV and Off-Broadway productions including Fran in The Day They Shot John Lennon (Redmill Theater), “Mrs. Muldour” in Superfudge (National Tour), “Tina” in Love Sucks (NYMF Festival) and principle roles on the History Channel and CNN. She won Best Comedy at Canada's YTV Youth Achievement Awards (Judge Eugene Levy).  

Athena’s training began with classical piano at age 4, voice at age 8, acting at age 9, and guitar at 16.  She began working as a professional actress in Film & TV at age 12, and recorded her first album at 20.  She majored in Theater at Claude Watson School for the Arts in Toronto, and earned a BFA in Music from Concordia University in Montreal.  She regularly attends master classes in New York, with internationally renowned teachers such as Neil Semer, Kimberly Vaughn, Garry Dial, Francine Kay, and Maggie Maes.

As a performer, Athena is bold, imaginative, and chilling.  As a teacher, Athena is patient, creative, and inspiring.

Athena enjoys teaching all ages and abilities, from 5 year old beginners, to seasoned professionals, to adult hobbyists.  She is a patient, fun, thorough, flexible, and imaginative teacher.  She teaches most musical genres, from classical, to musical theater, to jazz, to pop.  She can prepare you or your child for upcoming auditions (musical or theatrical) and provide valuable insight into the entertainment industry.  Whether you are an absolute beginner, or a professional in need of a savvy coach, Athena will create a lesson plan suited to your individual learning style, interests and needs.

Bel Canto, Classical, Musical Theater (Legit & Belt), Pop, Rock, Jazz, Music Theory, Composition & Songwriting, Monologue Preparation, Acting Audition Preparation

Piano, Voice, Guitar, Songwriting, Acting

"We TRULY enjoyed your visit! Not only was your performance great, but the information you shared with our voice class was so very insightful. We discussed it at great length the next week - all of us found the techniques helpful and your acoustic performance was amazing."
Debra Jones, Development Officer at Montcalm Community College

"Athena is hands-down the most knowledgeable and result-focused singing teacher I have ever worked with.  From the moment I walked in, she focused intently on fixing my posture, neck position, and breathing--arguably the most important fundamentals of a great singer.  Instead of just jumping into songs--she focused on technique that in only three lessons has already improved the way I sing all of my songs, not to mention the better posture, and thus, self-confidence, that has resulted.  Athena is a young teacher, and is a working singer, and that makes her approach very appetizing--she's the lead singer in a touring punk band, and is in musical after musical after musical.  She KNOWS what she's talking about because she is DOING IT.  I myself am the lead singer in a ROMP band, and am also an Equity member auditioning for shows---as such, it's nice to know that my singer teacher knows both sides of the fence: Broadway belting as well as on-stage rocking.  The best part is that she's affordable.  When you put together Athena Athena's expertise, her passion, her dedication, and her affordability, I really can't recommend a better singing teacher in all of New York City."
Monroe Mann, Lead Singer, Running for Famous and Founder, Unstoppable Artists Business School