We are excited to offer lessons with AFVS Teaching Associates. These teachers have studied with Amanda, successfully completed the AFVS Vocal Pedagogy courses, as well as undertaken their own voice studies. Lessons are currently available online via Zoom and in person in New York City.

Hannah Lundy Connell

ASSOCIATE TEACHER

Hey, I’m Hannah and I’m proud to be a voice nerd! 

I got my B.F.A. in Musical Theatre from Southeast Missouri State University and moved to the east coast immediately following graduation to pursue performance.  I pounded the pavement and did a regional gig in Skagway, Alaska, a children’s theater tour, and the New York Musical Festival.  The time I spent standing in the audition line at 5 in the morning still grounds me to this day.  The work we do as performers is inexplicably challenging, and to go through it all and still bare our souls in the audition room and on stage is remarkable!  It is my deepest joy to help singers find peak vocal efficiency and heartfelt storytelling so the performer’s grit and determination pays off. 

I’ve been teaching voice since I was in college, when I would work with my classmates to prepare for singing in class and on stage. I loved being their cheerleader and I felt like I could share in their victories!  I would come home on holiday breaks and work with the young and young-at-heart singers in my community, applying what I was learning in school and learning to be a teacher.  Supporting singers has always felt deeply fulfilling to me, so when Covid hit and auditioning was no longer an option, I decided to pursue teaching as my full time gig!  I was one of the first graduates from Amanda’s 7-week pedagogy course where I had my world blown open with voice pedagogy and voice science and now I can’t get enough!   

I have received the NYSTA Distinguished Voice Professional Certificate, completing courses in vocal health, vocal acoustics, anatomy and physiology, and applied vocal pedagogy.  I participated in The Visceral Voice’s 16-week Self Care Program and One Body/One Voice workshop with Christine Schneider and Penn State Musical Theater faculty. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Voice Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College at Rider University.  

My clients are currently performing on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in national tours and regional theaters, and on cruise lines around the world.  I am perpetually grateful that I get to spend my days with singers! Come on by and let’s make some fun noises together!

I am a proud member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, NATS, NYSTA, and The Voice Foundation.

LINDSAY PRINGLE

Associate Teacher

Hi! I’m Lindsay, and I’m thrilled to share my passion for all things about the voice. I earned a BFA in Musical Theatre from Carnegie Mellon University, and with over ten years of professional acting experience, I’ve had the incredible joy of exploring the performance world locally, regionally and on a national tour.

I work as a vocal coach at Pace University, and I also run my own voice studio for students of all ages and skill levels. My students have gone on to book roles in Broadway shows, national tours, regional productions, and my younger students have been accepted into top BFA programs and performing arts high schools here in New York City.

I’m a proud member of organizations like AEA, NYSTA, and NATS, all of which help me stay connected to the teaching and singing community. I believe that teachers are never done learning and this year I’ve completed the Somatic Voicework Method TM, VocaLabau, and Maddie Tarbox’s Teacher Training. The first vocal course I ever took was with Amanda and it set me on the course to become the teacher I am today. Sharing my love for singing and helping students reach their vocal goals is a deep passion, and I can’t wait to collaborate with you in the studio!

Beth Stafford Laird

Associate Teacher

Hey there, I’m Beth. I’m a Musical Theatre performer and voice teacher based in NYC. I earned my BFA in Musical Theatre from Emerson College in 2011, and my performance career has since spanned the last 15+ years. Credits include the First National Tours of Company (Bobbie u/s), Anastasia (Anya u/s), Newsies (Swing & u/s for all female roles), Ghost The Musical (Molly u/s), and International tour of Beauty & The Beast (Belle u/s). Most recently seen in the World Premiere of the new original musical comedy Huzzah! by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin at the Old Globe Theatre, my other favorite regional roles include Anna in Frozen, Belle in Beauty & the Beast, both of which earned me Jeff Award Nominations, Katherine in Newsies (twice!), Hope in Anything Goes, Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Joanna in Sweeney Todd at regional theatres around the country like People's Light & Theatre Co., North Shore Music Theatre, Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, La Mirada, and The Paramount in Aurora, IL, among others. You can also spot me in Newsies: The Broadway Musical on Disney+.

My professional experience has also included the challenges of vocal injury as a result of the demands of the industry. Meeting Amanda in 2019 introduced me to the evidence-based voice practices that ultimately led to better vocal sustainability, turning my confusion and frustration into informed function. When the Pandemic temporarily arrested my performance career, Amanda's very first 7-week Intro to Voice Pedagogy course offered the bait that hooked me into a love of learning about the voice, and a desire to demystify vocal function for others. I've since earned an MM in Vocal Pedagogy (Contemporary Commercial Styles) from Shenandoah University, and am thrilled to be joining AFVS, coming full circle, to support singers vocally navigating the industry, just as Amanda did for me. I strive to be on your team, cheering you on with empathy and enthusiasm, because you can trust I’ve probably been there too. 

Proud AEA member. NATS member. @bethstaffordlaird on Instagram. Can’t wait to work together!

MAGGIE McNEIL

STUDIO MANAGER

Around these parts I’m the studio manager, but I’m also a business owner and performer myself.

I have a degree in theatre from Boston College, a decade(+) of experience running my own business and other folks’ businesses, and a healthy obsession with helping people create systems to make their lives easier. I believe endlessly in the power of artists to create exciting, sustainable lives that support their performance careers while giving them freedom and fulfillment.

I am also passionate about LGBTQIA+ rights, an ambitious home baker, and I hope I get to meet your dog someday.