I am in awe of Mike’s skill with singers and his ability to take their technique and performance to the next level. I have sent many people to him when they are starting a role in a Broadway show, or working on audition material, so I always get the before-and-after experience, and it is pretty stunning. I marvel at the transformation in just one or two sessions, and I’ve also seen the long-term benefits of consistent work with him. Mike works with everyone from first-time singers to seasoned celebrity pros, tailoring his teaching to each person's specific needs. He’s able to listen to a singer and understand immediately what needs to be done to resolve any vocal issues they might have. His students leave his studio with the tools they need to maintain their vocal health and continue to grow as artists. As a singer myself, I’m basically just trying to steal as many of his secrets as I can. Don’t tell him.

I knew Mike and his genius before he moved to New York City and it's no surprise that he quickly became the hottest ticket in town when it comes to voice teachers. As a Broadway coach, I only recommend the best because what we have to do vocally in professional musical theatre is sometimes insane. Mike is my number one recommendation bar none - no one does it better.

Mike offers an exceptional level of technical skill and artistry to his singers. His approach is grounded in a thorough understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the voice, but his ability to tailor his teaching to the individual needs of each singer comes from having a great ear and vast experience. I admire his work so much that I even trust him with my own voice. As a speech-language pathologist, I consider Mike to be an important member of the rehabilitative team, and it’s a joy to collaborate with him to help singers return to the stage.

I have had the honor of working with Mike on several Broadway musicals, and I’ve had the pleasure of auditioning numerous students of his over the years. His grasp of the technique that is needed to create first-rate singers is superb. Anyone studying with him is getting the best possible vocal training. His students interpret material with intelligence, as well as vocal prowess and excellent storytelling.

One of the most distinguished voice teachers in New York City, Mike Ruckles is a consummate master of his craft and a rare and superlative teacher. Mike is warm, inviting, and nurturing and his teaching is incredibly precise, innovative and inspired. The results are remarkable.

Mike Ruckles re-defines what a voice teacher can be. His knowledge of the voice is immense. He gives you the tools to strengthen your instrument to do things it never could before... and for 8 shows a week. The things students have messaged me after their first lesson with Mike... well, it's a bit like watching HAMILTON for the first time and thinking 'Yep. It really is that good.' He'll make you laugh, he'll make you sing, he'll make you better.

Mike, you literally saved my a**. I was exhausted and out of vocal shape coming out of the shutdown, and you made a HUGE difference. Thank you to my tremendous vocal coach!

I can’t recommend Mike enough! He strikes the perfect balance between technique and artistry. He gives each student a concrete technical foundation, but he also has a keen understanding of style and musicality. Mike has a way of breaking down vocal anatomy so that anyone can understand it, empowering each student in the use of their instrument. I always leave a better, smarter singer than when I came in. It’s a wonderful environment that allows you to experiment, and make mistakes, but Mike will always push you to reach your highest potential.

A vocal hero is an understatement! Mike literally saved me as I was beginning rehearsals for ONCE ON THIS ISLAND. After GLEE I had gone on a singing spree doing back to back events, opening for Adam Lambert, lots of karaoke nights – some bad habits were created! I came to him with some vocal damage and he taught me how to make my cords happy while singing through it all, and at the same time he kept me calm, cool, and collected! Mike made me feel like everything was going to be fine and he supported me through it all.

You don’t always find a teacher willing to change their schedule to get you in when you really need it. And most teachers are just trying to teach you the same thing that they’re teaching everyone… Mike really crafted a technique custom-made for my instrument. One in a million!

Mike has been there for me at the most important vocal moments of my life and I am so grateful for the support and techniques he’s given me!

After several years of TV acting on “How to Get Away With Murder”, I took on the most demanding musical role of my career in SOFT POWER at The Public. Mike helped me build the strongest foundation, enabling me to do 8 shows a week in a performance where I barely left the stage. The guidance and support I felt from my lessons with Mike allowed me to make bold choices in rehearsal and performance, and garner a Grammy nomination!

Mike Ruckles is the ultimate level up. As someone who has worked with her instrument for years, I was delighted and empowered to be offered, not only new tools and techniques, but the physiological/functional information behind how they work. It was just the work I needed to help me unlock new places in my voice and feel confident for growth and expansion.

I was working on the national tour of A BRONX TALE and I needed help. Coming from the rock/pop world, I needed some help learning to sing eight shows a week, and to be consistent in the range I needed to live in every night. Mike really changed the way that I approached singing. He created a warmup that I was able to do every single day that helped me immensely. I never lost my voice for one show. He found something in me that worked so well. I go in and get check-ups with him all the time... even over Zoom he keeps me going! I owe a lot to Mike. If you're a singer, no matter how advanced you are, Mike is someone that can get you to the next level. Thanks Mike!

As someone with a history of vocal injury, Mike Ruckles was a godsend. After undergoing multiple voice surgeries, I began to lose hope - that is, until I started working with Mike. Not only did he rehabilitate my voice after injury, he helped strengthen it. Singing on Broadway is no joke, but with Mike’s guidance, through a nine-month run of eight shows a week, my voice never felt healthier, stronger, and more consistent. Between crafting a warmup tailor-made for me, meticulously reviewing material from my show, and cross-training with new music that’s out of my comfort zone, Mike helped me find a wider range, more color, confidence, and greater nuance than ever before. I always leave Mike’s studio feeling like a rockstar. I feel lucky to call him my teacher and friend.

I’ve been studying with Mike for five years and am still astounded by his mastery of the voice, vocal anatomy, and navigating a singer’s brain. He is a huge part of why I’ve gotten where I am in my career, and I keep coming back because he can switch hats on a dime between vocal technician, audition coach, networking agent, performance therapist, and friend when the need arises. There’s a reason he coaches so many NYC A-listers!

In one word, Mike Ruckles is a WIZARD. I was so nervous coming straight from college to a principal track on B’way doing 8 shows a week, but Mike understood and gave me the tools I needed. I am more confident in my instrument and he has helped me discover new colors and “areas” in my voice that I didn’t know I had.

Mike Ruckles is the voice of reason in a world of vocal training that too often is clouded with vagueness and intangibility. He is as remarkably intelligent as he is kind, encouraging, and direct. Mike taught me how to sustain in a long-running show, while always striving for further evolution and growth, and as a result, I feel stronger and more self-assured walking into any creative space. Seemingly endless tools in the toolbox. Mike gives you those tools with clarity and unconditional love. And his students prosper because of it.

From our first lesson, Mike heard me sing, quickly assessed what was going on, and possessed what seemed like an infinite arsenal of tools to help me break bad habits and free my voice. Vocal exercises were not arbitrary but vital, and designed to get results. He imparts knowledge in such a palatable way that left me well-equipped, to not only make the sounds and hit the notes required by the industry, but to have me do it in a healthy and sustainable way to sing eight shows a week! What’s more, Mike fosters a warm and engaging environment where it is fun to sing, improvements are constant, and breakthroughs commonplace.

I’ve been a student of Mike’s since 2019, but when I booked Elphaba on the WICKED tour, he was a life saver! We met routinely through rehearsal and my entire run. He was there for me through allergies, illness, and the bad vocal habits that sneak in over time. My voice grew stronger throughout my contract and people in the company constantly commented on my consistency. I can confidently say that this is because of Mike. Every lesson we worked on what I felt needed attention and he provided new perspective and tools to make singing Elphaba efficient, sustainable, and thrilling. And as someone who is very hard on herself, I always left my lessons feeling empowered and confident. Mike continues to go above and beyond to protect my instrument, and I can’t thank him enough.

Mike Ruckles is more than a voice teacher; he’s a magician! His teaching gives me not only the stamina to maintain my voice for 8 shows a week, but also the tools to allow my voice to grow and evolve. He teaches you how to sing anything and how to do it with ease. Mike provides these tools inside of a nurturing environment that allows his students to soar. I always leave my lessons feeling more confident and stronger than I entered.

I didn’t grow up with much vocal training, but Mike has made technique comprehensible and accessible. I met him in my freshman year of college, and since then, he’s helped me prepare for productions, workshops, auditions, and my Broadway debut. Over the years, I’ve seen so much growth in my vocal health and technique studying with him. Knowledgeable, helpful, and kind… I’d recommend Mike to any and all looking to better themselves vocally!

I am so glad to have found Mike Ruckles! From my first lesson with Mike, he put me at ease and gave me confidence to try – and succeed, and fail – without embarrassment. Technical without being fussy, encouraging while also being practical, Mike is an endless source of vocal pedagogical AND artistic knowledge. Every lesson with Mike equips me with more tools to sing the way I want to sing. Helping me book and prepare for my Broadway debut this year (and being there to cheer me on!), Mike is my wonderful teacher and friend.

Mike, my gratitude to you knows no bounds. Truly. You have leveled me up in ways I had convinced myself weren’t possible. Thank you thank you!!!

A year ago, I had never had a singing lesson. Today, I’m performing a leading role on Broadway. I owe everything to Mike’s brilliant and patient tutelage.

Working with Mike has helped me truly understand my voice. Simply put, singing has gotten easier. I leave each lesson with the tools I need to tackle challenging material with confidence and ease. He is extremely knowledgeable, intuitive, and attentive, and working with him has been a real game changer for me.

Most of my career has been in film and television, so when I booked a play at the Roundabout Theatre Company, I immediately called Mike. I wanted to make sure I was using my voice properly for the three month run without amplification. It only took two sessions before I started noticing a serious difference in the quality and richness of my voice. With a new understanding of placement and breath support (rather than a strained throat!), it seemed to me that my vocal presence doubled. Mike’s methodology and exercises for vocal warm-ups were incredibly helpful. I was so impressed with my progress that I continued to see Mike during the run of the show and began to focus on singing – something I hadn’t attempted since I was a teenager. I’d highly recommend Mike to any singer looking to refine and strengthen their voice, any actor lacking confidence in their voice, and anyone looking to build the proper vocal skills to ensure a healthy vocal career.

Mike Ruckles has single-handedly changed how I feel about my voice. He has a truly unique approach and a way of pushing you beyond what you thought you were capable of. Maintaining vocal health and stamina is something all singers deal with, especially when performing 8 shows a week. Mike’s commitment to his students truly goes above and beyond and he has kept me healthy through rigorous schedules. Mike’s approach is one of whole voice, body, and mind. He works through the actor’s instincts to find a strong, healthy sound, instead of bombarding the student with techniques or theory. It is a completely organic and collaborative process, and one that I cannot recommend highly enough.

I cannot say enough about Mike Ruckles. Mike’s infinite knowledge and understanding of the voice and body make for a truly personalized lesson, unlike teachers who just push one technique. I leave every lesson with a ‘smarter’, stronger voice. I recommend Mike to all my friends and colleagues and will continue to do so!

I moved to NYC only knowing a few people and Mike was recommended to me immediately. I cannot speak highly enough of the warmth and commitment he showed me. Not only does he have the knowledge, clarity, and experience to back up his work, he has all of the passion as well. Mike is so wonderful at explaining a concept or its mechanics that you understand it immediately and can continue to grow from it on your own. He wants you to be your best self. He wants you to find your own healthy, vibrant, joyous voice. I cannot thank him enough for giving me the confidence to trust my technique and sing freely. Mike is also pretty cool, just in case you were wondering.

Mike has completely transformed my relationship with my voice. I spent years believing in limitations that Mike has evaporated in no time at all. He has made it possible for me to sustain 8 shows a week AND have a social life - something I had given up on. Studying with Mike has been one of the best decisions I have ever made, in both my professional and personal lives.

Mike Ruckles was the third voice teacher I met with after moving to NYC from LA two years ago. What set Mike apart was not only his brilliant technical approach, but his use of storytelling to produce sound. This approach, along with building trust in my voice and its abilities, has allowed me so much growth and progression in my career. Mike is not only who I run to with every important audition, but he actually checks in on me and my voice during long runs when I can’t be in the studio consistently. It’s a relationship I didn’t think I could find in the city, and I’m so grateful!

I had just undergone a massive transitional period, not only in life, but in my career and voice. I was searching for the right voice teacher. One that understood the background of opera that I had come from, but also one that adapted to who I am as a singer. Enter Mike Ruckles. He has been not only a great teacher, but a great friend. I feel like the relationship between student and teacher should be a close one because you have to trust them with your instrument (and you only get one). He will help you find the sustainable, safe, and exciting way to sing without pushing or hurting yourself. I have all the confidence in the world in him!

Mike Ruckles is a tremendous vocal technician. The tools he’s offered have allowed me to maximize my vocal ability and enter into the professional world with success and confidence. His knowledge is vast, he provides an environment that is fun and stress-free, and he communicates his insight in a style that is very accessible to the student. Above all else, he does not settle for mediocre singing; once he unlocks your potential, the level of expectation rises and this only motivates you to achieve further growth and excellence.

Mike is a godsend to me and the Broadway community! After a few lessons, I was going into auditions with a new-found power and understanding of my singing. He teaches with an eye and ‘ear’ to my unique voice using only the specific tools necessary to help me. Whether it’s a new audition song or finding new ways to approach an old one, Mike continues to help me discover my individual vocal potential and, more importantly, he shows me how to use it with consistency. I hesitate to praise him too much, because now I’ll have to fight other students for a time slot!

Having Mike guide me has been an absolute godsend. He knows exactly how to break things down and his way of tailoring technique that is specific to me and my needs, leaves me feeling confidant and striving to work that much harder. His knowledge is infinite and makes each lesson invigorating and exciting!

Every time I leave a lesson with Mike, I have new nuggets of information to chew on and apply to my instrument. He is a master technician, a cheerleader, and an intuitive teacher. Having him in my life has been a wonderful and grounding asset to my career!