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!
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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!!!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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