Voice Lessons with Your Own Personal Vocal Coach

Your own personal mentor to help you find your voice, hone it, and sing like you've always wanted to!

Josie Borchert, MT-BC

Voice Instructor

Whether one's musical interests are in modern music or the classics, technique is vital. Learning how to use one's voice as an instrument in singing lessons with Josie will deepen our understanding of ourselves and the music!

Josie is a musician and board certified music therapist originally from North Carolina that plays the flute, oboe, and English horn. With a Bachelor's degree in music therapy from Appalachian State University, Josie brings a unique perspective to voice lessons. If you are looking to learn to sing as a form of therapy during your week, a release, to find peace and joy (all things we 100% support), you’ll love Josie!

It is their belief that healing can be found in self-expression, connection, and motivation through love of music. Josie looks forward to sharing and experiencing music with students and clients and watching how music shapes each individual

From Josie: “My belief is that a mentor-student relationship must have a firm foundation in love. Not only should we be supportive and nonjudgmental while we teach, but we should also have a deep love for our subject matter. Self-expression through music is a great love of mine, and one’s knowledge and skill within music allows for a broader range of expression.”

Perfect for adults with daytime availability, Josie is enrolling now for daytime lessons Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and Tuesday/Thursday evenings which are perfect for those with school and work responsibilities.

What Josie's Students are Saying:

"I can’t say enough good things about my experience at Music 1st with Josie. I started voice lessons with the hope of building more confidence just singing in general. Josie was patient and accommodating towards my learning style from the start. Early on, I expressed to Josie that I had a hard time connecting with music emotionally, despite my love for music. I also went through some personal hard times over the course of my lessons, resulting in me sometimes not wanting to sing during our lessons. Josie was always adaptable and had other activities to engage with, all of which ultimately helped me find my emotional connection with music.

Josie was nonjudgmental and always willing to meet me where I was at. I instantly felt comfortable with them. I have no regrets during my time, and I am sad to say goodbye, but ultimately Josie helped me get to where I was trying to go (and then even further). If I ever find myself wanting further music lessons in the future, I will be reaching out.

Josie played a big part in me finding my voice (not just my singing voice). Thank you will never be enough."-San

Mary May

Voice Instructor

Mary May is a performer and teacher who holds a Bachelors of Arts in Vocal Performance from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. During her time there she completed and placed in NATS at the national level and was a finalist in the concerto competition while performing in many opera and musical theater productions.

Mary started studying piano privately at the age of 9 and voice at 14 and continued throughout college. She credits this with accelerating the learning of other instruments, especially voice! Mary regularly accompanied her students, choirs, and also led worship from the piano.

Mary was also a part of the Nebraska Music Teachers Association and a board member in the Lincoln Music Teachers Association. Her favorite part of being in these organizations was teaching in their Music Outreach Program which gave music lessons to underprivileged youth.

Mary, an avid violist, was also the conductor of the Lincoln Intermediate Homeschool Orchestra and served as a worship pastor at the First United Methodist Church for several years.

Mary, a teacher of over 13 years, specializes in “classical” singing, musical theater, and Christian Contemporary Music.