A man with dark hair and a beard looking through a glass tank at a turtle on rocks in a habitat with plants and driftwood.

Lessons

I’ve been teaching for 15 years. It’s the most predictable habit I have. My experience is all within a private practice, so come on in if to shed academia in favor of self-directed discovery. I work well with professionals, retirees, teens with attitude (and chill parents), hyper-fixated hobbyists, and everyone in between.

Lessons with me are super nerdy and you’ll be pleasantly surprised how unceasingly excited I am about how your instrument works and how good you’re doing at it. My students are all at different experience levels- and are all curious cats. Also, I have cats. Get some nuance in your practice.

Specialties: Diagnosing and reworking vocal “faults” (it’s not your fault); resonance/tone; extended techniques; stylistic nuance (classical, theater, experimental, metal, pop); and practice cultivation.

A man with a beard and mustache wearing a black tank top and black pants, standing outdoors with arms crossed against a chain-link fence during daytime.

BOOK ME

Let me ask my manager: I said yes.
I’m available to book in so many ways you gotta get more creative: solo acts, bands, opera, recitals, avant garde, cover songs, shrugging a bunch. Get in touch and we’ll figure out your needs.

Contact me to set up a coffee or cocktail- we’ll shake a project out of the tree.

justin@barispen.com

A man with a beard and gray beanie wearing a paper pig nose mask on his face, making a goofy expression indoors.

Grant/Project Consultation

Somebody once asked me: “You mean there’s consultants in the arts?”. I dunno. But, I do have about 15 years of critiquing the project design of mine own and everyone who’s ever hired me. I also have at this point raised ~1-2 mil. for MN arts orgs at this point. Wanna chat?

Books are open for consultation, grant writing tutoring, project/event design, artist statement creation, pissing off your board/execs with incessant questions about how art builds and effects communities.