INSTRUCTORS

Between the two of them, Laura Jackman and Baraka May have lent their voices to over 300 major films, tv episodes, and albums. The world’s most renowned composers and songwriters have utilized their skills as soloists, choristers, demo vocalists, vocal arrangers, on-camera performers, vocal contractors, music directors, and vocal coaches. John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, John Powell, Germaine Franco, and Michael Giacchino are just some of the world-class composers who have worked with them.   

You can hear Baraka and Laura as featured vocalists in many projects, including Spiderman: No Way Home, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Disney Pixar’s Coco, The Lion King, The Grinch, Smallfoot, War for the Planet of the Apes, La La Land, and Elena of Avalar. Recent artist collaborations include Sir Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell, Celine Dion, Gwen Stefani, Josh Groban, Richard Carpenter, Neil Young, and Jennifer Hudson.

In addition to their 20+ years of recording experience, both singers have performed at such iconic venues as the Hollywood Bowl, Microsoft Theater, Kennedy Center, Tokyo International Forum, Lincoln Center, and Walt Disney Concert Hall.

While both are passionate singers and performers, Laura and Baraka share an equal love for educating and cultivating young singers’ talents; Baraka possesses a Master’s Degree in Teaching Music with a Choral Emphasis from USC, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude and completed her California Teaching Credential. She also has a Bachelor’s Degree from USC in Classical Voice and has been teaching young singers since 2004. She has served as professor of Individual Voice at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and choir director with the Gifted and Talented Education Conservatory of Fine Arts, John Burroughs High School, and Larchmont Charter School. Over the past 10 years, she has taught thousands of children and directed music programs at several elementary schools throughout Los Angeles. Baraka now serves as Vocal Director for Disney Television Animation, Dreamworks Television Animation, and Netflix Animation.

Laura, once a young session singer herself, has been singing in a professional and vocal recording capacity since the age of 9. She is certified in Music Pedagogy from the prestigious Kodály Association of Southern California (KASC) in Musicianship & Choral Experience. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from Bard College as well as training and teaching experience at Santa Monica College’s Applied Music Program for Jazz Theory and Performance. Laura has been helping young singers grow as musicians and performers since 2014. She has an extensive background in music education and has worked as a private instructor and choir director for vocal students all over the Los Angeles area. Her teaching experience includes gratifying work with The Hobart Shakespeareans as well as a variety of high-profile clientele. She has completed her tenure as Chief Operations Officer at the Society of Composers and Lyricists and is now an Associate Music Contractor at Encompass Music Partners with Peter Rotter and Jasper Randall.

Baraka and Laura’s multi-faceted careers have pushed them past traditional boundaries: sight-singing without rehearsal, performing on-the-spot solos, switching voice parts lastvminute, singing vastly diverse styles and languages (they’ve both sung in alien languages - Klingon and Huttese, anyone!?). They are thrilled to inspire the next generation of bold, risk-taking singers.