Singing Lessons 2023

---

I've been fortunate to work with wonderful voice teachers in NYC, London and Los Angeles. I just relocated to Tampa, and Chip is by far my favorite instructor I've worked with to date. He helped me tremendously throughout the audition and rehearsal process for Cabaret. I recently played Sally Bowles at the Straz Center of Performing Arts and he was a fantastic support. I refer to him as the "voice whisperer" as he always knows what exercise to utilize to help me improve and grow as a vocalist and performer. He is a gem and I can't recommend him highly enough. He is equally inspiring and motivating and I am thankful to have met him! 

Dr. Dugan is BY FAR the best voice teacher I have had to date (the 3rd I've had). He challenges me to go above and beyond what I think is possible rewarding me for great efforts. He is clearly a master of his trade and produces exceptional results from all of his students. ... I would say Dr. Dugan is an 11/10 professor. Dr. Dugan, thank you so much for all your effort and everything you have taught me for the last 2 years. I felt like I was reaching a plateau in my learning before I started studying with you. You helped me realize how much more I have to learn and gave me the skills necessary to learn them. Thank you so much. 

Chip has been a superb coach. His knowledge of the voice and how to produce notes is extraordinary. Immediately after getting started with Chip, I saw a massive improvement in my voice that has continued to grow from week to week. My strength, clarity, and singing technique is night and day better. My bandmates and others noticed the improvement immediately. Chip also is very helpful if you have issues with confidence or stage fright. He is great to work with. I can't recommend Chip enough! 

5 stars is frankly not adequate. I love listening to, writing, and playing music, and dabble in a few instruments, including guitar for 10-11 years. I love singing and have taken a few intro level classes here and there. My one-on-one instruction with Chip far far exceeded any of those experiences and my expectations going into it. Besides being a demonstrably competent vocal performer himself, Chip's breadth of knowledge is staggering, in both theoretical concepts and practical application. He really helped me grasp the body-mechanics of singing and develop a sense for what that all *feels* like. I have full confidence that I have improved as a vocalist and am armed with knowledge to continue improving, moving forward. I would absolutely recommend Chip to anyone interested in developing a clearer understanding and appreciation of voice and have already done so with several friends. Thanks Chip! 

I have known Chip for a very long time. And I've always regarded him as a very talented singer in a style of music that I didn't want to sing. I have a long history in Musical Theater. He has a longer history in classical vocal performance. I studied privately in middle and high school with a very well respected vocal coach; I started my college career on the BFA Musical Theater track at the prestigious Syracuse University where I had the opportunity to work with some very talented and well known teachers; and I continued to work with coaches and perform after leaving the theater department. I've seen a lot of vocal coaches in my life. But life did not take me into MT as a career, so when I was ready to tackle some music again, I looked to the only person I knew to trust in my area- Chip. I knew that he at least worked with other MT students, so I decided to give him a chance, hoping I wouldn't have to put our friendship in jeopardy if I didn't care for his style of training. What I found in that studio working with Chip is a person with so much knowledge and an immense need to give it to the person standing in front of him. He went into detail, pulled out books, [Chip] made me critical about my voice and how I use it in a way no other institutional or private teacher has ever done. All the while somehow maintaining my fragile vocalist ego. And I got to sing songs I liked without the feeling that my interests were inferior to the interests of the classical singer. Because of this, I leave my lessons energized and excited to sing- not overwhelmed and intimidated. If you are looking for someone who will treat you with respect; nurture your interest of singing; and help you build a strong, long lasting, beautiful sound- Chip is the person you need to work with. Actually, I'm not 100% sure he himself understands how much he has to offer, so you're lucky to have the opportunity to work with him. Because when he figures it out, he'll be almost impossible to get in with. 

Dr. Dugan is such an incredible teacher and person. Never before have I so looked forward to voice lessons and had such a fun time singing, than I have working with him. He is a wonderful singer with an incredible range who can work with you on a number of singing styles. From opera to pop, or musical theatre to rock, he can help you reach your fullest potential with them all. He teaches you to analyze all aspects of a song, working on technical training as well as storytelling. I trained with him throughout high school, and he prepared me for pursuing, not only a BFA in musical theatre, but a future career in the arts. Training with Dr. Dugan was paramount to my development as a singer. In fact, I still use his vocal warm-up to this day :) Cannot recommend working with Dr. Dugan enough!

I studied voice in college, but that was a long time ago, and I wanted to get a working knowledge of my current abilities.  Chip helped me understand aspects of my voice that I did not even learn in college. He was incredibly knowledgeable about how the voice worked and understood my strengths and was able to give me concrete ways to improve on my vocal opportunities.  Awesome experience, and I would recommend Chip to anyone from a beginner to a seasoned vet! 

Working with Chip was one of the best decisions I have made. He has improved my voice so much. I was a little hesitant about getting vocal lessons at first but when working with him he makes it enjoyable and he really challenges your voice. I highly recommend taking voice lessons with him. 

As a novice singer I did not quite know how lessons would proceed, but in the short time I have studied with Mr. Dugan I have become much more comfortable with my own instrument. He is a knowledgeable and patient tutor, a gifted educator that not only tailors the lessons to the needs of the students but also explains the technical and physical sides of singing. As someone with no real musical knowledge but a desire to sing comfortably and well, this is the perfect combination. I leave each lesson with a greater understanding of my capabilities as well as knowledge of how the human instrument performs. I would recommend Mr. Dugan not only to novices but to anyone looking to find a great vocal coach that can help advance and refine their singing. 

I am a singer/song writer that went on thumbtack looking for a vocal teacher to not only help me with my style of singing, but also to help me recover from my development of vocal nodules. I have never had singing lessons before and had no idea what to expect but Chip made it extremely easy and comfortable for me to begin taking lessons. Not only does he work patiently with me as we work through exercises and techniques together, but he also uses wonderful analogies and metaphors to help me visualize the concepts he tries to explain to me. I am a very visual learner so this is especially a big part in my learning process. I have been working with him on my voice for a little over two months now and I have seen a huge improvement in my voice! My band mates have also noticed a difference in my singing as well. I am more of a rock singer and Chip works more in the classical genre but he accommodates for my style very well and helps me to understand the difference between the two styles so I can adjust my singing to get the sound I want. I also have a very complicated schedule but Chip is very flexible when working with me and helps to keep me consistently working on my vocal techniques. I am extremely pleased with my singing lessons! I'm so grateful to have found a vocal coach that cares about my progress just as much as I do! 

Dr. Charles Dugan was my private voice teacher for 3 years. He helped me develop and refine my singing voice, stage presence, and overall knowledge of the voice and body. His depth of knowledge of the voice and repertoire makes for a successful and productive learning process. I grew as a singer and a person in my time with Charles, and I am very lucky that he was part of my musical journey.