About Chelsea
Chelsea Carlson is an award-winning musician, singer/songwriter, humanitarian, and music teacher who has been teaching music for over 14 years. Chelsea's decades-long career in the music industry has seen her attend Berklee College of Music, win Top New Female Act at the 2013 Jersey Acoustic Music Awards, and have her debut album "The Broken Road" premiere in Songwriting Magazine in 2016. She has played at over 100 music venues across the tri-state area including the Hard Rock Cafe, Stone Pony, Wonder Bar, Bitter End, Strand Theater, Sherman Theater, and more. Her original music has been played on radio stations across the country, and has been featured in publications including the Aquarian Weekly and Elmore Magazine. Chelsea has also worked as an actor and music director, performing in community theater plays, short films, and renaissance faires throughout the northeast.
Growing up, Chelsea knew she was destined to be a musician from a young age. She picked up her first instrument, the alto saxophone, at age nine. In the years that followed, she began learning guitar, piano, and bass, and also started voice lessons. She began dabbling in the idea of songwriting while still in elementary school. By high school, Chelsea had joined the Long Valley School of Rock, through which she played at the Gramercy Theater and Highline Ballroom in NYC and performed for a VH1 documentary shooting of "Woodstock: Then and Now" with Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. In high school, she was a member of the marching band, women's choir, drama club, and was principal chair for alto saxohpone in symphonic band.
Following high school, Chelsea attended Berklee College of Music for music business and electric bass. At Berklee, Chelsea took courses in songwriting, lyric writing, history of rock/popular music, music business, music technology, and many classes in music theory and performance. In 2015, Chelsea attended the Vocal Pedagogy professional development workshop at the Boston Conservatory with a focus on teaching musical theater vocals, and which featured classes in anatomy of singing, belting, vocal health, Alexander technique, breathing, and more. Chelsea also studied Teacher Education at County College of Morris with. a focus on child psychology. While at CCM, she attended a study program in New Orleans that aimed to explore the roots of American folk and blues music.
Currently, Chelsea is based in Brick NJ. She has recently recorded several new original songs. Chelsea is also in a folk trio called Bardy Pardy, who released their debut album in 2022 and has spent the last few years touring the east coast and performing at renaissance faires from Maine to Maryland. Chelsea is also the Director of Music and Media and vice president of the Artist Collective Troupe, a nonprofit theater company dedicated to supporting the arts in Ocean and Monmouth County through providing opportunities for performance, education, and collaboration. Through ACT, Chelsea has music directed several shows including "Into the Woods" and "Wish Upon a Song," as well as assistant directed "Elf," "Addams Family," and "Mary Poppins." Chelsea has always believed in paying it forward and using her love of music to give back, and in March 2022 she was given the Legion of Honor Award for her volunteer work and humanitarian efforts, which have included organizing several benefit concerts, donating proceeds from record sales, performing and volunteering at several hospitals and nursing homes, and more, as well as arranging for her students to be involved in her volunteer work as well.
About Lessons
Chelsea began teaching private music lessons in 2010 and instantly developed a passion for opening up the world of music and performance to the next generation. Since she began teaching, Chelsea has taught nearly 200 private music students ages five to adult in voice, guitar, piano, ukulele, and bass with a focus on cultivating creativity, musicianship, and artistry. Her unique approach to teaching offers students a well-rounded curriculum, which will help them explore music through classical exercises in technique and music theory, while providing them with a creative outlet through learning songwriting, artistic, and performance skills. It is Chelsea's hope not only to teach her students to be great musicians, but also to provide them with the tools necessary to have a future career in the music industry.
Chelsea's students have gone on to attend Berklee College of Music's 5-Week Summer Performance Program on scholarship, be selected for an attend the Paper Mill Playhouse's Summer Conservatory, receive music scholarships to their colleges, be nominated for the Paper Mill Playhouse's Rising Star Awards, receive recognition through the Mayo PAC for vocal technique, be accepted to the Grunin Performing Arts Academy, have their original music played on BBC Radio, and have successful careers on the local music scene themselves.
In addition to teaching private music lessons, Chelsea has also taught preschool music at Long Valley Christian Nursery School since 2014, ukulele class at Antrim Elementary School, and currently teaches the Monday Night rock band class at Red House Music and Rehearsal Studio.
Chelsea has had experience working with a diverse group of talented young musicians, including experience working with transgender voice students, helping them re-learn and access their voice and adjust to their new vocal texture while undergoing HRT.
Chelsea has worked with several special needs students such as those on the autism spectrum, and those with developmental and/or emotional special needs, including teaching Vocal Lab at Hunterdon Preparatory School, a high school for complex learners.
It is Chelsea's goal to help her students become well-versed in the music they love. In addition to learning proper technique, lessons will cover building a repertoire and learning songs selected both by Chelsea and the student for a fun, motivating approach to learning. Chelsea specializes in musical theater and contemporary music genres.
Chelsea is available for in-person lessons at Red House Music & Rehearsal Studio in Point Pleasant, NJ. She is also available for virtual lessons no matter your location!