A little about me:

ROBERTA DUCHAK is an award winning music director, Chicago & NY- based vocal coach/teacher and Broadway actress. Recent credits include, Broadway: SIX (North American Music Supervisor), Broadway: The Notebook (Vocal Coach) Off Broadway: Hell’s Kitchen (Vocal Coach) at The Public Theatre. Selected musical direction credits include: CHICAGO SHAKESPEARE: SIX, Emma, The Little Mermaid, Murder for Two, Hamlet, Taming of the Shrew, Drury Lane Oabkrook Theatre: Matilda, Mamma Mia,Little Shop of Horrors, South Pacific, 42nd Street, Rock of Ages, Chicago, Saturday Night Fever, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Crazy for You, Hazel, Billy Elliot, Les Misérables, West Side Story, White Christmas, Young Frankenstein, Hello, Dolly!, Oliver, The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Spamalot, Gypsy, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Miss Saigon, Brigadoon (Goodman Theatre); The Story of My Life directed by Richard Maltby Jr. (Biograph Theater); The Original Grease (American Theatre Company); The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Mercury Theater Chicago); musical supervisor for A Little Night Music (Writers Theatre). FILM: vocal coach for Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman in Les Misérables. AWARDS: Two Jeff Awards, five nominations. ACTING: Mother in Ragtime (Broadway); Ghost of Christmas Past in Scrooge, Magnolia and Ellie in Showboat (national tour); Rona Lisa Peretti in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chicago/national tour).

Roberta’s Vocal Boot Camp started in 2015, when she noticed a consistent trend amongst her private students, they were only wanting to sing Musical Theatre repertoire. She sensed a missed opportunity for them to explore a broader spectrum of musical genres and refine diverse vocal techniques.

To address this, she conceptualized a solution: a Vocal boot Camp!

Because her students were always swamped by frequent auditions, they found it difficult to find time to go beyond the traditional musical theatre canon. So, she designed a week-long immersive experience that pushed her students to venture into various singing styles. Recognizing the value of learning from multiple teachers. She invited her colleague Ellen Winters, a highly regarded pop/jazz singer, to join her at her studio. Each year, the camp grew. She expanded her faculty by adding more diversely talented singers, songwriters and performers including Brandon Pisano and Alex Newkirk.

Fast forward nine years, and here we are at Columbia College Chicago, steadily expanding our horizons. However, our core focus remains on you – the student. Our camp is distinctively not centered on performances, although we do culminate the week with a recital to highlight your progress with your friends and family. Unlike other camps where participants are expected to be performance-ready upon arrival, we encourage each student to embrace new styles and be receptive to experimenting with new styles and techniques.

Join us for a transformative experience where you not only refine your vocal skills but also forge enduring connections and glean insights from exceptional artists in their own right. Come, sing with us, and embark on a journey of lifelong learning and camaraderie.

Roberta Duchak