Silas is one of those rare people who are not only more mature than their years would convey, in both competence and ability, but who also have that rare ability to actually be able to teach. I know whereof I speak, because as a retired professor of some thirty-plus years’ experience, and although our subject areas were entirely different, I know a born teacher when I meet one! But this is not just an external observation. For the past few months, three of us ‘mature’ guys with a mutual interest in trying to improve our ability to sing together a cappella, have been taking private lessons from Silas. From the beginning, and I think I can say this for all of three of us , we were mightily impressed! He conveyed to us a host of things to be conscious about, from diction, to breathing, and lyricism, something that, frankly, I had never really considered about my meagre abilities, let alone was even aware of before. Silas is the embodiment of a talented and knowledgeable teacher. He has an ability to instinctively instruct you at your level, to never talk down to you in terms of your musical knowledge and theory, and without an iota of ego. I cannot recommend him more highly.

      Don Westwood. D Arch. RIBA FRAIC Professor Emeritus, Carleton University

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Silas Chinsen has an outstanding musicality, and a pedagogy that focuses on the individual goals and needs of each student.  Students of all backgrounds, from beginner to advanced, will find much in his lessons to help their musical development.  He is familiar with a variety of forms of musical expression, classical and popular, using voice, guitar, and other instruments.  I recommend him for students of all ages and interests. 

       Christopher Small

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I took singing lessons with Silas for 9 months starting fall 2018 until he moved to Montreal. This was the first time for me, so I was quite reticent.  Silas made taking private lessons a very comfortable and rewarding learning experience.  Besides positive comments, he provided many helpful tips and techniques and illustrated them with a wide range of creative analogies to foster understanding. It opened up a new world. My technique, range, tone and appreciation of musicality definitely improved, even with limited practice.

       Helen Beck, 62

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Silas gave voice lessons to 7 adults with disparate experience in music. Always encouraging, he taught each of us at our own level. He used great exercises and examples that were both artful and clear. We grew more confident, we cultivated a deeper understanding of our voices, and we sounded great! Highly recommended!

       Christina 

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Even after 28 years of playing guitar, I found Silas to be incredibly helpful with teaching new techniques, refining what I already know, and playing each note with intention.

       René