EMCstudio Students Find Success On and Off the Stage

DUMONT, Nov. 12, 2018 – For Erin Calev, founder of EMCstudio in Dumont, it’s always exciting when a student lands a role in a theatrical production, but she’s equally, if not more, proud of the students who never step foot on stage. For Calev, an education in the performing arts is about much more than preparing for an audition. Students and parents alike agree that the secret to the studio’s growth and success lies in the unique teaching philosophy and approach that emphasizes personal growth, self-confidence and emotional maturity.

Having successfully grown her home-based music school over the years, Calev reports that approximately 90 percent of her voice students – some of whom work with talent agents – have auditioned for, and been offered, leading roles. Now operating in new studio space a short distance from her home, EMCstudio, which opened in August, has experienced dramatic growth with extended hours and expanded teaching staff in response to the growing interest. Calev and her team work with students of all ages including housewives, senior citizens, professionals and children. “Art, music and drama offer students the ability to express themselves in new ways,” she says. “It’s a constructive way to release emotions and express ideas. It gives kids the opportunity to be creative and learn things like empathy. We need more of that in this world.”

A piano and voice instructor for over twenty years, having studied opera in Italian, German and French, Calev was “bitten by the acting bug” after being cast as Sister Robert Anne in Nunsense and subsequently cast as lead in Oliver. She went on to perform other roles and musically direct other productions including Godspell and Guys and Dolls. Calev admits she derives much of her inspiration from her experience as a mother and working with special needs youth. “I’ve had students on the autistic spectrum, students with Cystic Fibrosis, Scleroderma and cancer,” says explains. “I believe children are capable of so much if you give them the right tools to thrive.”

Mother to daughters Emily, age 21 and Anna, age 14, Calev learned early on that “a child can learn anything if you make it FUN.” Lovingly accused of being a “mom” to her students, she continues to enjoy working with young children with both daughters at her side. An accomplished student and performer in two off-Broadway musicals, Emily assists with acting classes and has voice students of her own. Anna has performed in various roles at bergenPac and is an accomplished dancer. She assists students with preparation before auditions and performs administrative and social media responsibilities.

Former student Nolan Hennelly has also joined the staff, returning to Dumont after completing his Master of Fine Arts at Florida State University’s Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. Also instructing are Nolan’s brother Griffin, an actor who concentrates on improv and sketch comedy and Brennan Dopwell, a graduate of New York City’s American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) who offers instruction in improv and guitar. Rounding out the staff is Christine Dow, offering private acting coaching and acting/improv classes. Currently a teacher of English,
Speech and Drama at Park Ridge Junior and Senior High School, Dow has taught theater and improv at summer camps in New York and New Jersey since 2003. She also ran the Ramapo College Explorers Theater Camp from 2015-2017.

Calev breaks with convention when it comes the usual rigor and rigidity of instruction and recitals. She offers students the flexibility to work with material they truly enjoy and there are no piano recitals or tests. “I do not believe in ‘cookie cutter’ lessons or see the value of requiring a student to perform for an audience,” she explains. “I teach because I believe that music is therapeutic and helps people develop skills that will help them be more successful in life. Acting classes, for example, help students explore who they are and their relationships with others in a safe, non-threatening environment.”

What’s next for EMCstudio? Calev notes an increasing demand for arts programs and is in the process of securing new space to expand and include fine arts in the curriculum. Additional studio space would be dedicated to acting and art classes, such as painting and charcoal, and make it possible to run multiple classes simultaneously. She also plans to offer birthday party packages and summer and winter camps which would incorporate improv games, arts projects, and music.
As EMCstudio grows, Calev continues to maintain a “family” atmosphere and positive attitude among students and parents who continue to work together and support one another. “We take every opportunity to remind kids how smart, funny and important they are, and that they are part of our family. We root for each other when we have a group auditioning at the same venue. We have no divas here.”

Fortunate to have studied with many accomplished professionals who nurtured her own talent and career, Calev acknowledges, “I was lucky to have a few really great mentors in my life ... I decided a long time ago that I was going to pay it forward.”

That investment seems to paying great dividends.

EMCstudio offers private and group vocal instruction and coaching; private piano lessons; private and group guitar lessons; acting classes (including improv and sketch comedy); and private acting instruction and coaching. The studio is located at 50 Park Avenue in Dumont. For further information, email [email protected] or call (551) 210-3054.