If you hire this pro, you’re covered by a money-back guarantee. Learn more
If you hire this pro, you’re covered by a money-back guarantee. Learn more
About
New student discount: First lesson is free when you book 4 lessons.
Please note: I teach in-person in New York, NY and offer virtual lessons to those in other states.
Melaina Mills is a classically trained singer and pianist providing private voice and piano lessons for students of all ages. A native of Denver, Colorado, she maintains a piano and voice studio in-person in Colorado and virtually all over the world. She holds a masters degree in Opera Performance from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and has performed varied roles in opera and musical theatre. She is a passionate teacher who loves to help students discover all that their voices can do! Melaina is committed to fostering a nurturing environment where students feel free to explore their musical instincts.
Equally at home on the operatic stage and in the concert hall, soprano Melaina Mills appears regularly in the Boston and Denver areas and beyond. She recently performed the roles of Jocelyn Jordan (The Manchurian Candidate), Paquette (Candide), and covered Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare in Egitto) with Seagle Music Colony. Other highlights include Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Miss Wordsworth (Albert Herring), and Griselda (La Griselda). Ms. Mills often sings in the chorus with Boston’s Odyssey Opera. In 2021 she will sing The Governess (The Turn of the Screw) at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Ms. Mills has performed as a soloist in concerts throughout the United States. She recently performed the soprano solos in Handel’s Messiah and Fauré’s Requiem and is employed as a weekly soloist and section leader at St. John the Evangelist in Hingham, MA. As a soloist with Stetson University’s premier Concert Choir, Ms. Mills has appeared throughout the state of Florida, most notably in J. S. Bach’s St. John Passion. Ms. Mills also gives frequent recitals in Boston and in her home city of Denver.
Ms. Mills was awarded First Prize in the Florida Federation of Music Clubs’ Stephen Foster Jeanie Competition, and First Prize in the Wednesday Morning Music Club of Daytona Beach Vocal Competition. She received her Bachelor of Music at Stetson University in DeLand, FL and is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Overview
Current Top Pro
Hired 85 times
Serves New York, NY
Background checked
1 employee
9 years in business
Business hours
Sun12:00 pm - 4:00 pmMon5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Payment methods
This pro accepts payments via Cash, Check, PayPal, Venmo, and Zelle.
Top Pro status
Top Pros are among the highest-rated, most popular professionals on Thumbtack.
2023
2022
2021
Services offered
Musical style
Classical
Pop
Jazz
Work location
My customers travel to me
Projects and media
Projects and media
Reviews
Customers rated this pro highly for professionalism, work quality, and responsiveness.
Exceptional 5.0
35 reviews
5
100%
4
0%
3
0%
2
0%
1
0%
Your trust means everything to us. Learn about our review guidelines.
Read reviews that mention:
Lei Z.
Jul 22, 2023
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Melaina has been teaching pianolessons for my 7yr old for a few months now. She is very patient with her and tailored the teaching with my daughter’s needs. It can be sometimes challenging with the sensitive little one but Melaina managed to make the classes fun and enjoyable. My daughter loved the tunes so much and she learned to play and sing at the same time! Highly recommended Melaina for her versatile teaching styles!
Details: 6 - 9 years old • No, the student cannot read music • No formal training; some self-taught experience • What the teacher recommends • Yes, the student has a piano • 30 minutes • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)
Piano Lessons
Alexandra F.
Feb 12, 2023
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Melaina has been working with my son for several months now and he absolutely loves pianolessons with her. My son practices everyday, multiple times a day without being asked. She is very patient (he is 8 years old and can get carried away telling elaborate stories and is also wiggly at times) and I feel that her lessons are perfectly tailored for him. The confidence this experience has brought him is priceless. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with Melaina.
Details: 6 - 9 years old • No, the student cannot read music • No formal training; some self-taught experience • Pop • Yes, the student has a piano • 30 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet)
Piano Lessons
Clay M.
Jan 24, 2022
•
Hired on Thumbtack
I’ve only been working with Melania for a short time. I am very comfortable with her teaching style. She has made some suggestions for me which I practiced, and I have seen some improvements already.
Details: 65 years or older • No, the student cannot read music • No formal training • Country • 45 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet)
Singing Lessons
Pat C.
Sep 15, 2022
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Melaina is such a fantastic piano teacher! She is incredibly communicative and adapts her teaching methods to your age, skill set, interests, and more. I'd easily recommend her to anyone!
Details: 26 - 44 years old • No, the student cannot read music • 0 - 2 yrs of formal training • What the teacher recommends • Yes, the student has a keyboard • 60 minutes • Remotely (phone or internet)
Piano Lessons
Brett W.
Oct 10, 2021
•
Hired on Thumbtack
Melaina was very professional and fun to work with. I learned more fundamentals and voice execution in the first 45 minutes with Melaina than I learned during the last two years on my own. She’s very helpful and nice. Definitely recommend if you’re trying to sharpen your musical skills!
Details: 26 - 44 years old • No, the student cannot read music • No formal training • What the teacher recommends • Pop • R&B • Musical theater • Country • Rock • Gospel • 45 minutes • At the pro’s location • My home, venue, etc. • Remotely (phone or internet)
Singing Lessons
Credentials
Background Check
Melaina Cartwright-Mills
FAQs
What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
It is extremely important to hire a voice teacher who has a degree (or two or three!) in vocal performance or vocal pedagogy! Surprisingly, a lot of people who teach singing lessons are not experts on the way the voice works, and this is very dangerous because learning improper technique can lead to bad habits and even vocal injuries. Always look for someone who has taken courses in vocal pedagogy and understands how the voice works anatomically. During lessons, be mindful of feelings of straining, pressing, or pain. Singing should never be painful! If the exercises your teacher asks you to do feel painful or harsh, that person probably does not really know what they are doing, and continuing to study with them could damage your voice.