James Lugo's Vocal Asylum
Introduction: James has been playing music and singing since he was 6 years old. His career as a guitarist and singer has spanned decades and coasts. Cutting his teeth in the late 70s playing in club bands in Fort Lauderdale to headlining the Sunset Strip in the late 80s and sportin' tha spandex!
He then toured for years, played in Nashville and Austin as well as singing in 70's multi platinum rack band Nazareth. He's also wrote countless songs professionally in all genres. His skill as a vocal coach and music producer began to come to the forefront in 2001 when he began working with American Idol.
His years on screen and behind the scenes with AI made him a household name in the Hollywood music scene which led him to vocal coaching for Glee, Disney and Nickelodeon to name a few.
James has recently moved his family and studio to Raleigh, NC where he teaches voice live and in person or via Skype.
Client list:
* American Idol
* Glee - FOX TV
* Disney Pictures / Disney Records
* The Smashing Pumpkins
* Nickelodeon Network
* 311
* MTV
* VH1
* Flogging Molly
* Snoop Dogg
* Abbey Road, London / EMI Records
* Matt Sorum (G n R and Velvet Revolver)
* The Veronicas
* Fuel
* A Fine Frenzy - Alison Sudol
* Bruce Bouillet (Racer X and Scream)
* Idol Wrap
* Idol Tonight
* Thrive Records
* Iron Maiden
* Fantastic Sam's
* Bruce Springsteen
* E! Entertainment Television
* Hairspray (on Broadway)
* Nate Dogg
* 213
* Warner Brothers
* The Chelsea Handler Show
* Time Warner Publishing
* Manny Charlton / Nazareth
* POP Sound
* Alison Sweeney - Days of Our Lives (NBC)
* The Biggest Loser
* Method Man
* KRS-ONE
* Columbia Records
* Universal Records
* Carmen Rizzo
* Bombay Dreams - Andrew Lloyd Webber
* Warren G (Universal)
* Bay City Rollers
* David Palmer/Rod Stewart
* Capitol Records
* Lava/Atlantic
* Sony
* Clear Channel
* Oxygen Network
* Girls Behaving Badly
* Dokken
* BMG
* Black Wallstreet Records/The Game
* Ron G
* G Funk Productions
* Julie Marie - Expose
Overview
Hired 7 times
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Reviews
Exceptional 5.0
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David L.
Nov 11, 2015
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Hired on Thumbtack
Hired on Thumbtack
Singing Lessons (for adults)
Megan Dawn D.
Mar 5, 2015
For my 39th birthday I decided that I wanted to finally pursue a life long dream. TO SING PROFESSIONALLY!
I researched heavily online and via voice interviews with different teacher candidates - and it was an immediate connection for me when I spoke with James. He didn't ask me "When do you want to start?".... he said "Let's start tomorrow - I will see you at 10!"
Within 8 months of lessons I had auditioned successfully and was singing professionally. James' continued support through the good gigs, and the bad gigs, (yes - there were plenty) helped to form me as a better singer and a better artist.
I play now regularly at the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas CA - which is about the top of the line for LA coverband venues. It is quite an achievement in just a few short years.....
Thank you, James - as I gained not only a singing coach, but a life coach as well. I personally cannot speak highly enough of James's ability and techniques as a voice coach.
As a side note - he is also an exceptional producer, extremely savvy on his SSL (top of the line studio) and sings out regularly in his own bands - I love it when people actually practice what they preach!
Jim B.
Mar 5, 2015
I have been taking voice lessons with James for the past three years. He has helped me with vocal quality, increased support, pitch control, and increased range
James has had so much real experience in the industry and the fact that he practices what he preaches. Both of these traits enable him to quickly identify areas I should work on and help me fix issues I didn't even realize I had.
Some of the great things about working with James: 1. He knows his stuff. 2) He is flexible as we tailor the frequency and content of the lessons to my needs. 3) I have improved a lot! (both by my observations and feedback from people who have heard me sing and have heard the improvements over time)
Leslie S.
Mar 5, 2015
I had been a singer for decades, but with no formal training. That lack of training had over time translated into a lot of bad habits that ruined any consistency or stamina. Some nights were okay, some not so okay, and any grit in a song would make me pay later.
So I looked around for a great vocal coach who understood the needs of rock singers and James was at the top of a short list. I didn't need to look any further because over the course of working with him, he quickly and accurately diagnosed my bad habits, deprogrammed me from engaging those bad habits, and put me on the long but worthwhile path to using my voice properly and to its potential.
Thanks to James and his practical approach and understanding of rock and metal, I have been on the right journey for the past decade, not stuck in a bad cul-de-sac of my own making.
James is a real rock singer, not a theoretician, and his coaching was personalized for my needs and was exactly what I needed.
I will admit, I initially had unrealistic expectations for "quick fixes", and while I saw some more immediate improvements, the real magic came over time and James' coaching helped me more than I could have imagined because I stuck with what he taught me for the long haul.
Thank you James. You really made an impact.
Kiran S.
Mar 5, 2015
I've been James' student via skype for 2 years now. He's a genuine and kind person who loves music, an absolute pleasure to learn from. He has helped me transform from a complete beginner to a singer, and he has helped me improve my tone, range, pitch, and confidence, while at the same time allowing me to develop my own sound. I feel extremely fortunate to have found James, as he's everything I could want in a voice teacher.