I'm so grateful to have studied with Pauline for almost 3 years. When I started I had a total fear of my own voice and I found it very hard to imagine that I would be able to produce or deliver something which sounded pleasant even compelling. As if making me feel confident about my voice was not a small task, she has profoundly changed the way I think about how words are formed in the mouth and palate, about phrasing, breathing, posture and all aspects of singing.
Pauline is incredibly patient and wants you to succeed . Even when progress is slow she employs multiple strategies to convey a concept. Often the concepts are very subtle. There were times when I wanted to quit and Pauline said stay a little longer , you are going to have a breakthrough.... and she wasn't wrong. I can't recommend her highly enough, thanks Pauline :)

I am thankful to Pauline for giving me the confidence to sing in front of a crowd. She was patient, and gave constructive feedback without squashing your self esteem. I wish I could have continued on but for anyone looking to learn or improve your voice/speech, I recommend Pauline.

Pauline was really great at giving me constructive critiques and detailed explanations that really helped me understand singing. She is able to detect small things that make a big difference in how your voice sounds and feels. I started with her when I first started realizing that my voice had potential, and she really helped build up my confidence. Although I’m no longer continuing lessons with her, her techniques and principles will continue to benefit me as i keep them in mind when I sing. Thank you Pauline!

I’m a long time student of Pauline’s and she is AMAZING. Lessons with her are thorough, extremely educational, easy to practice and just fun. My singing has improved a lot since meeting her.

Her techniques help in improving your voice without straining it. And they’re super effective. She also modifies lessons as per your needs, helping you grow at the right pace for you.

Beyond singing itself, Pauline is a very special person- kind, intuitive, loving and strong. I’m a better person for having known her as a teacher and a friend. You must meet her too!!

I have taken classes with Pauline for good 5 years. I had zero singing ability before that I knew of, was always interested, but sounded horrible any time I'd try. I am also in my 50's, so it's quite an endeavor. Pauline has been amazing, getting me to learn from the very basics, discovering and widening my vocal range, identifying where I was making mistakes with various sounds and correcting them, helping me gain confidence, and eventually enabling over time to sing pretty complex songs, and with simpler ones, I now find I can sound decently after just a few tries to learn hte rhythm of the song.
It's been a real fun process and a lot of patience from Pauline. When she hears mistakes she can diagnose what went wrong - a lot of times for me it's mechanical, not getting the jaw, the tongue etc. into the right places - and comes up with effective and simple techniques to help correct for them.
She also knows how to keep the voice safe from being strained. When I sing on my own, sometimes I overextend myself and as a result may lose higher notes, but in the classes, this has never happened, and in fact, her exercises help smoothe things out even if I come in with an already strained voice.
It's also great to receive an audio recording after each class, so I can listen and identify where things worked well and where they did not. Helps me be more effective next time.
I sing just for personal pleasure, but I actually had an opportunity and courage to sing a few songs at our corporate party as well. This was quite an experience!
Really appreciate how Pauline has made a big difference for me!

I started working with Pauline in middle school and continued lessons with her throughout high school. I have grown up singing, but didn’t understand how to properly take care of my voice or sing in a healthy way before my lessons with Pauline. Pauline was always like family, and treated me with so much kindness and love, and I genuinely looked forward to every lesson with her. I am a college student at Boston University now, and am happily singing and situated in an amazing A Capella group, feeling confident and happy in my singing and voice thanks to everything Pauline taught me! I have and will always recommend Pauline to anyone who ever asks me where to get help with singing and technique, and I am so beyond grateful I got to work with her.

Only had a couple weeks for lessons but just in that amount of time I could already hear a lot of improvement!

I've been taking voice lessons from Pauline for a year and a half. My techniques have improved quite a lot, and I feel much more confident when I sing.

I have only good words about Pauline's lessons. I have been taking lessons for 3+ years and I am still making visible progress. I have developed a fairly good understanding and command of most of the key points I can think of about singing - breath support, tempo, closure, pronunciation, posture, registers etc.
If any future student sees this review, please note that you might not feel that you will immediately get results with Pauline's method or even understand it -- but that is the way it should be. For e.g., you might want to learn to get high notes or you want to develop healthy vibrato. But these are results that you get naturally when you walk on the right path. Pauline's speech level singing lessons provide the right path for you. I never questioned this because I had some training before but I understand it might not be easy to keep with the seemingly unrelated trainings -- while they are the essential building blocks.
Singing techniques are not easy to understand or grasp, as there are a lot of subtleties there and a lot of things are not visible (they happen within your body). I sincerely hope you would trust and stick to Pauline's lessons and you will notice significant improvements.

I took voice lessons from Pauline for about 2 years and it was a fantastic experience. She is able to adjust her teaching styles to what best works for the student (we are all very different in how we learn and what resonates with us). She does a great job of trying different analogies to help your brain relate to what you're trying to do with very precise movements that you cannot see easily. I was very impressed with her patience as well - I was terrible coming into this, and I improved dramatically. She also is very motivational and keeps you from beating yourself up too much - learning to sing can be a frustrating experience and it helps a ton to have a coach that sees the best in you. She is also a very friendly and great person - highly recommend.

Pauline has been more than a voice teacher to me. She has been a supportive and understanding companion in my quest to get reacquainted with my head, my face, and make peace with my voice. I had an accident years ago where I combined face and brain trauma and whiplash ... As others have said here, Pauline is great at showing how jaw, lip, and tongue positions guide how sounds are made and practicing those helped me realize that there was still trauma stored there. Some sound frequencies (that I was producing) were also triggering a startle reflex. Pauline has been creative in finding ways to work around my triggers and yet find ways to train me to push my boundaries. For those like me who feel they are missing a User's Manual for their own body, Pauline is a fantastic teacher. She is also very mindful of the safety of everyone and has been very good at maintaining her classes and follow all covid-related recommendations, including distance classes.

Pauline is fantastic. I was only able to work with her for 4 months but I became much more comfortable with singing. The range of types of songs Ive been able to write for myself expanded a ton, and I expect that will just continue with my new confidence. Pauline is supportive and very knowledgeable.

I have been taking voice lessons from Pauline for over a year. Being a very self conscious person and having the desire to carry a note brought me to her. Pauline is patient and encouraging. I am so happy with my improvement and no longer cringe with singing to myself :-)
Thank you Pauline!

Pauline has coached my teenage daughter for about 2 years. Pauline has a gift for helping to elevate her students vocals and build their confidence. Ive seen steady improvement in my daughters ability month after month. This has been a great experience for her.

I took lessons with Pauline for almost a year and she was an incredible teacher. I was only looking to take them for a couple months due to a performance I wanted to prepare for, but her encouragement and excellent teaching style kept me there for far longer. She records every lesson so you can observe your progress and practice, and always teaches in a positive manner. I would highly recommend her as a teacher, whether you want to practice for a show or just improve your voice!

I have been taking lessons with Pauline for almost a year now and the results outstanding. As someone who've been through many vocal teachers since middle school, Pauline really sets herself apart from other teachers - she is extremely knowledgeable about vocal chords, continues to find new ways to encourage you to learn muscle memory and is very patient to train you over and over again. I would definitely recommend her to anyone who wishes to do vocal lessons!

I took lessons from Pauline for around 4 months when I was doing my intern at Mountain View. Pauline is professional, patient and warmhearted. My voice skill increased significantly via the 4-month training. One thing I really like is that she kept a record of the class and sent it to me after each class. So when I practice, I could review some of the content from the record and make sure that I'm on the right track. I would highly recommend Pauline's voice class and I would definitely like to continue my lessons if I get a chance back in Mountain View !

I took lessons from Pauline for about a year, and I really enjoyed it. She's very encouraging and patient, helping me build confidence in my singing and teaching me the techniques to make singing easier. My voice has become stronger, and it's all her credit!

My son has been taking lessons from Pauline for over 2 years now - in part because he was trying out for musical theater but also because he loves singing. Pauline was referred to us by a friend whose daughter was taking lessons and who was very pleased with the outcome. I have to say that I've been equally pleased. Between when we started and now, my son has gone through teenage hormonal changes, but Pauline has worked with him each week to focus on his new strengths and to understand his changing voice. She's also a master at keeping kids engaged by finding music they love to sing, which makes each lesson go by quickly for them. Overall, Pauline is not only a talented vocal teacher, but a wonderful person. I'm very glad we found her!

After years of practicing by on my own and trying to self teach myself through Youtube videos, I finally decided to go searching around for a vocal teacher, because I realized that I hit a wall in what I could accomplish on my own.

I am very fortunate to have found someone as passionate as Pauline. She keeps a record about every student, and she thinks about how to help them improve, tailoring vocal lessons that are designed to help that particular individual improve.

It has been about 10 months since I have started taking vocal lessons from Pauline. I can see improvements all over the board from vocal range to breath control, and it really shows in the recordings and when I go out with my friends to karaoke. I am happy with I have accomplished in my singing and I really have to give a lot of my thanks to Pauline for being such a good teacher.

I was only able to see Pauline for a few months, but my voice has greatly improved in the time we had together. I came in wanting to improve my voice in general but specifically better control of my breathing. I had no prior voice training and had only done choir for a few years in high school. I was frustrated after a few months when I didn't think I had improved, and I remember raising my concerns with Pauline. She made it a point to focus on my concerns for the next few lessons and show me that I was indeed improving. She records every lesson and I can easily tell the difference from when I first started. At my last lesson I sang some songs I had attempted in the very beginning and to my surprise they weren't as difficult as they were when I first started! Pauline's lessons will stick with me forever and I'm very glad that I came to her.

Pauline is extremely patient and compassionate with singers at any level, and I've felt significant improvements in my voice since starting lessons with her months ago. We focus on vowel shapes, breath support and healthy voice habits so that I leave every session with something new to practice, and every session is recorded for my use. I can't recommend her enough!

I'm a beginner who has worked with Pauline for over a year and my singing has improved quickly and consistently throughout the year. Pauline is a great teacher, expert at explaining things in different ways to find what clicks for you. I highly recommend working with her!

Pauline is very patient and worked with me to improve my vocal range and strength. I see visible improvements after a few sessions with her.

She also records each lesson and send it to me so I can practice throughout the week as well.

I would highly recommend lesson with her for anyone who wants to improve their voice.

My daughter has been taking voice lessons with Pauline for over a year since she was 10 years old. After couple of months I noticed big improvements in her singing. Pauline is a great teacher and my daughter always liked going to her lessons. Pauline helped her to choose her songs for musical auditions and prepare for them. I would highly recommend Pauline for voice lessons.

I love Pauline. She's incredibly patient, kind, and encouraging with her students. I highly recommend her for anyone looking to strengthen their singing voice with an excellent mentor.

Pauline is an amazing voice teacher. I came in as a complete beginner, having never taken voice lessons before. After a couple months of working with her, I saw huge improvements. She does a great job at gauging your strengths and weaknesses, and tailoring each lesson appropriately. She even records every lesson for you, so you get to keep all the lessons you pay for!

Pauline has a very unique teaching method. You will quickly see an improvement in your singing ability. I always thought that singing is a natural talent which could only be improved slightly with lessons. Not true. After 6 months my voice was 10 times better than when I started. I highly recommend Pauline if you want to reach your maximum potential.

Pauline is an exceptional teacher. What makes her great is her ability to help even the most unmusical person learn how the voice works and why bad techniques do not help. Very creative. She works to build up a good foundation and to eliminate bad habits. She is patient and her lessons are fun. I highly recommend.

I had voice lessons with Pauline for more than a year and my voice range increased. She always catered to my needs. Pauline was also flexible about my time and did everything to accommodate me. My confidence level has improved because of my lessons. Thank you...

Pauline is amazing! Great for beginner singers of all ages as well as experienced professionals.

After years of talking about it, my husband and I finally started taking voice lessons a few months ago. We researched many different teachers and decided to go with Pauline because her reviews described her as being experienced and patient. Now that we've been working with her for a few months, I can vouch for both of these characteristics, and so much more! I can now hit notes that I couldn't before, my pronunciation and vibrato have improved, and I am overall much more confident singing. Other great things:

* Pauline took the time to hear what we were hoping to get out of the lessons and tailors them to meet our needs.
* She always has multiple ways of explaining concepts and lots of practical tips for learning them. If one thing doesn't work, she has several more up her sleeve. It's obvious that her decades of experience working with a range of different students has given her a large repertoire of techniques to draw on as a voice instructor.
* Lessons start on time and she often goes overtime if she doesn't have another student afterwards.
* She records every lesson and then shares with us via Google Drive so we can replay her feedback when practicing at home.
* She is flexible with our schedules and always quick to respond via email and text.

What a satisfying experience! I began working with Pauline at weekly voice lessons about 6+ months before my rock band's reunion gig, which was to take place at a large venue on the East Coast. I had not performed for 5 years, and, not only am I not a particularly strong singer to begin with, but whatever skill I had retained was weak -- I was definitely rusty. I found Pauline to be supportive and a great teacher! Her professionalism and warmth and careful instruction made the experience a great one for me. I found the lessons challenging, but with practice my voice became much more robust. Stepping on stage by the time of my show, I did not feel that old familiar fear of losing my voice. What a difference! I could perform with confidence and feel joy in being able to sing. I recommend Pauline's voice lessons without hesitation :-)

I love to sing but never dared to because even as an adult people made fun of my voice. In an effort to improve my singing voice I decided to find a voice coach in January of 2016. After trying-out a couple of voice coaches I was about to give up until I met Pauline. Somewhat instinctively I knew that working with Pauline was going to be great.

Pauline truly cares about me and is emotionally invested in my success. She offers a supportive environment and friendly style that fosters growth and improvement. Our work together has not only improved my singing but my delivery of work presentations as well.

I love that Pauline provides a recording of my sessions because it allows me to practice more effectively and without guessing.

Pauline is a phenomenal voice coach and a fantastic teacher. I enthusiastically recommend her!

Pauline has been an awesome teacher for my daughter. My daughter has been taking voice lessons from Pauline for over three years. Pauline has helped my daughter prepare for her auditions and her musical theater performances. Pauline is very patient with her and is able to guide her. We strongly recommend Pauline to anyone who is looking for a voice teacher.

Taking voice lessons from Pauline has been a life changing experience. I had lived my life thinking that the ability to sing was innate (i.e. you either have or you dont) and that I was someone who didnt have it. Pauline deconstructed the singing process for me and showed me that the ability to sing comes from learning how to properly utilize ones vocal chords and shape vowel sounds. As a result of my lessons, I now feel comfortable backing myself up on guitar and singing with others thus transforming how I experience music. I strongly recommend Pauline!

Pauline is a great and passionate teacher! I can see a lot of improvement with my voice and find it much easier to sing than before. She helped me remove the strain and expanded my range. Pauline demonstrates exercises very well and helps you understand how singing works from different aspects - how it mechanically works and how you feel different notes and vowels. I could feel improvement very early in my lessons, although to really explore your vocal capabilities and learn better technique you need to invest time as with any other skill in life. Pauline can definitely help you learn how to broaden your range and have a rich sound while maintaining a healthy voice / vocal cords.

Pauline is such a great teacher. She really cares about the progress of her students and makes sure the student is learning in each lesson. Pauline is an exceptional teacher especially because she teaches not to "yell" when singing, because yelling is not good for the voice over time. Not to mention she is very funny as well.

Pauline is a super kind soul who really cares about the people she teaches. I have 2 children and we have taken several lessons from Pauline to prep for the girls musical auditions. Their confidence have grown under her tutelage and so have their voices.

The vocal cords are a small, complex, and ever-underestimated network of tissues, requiring the most delicate manipulation to harness anything close to their full potential. During my time with Pauline, I've experienced firsthand, the degree of frustration, fulfillment, and the rewards of time spent in practice. Her services are invaluable to anybody seeking to explore the full range of their voice, or for refinement in more experienced singers.

I started taking voice lessons from Pauline about two years ago, my kids used to cover their ears when I attempted to sing; but thanks to Pauline's teaching, I can now sing with confidence for my kids, family and friends. I'm super happy with what Ive learned and continue to learn, Its been a real gift as I really like to sing! Pauline has a very refined ear, she really understands the voice; I've learned how unconscious coordination patterns ingrained in our nervous system can cause tension and vocal strain, and that it takes time to undo these patterns and re-educate your system to free the voice to reach its potential. English is not my native language so It's also helped me with the pronunciation of words and vowels. Pauline's lessons are very focused, yet at the same time they sparkle with her encouraging happy energy. It's a great enlivening time that l always look forward to. Pauline is super accommodating when you have scheduling conflicts, she can usually fit you in on a different day. The new Studio is really nice, with spacious rooms and ample parking, plus the location is great, especially when you work at one of the local tech companies.

I've been working with Pauline for a little over three years now, and the results have been great! I'm much more confident in my singing and have overcome some bad habits that I'd developed over ~20 years. Pauline is great at breaking things down and helping you develop correct methods. She's extremely patient and encouraging and just fun to be with. :-) I always look forward to my lessons with her.

2 years ago, we were looking for a voice teacher who would nurture my then 11 year-old's interest in singing. We specifically looked for someone who is nurturing and flexible in her teaching to accommodate various learning styles. After speaking to several voice teachers, we decided to go with Pauline.

Here's what my now 13 year-old says about her:

"Pauline's a good person, kind and fun to talk to. She's patient and a really great teacher! She teaches you how to sing better with good techniques. She's encouraging!"

We really like Pauline and highly recommend her.

From my review of Hope Street Studios ...

Voice - Pauline Handley
I am an adult.
For the past couple of years I have been taking voice lessons with Pauline. Pauline has the unusual ability to listen carefully and then describe how to adjust what I am doing to change and improve. I've had two other voice teachers in the past and Pauline is the best.

Location of Studio - convenient
Recently the studio moved from downtown Mountain View (where parking was difficult) to a nice space that they have carefully prepared with good sound-proofing, on Old Middlefield off 101.