I knew that you were special within the first 5 minutes that I observed your teaching over at AADA. I still cherish what I learned from you.
I just want to say thank you for teaching and supporting me! Every class we had you were so persistent in taking me beyond satisfactory and striving for excellence in my voice and speech in a short space of time. I wish you all the best and if I need any help or advice in regards to voice and speech you’ll be the first I contact! Thank you Lester. You are simply great at what you do.
My experience with you this semester was incredibly eye opening and life changing. Your dedication to each one of us and your love and patience to each and every one of our problems, blocks…was remarkable. Your ability to explain the material was very clear to me…This has allowed me to find so much more depth in my work. I have found a great deal of freedom.
I’ve learned the most from Voice and Speech than in any other class.
You are driven with such a passion and love for what you do that you inspired me greatly. You not only taught me how to talk properly, or how to explore my voice fully; you taught me how to live better.
His high standards made us all that much better.
Lester has not only great command of the material, he has passion.
It has been a joy of mine to attend speech. This is due to Lester’s ability to teach with patience, diligence and sense of humor.
He’s funny and passionate and I’ve always enjoyed his classes.
He seems to know everything about speech. He knows what is right and what is wrong and how to fix whatever is wrong. I always learned something which is a testimonial to Lester’s attitude, humor, patience and enthusiasm. It was really uplifting to hear him talk about the Theatre!
Lester’s enthusiasm, patience and helpful explanation of the work made the IPA both fun and easy to learn. His guidance with Shakespeare opened a new world to me. Now I feel that a whole new side of acting is available to me.
Even though I've studied voice (singing) for years, I've never felt like I've had full control over my voice, and I've always struggled to apply the lessons I've learned while singing to my speaking voice. I really learned a lot about using my full body to produce sound.
Thank you for the incredible generosity of spirit that every single one of your classes was taught with. You teach your students so much more than a phonetic alphabet and the mechanics of speech–you teach your students to value the voice they have to offer the world and that everyone has something to say worth listening to. You teach the importance and value of precision and care. That value should be placed not on the end product but on the effort and commitment given to get there. Thank you for that invaluable lesson.
It was always made clear as to what was expected from us as well as the goals we were aiming for……I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to get a full grasp and understanding of the work and more importantly what I had to offer wasn’t enough. Thank you for proving me wrong. I greatly respect and admire your work and your devotion to the craft and hard work that goes behind it. It encourages me to always push myself, play, discover and simply ‘get on with it’.
Although I spent the first semester terrified of your class, I really appreciate how much time you devote to each and everyone of us… you have really helped me reach a new level of awareness…I never had any idea how much I would learn about myself in a speech class. You have really gone above and beyond as a teacher and I feel very lucky and honored to have been able to have this time with you.
I conquered something I’d been struggling with all semester — my nerves…I know now what I have to work on and how to go about working properly. … Shakespeare has never made so much sense to me. I will definitely take with me the way of the work as you presented it. Breaking it down and then building it back up. … I have such great passion for this work and you are offering so many tools for me to manipulate it in favor of my work. You have inspired me to continue this work and I know I will use the techniques I’ve learned here in the future.
Watching you work with other people was a learning experience as well. I feel that this class has pulled everything together. Acting, voice, movement – it all came together for me in this class. This is the one class I feel ‘safe’ in.
What makes the class great is Lester’s passion for the work. And he has to be the most patient and persistent person. Lester creates an environment and a structure that is consistent with continuity. His direct manner in feedback is well-suited for this type of work.
I really enjoyed Lester’s enthusiasm for the work. He makes it clear to me why it is important to study speech in this way. He takes the time he needs to make sure everyone is on the same page. He is clearly an expert on the subject.
Since graduation, I have moved back to Australia, and I have just received a callback for Lady M (Scottish play) that will be produced in the heart of Melbournes theatre district. Your notes and booklets have truly helped guide me throughout this audition process, and I wanted to take the time to express my gratitude for all of your hard work. You’re a fantastic teacher, and I would not have got this far without you!
I feel I have learned more in the last year in your class than in most of my other classes combined.
Lester always made it clear as to what he was looking for and what he expected from us…This class really showed who does their work and who tries to breeze through…
Personal attention was given any time needed it. All I had to do was ask. The same with everyone… I absolutely love the positive attitude and humor you brought into class…and still maintaining professional authority. You helped us all grow a lot.
This class gave me a lot of fundamentals and basically allowed me to discover what my problems are and work my way through them with an understanding … But more than that, the work here freed my voice and to some extent my personality….Lester is an amazing teacher and in almost 16 years of continuing schooling he is by far one of my favorite teachers.
He gave me homework and didn’t care how I felt about it. He’s one of the few teachers that didn’t accept excuses or BS and that helped me.
I’ve always felt this class has been the most challenging and the most necessary in my work as an actor. Lester expects a certain amount of professionalism and effort from his students. There is no doubt that Lester has an extensive knowledge in this area and was thrilling to see his reactions when we began working on Shakespeare.
Lester is great. Very clear and persistent! He has a remarkable ear. Warm-ups are great. He is very professional without being overbearing.
I loved his passionate and dedicated love of his craft that he lives and breathes.
Lester as an instructor is very professional and constant — that is to say — he’ isn’t a hard ass one day then lazy another. He will call you on mispronunciation 100% of the time. I really enjoy him as a person and his teaching style is a perfect blend of compassion and knowledge.
Lester is very clear and precise. He sets a great example of the correct use of language.
I just wanted to say a massive thank you for everything you've taught me over the past 7 weeks. I have learnt so much from you in not only from Shakespeare but the way you spoke about your work and the craft came from such passion and love you have inspired me to work from this place. I truely believe that the teachers you meet along the journey of this amazing industry can change who you are and the way you work in the future and you have definitely made your mark on mine.
You’ve empowered me with lessons and confidence that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
I loved the layout of this class. I’ve learned how to tackle a piece of text by scoring it, creating a glossary and rehearsing it…I loved the discipline and challenges that were consistent pieces of this classroom…
I want to thank you for making your classroom a professional environment that demands discipline and extreme focus. I really believe my voice and speech have grown this semester… You have pushed me to my best and made me aware of what I need to focus on for my exam plays and next semester. I’m very grateful to have been in your class.
You have a passion for the work and it is really refreshing to see. you teach what you believe.
You are more than a voice and speech teacher, you are an acting teacher and a life teacher.
He taught me to be a professional with heart.
An expert in his field. Passionate, patient, precise.
The thing I appreciate most is the time he spends on each one of us when we make a mistake, He does not give up on us. He stays with us until we’ve got it.
I think Lester is the best speech teacher in the world! His most valuable quality as a teacher is his patience. I always appreciated the time he spent going over and over a particular sound until he was sure I had successfully mastered it.
Lester presented the material in an articulate, thoughtful way. His deep knowledge of theatre over-all adds real world legitimacy to what he teaches.
His great enthusiasm and commitment are inspiring. He is sensitive to individuals’ needs.
I enjoy Lester’s attitude and compassion he brings to the class and to each individual. The direct attention he gives people when needed is perfect.
Lester has been my grounding teacher who I could always count on. His philosophy of practice makes perfect has given me hope.