Caitlyn
Sarafa

Music has been a constant thread through my life. By the time I was three, I knew singing was my passion. But everything changed when I began studying the voice scientifically. During my master’s in voice performance and pedagogy at the University of Colorado Boulder, I found that understanding the anatomy behind singing didn’t make the art feel clinical. It let my artistry shine brighter. For the first time, I wasn’t just following instructions. I understood why they worked, and that changed how I sang, how I listened, and eventually how I teach.

In 2022 that belief was tested in a very personal way. I was diagnosed with a vocal cyst that needed surgery, followed by months of speech therapy and singing-based voice rehabilitation. It was humbling and frightening, and it became one of the most important experiences of my career. It showed me firsthand how much technique matters, as a foundation that protects the voice for a lifetime rather than a set of rules. It also showed me that singers get injured like any other athlete, and that with the right support they can heal, learn, and come back stronger.

That experience is at the heart of why I opened Marigold Voice Studio. Here, students learn what to do and why it works. Technique is built from the ground up, vocal health is a priority from day one, and no one has to face an injury alone. Whether you’re a child finding your voice for the first time, an adult coming back to singing after years away, or someone rebuilding after an injury, my goal is the same: to help you understand your instrument, trust your body, and sing with confidence and joy.

Most singers are taught what to do. I teach you why, because understanding how your voice works is the most empowering thing a singer can have. If you know what it feels like to sing well, you can repeat it far more easily than if you only know what it sounds like.

Every lesson is grounded in vocal anatomy and speech-language science, turned into explanations and exercises that are practical and specific to each student.

That approach runs through everything at the studio: private voice lessons for all ages; Little Lark, an early childhood program for ages 3–7 that teaches healthy singing along with the music reading kids usually get from piano lessons; and Vocal Recovery Support for singers facing injury.