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Transformative vocal coach singing lessons online with Joseph Stanek, NYC's top vocal expert. Private singing lessons with Tour de Fierce: train with the best! NYC'S LEADING VOCAL COACH SINGING STUDIO Vocal Coach Singing Lessons with Celebrity Voice Coach Joseph Stanek, Founder & CEO of Tour de Fierce Transformative vocal coach singing techniques trusted by Broadway stars, Grammy® winners, and passionate singers worldwide. Train your voice with the vocal coach singing behind Broadway stars, recording artists, and headliners who perform at Madison Square Garden, the Roman Colosseum, and Carnegie Hall. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Joseph Stanek’s internationally celebrated coaching methods transform voices with power, precision, and purpose. This is the moment everything changes. Book Your Spot Inquire about free trial availability > Vocal Coach Singing Training: Trusted by the Biggest Names in Entertainment ...From NBC and ABC to the NFL and Broadway , Joseph Stanek has prepared world-class performers for the most demanding stages on the planet. His singers include EMMY®, GRAMMY®, OSCAR®, and TONY® Award-winning entertainers, recording artists, stars of stage and screen, and music icons who headline international tours, all of whom depend on his vocal coach singing expertise to perform at their very best, every single time. Weekly Lessons now 50% Off Weekly Lessons now 50% Off Weekly Lessons now 50% Off Weekly Lessons now 50% Off Start Strong: 50% Off Weekly Lessons Kick off your vocal coach singing journey with Tour de Fierce® and save big. Commit to weekly 60-minute lessons—online or in-person (NYC)—and get each session for just $97.50 (plus tax). The fastest, most affordable way to train with NYC’s leading vocal coach singing expert and to transform your voice and delivery. Subscribe to Save 50% Book Vocal Coach Singing Lessons Meet Joseph Stanek NYC Vocal Coach Meet Your Vocal Coach Joseph “Seph” Stanek is a Broadway actor, international concertizer, and award-winning television and concert tour producer with nearly two decades of experience at the top of the entertainment industry. Through online sessions and his Tour de Fierce® Music Studio in New York City, he has become a vocal coach singing innovator, blending precise technique with emotional expression to help every artist discover their most authentic voice. More About Joseph “I was a shy kid who wouldn't speak up, couldn't sing— couldn't match pitch if I tried. But learning to sing changed everything. My musical mentors made all the difference, and it’s my profound honor to pay that forward and help others find the power in their own voices.” -Joseph Stanek, Tour de Fierce® Founder Vocal Coaching That Fits Your Life Tour de Fierce® offers two powerful experiences for training your voice — online worldwide or in person in NYC. Both options deliver high-impact expertise designed to transform your singing. Personalized vocal coach singing programs for all experience levels Learn healthy technique from a celebrity vocal coach singing teacher Results-driven training with NYC’s leading vocal coach singing specialist Voice Coaching Main Page > Online Voice Lessons Flexible, high-impact training from anywhere in the world. Connect with Joseph — a vocal coach singing innovator trusted by Broadway and recording artists — through a professional camera and audio setup, and learn to sing with instant feedback and expert guidance. Book Online Lessons Learn More About Online Voice Lessons > In-Person Voice Lessons in NYC Step into the Tour de Fierce® Music Studio in Astoria, Queens. Train with NYC’s leading vocal coach singing expert in a luxury, comfortable environment equipped with a Kawai piano, wireless microphones, and a sound-treated performance space. Experience hands-on coaching that transforms your technique, artistry, and confidence. Book NYC Lessons Learn More About the Tour de Fierce® Music Studio > Proven Results in Just Weeks Singers of all ages, all levels, and all walks of life–worldwide–rave about the breakthroughs they’ve made with Joseph — from winning major awards and accolades to finally feeling confident to landing leading roles in professional productions. A., India "I took a chance on myself by signing up for online voice lessons with Joseph Stanek, and what I got in return is nothing short of a miracle. What he offers goes beyond vocal coaching—it’s a transformational experience that could open doors you never even knew were closed." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Read More Testimonials "Look, New York City vocal coaches are the best in the world. Everyone knows this. What they don't know is that there is only one vocal coach that all the other vocal coaches in New York City trust with their own voices (if he can squeeze them in! ). He is my neighbor and my voice coach, and probably the coolest person I know: Joseph Stanek . He's the best vocal coach in New York City I've ever come across, and I've lived here my whole life." -Tiffany Cabán, New York City Council Member, District 22 portfolio Worldwide Success Stories & Trusted Clients Tour de Fierce® proudly coaches artists to perform everywhere—from social media channels and VTuber livestreams to Broadway stages and international concert halls . Guiding his worldwide clientele from his music studio in the heart of NYC, Joseph’s virtual vocal coaching and in-person training empower performers at every level to master their voices, command the stage, and captivate audiences with confidence and unforgettable fierceness. For a sample of Joseph Stanek’s work through Tour de Fierce® , browse the projects in his online portfolio . Browse Portfolio Free Resources for Learning to Sing Smarter, Faster Joseph has endless resources to help you level-up your singing skills. Each singer gets their own private, unlisted page on this website where Joseph curates a selection of materials to help them progress toward their goals. Materials include accompaniment tracks for rehearsing and performing, vocal exercises, sheet music, documentaries on the voice, you name it. On top of that, all singers get their very own copy of Joseph's famous "Belt Your Butt Off" vocal warm-ups, a recording used by real Broadway casts before their performances each night, eight times a week. The Tour de Fierce® website also has free, publicly available resources for any singer that swings by. Check out: How to Deal with Stage Fright (Free Guide) Tour de Fierce® Blog for Singers Vocal Range Test Interactive Vocal Warm-Up Generator Interactive Tongue Twister Generator Claim Your Free Download Overcome Stage Fright—Download 'Stage Fright to Stage Might' Now Did you know that performance anxiety is an animal instinct of ours , and without it, humans never would have evolved to become the dominant species on the planet? Learn to work with these instincts instead of against them with our free guide , 'Stage Fright to Stage Might,' where you'll learn to turn your fears into your fierce . Get Your Free Copy Here Tour de Fierce Blog® Explore the Tour de Fierce® blog for expert singing advice, career insights, and an inside look at the entertainment industry. Visit the Tour de Fierce® Blog > Free Interactive Vocal Warm-Up Generator Enhance the efficiency of your vocal coach singing lessons with our Free Interactive Vocal Warm-Up Generator — keep your vocal warm-ups fresh and effective! Generate Warm-Ups! Free Interactive Tongue-Twister Generator Use our Free Interactive Tongue-Twister Generator to keep your articulation crisp and clear! Generate Tongue Twisters! How to Deal with Stage Fright Seph On Stage It’s one thing to teach a skill; it’s another to live it, especially in the live entertainment capital of the world, New York City. Lucky for you, Joseph does both. Step into the spotlight with Seph on Stage , a a collection in his portfolio that shows why Joseph Stanek is more than a coach—he's a multi-hyphenate artist who has built his career on the very stages he helps others conquer. Seph On Stage FAQ: Vocal Coaching How much do voice lessons cost with Joseph Stanek? Most singers choose the subscription plan : four weekly 60-minute lessons for $390 per month (plus NY tax), billed with a 4-week commitment. Single 60-minute voice lessons are also available at $195 each. Do you offer online singing lessons? Yes. Joseph coaches singers worldwide with a multi-camera setup, live piano accompaniment, and real-time feedback, making online lessons just as effective as in-person lessons. Where is your NYC vocal coaching studio located? The Tour de Fierce® Music Studio is located in Astoria, Queens (18-37 25th Rd, New York, NY 11102). The studio features a Kawai piano, pro microphones, and a sound-treated performance space. What makes Tour de Fierce® different from other vocal coaches? Unlike many coaches who only teach, Joseph maintains an active performing career at the highest level. This keeps him plugged into the industry and ensures his students benefit from real-world insight, cutting-edge vocal technique, and personalized training that builds both artistry and confidence. Who are Joseph’s students? Joseph coaches singers of all levels — from Broadway headliners and recording artists to passionate beginners. Many of his students have performed at Madison Square Garden , Carnegie Hall, and with major television networks, while others simply gain confidence singing for fun. How do I book a lesson? Click the “Book Your Lesson ” button anywhere on this page to schedule your first session. Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive a confirmation email with all details. Contact us for availability regarding trial sessions. Ready to Find Your Voice? Book your free trial lesson today and see why singers around the world trust Tour de Fierce® for unmatched vocal coaching. Free Trial Lesson

Revised print edition of the AI Detection Report examining AI-generated songs in the 2024 International Songwriting Competition and related oversight failures. FORENSIC AUDIT & ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION AI Detection Report: 2024 International Songwriting Competition Evidence of undisclosed and undetected AI-generated songs receiving awards despite prohibition, undermining fair competition for songwriters Joseph Stanek | Tour de Fierce Research Mail Print Edition + DOI | Revised February 2026 Chart https://www.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18465960 Cite this report Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link Read the Full Report (Zenodo) Updates and History of This Report Digital Publication: 01 January 2026 | Print Edition: 01 February 2026 | Print Edition + DOI: February 2026 Download the Full Report (PDF) This is the Print Edition + DOI release of the AI Detection Report, a forensic audit of the International Songwriting Competition's winning entries from its 2024 competition cycle. Abstract This report presents an independent forensic analysis of award-winning songs submitted to the 2024 International Songwriting Competition (ISC), examining whether entries complied with the competition’s stated prohibition on AI-generated music. Using a multi-layered audio forensic methodology incorporating waveform analysis, spectral behavior, model replication testing, and cross-platform AI detection tools, this study identifies evidence that multiple awarded songs exhibit characteristics consistent with AI generation despite formal rules prohibiting such use. Findings raise concerns about the effectiveness of current AI detection protocols in competitive music environments and highlight structural vulnerabilities in authorship verification processes used by major songwriting contests. This work contributes to emerging scholarship in music technology ethics, creative integrity, and audio forensics, and provides a replicable analytical framework for future investigations into AI-generated creative content. Keywords AI-generated music, music forensics, authorship attribution, songwriting competitions, generative AI, audio forensics, metadata analysis, OSINT, creative integrity, AI detection, generative AI in music, songwriting authenticity, International Songwriting Competition, music awards, competition integrity, SunoAI, AI disclosure, competition compliance, copyright and AI, spectrogram analysis, waveform analysis, judging systems, creative competitions, digital forensics forensic audio, AI music detection, music industry, intellectual property, competition policy, generative AI ethics, digital media Key Findings Multiple awarded songs display acoustic and structural patterns consistent with AI-generated audio models, including 9 entries across 8 categories that share the exact same encoder signature (an anomaly that is nearly impossible to replicate among 9 songwriters not using the same AI platform to generate their songs) Certain entries demonstrate metadata and waveform behaviors not typical of human-performed recordings Existing detection tools failed to flag several songs later identified through manual forensic review Replication testing shows that stylistically similar outputs can be reproduced using contemporary generative music systems Current competition safeguards are insufficient to reliably enforce non-AI submission rules IRCAM Amplify AI-Detection Analysis (third-party verification layer): 2nd Place, Country Category 98% AI Probability Detected Model: Suno v3.5 3rd Place, Christian Category 95% AI Probability Detected Model: Suno v3 Methodology Overview This investigation employed a layered forensic approach combining: Spectral and waveform analysis Dynamic range and micro-timing evaluation Model replication testing using contemporary generative music systems Cross-tool comparison between AI detection platforms Manual auditory pattern recognition Metadata and production artifact examination Rather than relying on a single classifier or detection score, this study used convergence across independent indicators to assess probability of AI involvement. All findings were documented using repeatable procedures designed to support third-party verification. Author's Statement I undertook this investigation in response to a professional concern I have encountered with increasing frequency in my work as a musician, educator, and vocal coach: the growing tendency for individuals to claim authorship of “songs” that were generated primarily or entirely through automated AI text-to-music systems. In recent years, I have observed a rising number of students arrive with what they describe as “original compositions,” only to later disclose that their role in the creative process consisted entirely of entering prompts into generative AI platforms. As an artist who has devoted more than three decades to the study and practice of composition, lyric writing, vocal technique, and musical interpretation, I find this trend deeply troubling. The term “songwriter” appears to be undergoing a quiet redefinition—one that displaces discipline, craft, and musical judgment with automation, without serious scrutiny or resistance. Approximately one year prior to initiating this investigation, one of my students asked for assistance in writing and submitting a song to the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). That request introduced me to the competition. I agreed to help, intending to guide her through the full human process of songwriting from the ground up: lyrical development, melodic construction, structural planning, and vocal performance. As she confronted the scope of that work, she ultimately withdrew. Her response crystallized the concern I had already begun to feel: many now equate AI generation with creative authorship, and the distinction between the two is rapidly eroding. In response, I chose to write and submit a song myself—completed entirely within the week preceding the ISC’s Extended Deadline submission cut-off date—not with the intention of taking home the grand prize, but as a pedagogical exercise for my students to bear witness to and as a personal and professional reaffirmation of human creative processes. I documented that work, submitted it, and then moved on. Nearly a year later, I encountered an ISC promotional message and revisited the competition website to listen to the prior year’s winners. The second-place entry in the Comedy category—the same category I had entered—immediately exhibited auditory characteristics inconsistent with human vocal and compositional production. The experience was disquieting. The very institution I had used to model artistic discipline now appeared to reward precisely the shortcut I sought to discourage. That moment became the catalyst for this investigation. I did not initiate this inquiry to challenge artistic merit, to advance my own submission, or to pursue any sort of recognition as a songwriter. I include my status as a prior entrant solely as a matter of transparency. My placement is irrelevant to the findings, the methodology, and the conclusions of this report. I neither expect nor seek reconsideration of my own entry, and no aspect of the analysis depends upon it. This investigation exists because honesty and human creativity is worth protecting—not sentimentally, but structurally. Songwriters deserve a creative ecosystem in which authorship retains meaning. They also deserve competitions that enforce their own rules. Institutions like the International Songwriting Competition that claim to celebrate human artistry must do so with procedural integrity. My purpose in conducting and publishing this work has been consistent throughout: to defend the value of human musical authorship, to expose procedural weaknesses where they exist, and to speak plainly at a moment when technological convenience threatens to outpace ethical clarity. This report is offered in service of those values. About the Author Joseph Stanek is a musician, producer, educator, and scholar whose career spans more than three decades of focused study in vocal acoustics, performance science, and artistic interpretation. His work centers on the development of technically grounded, psychologically sustainable, and authentically expressive musical performance. Stanek has served as a vocal coach and creative collaborator for internationally recognized artists, including Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson, Andrea Bocelli, and Ariana Grande. His contributions have supported multiple Billboard-charting musical albums, including Chenoweth’s album The Art of Elegance, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums chart and remained in the top position for eight consecutive weeks. His production work includes large-scale broadcast projects such as the Tabernacle Choir’s internationally televised Christmas concert Angels Among Us, which reached more than 66 million households worldwide. A recipient of the Pi Kappa Lambda Scholarly Writing Award, Stanek founded Tour de Fierce® as a platform for cultivating honest, skill-driven performance practices grounded in physiological awareness and artistic integrity. His work emphasizes the responsible integration of emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence—within transparent, human-centered creative frameworks. His professional mission is to preserve the meaning of authorship in an era of automation while supporting artists in developing sustainable, verifiable, and expressive creative voices. Contact Joseph Stanek (Seph Stanek) Producer | Researcher | Educator Founder & Owner of Tour de Fierce® New York, NY Email: contact@tourdefierce.vip Website: www.tourdefierce.vip Full Report: The complete report is archived and publicly accessible via its DOI. Download the full report (PDF): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18465961 Rights Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International © 2026 TourdeFierce.VIP (Joseph Stanek). All rights reserved. Portions of this report may be quoted or referenced with proper attribution. Please link to the official DOI page when citing this work. Reproduction or distribution of the full report requires written permission from the author. MLA: Stanek, J. AI Detection Report: 2024 International Songwriting Competition: Evidence of Undisclosed and Undetected AI-generated Songs Receiving Awards Despite Prohibition, Undermining Fair Competition for Songwriters. Revised Print Edition (with DOI), Zenodo, 1 Feb. 2026, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18725248 . Cite This Report APA: Stanek, J. (2026). AI Detection Report: 2024 International Songwriting Competition: Evidence of undisclosed and undetected AI-generated songs receiving awards despite prohibition, undermining fair competition for songwriters (Revised Print Edition (with DOI)). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18725248 Harvard: Stanek, J. (2026) “AI Detection Report: 2024 International Songwriting Competition: Evidence of undisclosed and undetected AI-generated songs receiving awards despite prohibition, undermining fair competition for songwriters”. Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.18725248. Vancouver: 1. Stanek J. AI Detection Report: 2024 International Songwriting Competition: Evidence of undisclosed and undetected AI-generated songs receiving awards despite prohibition, undermining fair competition for songwriters. Zenodo; 2026. Chicago: Stanek, Joseph. “AI Detection Report: 2024 International Songwriting Competition: Evidence of Undisclosed and Undetected AI-generated Songs Receiving Awards Despite Prohibition, Undermining Fair Competition for Songwriters”. Zenodo, February 1, 2026. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18725248 . IEEE: [1]J. Stanek, “AI Detection Report: 2024 International Songwriting Competition: Evidence of undisclosed and undetected AI-generated songs receiving awards despite prohibition, undermining fair competition for songwriters”. Zenodo, Feb. 01, 2026. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.18725248. What's Next Additional reporting and analysis exploring how institutional decisions shape artistic legacy, authorship, and public trust. Roy Acuff and the Cost of Getting History Wrong An investigation into how institutional narratives can distort artistic legacy — and why correcting the record still matters. Continue Reading > NeuroArts is turning away artists from research A proposal for artist-inclusive architecture within the field of NeuroArts could very well change the world. Continue Reading >

Voice expert Joseph Stanek investigates AI music, vocal evolution, psychoacoustics, ethics, and music history inside this multidisciplinary research hub. Research | Tour de Fierce Exploring the frontiers of vocal science, human evolution, and emerging technologies in the entertainment industry — with transparency, rigor, and a commitment to elevating truth in the creative arts. Tour de Fierce Research operates at the intersection of scientific inquiry, artistic expertise, and technological analysis, leveraging principles from vocal physiology, anthropology, performance science, and audio-forensic methodology. Our mission is to deeply understand how the human vocal apparatus—its evolutionary design and its interaction with modern recording practices and AI systems—impacts human communication and creativity. Our work also examines how cultural narratives evolve — such as our clarification of the “King of Country Music” title , historically attributed to Roy Acuff. Every study is guided by transparency , ethical responsibility , and accountability , providing data-driven insights to empower artists, educators, and the public with an unwavering respect for the complexity of human expression. Tour de Fierce maintains several active research streams exploring the past, present, and future of creative endeavors. Some areas already have formal reports; others involve multi-year timelines and investigations in progress. All are included here for transparency, academic integrity, and to reflect the full scope of inquiry guiding this work. This page functions as a growing archive of published findings and a public roadmap of ongoing research initiatives. Scholarly Profiles and Persistent Identifiers Indexed in global research infrastructures and persistent identifier systems. 0009-0003-9390-4809 Research Leadership & NeuroArts Affiliation Tour de Fierce Research is led by Joseph “Seph” Stanek, an arts-led principal investigator whose work operates at the intersection of embodied performance, neuroaesthetics, and applied research on emotional regulation. His research profile is featured by the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Resource Center, an interdisciplinary hub connecting scientists, artists, and institutions advancing the NeuroArts field. View Joseph Stanek’s NeuroArts Research Profile > Featured Publications FEATURED IN NEUROARTS The Artist-Initiated Frontier: Structural Evolution and the ALO Framework in Neuroarts Research Author: Joseph Stanek Abstract: Neuroarts research — an interdisciplinary field integrating neuroscience and the arts — has matured to a developmental threshold at which artist-led inquiry is both necessary and structurally underserved. While the Neuroarts Blueprint Initiative publicly commits to advancing equity and innovation within arts–science collaboration, independent arts practitioners engaged in artistic research and arts-based inquiry encounter a persistent access paradox: institutional research governance structures that rhetorically champion inclusion while they operationally privilege proposals originating from credentialed academic laboratories. Through a structural policy analysis of the Neuroarts Blueprint Initiative’s investigator-level funding mechanisms, this article demonstrates how artist-initiated research proposals are precluded prior to intellectual merit review due to eligibility asymmetries embedded within current research infrastructure. This exclusion creates a misalignment between neuroaesthetic theory, interdisciplinary research ideals, and existing funding praxis. To address these constraints, I propose the Artist-Led Origination (ALO) framework — a standards-equivalent governance enhancement designed to expand innovation capacity within neuroarts, arts and neuroscience research, and broader interdisciplinary knowledge production. The ALO framework offers a scalable model for practitioner-led scholarship that advances methodological rigor, equity in research access, and sustainable arts–science collaboration without displacing institutional research structures. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18603117 Publication Keywords: neuroarts arts and health neuroaesthetics grant governance arts-based research innovation ecosystems Neuroarts Blueprint Initiative arts and neuroscience performance psychology research infrastructure vocal pedagogy research creative studies music cognition Read Full Text Free FEATURED IN AI MUSIC AI Detection Report: 2024 International Songwriting Competition: Evidence of undisclosed and undetected AI-generated songs receiving awards despite prohibition, undermining fair competition for songwriters Author: Joseph Stanek Abstract: This report presents a forensic audit of award-winning entries in the 2024 International Songwriting Competition (ISC), documenting evidence of undisclosed and undetected AI-generated music receiving official recognition despite explicit prohibitions. The investigation integrates audio forensics, open-source intelligence (OSINT), metadata analysis, and publicly documented admissions by credited entrants to evaluate authorship credibility and workflow plausibility. Findings identify structural, stylistic, and behavioral patterns consistent with contemporary text-to-music generative AI systems rather than human songwriting processes. The revised print edition consolidates technical analyses, evidentiary figures, and procedural context to support independent verification, institutional review, and scholarly citation. This work contributes to ongoing discussions on AI detection, authorship integrity, and policy enforcement in creative competitions. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18465960 Publication Keywords: AI-generated music music forensics songwriting competitions generative AI in music International Songwriting Competition (ISC) music awards competition compliance Read Full Text Free Areas of Research I. AI-Generated Music & Audio Forensics Investigating spectrogram patterns, encoder behavior, metadata anomalies, and statistical irregularities to evaluate AI-authored musical compositions in real-world audio files. Current flagship report (Print Edition): AI Detection Report | 2024 International Songwriting Competition (Print Edition) A revised forensic audit examining how AI-generated songs were awarded top honors in the 2024 International Songwriting Competition despite an explicit prohibition on AI involvement. Permanent archived Print Edition (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18465961 Download the ISC AI Detection Report (Print Edition) II. Human Evolution & the Vocal Apparatus Research on how the human voice developed to its current stage, spanning anatomical adaptations, respiratory evolution, speech biomechanics, and the evolutionary pressures responsible for distinguishing our voices from all other primate species. Flagship report: [Set for publication in Aeon magazine, 2026] III. Psychoacoustics & Human Perception of Voice Exploring how humans perceive timbre, vibrato, resonance, pitch accuracy, and vocal expression; documenting how human perception can be used to distinguish human voices from early generative audio models. Flagship report: Forthcoming: "Ear-Based Detection of Early AI 'Singing'" IV. Evolution of Musicality & Acoustic Communication Comparative studies of human and non-human primate vocalizations, evolutionary functions of pitch manipulation, and music's evolutionary roots as survival in the wild. Flagship report: Forthcoming: "The Lost Frontiers of the Human Voice" V. Cultural Narratives, Media Framing & Musical Legacy Investigating how media institutions, awards programs, and marketing narratives influence public understanding of musical history. This line of research analyzes discrepancies between cultural storytelling and verifiable historical record — and how these shifts reshape legacy, attribution, and collective memory in the arts. Flagship report: "George Strait is Not the King of Country Music: A Clarification on Cultural Titles, Institutional Memory, and the True King of Country Music" George Strait is Not 'The King'... Methodology & Scientific Approach Tour de Fierce Research integrates: Transdisciplinary and artist-led research Audio-forensic analysis , including metadata, encoders, spectrograms, and expert human auditory analysis Evolutionary Biology Vocal Anatomy and Pedagogy Performance science Cognitive neuroscience Acoustic engineering Behavioral psychology Ethical review principles Historical source verification & archival research (see our clarification on the “King of Country Music” title) Each study is accompanied by clear limitations, confidence levels, and source transparency. About Tour de Fierce Research Tour de Fierce Research bridges scientific understanding and artistic practice. Founded by Joseph Stanek, this initiative exists to protect human creativity, advance vocal science, and promote honest, evidence-based discourse as advances in technology continue to reshape the arts. Contact / Press For interviews, permissions, and collaboration requests: contact@tourdefierce.vip

👉 Train with celebrity vocal coach Joseph Stanek—Broadway-approved, globally trusted. Tour de Fierce delivers world-class results for singers worldwide. Online Vocal Coach Transforms Voices Online & Celebrity Vocal Coach Joseph Stanek: NYC Edge, Global Results Online Voice Coach Introduction Joseph Stanek Headshot Joseph Stanek—celebrity vocal coach, Broadway performer, and award-winning producer—has helped the world’s top singers and rising stars find their true voices. As the founder of Tour de Fierce, he delivers elite, 1-on-1 vocal and performance training trusted by professionals, performers, and dreamers alike. Whether you’re preparing for a national tour, a film role, or your first showcase, Joseph brings NYC-level expertise to every session all across the world. This page covers: Career overview and leadership background Research and interdisciplinary work Selected performance and production highlights Governance, advocacy, and institutional roles Why Artists Trust Joseph Stanek: Celebrity Vocal Coach & Artistic Leader Working with Joseph Stanek as an online vocal coach means engaging in a highly individualized, artist-centered process—not a one-size-fits-all system of warm-ups and scales. His virtual vocal coaching integrates technique, artistry, and career perspective, offering singers globally accessible guidance designed to strengthen both voice and expressive identity within today’s cultural landscape. No two clients receive the same training or trajectory. Stanek’s approach is fully customized , shaped by each artist’s voice, goals, artistic community, and professional context. While every process is distinct, clients consistently benefit from: Individually designed vocal plans aligned with the singer’s voice, goals, and artistic identity Online coaching sessions supported by a multi-camera setup, providing clear visual insight into breath, alignment, and technique Training informed by experience across Broadway, major concert stages, film, television, and global institutions Efficient, noticeable progress —artists typically hear and feel improvements early in the process A transparent methodology focused on clarity, relevance, and long-term artistic growth The result is not just vocal improvement, but more confident, self-directed artistry equipped to meet professional demands with clarity and purpose. Official Bio Joseph “Seph” Stanek is a multitalented American entertainer whose career spans Broadway, opera, television, concert production, and music education. Known for his versatility as a Broadway actor, professional singer, award-winning producer, and elite vocal coach, Stanek has built a reputation as a creative force whose work bridges the worlds of classical music, musical theatre, and mainstream entertainment. Performance, Production, & Cultural Impact As a producer, Stanek has played key creative roles in major televised and live concert events, including ABC’s Primetime Thanksgiving Special I’m Coming Home (co-produced with Whoopi Goldberg), NBC’s A Very Wicked Halloween starring Ariana Grande and Idina Menzel, and Angels Among Us , a massive three-day concert event that became a nationally broadcast PBS television special and live album featuring the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir. His producing work has contributed to projects that reached tens of millions of viewers worldwide and helped raise millions of dollars for charitable causes. Stanek has also performed internationally in high-profile cultural and diplomatic settings, including a concert for the United Nations at the Temple of Dendur in New York City, where music and global advocacy intersected in a program dedicated to cross-cultural dialogue and humanitarian awareness. Education, Philanthropy, & Global Engagement Through his creative company Tour de Fierce, Stanek has helped raise millions of dollars for charitable causes across the globe, including The Andrea Bocelli Foundation, The Trevor Project, and the Kristin Chenoweth Arts and Education Fund, where he has served as a member of the Board of Directors. His groundbreaking music education initiative, Places , was formally recognized on stage by The Recording Academy with the 2019 Grammys on the Hill Award for Philanthropy, honoring his commitment to expanding access to arts education. Research & Interdisciplinary Leadership In parallel with his performance and production career, Stanek serves as the founder and director of Tour de Fierce Research , an arts-led, interdisciplinary research initiative examining the human voice as a site of embodied cognition, emotional regulation, and meaning-making. His work operates at the intersection of professional vocal practice, neuroaesthetics, psychology, and emerging technologies, translating decades of high-stakes artistic labor into research-adjacent inquiry grounded in lived expertise. Stanek’s research interests include performance anxiety and autonomic regulation, vocal identity and perception, psychoacoustics, and the evolving relationship between artists and algorithmic systems. His research profile is featured by the Renée Fleming NeuroArts Resource Center , an international hub connecting scientists, artists, and institutions advancing the NeuroArts field. Cultural Systems, Policy, & Institutional Leadership Beyond the stage and studio, Stanek has engaged deeply with the cultural systems that shape artistic labor, education, and access. He has participated in arts advocacy and policy efforts on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., including lobbying in support of the Music Modernization Act, and has contributed to national conversations at GRAMMYs on the Hill , where projects he conceived were publicly recognized during award proceedings. His advisory and governance roles include service on the Customer Advisory Board for Adobe, involvement with the Miss America Organization, and former membership on the Board of Directors of the Kristin Chenoweth Arts and Education Fund. His philanthropic work spans organizations such as Artists Striving to End Poverty (now Arts Ignite! ), Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS , and the Historic House Trust of New York City , reflecting a sustained commitment to the social impact of the arts. Selected Performance Highlights As a performer, Stanek’s stage career includes appearances on Broadway, over a dozen Off-Broadway productions, four concerts at Carnegie Hall, performances at the Metropolitan Opera , and a seven-year residency as a principal company member of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players . His work spans opera, musical theatre, concert performance, and film, earning him acclaim for his stylistic range and musical intelligence. Internationally, Stanek has appeared with Opéra Lyrique-en-Mer in Belle-Île-en-Mer, France, performing roles such as Luther in Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Commissionario/Piquillo in La Traviata , and has performed at the International Gilbert & Sullivan Festival in England, in addition to concert engagements throughout France and Italy. In concert, he has shared the stage with artists including Josh Groban, Debbie Reynolds, and Carol Channing, and appeared at Lincoln Center alongside Kristin Chenoweth and Andrew Lippa in the New York premiere of I Am Harvey Milk with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. A frequent presence in New York’s theatre scene, Stanek has been praised by The New York Times as “incredible,” citing his “rock-solid acting performance” and “beautiful singing voice.” He has had the honor of singing for Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, with additional performances at the Library of Congress, San Francisco City Hall, and the Getty Center in Los Angeles. His television appearances include HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Mildred Pierce , and the critically acclaimed documentary Carol Channing: Larger than Life . Career Focus Across performance, production, education, and research, Stanek’s work is unified by a sustained inquiry into how voice functions as both a physiological instrument and a carrier of identity, memory, and emotional meaning. What began as a career inside elite performance environments has evolved into a broader practice of leadership and investigation, where artistic expertise informs education, research, and cultural strategy. Today, his work centers on bridging professional artistic knowledge with scientific and institutional frameworks, positioning lived creative practice as a legitimate and necessary foundation for interdisciplinary research and innovation. View Joseph's Portfolio Seph on Stage Tour de Fierce Joseph Stanek: Online Vocal Coach for Artists at Every Stage Despite an active international career, Joseph Stanek remains deeply committed to his private vocal studio, offering both in-person sessions in New York City and online vocal coaching worldwide. With the majority of his work conducted virtually, singers across the globe have direct access to his mentorship, training, and artistic perspective. Through his company, Tour de Fierce, Stanek has supported hundreds of artists in developing their most authentic voices and navigating sustainable creative paths. His work is grounded in the belief that the human voice carries cultural, emotional, and social power—and that when artists are properly supported, their voices can shape both individual lives and broader communities. Whether working with emerging singers or established professionals, Stanek brings the same depth of attention, technical rigor, and real-world industry insight to every collaboration. His practice reflects a long-term commitment to artistry, access, and meaningful creative growth across Broadway, Hollywood, and beyond. Watch this 60-Second Video of Online Vocal Coach Joseph Stanek Joseph Stanek Introduction Voice Coach Joseph Stanek Singing "The Music of the Night" from The Phantom of the Opera At Tour de Fierce, we love to watch other online vocal coaches put their money where their mouths are. The mark of a truly great coach is one who can both talk the talk and walk the walk, and it's our firm belief that if any vocal coach out there is hesitant to share performance videos of their own, they're probably just out to get your money. Not us. At the helm of Team Tour de Fierce is Joseph Stanek, and one listen to his voice is enough to earn him the top spot among vocal coaches. Buckle up, y'all, it's about to get really fierce up in here. (click below to hear Joseph Stanek's vocals...) Joseph Stanek Performance Catch a Glimpse of Joseph Stanek's Career Joseph Stanek's vocal coaching expertise transcends the limitations experienced by other vocal coaches today, positioning his clients' vocal abilities for success across the full spectrum of the entertainment industry. Check the receipts below. Explore more of the diverse facets of Joseph Stanek's career, spanning impactful work in: Television and Film Awards Shows and Galas Live and Studio Albums Live Concerts and Stage Performances Tour de Fierce Publishing Seph On Stage Explore the Official Executive Résumé of Joseph “Seph” Stanek (Broadway, Television & Vocal Coaching) , which includes a comprehensive overview of his stage performances, production credits, Billboard-charting albums, and teaching experience. Media & Press For media inquiries, casting, and professional collaborations, you can access Seph’s Official Assets & Media Hub , which includes downloadable press materials, high-resolution images, and verified resources. You can also download the Official Executive Résumé of Joseph “Seph” Stanek (Broadway, Television & Vocal Coaching) for a complete overview of his credits and accomplishments. See Joseph Stanek on IMDb See Joseph Stanek on BroadwayWorld Tour de Fierce Partners, Clients, & Collaborators Include: Vocal Coach Client List Introduce the world to the YOU you were born to be by training with Joseph Stanek, the entertainment industry's leading online vocal coach. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned performer, Joseph's personalized online vocal coaching empowers you to find your voice and use it with confidence. Who benefits from Joseph Stanek's online vocal coaching? Beginners eager to discover their singing voice and hidden talents. Professional singers, performers, and media personalities preparing to deliver the performance of a lifetime. Digital creators (influencers, VTubers, streamers) seeking to brand themselves with a stronger, unique, and powerful voice. Educators and public speakers who rely on vocal clarity and strength every single day. Individuals overcoming vocal trauma, performance anxieties, or stage fright. Anyone seeking personal growth and authentic self-expression. Joseph Stanek's intuitive approach goes beyond technique, helping people of all ages and skill levels discover and tap into hidden talents for unique vocal power and purpose. Experience the transformative impact of expert online vocal coaching, no matter where you are on your journey. Join a growing list of institutions and individuals who have experienced Joseph Stanek's unique gifts for authentic vocal transformation themselves: Kristin Chenoweth Idina Menzel Ariana Grande Jennifer Holiday Faith Prince Christian Siriano Ricki Lake Rosie O'Donnell Derek Hough Julianne Hough Carol Channing Laura Benanti Dove Cameron Alan Cumming Frances Fisher Jaleel White Carol Burnett Marin Mazzie Kathy Najimy Renee Fleming Lindsay Mendez Gavin Creel Norm Lewis Sandi Patty Andrea Bocelli Elton John Steven Tyler Sumi Jo Nadine Sierra Carson Kressley Sign Up for Online Vocal Coaching with Joseph Stanek Want in on the action? Add your name to Joseph Stanek and Tour de Fierce's impressive roster of clients by booking a private coaching session online today. You'll be among great company, and as Oprah Winfrey famously said, "Surround yourself with GREATNESS!" Vocal Coaching Options Book Vocal Coaching Professional Affiliations As a celebrity vocal coach , New York City's top online vocal coach , music educator, and entertainment industry professional, Joseph Stanek is proud to be affiliated with some of the most respected organizations in the performing arts and music education communities. These memberships reflect his commitment to vocal excellence, artist advocacy, and high-caliber training for singers at every stage of their journey. Joseph Stanek's professional affiliations include: American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) Supporting the rights of songwriters, composers, and music publishers in the entertainment industry. SAG-AFTRA Advocating for professional vocalists, recording artists, performers, and other music creatives in film, television, and the music industry. Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) A global network of artists, agents, and producers dedicated to advancing the performing arts industry. Education Through Music (ETM) Championing the integration of music education in underserved schools, ensuring that every child has access to the transformative power of music. The Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) Setting the global standard for music excellence and honoring outstanding achievements in recording arts and music education. National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) The official organization behind the GRAMMY Awards, supporting recording artists, songwriters, and producers. Music Educators Association of New York City (MEANYC) Collaborating with fellow voice teachers and music educators in NYC to elevate music instruction in schools and private studios. The Voice Foundation The leading organization in voice science, research, and vocal health, dedicated to advancing the art and science of vocal performance. NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative Advancing the Science of Arts, Health, and Wellbeing Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) Representing professional Broadway and theatrical performers, ensuring fair wages, working conditions, and career opportunities for stage actors. The Dramatists Guild of America The professional association for playwrights, librettists, lyricists, and composers working in theater. National Association of Teachers of Singing Transforming lives through the power of singing. Official Materials & Verified Resources For journalists, casting directors, producers, and collaborators seeking verified information, Seph maintains an up-to-date library of professional materials that document the scope and impact of his career across stage, screen, studio, and global arts education. Visit the Official Assets & Media Hub to explore downloadable press materials, awards and honors, high-resolution images, curated portfolio collections, and other resources that showcase his work as a Broadway actor, Billboard-chart-topping producer, creative director, and internationally acclaimed vocal coach. For a comprehensive overview of Seph’s credits, achievements, and professional affiliations, download the Official Executive Résumé of Joseph “Seph” Stanek (Broadway, Television & Vocal Coaching) . This detailed document includes stage and concert appearances, television productions, studio albums, vocal pedagogy work, and academic accomplishments — all in one authoritative source. Frequently Asked Questions What makes Joseph Stanek a celebrity vocal coach? Joseph has coached Grammy, Tony, and Emmy-winning artists for live television, film, and Broadway performances. His client list spans genres and continents, earning him recognition as a trusted celebrity voice coach for singers and actors alike. Do you offer lessons for non-celebrities too? Absolutely. Whether you’re a beginner, a professional singer, or a public speaker, Joseph’s training approach scales to every voice. Many of his most transformative results come from first-time students who want to perform fearlessly. What are the best vocal coaching options in the US? The US has no shortage of vocal coaches, but few combine Broadway, recording industry, and teaching expertise. At Tour de Fierce, Joseph Stanek offers training trusted by Tony winners, rising artists, and complete beginners—delivering Broadway-level technique and confidence to singers everywhere. Where can I find personalized vocal coaching in New York City? In Astoria, Queens. Tour de Fierce is NYC’s destination for tailored voice lessons. Every session is customized to your goals, whether that’s belting fearlessly, refining your speaking voice, or preparing for auditions. How can I improve my singing performance techniques? Performance is more than hitting the right notes—it’s about presence, expression, and connection. I help singers develop strong technique while learning to act through song, manage nerves, and deliver performances that captivate audiences.

Answers to the top NYC vocal coaching questions—Astoria studio, online lessons worldwide, audition prep, multi-camera sessions. Book today. NYC Vocal Coach — FAQs (Tour de Fierce, Astoria & Online) Tour de Fierce is a vocal coaching studio in Astoria, Queens led by Joseph “Seph” Stanek. This page answers the questions singers actually ask—about in-person lessons in Queens, elite coaching in NYC, online sessions worldwide, audition prep, and multi-camera coaching. Each answer is brief and bookable. Prefer to jump straight in? Book a lesson . Where can I find vocal coaching in Queens? Quick answer: Tour de Fierce Music Studio is in Astoria, Queens with tailored lessons for theatre, film/TV, and recording artists. In-person and online options available. What makes Joseph Stanek | Tour de Fierce unique? Industry experience across Broadway, on-camera, and recording, plus a results-driven method that blends technique, storytelling, and audition strategy—delivered with multi-camera feedback and marked practice notes. Where to find elite vocal coaching in New York City? Train with Joseph “Seph” Stanek in Astoria or online. Sessions focus on casting-aligned material, healthy technique, and performance polish used by working pros. Best vocal coach for Broadway style singing in NYC? Tour de Fierce specializes in legit, mix, and belt for Broadway. You’ll leave with cut, key, and interpretation that fit your casting lane. How to prepare for a singing audition in New York City? Choose 16–32 bars that match the brief, rehearse with a steady tempo, and run performance-condition reps. Book an audition-prep session for cut/key/story coaching and a marked score. Where to book in-person vocal coaching in Astoria? Book at Tour de Fierce Music Studio in Astoria. Flexible scheduling, clear goals, and take-home practice notes after every session. Where to book online vocal coaching worldwide? Tour de Fierce offers professional online lessons worldwide with studio-quality audio and multi-angle video for precise feedback. How does multi-camera online vocal coaching work? Two+ camera views show posture, breath, and articulation in real time; pro mics/interfaces keep the sound clean; you receive notes and a practice plan after each lesson. How to book singing lessons with Joseph Stanek | Tour de Fierce in Queens? Choose your session type, pick a time, and confirm—Astoria studio appointments are available weekly, with rush audition slots on request. Best place for audition prep coaching in Queens? Tour de Fierce (Astoria)—specialized audition packages: cut selection, key, storytelling, slate, and performance runs with adjustments. Where can I get vocal coaching with professional audio setup? Sessions use broadcast mics, interface routing, and calibrated monitoring so your coach hears true tone, resonance, and diction. Best place for singing lessons in Astoria, Queens? Tour de Fierce Music Studio in Astoria provides personalized lessons for beginners to professionals, plus online options. Where can I get stage presence coaching in Queens? Stagecraft sessions at Tour de Fierce cover movement, eye line, mic technique, and audience connection—paired with vocal work. Where to find personalized vocal coaching in New York City? Tour de Fierce builds a plan around your range, goals, and casting; lessons are available in Astoria and online worldwide. Where to find singing lessons for all ages in Queens? Tour de Fierce teaches teens through adults; age-appropriate repertoire and technique with clear, safe progressions. How to improve singing performance techniques? Focus on efficient breath, resonance, articulation, and consistent onsets; add performance reps with camera playback and targeted notes. What are the benefits of personalized voice training? Faster, safer progress; clearer goals; repertoire that books; and confidence from feedback tailored to your instrument and career path. Vocal Coaching FAQs Hub > Where can I find vocal coaching in Queens What makes Joseph Stanek Tour de Fierce unique where to find elite vocal coaching in New York City Best vocal coach for Broadway style singing in NYC how to prepare for a singing audition in New York City Where to book in-person vocal coaching in Astoria Where to book online vocal coaching worldwide

Train with top NYC vocal coach Joseph Stanek through world-class online voice lessons. Real-time feedback, all genres, all levels. Book your free trial today! LIVE 1:1 COACHING • PRO STUDIO • ALL AGES, GENRES, & LEVELS Online Voice Lessons with NYC’s Top Vocal Coach Train anywhere in the world with Joseph Stanek—celebrity vocal coach and founder of Tour de Fierce®. Fast-track your vocal training with real-time feedback, studio-quality sound, and revolutionary training methods trusted by today's biggest, brightest stars. Have Questions? Contact Joseph Book Your Free Trial Lesson Learn more about Joseph's full Voice Coaching Services > Why Choose Online Voice Lessons with Tour de Fierce®? This isn’t a glitchy call or a pre-recorded, one-size-fits-all course. It’s world-class vocal training from a respected industry leader, delivered live online, designed around your voice, your goals, and results you can hear. Train Like You're in the Studio Multi-camera angles, live piano, and broadcast-quality audio recreate the in-person experience with clarity and precision. Dial in technique, musicality, and performance—without leaving home. See Online Lesson Best Practices > Built Just for You No cookie-cutter templates. Every session is tailored to your range, repertoire, timeline, and goals—so you progress faster and sing with confidence that actually sticks. Read Singer Testimonials > Your Voice, Anytime, Anywhere Flexible regarding time zones, consistent results. Whether you’re at home, on tour, or between gigs, your vocal coach is only one click away. Book a Free Trial Lesson or Contact Joseph to Find Your Time > Proven Record of Fierce Results From Broadway-level performances to Billboard®-charting recordings , Joseph's coaching delivers at the highest level across all mediums. Explore the Full Portfolio > Who Online Voice Lessons Are For Tour de Fierce® training is designed to create self-correcting artists. Joseph’s goal isn’t to keep you hooked on endless lessons—it’s to give you the tools, awareness, and confidence to know exactly how to fix issues on your own. You’ll get independent, lasting skill that frees you from the cycle of constant “quick fixes.” Aspiring singers who want a clear path from “day one” to confident performance. Working professionals needing precision tuning for auditions, gigs, and studio sessions. Digital creators (VTubers, streamers, YouTubers) who need a strong, branded vocal sound. Public speakers/educators who rely on clarity, stamina, and presence daily. Other vocal coaches seeking advanced technique, industry insight, and proven methods to strengthen their own teaching. Anyone rebuilding after vocal injury, anxiety, or a long break from singing. When they aren't in New York City, many of Joseph Stanek's singers coach with him via online voice lessons. Here he is with Ariana Grande backstage during rehearsals for NBC's Hairspray Live! Find Your Fierce Trajectory Not sure where you fit? Reach out —Joseph builds plans for unique goals. But if you’d like inspiration, explore these specialized coaching areas. They aren’t boxes to squeeze into—they’re springboards designed to spark ideas and help you imagine your own fierce path forward with Tour de Fierce®. Vocal Coach for Beginners Learn the foundations of healthy singing and discover your unique sound from day one. Build habits that last for life. Explore Vocal Coaching for Beginners > Tips for Starting Your Singing Journey > Singing Lessons for Adults Life experience is one of your many vocal strengths. Your lessons will be designed to showcase your survivability so your story defines your future. Discover Singing Lessons for Adults > Vocal Coach for Belting Unlock your power safely with the industry's belting authority. Learn to belt all the high notes with confidence, stamina, and style—without strain. Master Belting with Joseph > What is Belting? > Broadway Vocal Coach Broadway today isn’t one style—it’s all styles. From pop and rock to rap, R&B, and legit musical theatre, the modern Broadway singer has to master a wide vocal toolkit. With Joseph Stanek—who’s been on Broadway himself—you’ll train comprehensively across genres, building the versatility that casting directors and producers demand in today’s shows. Work with a Broadway Coach > Musical Theatre Coach Musical theatre singers live in two worlds: legit (the soaring, "classical" sound) and contemporary (the forward, speech-like style dominating today’s stages). Joseph coaches both with unmatched expertise—training the very performers you see on Broadway right now. There’s no one better to guide you in mastering the stylistic nuance, stamina, and storytelling these two pillars of the art form demand. Explore Musical Theatre Coaching > Be the Next International Singing Sensation From Ariana Grande to Jennifer Hudson to Andrea Bocelli to Kristin Chenoweth , celebrity vocal coach Joseph Stanek has his finger on the pulse of what the world wants to hear. Tour de Fierce® training isn’t just about singing—it’s about building the artistry and star power that audiences crave. Think you're the next big thing? Contact Joseph now and start training like the stars. Let's build a career the world is waiting to see. CHECK THE RECEIPTS Voices Transformed. Stories That Resonate. From GRAMMY® winners to first-time singers, Joseph Stanek’s coaching creates breakthroughs you can hear and feel. These are real stories from real singers—no bots, no filler—just transformative results trusted by Broadway stars, Billboard® chart-toppers, and everyday voices finding their power. Kristin Chenoweth, TONY® & EMMY® Award-Winning Icon, Coached by Joseph Stanek "I glitterally can't imagine my life without @sephstanek. Working with you has been the greatest gift—I count my lucky stars to have someone as talented, insightful, and compassionate as you in my corner. Your energy is infectious, your heart is pure gold, and your genius is unmatched. Simply put, you are an extraordinary human being, and I am beyond grateful for you every single day. Thank you for everything—you are IT." Kristin Chenoweth (@kchenoweth) D., United States "After just ONE session, I found my confidence again." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Y., Taiwan “Joseph helped me realize my life could be extraordinary—through singing.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A., United States “Joseph’s coaching made me feel truly heard, for the first time ever.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your Breakthrough Starts Now Don’t wait for confidence, technique, and artistry to show up on your doorstep. Find your best voice today with Joseph Stanek and Tour de Fierce®. Claim Your Free Trial Lesson See More Success Stories > ONLINE VOICE LESSON LOGISTICS How Do Online Voice Lessons Work? All you need is a strong internet connection and a willingness to sing. Joseph uses Google Meet and professional-quality audio tools to replicate the in-person experience with precision and ease. Students around the world receive the same direct feedback, encouragement, and technical insight you’d expect in a NYC studio—no matter where you are. BEFORE YOUR LESSON Online Voice Coaching Best Practices If yo really want to get the most out of your online coaching sessions, try to adhere to the following best practices... the more you can follow, the better! Strong Internet Use fast, stable WiFi to prevent lag and drops. Two Devices One for video chat, one for tracks, notes, or exercises. External Speaker Play audio clearly and at volume for vocal exercises. Quiet Space Find a place you feel free to sing without holding back. Full-Body View Make sure your posture and breathing can be seen on camera. Disable Noise Filters Adjust Zoom/Meet settings to avoid muting your voice. Prep Tracks & Lyrics Email your materials ahead of time via Dropbox or WeTransfer. Download the official Tour de Fierce® Online Lesson Prep Checklist to get the most out of every session. DOWNLOAD Your Voice Deserves This Moment Most people never take the leap to truly develop their voice — but you already have. That courage alone sets you apart, and it’s why your story isn’t finished yet. At Tour de Fierce®, Joseph Stanek’s promise is simple: to deliver the most empowering, results-driven online voice lessons in the world. You won’t just learn songs — you’ll gain the skills, freedom, and confidence to own any stage, mic, or room you enter. This is your chance to stop wondering if you’re “good enough” and start experiencing what it feels like to have your voice heard, understood, and celebrated. From global icons to first-time singers, Joseph has guided countless artists to breakthroughs — and you’re next. Contact Joseph Book Your Free Trial Lesson Meet Your New Vocal Coach, Joseph Stanek Joseph Stanek — Broadway actor, TV and concert producer, creative director, and vocal coach to the stars — is your guide to the world’s fiercest vocal training. From Broadway stages , Billboard-charting albums , and international television specials , Joseph has built a career coaching and performing alongside the biggest names in entertainment. Now, that same celebrity-level training is available to you. With deep industry connections, insider knowledge, and a proven track record of transforming voices, Joseph empowers singers, speakers, and performers worldwide to find their unique sound and unleash their potential. Whether your dream is to sing on stage, record in the studio, or simply speak with confidence in daily life, Joseph’s expertise puts world-class results within reach. Learn More About Joseph Start Your Lessons Today FAQ: Online Voice Lessons with Joseph Stanek Do online voice lessons actually work? Yes. Joseph’s online lessons deliver the same results as in-person training: real-time feedback, live accompaniment, and targeted vocal exercises customized for your voice. What do I need to take online lessons? A strong internet connection, a phone or computer, and a quiet place to sing. No special gear is required—Joseph will guide your setup if needed. Can beginners take online voice lessons? Absolutely. Many of Joseph’s students are complete beginners. Lessons are supportive, low-pressure, and tailored to your level and goals. How do you hear pitch and tone accurately online? With high-quality audio, multiple camera angles, and Joseph’s expert ear, pitch and tone are assessed just as precisely as in person. What happens in an online voice lesson? You’ll warm up, do exercises for your technique, and apply them to songs you love. Joseph provides live piano, visual cues, and crystal-clear guidance. Can I switch to in-person voice lessons later? Yes. If you’re in NYC or visiting, you can book at Joseph’s studio. Online and in-person students get the same high-level coaching. How is Joseph different from other online vocal coaches? Joseph is an active Broadway performer, producer, and coach to celebrity singers worldwide. His insider expertise sets him apart from typical online coaches. What if I have stage fright or get nervous singing in front of others? That’s normal. Joseph specializes in helping singers overcome performance anxiety with proven tools, vocal grounding techniques, and compassionate coaching. Does Joseph work with professional singers too? Yes. Joseph coaches recording artists, Broadway leads, film/TV performers, and touring musicians, tailoring training for every career level. What styles of music can I learn in lessons? From Broadway to pop, classical to gospel, you’ll sing the styles you love most. Sessions are always customized to your taste and needs. How much do online voice lessons cost? Joseph’s lessons start at $75 for a 20-minute session, $195 for 60 minutes, or $390/month for a weekly subscription. See full pricing here . Do I get a free trial lesson? Yes, subject to availability. To guarantee placement, purchase a payment plan (50% off) subscription, which includes a free 30-minute lesson followed by a 7-day free cancellation period before your payment goes through. How does multi-camera online vocal coaching work? My lessons use up to five camera angles—full body, side profile, close-up, piano view, and sheet music. This setup gives you the same feedback you’d get in the studio, but virtually. Where to book online vocal coaching worldwide? You can book directly through Tour de Fierce. Lessons are available worldwide on Google Meet, so you can train with Broadway-level expertise no matter where you live. Where can I get vocal coaching with professional audio setup? At Tour de Fierce. I use pro microphones, live piano, and screen-shared sheet music to give you a polished, stage-ready experience—online or in-person. Where to find singing lessons for all ages in Queens? Though many of my clients are professionals, I also coach beginners of all ages. Based in Astoria, Queens, I welcome kids, teens, and adults who want to explore their voice in a supportive environment.

Joseph Stanek is Time Out New York's 'Best Musical Theatre Coach'—and Kristin Chenoweth agrees! Rare spots open for private training: now's your chance! Kristin Chenoweth on Working with Joseph Stanek: "...Simply put, you are an extraordinary human being, and I am beyond grateful for you every single day. Thank you for everything—you are IT." Kristin Chenoweth EMMY® and TONY® Award-Winning American Singer & Actress TRUSTED BY BROADWAY'S LEADING LADIES Musical Theatre Vocal Coach: Broadway Training with New York City's Best Musical Theatre vocal coach Joseph Stanek knows Broadway better than anyone on the planet. He's performed on Broadway, he's produced Broadway shows, he's cast Broadway shows... and he's the secret weapon coaching Broadway's biggest stars. As the go-to vocal coach for musical theatre icons, rising performers, and actors preparing for national tours, Joseph Stanek brings unmatched expertise in belting, legit, and contemporary musical theatre technique. Whether you’re a student wanting experience with mock auditions, sustaining 8 shows a week, working on building a rock-solid foundation in musical theatre technique, or learning how to sing on pitch, Joseph’s got you covered. His approach is fun, tailored to each unique singer, powerful, and industry-proven. He coaches singers of all ages and skill levels, from total beginners to EMMY® and TONY® Award-winning legends like Kristin Chenoweth. Your best shot at Broadway deserves the coach that's been on Broadway and trains Broadway. Let’s get to work. Musical Theatre Coach Joseph Stanek, dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, catches a fainting Kristin Chenoweth, dressed as Miss Baltimore Crabs / Velma von Tussel, at the Broadway Bootdcamp dance. Contact Book Now Kristin Chenoweth Idina Menzel Ariana Grande Jennifer Holiday Faith Prince Christian Siriano Ricki Lake Rosie O'Donnell Derek Hough Julianne Hough Carol Channing Laura Benanti Dove Cameron Alan Cumming Frances Fisher Jaleel White Carol Burnett Marin Mazzie Kathy Najimy Renee Fleming Lindsay Mendez Gavin Creel Norm Lewis Sandi Patty Andrea Bocelli Elton John Steven Tyler Sumi Jo Nadine Sierra Carson Kressley MUSICAL THEATRE VOCAL TRAINING FEATURES Musical Theatre Vocal Training Methods That Actually Work—Because They Were Built on Broadway Joseph Stanek’s approach to vocal coaching is grounded in decades of real-world experience onstage—and backstage—with Broadway’s most demanding vocal roles. This isn’t recycled pedagogy from a university classroom, and he's not out to steal your money like those online courses out there. With Joseph, you get a living, breathing system tailored to the unique demands of musical theatre singing: from golden-age legit to show-stopping belting to pop/rock contemporary scores. His Broadway coaching method adapts to the singer, the style, and the role, equipping performers with the stamina, style, and confidence they need to book roles and bring down the house. Legit Technique that Books the Classics Whether you're auditioning for The Pirates of Penzance , Chess , or Cinderella , Joseph’s coaching focuses your resonance, breath control, and stylistic accuracy without sacrificing emotional expression. Legit singing has come a long way in musical theatre, and Joseph knows today's standards like the back of his hand. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Quick Results Smarter Belting that Slays Look, we love Ethel Merman, but belting technique has improved tenfold since her days. Master the controlled, sustainable belt required for roles in shows like Wicked , Six , and Moulin Rouge . Joseph’s belting techniques help you find power and edge without tension, making 8-show weeks feel like a breeze—and standing ovations feel inevitable. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ What is Belting? Contemporary Mix for Today’s Broadway From Hamilton to Dear Evan Hansen to Floyd Collins , today’s musicals demand versatility, range, and style. Joseph helps singers build a mix that cuts through the acoustic and feels authentic, guiding you through phrasing, riffing, and character-driven vocal choices that make your performances truly stand out. ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Portfolio BROADWAY CASTS WARM UP WITH JOSEPH STANEK 8X A WEEK Musical Theatre Vocal Coach Joseph Stanek's NEW 'BELT YOUR BUTT OFF' Vocal Exercises Warm Up Broadway... Literally “Belt Your Butt Off” is the go-to vocal warm up routine used by the cast members of five current Broadway musicals—for all eight performances every week. Originally created to help Joseph Stanek's musical theatre singers develop, condition, and maintain a healthy belt for singing on Broadway, this digital download is free for every singer who books a private lesson online or in-person (New York City). Suitable for all voices—from sopranos to basses (even kids!). ...it doesn't get any more professional than this! Download Now If you're not quite ready for Broadway yet, no problem—see what else we can do for you: Beginner Voice Lessons – for anyone new to singing but ready to go pro in time. Voice Lessons for Adults – designed for adult learners returning to the arts. Belting Lessons – perfect for musical theatre performers needing to strengthen their upper range. 'SING OUT, LOUISE!' HERE'S WHAT JOSEPH'S SINGERS ARE SAYING Testimonials from Tour de Fierce Singers Read what others are saying about Joseph Stanek's online and in-person vocal coaching sessions, booked right here on Tour de Fierce's website . First, let's hear from the Queen herself (Kristin Chenoweth): D., United States "As someone who has explored many different subjects, I can confidently say this is the most fun I’ve ever had! Being super introverted, I’ve already noticed a boost in my confidence after just ONE session. Joseph is a stellar teacher with a clear love for what he does, he is 110% genuine and is passionate about helping his singers achieve their dreams. It took so many years of my life to take this first step and I have no regrets about choosing this path with Joseph leading the way. The road ahead looks truly beautiful!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Y., Taiwan "I was raised in a family where everyone told me how plain and talentless I am... And I believed them all these years. Meeting Joseph and working with him in voice lessons is the first moment I've ever considered the possibility that my life may be an extraordinary one." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A., United States "Joseph is professional, knowledgeable, funny, and he communicates in a way that makes sense. His attention to detail is impeccable! He showed me techniques that I’ve never heard of before and I’ve already put them into action with incredible results. I am super excited to see where he’s going to take my voice!!! I really felt like he listened to me... Listened to my voice and came up with an approach that was tailored just for me. HE IS AMAZING!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Read More Testimonials Hear the Before & After Transformations Yourself Hope you're sitting down. Listen to the incredible vocal transformations Joseph's students achieve in 3 lessons (or less!). All 3 singers featured here had never had a voice lesson before they met privately with Joseph. Start Coaching Your Musical Theatre Songs Today Looking for a musical theatre vocal coach who actually works on Broadway? Start today with one-on-one coaching that’s tailored to your goals, voice, and dream roles. Musical Theatre Vocal and Performance Training is Available for: Musical Theatre Singers of All Ages and Skill Levels (Children through Seniors, Beginners through International Superstars) Other Voice Coaches Non-Singers Hobbyists Students Pre-Professionals Professionals Who Live: Anywhere Around the World with a WiFi Connection (through the online studio) In/Around New York City (in-person at Tour de Fierce Music Studio) Training is Unavailable for: People with Bad Attitudes Contact Book Now Frequently Asked Questions: Musical Theatre Vocal Coach 1. What styles do you teach as a musical theatre coach? I teach belting, legit, mix, lyric theatre, and Broadway repertoire—tailored to your vocal journey. 2. Do you offer online lessons? Absolutely—online lessons are available worldwide via video platforms like Zoom or Google Meet. 3. Can you coach in person in NYC? Yes! In‑person sessions are available at Tour de Fierce Music Studio in Astoria, Queens, NYC. 4. How do I book a session and what are your rates? Each 60-minute session is $195. Most singers choose my subscription plan: $390/month for four weekly 60-minute lessons (50% off the individual rate), plus a free 30-minute trial. Contact Book Now 5. How do I prepare for a singing audition in New York City? Preparation is everything. I guide students through song selection, vocal technique, and acting-through-song strategies so they walk into auditions confident, polished, and ready to stand out—whether it’s for Broadway, a college program, or community theatre. 6. Who is the best vocal coach for Broadway style singing in NYC? Tour de Fierce's Joseph Stanek specializes in Broadway styles, blending cutting-edge vocal pedagogy with real-world stage experience. 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Independent forensic analysis reveals AI-generated performances among 2024 ISC winners. A data-driven report exposing rule violations and risks to songwriting integrity. Expert Audit and Public Admission of AI Use Reveal Oversight Failures at the International Songwriting Competition A forensic examination of the ISC’s current winners and review pipeline, documenting how prohibited AI-generated music escaped detection and was awarded top honors. Author: Joseph Stanek Date: January 1, 2026 Updated January 21, 2026, to include corroborating evidence and public admissions. This report is an active forensic record. Updates reflect clarifications, additional contextual evidence, or responses from stakeholders. No substantive findings have been altered since initial publication. Facebook X (Twitter) WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Copy link A revised print edition of this report is now available here: View Revised Edition (Feb 2026) Submission & Intake Notice On January 21, 2026, the author attempted to submit this report to the Songwriters Guild of America (SGA) via all publicly available contact methods. At the time of submission, SGA’s contact form was nonfunctional due to a persistent hCaptcha configuration error, and no direct email addresses were publicly available. This notice is included to document good-faith submission efforts. A summary of the report with a link will be sent via certified mail to their office in NYC on January 22nd, 2026. At a Glance: What This Report Reveals, Why it Matters Scope This investigation analyzes the 2024 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) winners to determine whether AI-generated music was entered and awarded in violation of contest rules. Core Finding Multiple winning entries show strong forensic indicators of AI authorship despite ISC’s stated ban on AI-generated compositions. Evidence Sources encoder signatures consistent with text-to-music platforms metadata anomalies not typical of professional DAW exports pattern repetition consistent with generative composition cross-verification across multiple detection methodologies archival evidence confirming ISC’s zero-AI policy at the time of entry Public Confirmation One 2nd-place winner — publicly identified as Gregory Santora — discussed using Suno to generate his contest material in posts under the handle FistFullofRavioli on r/SunoAI, while linking directly to his ISC-winning entry. Policy Conflict Rule #13 prohibited AI use of any kind during composition and specified disqualification upon detection. Case findings suggest screening and judging protocols did not identify violations. Industry Context Amid intensifying legal scrutiny surrounding AI-produced music, these findings illustrate the urgent need for clear verification standards and transparent enforcement across song competitions. Implications unfair competitive advantage and misallocated recognition reputational risk to ISC and celebrity judges erosion of trust among legitimate songwriters precedent for AI-generated works competing as human creations Purpose of This Report To provide verified documentation, encourage corrective review, and support future policy development that protects artists while embracing responsible technological evolution. Note: While the competition cycle investigated in this report is referred to by the ISC as the "2024 Competition," the winners were not announced until May of 2025; these winners will continue to be promoted on the ISC's top-level "Winners" page of their website until the next class of winners is announced from the "2025 Competition" sometime during the calendar year 2026. Only then will the 2024 winners move to a page of their own in the organization's archival pages, where they are promoted indefinitely as previous winners. This is presented at the top of this report to clarify that ISC's internal naming system pairs song submissions with the year the applications were due, not with the calendar year in which that cycle's winners are announced; thus, it would be a mistake to consider a report from 2025 about the 2024 winners "last year's news." This is very much a timely report about the songs and songwriters actively promoted on the ISC's "Winners" page at the time of publication, representing entities that have outlasted thousands of other song entries through several rounds of internal vetting procedures and are now publicly identified by the ISC as the "golden standard" in songwriting today. Preface Following the recent Warner Music Group v. Suno ruling, AI-generated musical output is now subject to clearer legal interpretation and heightened ethical scrutiny. The decision establishes a framework under which both rights-holders and emerging AI creators must operate, while reinforcing the importance of transparency regarding authorship. Prior to this shift, many organizations adopting AI-related policies acted without formal guidance. Competitions, record companies, and distributors created internal rules intended to protect artists and audiences — but enforcement varied widely. The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) implemented one of the strongest stances by prohibiting AI-generated material for its 2024 cycle. Entrants were required to agree to the following condition: “ISC prohibits any song or lyrics written partially or in full by ChatGPT or any other AI-generated content. If ISC identifies any abuse or violation of this policy, the song will be immediately disqualified, and no refund will be given to the entrant.” This rule leaves little ambiguity. Any AI involvement detected in composition, lyrics, vocals, or embedded file traces is cause for disqualification. The findings presented in this report indicate that at least two winning entries show clear markers of AI generation — and additional songs display related anomalies — despite being promoted as legitimate winners. This raises important questions about process, oversight, and fairness in one of the world’s most visible songwriting contests. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS Public Admission of AI Use On December 11, 2025, Gregory Santora posted in r/SunoAI discussing his ISC placement and referencing prizes awarded, while also linking directly to his competition page and describing AI assistance via Suno. Professional Background Considerations Santora is a retired NYPD officer and currently works as an investigator for the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness. His position underscores the expectation of policy compliance and ethical duty, making the admissions particularly relevant. Evidence of Broader Systemic Issues Initial metadata screening revealed nine winning tracks across 8 categories with anomalous encoder signatures commonly associated with AI-generation workflows. These signatures deviated significantly from typical professional DAW export patterns. Detection Should Have Been Possible With standard review tools and musical expertise, AI-generation signals in the flagged entries were detectable within seconds of analysis. This raises concerns about internal review rigor and consistency. Industry-Wide Relevance The presence of AI-generated works in high-profile competitions risks diminishing trust in awards, misdirecting recognition, and shifting expectations around human creativity. The sections that follow provide the full documentation, methodology, and verification steps supporting these findings, along with recommendations for constructive policy improvements. 1. Executive Summary 2. Disclaimers & Limitations 3. Methodologies 4. 2024 ISC Rules 5. Findings 6. Ethics & Recommendations 7. Author's Statement 8. About the Author 9. Contact 1. Summary of AI Investigation and Detection Report: ISC Current Titleholders This report presents the findings of an independent, evidence-based forensic review of publicly available winning song entries from the current cycle of the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). The investigation was conducted by Joseph Stanek, a professional musician, producer, songwriter, and educator with more than thirty years of specialized training in auditory analysis, music theory, vocal science, and music production workflows. The goal of this report is twofold: to defend the integrity of human songwriting in an era of rapidly advancing generative technology, and to protect honest entrants, industry professionals, and music-education communities from the consequences of improper or inconsistent rule enforcement. Under ISC's 2024 Rules, Any AI Involvement Requires Disqualification The 2024 ISC rules explicitly state: Rule #13: “ISC prohibits any song or lyrics written partially or in full by ChatGPT or any other AI-generated content. If ISC identifies any abuse or violation of this policy, the song will be immediately disqualified from the competition, and no refund will be given to the entrant.” Rule #13 leaves no room for alternative interpretations; under this rule, any presence of AI involvement (including AI performances, AI vocals, AI generated melodies or harmonies, AI text-to-music structure, or AI production artifacts that remain in any song's metadata) requires immediate disqualification. What was AI Capable of During the Time of Submission, and How Can We Spot It? The ISC's Extended Deadline occurred at midnight CT, November 6th, 2024 . At the time, the leading AI generative music platforms (Suno v3.5 and Udio v1.5) were: exclusively text-to-music platforms; unable to process human-authored sheet music and music notation, stems, or DAW sessions; unable to "perform" or render human-authored or -sung musical material; fully capable of generating complete, structured songs via audio files that include vocals, melody, instrumentation, and arrangement from text prompts alone or with human-authored lyrical input. Key Findings of this Investigation This forensic investigation and report identifies the following: 1. Two winning entries — Comedy (2nd Place) and Christian/Gospel (3rd Place) — exhibit unmistakable, professionally verifiable indicators of AI generation and AI performance. These include: identical vocal waveforms (a mathematical impossibility for even the most trained human singer) copied and pasted throughout the submissions, AI-specific timbral traits that are impossible to replicate through human vocal fold production, envelope-shaping patterns characteristic of leading text-to-music engines, consistent metadata anomalies indicating AI workflows that are inconsistent with human-produced music. 2. Independent AI-detection tools corroborate these findings. Supplemental analyses by IRCAM Amplify, the world's most respected research group that specializes in audio analysis, produced the following incriminating results: 95% AI-probability for the Christian/Gospel 3rd-Place-winning song 98% AI-probability for the Comedy 2nd-Place-winning song (Screenshots of these results are provided in Section 5: Findings .) 3. OSINT investigation reveals atypical public musical footprints for both credited, winning “songwriters.” One individual publicly released over 110 AI-generated tracks on SoundCloud within a single year , openly using consumer text-to-music platforms. The other has no public musical footprint and is currently employed as a government investigator in counter-threat analysis —a background typically incompatible with suddenly producing an award-winning song despite the clear authorship and performance by an artificially intelligent system. These facts, and the others from the OSINT investigations , are in great discord with the identities of the rest of the ISC winners from this year and past years, reinforcing the conclusion that these two works were generated by artificial intelligence, not by a human songwriter . Intent and Scope This report does not speculate about private conduct, intentions, or motives. Nor does it accuse individuals of misconduct outside the competition. This report represents the gathering and processing of publicly available information on the concerning the current winning entries and the individuals associated with them and whether or not the results of that processing indicates an adherence to the ISC's rules. These are the questions I sought to answer through this investigation: Do any of the winning songs contain AI-generated components? If so, are these songs eligible under this cycle of the competition's rules? What, if any, forensic or verification tools were used by the ISC before proclaiming these songs “winners”? After an intentional breach of the competition's rules by the individuals who entered the fraudulent songs, what systemic failures allowed these works to pass through each of the following stages of the competition's pipeline: the initial screening committee, both the semifinalist and finalist selection processes, the final judging by high-profile industry professionals, public announcement of the winners, administration of competition prizes to the winners, and 6 months of website promotion with no one noticing? Who from the International Songwriting Competition is willing to take responsibility for correcting this publicly, transparently, and quickly? What does this oversight say about the celebrity judges who approved these obviously fraudulent song entries? The ISC’s celebrity judges are not just fancy names on a poster; they lend their reputations and authority to the promise that this competition can recognize and reward excellence in the art of human-authored songwriting. When obviously AI-slop slips through this entire pipeline undetected, it calls into question not only ISC’s internal processes, but also the seriousness with which those celebrity reputations are being exercised . This breakdown raises legitimate concerns regarding: enforcement of eligibility requirements, quality and consistency of the judging pipeline, reputational risk to celebrity judges whose names endorse the winners, fairness owed to thousands of entrants who followed the rules in good faith. Accountability Competitions like ISC set the global standard for what counts as human artistry in songwriting. If organizations of this stature cannot reliably distinguish between human and machine authorship (never mind the fact that their own rules ban AI involvement) the result is: an erosion of trust, a diminished respect for human musicianship, the unfair displacement of legitimate winners, and the normalization of AI-authored works as “songwriting.” In order for the music industry as we know it to survive this critical juncture in history, we must demand integrity of everyone, including the International Songwriting Competition. Anything else is an enemy to musicians and music lovers everywhere. 2. Disclaimer & Critical Caveat This report is a forensic analysis of publicly available audio files, metadata, and open-source, publicly accessible information. No private accounts, login-restricted platforms, or internal ISC materials were accessed at any time during this investigation. I provide this disclaimer in transparency to define the scope of available evidence, clarify its limitations, and list the investigative standards that maintain the integrity at the core of this report. 2.1 Limitations of Publicly Available Evidence & Metadata Reliability for ISC 2024 Winners 1. The Metadata Available is Not Complete and Original Submission Metadata All audio files analyzed in this report were downloaded from ISC’s public website , not from the original submission database. There is clear evidence of internal metadata alteration by ISC before public release. Examples include: Retitled filenames: Original song titles have been replaced by ISC category labels (e.g., “aaa-1st.mp3”, “country-2nd.mp3”), meaning the true, original filenames, which could potentially reveal provenance clues, were not available for assessment. A uniform added “2.13” timestamp in the Artist field: Many files contain an appended “2.13” in their Artist metadata. Although the meaning is unknown, it is reasonable to infer that this may be an internal processing marker related to a possible February 13 internal list finalization (based on the public semifinalist announcement on March 3, 2024). Regardless of meaning, it confirms that ISC modified the metadata, preventing access to the unaltered originals. Conclusion: Any metadata investigation must acknowledge that the data available is second-hand: modified by ISC, incomplete, and not by itself fully representative of the original uploader’s file. 2. Metadata is Easy to Manipulate or Strip Entirely AI-music-generating platforms like Suno and Udio intentionally leave only minimal identifying metadata, which is widely known to be easily removable. A simple Google search will yield numerous: Reddit threads YouTube tutorials Discord communities Blog posts …devoted specifically to teaching users how to remove AI-identifying metadata fields , including encoder tags, internal version labels, and system-embedded text markers. As a result: Clean metadata is not evidence of human authorship. Suspicious metadata is not required to prove AI authorship. Metadata alone can never carry full evidentiary weight. 3. Caveat Regarding the Scope of Reviewed Works This investigation reviewed 67 audio-based winning entries from the 2024 International Songwriting Competition. While the total number of winners is even larger, seven entries were excluded from forensic analysis because they were either lyrics-only or video-only submissions, including the 1st Place Comedy winner, whose decision to submit his song in a video precluded it from this analysis. Video-based works contain different metadata structures and encoding pipelines, and YouTube-hosted files do not provide the same analyzable audio or metadata artifacts as downloadable song files. These exclusions were made to ensure methodological fairness and consistency across the analyzed dataset. All 67 remaining audio-based winners — including the Grand Prize, People’s Choice, and every category's 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place winner with an accessible audio file — were included in this review. 4. Several Other Winning Entries Exhibit Suspiciously “Too Clean” Metadata Many of the winning audio files contain: empty or non-descriptive metadata fields missing title/artist/comment fields generic encoder signatures typical of AI-generated music stripped embedded comments no ISRCs no album artwork no producer, engineer, or copyright metadata While these elements do not inherently violate the ISC's rules, they are also not typical of human-produced work, especially among passionate songwriters entering a major international songwriting competition. While this cleanliness is not itself proof of AI involvement, it is: consistent with deliberate metadata scrubbing, and inconsistent with honest, organic human creative workflows. This aligns with known and well-documented behavior of users who generate music via text prompt, then sanitize metadata to obscure its method of creation. 5. The Number of Confirmed AI Entries is Smaller than the Number of Suspicious Entries Similarly, this investigation confidently identifies two entries whose audio signatures confirm AI involvement. However: several additional entries returned AI flags, multiple winning songs from different individuals located across the world and who submitted in different competition categories share identical encoder fingerprints, others exhibit electronically generated spectral patterns, and a subset of these winning songs use AI-like phrase timing and envelope shaping. Given the limitations of second-hand metadata, this report does not attempt to conclusively categorize the larger group of tracks that exhibit potential AI-related anomalies. Instead, it identifies them as indicators that warrant further scrutiny by ISC itself. Because ISC did not require entrants to submit DAW sessions, stems, draft versions, or any verifiable proof of total human authorship in 2024, only ISC has access to the primary materials necessary to perform a conclusive, authoritative assessment of those entries. Accordingly, this report strongly recommends that ISC re-evaluate all winning entries from 2024 and adopt verification procedures commensurate with the standards of transparency and integrity expected from an organization that positions itself as the industry’s premier songwriting competition. PLEASE NOTE: this recommendation is not satisfied by ISC’s newly implemented 2025 rules; future guidelines do not retroactively protect the 2024 entrants whose work was judged under a categorical AI prohibition. Nor would a closed, unverified internal review be sufficient. Additional recommendations are outlined in Section 6 . 2.2 Primary Evidence Standard of This Report The most reliable tool in this investigation is expert auditory judgment , a byproduct of more than 30 years of training and professional work as a vocalist, producer, music director, and music educator across live concert and staged musical performances, live- and studio album recordings, and internationally broadcast televised concert productions. All other findings are secondary and serve to support, contextualize, or corroborate the conclusions derived from expert listening. 2.3 Access Limitations (Included for Absolute Legal Clarity) The author did not have access to: the original audio submissions the entrants’ stems, DAW files, or drafts (if applicable) AI music platform accounts (if applicable) internal ISC judging notes proprietary listening committee materials Therefore, this report is: not a legal accusation, not a definitive statement of guilt, not an allegation of intentional wrongdoing by individuals. It is provided as a reasoned, evidence-based assessment whose conclusions are drawn from the gathering and expert forensic interpretation of publicly accessible materials. 2.4 Not an Attack on Individuals This report explicitly avoids assigning motive or intent to any entrant. It is entirely possible for a songwriter to: misunderstand AI-assisted tools believe AI output is “just another plugin” be unaware of contest restrictions despite giving consent at the time of submission or overestimate the extent of their own authorship. This investigation evaluates objective evidence, not personal integrity. 2.5 Inclusion of Disclaimer This section: protects the author from claims of overreach or misrepresentation acknowledges the limitations of second-hand metadata clarifies the evidentiary hierarchy underscores how ISC’s own rules determine ineligibility emphasizes transparency and methodological honesty sets the foundation for all subsequent analysis 2.6 Final Caveat This report cannot account for a multitude of specific (prohibited) scenarios in which, for instance, an AI system generates a composition , the entrant transcribes it by ear onto digital or physical sheet music, performs it live and/or records it in a studio , and submits the newly recorded human track as their own creation. However, the synthetically identical waveforms, AI timbral characteristics, and text-to-music encoder fingerprints found in the files publicly published by ISC on their own website prove that the two flagged entries are not live human re-recordings. They are original AI-generated audio outputs, not human performances. Thus, this caveat does not apply in this case. 3. Investigative Approach: Methodologies Utilized This investigation employed a multi-layered forensic process reflecting professional audio-analysis standards, ethical constraints, and the realities of evaluating publicly released ISC winner files rather than original entrant submissions. The methodologies were deliberately sequenced so that expert auditory analysis formed the evidentiary foundation, with digital forensics, metadata review, waveform visual analyses, replicability tests, independent third-party verification methods, OSINT research, and archival rule verification serving as supporting layers of scrutiny. The procedures below do not present or imply findings. They describe the investigative tools and standards used to evaluate whether any publicly available information concerning the 2024 ISC winning songs provides characteristics inconsistent with human authorship or compliant creative workflows under ISC’s rules. 3.1 Expert Auditory Analysis (Primary Method) Expert auditory evaluation serves as the cornerstone of this investigation and remains the most reliable method for assessing the authenticity of musical audio in the absence of stems, multitrack recordings, or direct access to original submissions files. This method is widely used in professional production, audio engineering, voice science, and forensic musicology. The analysis draws on more than 30 years of training and continuous professional experience as a vocalist, producer of live concerts and staged productions, producer of studio and live albums, music director, music educator, creative director for nationally televised music specials, composer, arranger, orchestrator, and vocal pedagogue. This breadth of expertise provides the trained auditory acuity required to detect non-organic timing behaviors, atypical harmonic responses, non-physiological vocal patterns, and other indicators that fall outside human vocal or instrumental performance norms. Each ISC-winning track was subjected to repeated critical listening sessions in multiple environments, including calibrated studio monitors, reference headphones, and consumer playback systems. Evaluation criteria included micro-timing variability, natural breath behavior, phrasing integrity, harmonic realism, dynamic shaping, timbral consistency, and mix characteristics. Expert auditory analysis establishes the initial classification for each track. All other methodological tools serve to corroborate, contextualize, or challenge these primary observations. 3.2 Targeted Forensic Review (Secondary Method) This investigation did not attempt to evaluate all 67 ISC-winning recordings at the same level of forensic depth. Instead, it used a targeted methodology: only tracks that exhibited clear preliminary anomalies during expert auditory screening were selected for additional digital, metadata, visual waveform, and OSINT evaluation. This is not a limitation—it is a deliberate, professionally grounded approach consistent with investigative standards used in audio forensics, plagiarism analysis, scientific fraud review, and competitive rule-compliance audits. In these fields, comprehensive catalog-wide inspection is neither required nor recommended. Investigators focus their efforts on material that meets defined thresholds of concern. A targeted approach provides several methodological advantages: It ensures proportionality: only recordings that warrant forensic scrutiny receive deeper analysis. It minimizes investigative bias: a full-catalog audit can appear as if the investigator intended to “find as many violations as possible,” regardless of evidence. Targeted review maintains neutrality. It reflects realistic ethical standards: without stems, DAW files, or internal submission materials, expert auditory analysis is the most appropriate and reliable first-stage filter for identifying songs that may require closer evaluation. It aligns with ISC’s own rules: because any amount of AI-generated material (even 1%) constitutes immediate disqualification under Rule 13, identifying even a single violation is sufficient to demonstrate a systemic vulnerability in the competition’s review pipeline. A catalog-wide audit is therefore unnecessary for this report to establish policy relevance. This targeted forensic scope follows the accepted investigative model of: expert auditory analysis; focused secondary analysis on flagged tracks; cross-method validation; contextualization; and rule-eligibility assessment. This preserves rigor while maintaining ethical and methodological integrity. 3.3 Metadata Forensic Review Metadata forensics were conducted on each of the publicly accessible ISC winner audio files using a consolidated spreadsheet that catalogs encoder data, version identifiers, sample rates, bitrate patterns, ID3 structures, timestamp formats, artwork fields, and the presence or absence of standard descriptive metadata. While metadata alone cannot confirm AI involvement, it is a critical tool for identifying shared processing pipelines, scrubbed or overwritten authorship fields, unusual encoder uniformity across unrelated entrants, and inconsistencies with standard DAW-rendered music files. Metadata review was used strictly as supporting evidence and is interpreted within the known limitation that ISC-hosted versions are not the original entrant submissions and may have been altered by the competition’s upload and distribution processes. 3.4 Spectrogram and Waveform Analysis Spectrograms, phase plots, and waveform displays were reviewed to obtain a broad visual context for the recordings. These tools were used strictly to observe general patterns such as repeated structural sections, amplitude contours, and overall continuity between duplicated musical passages. Because spectrogram interpretation requires specialized training, no conclusions in this report rely on detailed spectral readings or technical frequency-domain interpretation . Instead, these visualizations served as supplemental reference material, helpful for confirming observations already made through auditory review, metadata analysis, and structural comparison. In particular, spectrograms and waveform views were used to: verify the presence of structurally identical repeated sections , observe continuity or abrupt transitions in the musical arrangement, and contextualize auditory anomalies such as sudden texture changes or identical phrasing across supposedly separate vocal takes. These tools supported, but did not drive, the analytical findings presented in Section 5 . 3.5 Time-Stretch Artifact Amplification (DAW-Based Vocal Isolation Review) To further evaluate vocal authenticity, the investigation incorporated a supplemental procedure involving vocal-line extraction and controlled time-stretch analysis. Publicly available ISC-posted audio files were processed through standard vocal-isolation tools (not original stems) and imported into a digital audio workstation (GarageBand) for time-domain review. Although isolated vocals derived from full mixes are inherently imperfect representations, these remain sufficiently accurate for identifying broad synthetic artifact behavior. When the isolated vocal line is slowed significantly—beyond natural performance tempo—human voices typically exhibit irregularities in breath noise, micro-timing, transitional mechanics, and formant adjustments. By contrast, algorithmically generated or heavily synthesized vocals often produce metallic tearing, formant smearing, harmonic collapse, and other non-organic behaviors that become more pronounced as the tempo is reduced. This method was not used as a primary form of evidence; rather, it served as a corroborative tool to magnify and clarify auditory anomalies initially detected through expert listening. Its purpose is supportive: to determine whether slowed time-stretch behavior is consistent with human vocal biomechanics or reflects characteristics commonly associated with algorithmic generation by artificial intelligence. 3.6 Text-to-Music Replicability Testing, Feasibility Assessment (Suno v3.5, Submission-Window Controls) To evaluate the technological capabilities available to entrants during the 2024 ISC submission window, the investigation included a controlled text-to-music generation test using Suno v3.5, the latest available software version employed by one of the most popular AI music generators at the time. The purpose of this procedure was not to determine authorship, but to assess: the generative capabilities of the model, the level of musical completeness it can produce from text prompts, and the ease with which a user could create fully AI-generated songs during the relevant timeframe. The test used publicly viewable lyrics from each flagged ISC-winning entry, along with a neutral, descriptive genre prompt. No melody input, reference audio, or production guidance was provided. This method served as a supplemental feasibility assessment , intended to observe the outputs that Suno v3.5 was capable of producing from text-only input during the exact period in which entrants created their submissions. The procedure is included in this report strictly as a contextual tool and not as a determinant of authorship or rule violation. 3.7 IRCAM Amplify AI-Detection Analysis To introduce an additional layer of external verification, songs were analyzed using IRCAM Amplify’s AI Music Detector, a state-of-the-art classifier developed by France’s Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM), one of the world’s leading research institutions in acoustics, audio analysis, and machine-learning detection. IRCAM’s detector evaluates incoming audio for statistical similarities to known generative-model fingerprints. The system identifies: timbral clustering consistent with neural-vocal synthesis, pitch-instability patterns and micro-timing deviations typical of model-generated stems, spectral and transient signatures associated with Suno, Udio, Stable Audio, and other contemporary text-to-music models. IRCAM Amplify’s detector returns a probability score representing the likelihood that a track was produced using a known AI model. These results were not used in isolation, but rather as an independent benchmark to compare to the auditory, metadata, and replicability findings presented elsewhere in this report. 3.8 Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Procedures Publicly available digital footprints were reviewed to contextualize the creative history, stylistic output, and musical backgrounds of credited songwriters or collaborators associated with publicly released winning tracks. OSINT sources included music platform profiles, release catalogs, social-media histories, artist statements, and public professional records. OSINT analysis does not assess intent and does not allege wrongdoing. It provides environmental context to help determine whether a submission's stylistic, technical, or production characteristics align with the creator’s known creative history or whether the work warrants elevated scrutiny. 3.9 Archival Rule Verification Because the purpose of this report is to evaluate compliance with the rules that governed the 2024 competition, all relevant ISC rules were verified using independently archived versions of the ISC Rules and FAQ pages preserved via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. These verified that all entrants were bound by the April 20, 2024 ruleset throughout the entire submission window and that the 2025 rule updates do not apply retroactively. Rule verification ensures that all methodological choices in this investigation directly correspond to standards the entrants were required to meet—including prohibition of any AI-generated content. 3.10 Methodological Integration Model The investigation relied on a layered evidentiary model in which: Expert auditory analysis establishes the primary assessment Metadata findings provide workflow and encoder context Spectrograms and audio waveforms visually confirm or contradict auditory observations OSINT research contextualizes publicly available authorship footprints Archival rule validation establishes relevance to ISC’s governing criteria This integration model minimizes bias, avoids over-reliance on any single tool, and ensures that all conclusions are grounded in established professional standards of audio analysis. 3.11 Limitations of this Methodology All analyses were performed on publicly published ISC-hosted files, not on original entrant submissions, stems, DAW sessions, or internal judging materials. The methodology therefore incorporates explicit limitations: metadata may have been altered by ISC’s file management systems, digital footprints may be incomplete or altered, and certain conclusions cannot be drawn without access to private submission materials. The report acknowledges these constraints to maintain transparency and accuracy. 4. Official Rules Governing the 2024 International Songwriting Competition 4.1 Primary Source Evidence of ISC's AI Prohibition in Effect Before 2024 Submission Window To verify the rules that governed the 2024 International Songwriting Competition (ISC), an independent archival review was conducted using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. The earliest uncontested snapshot of the ISC rules page prior to the opening of the submission window (July 2, 2024) is dated April 20, 2024 and is preserved here: https://web.archive.org/web/20240420223030/https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/rules (Accessed 22 November 2025) This April 20, 2024, archival capture predates any submission period, including Early Bird, Regular, and Extended deadlines, making it the definitive source for the rules that governed all entrants in the 2024 competition. FIGURE 1. ISC Rules Page: April 20, 2024 (Before Submissions Opened) Archived URL (Captured: April 20, 2024, 22:30:30 GMT): https://web.archive.org/web/20240420223030/https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/rules Figure 1: Archived version of the 2024 ISC Rules page , captured on April 20, 2024 (prior to the Early Submissions period which began on July 2, 2024). This archive provides the governing rules to which all 2024 entrants agreed upon submission. Site accessed 22 November 2025. Visit link to expand. This November 6, 2024, archival capture confirms that the ISC's governing rules remained the same throughout the entire submission period from Early Bird, Regular, and Extended Deadline submission periods. FIGURE 2. ISC Rules Page: November 6, 2024 (Deadline for All 2024 Entries) Archived URL (Captured: November 6, 2024, 23:57:33 GMT): https://web.archive.org/web/20241106233753/https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/rules Figure 2: Archived version of the 2024 ISC Rules page , captured on November 6, 2024 (deadline for Extended Deadline). This archive confirms that the ISC's governing rules were unaltered during the submission window for the 2024 competition cycle, to which entrants agreed upon submission. Site accessed 22 November 2025. Visit link to expand. Table 1 provides each of the three competition rules relative to this investigation, along with a short description pertaining to their relevance and inclusion. TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF PERTINENT ISC RULES (2024 COMPETITION CYCLE)* *Best viewed on Desktop Rule Number Official Wording (2024) Relevance to This Investigation Rule #1: Originality & Rights “All entries submitted must be original songs and shall not infringe any copyrights or any other rights of any third parties." AI-generated music cannot legally or creatively qualify as “original” under U.S. copyright law or ISC criteria. If melody, composition, or production is AI-generated, the entrant is not the author. Rule #6: Judging Criteria “Songs are judged equally on melody, composition, originality, and lyrics… Entrant agrees to accept the final decision of ISC and its judges.” If the melody, composition, or originality is produced by AI, then the entrant did not create the judged elements — meaning the entry is fundamentally invalid. Rule #13: AI Involvement “ISC prohibits any song or lyrics written partially or in full by ChatGPT or any other AI-generated content. If ISC identifies any abuse or violation of this policy, the song will be immediately disqualified and removed from the competition.” This is the decisive rule. Any AI involvement, even 1%, results in automatic disqualification. No thresholds. No ambiguity. 4.2 Verification of Submission Deadline The Wayback Machine also preserves the corresponding 2024 FAQ page, confirming the Early Bird, Regular, and Extended Deadline dates: Early Bird: July 2, 2024 Regular: September 18, 2024 Extended Deadline: November 6, 2024 FIGURE 3. Archived 2024 FAQ Page Archived URL (Captured: November 1, 2024, 22:37:41 UTC): https://web.archive.org/web/20241101223741/https://www.songwritingcompetition.com/faq#4 Figure 3: Archived ISC FAQ page captured November 1, 2024, confirming the submission period of July 2, 2024, through November 6, 2024. This window of time establishes the technological capabilities available to entrants at the time of submission. Site accessed 22 November 2025. Visit link to expand. 4.3 Entrant Consent & Binding Agreement All entrants were required to review and agree to the rules as a condition of entry. ISC’s own submission portal states that payment constitutes formal agreement to be bound by the rules and regulations. This is stated directly within the Rules page: Rule 17: “By entering ISC, Entrant agrees to be bound by all terms of these Official ISC Rules and Regulations.” This is essential because it establishes: Entrants agreed that any AI-generated content, even partially, is grounds for immediate disqualification (per Rule 13, captured in Figure 1 and Figure 2). Entrants agreed that songs would be judged on melody, composition, originality, and lyrics (per Rule 6, captured in the above 6 November 2024 archive). Entrants agreed that performance quality is not judged, but ownership and authorship are central (which underscores that AI-performed vocals cannot qualify). This establishes the foundational legal and ethical framework under which all 2024 entries must be evaluated and held accountable. 4.4 Clarifying the Applicability of These Rules These are the rules all entrants were bound by, without exception. Even if an entrant submitted early in the cycle, they were bound to the rules active throughout the competition unless ISC published a rule change. There is no evidence of any revised or updated rule page during the 2024 submission window. The Wayback Machine shows no alternate rule versions during the entire 2024 submission period (early submission [July 2, 2024] through the extended deadline [November 6, 2024]). The 2025 updated rules do not apply to the 2024 competition. Following the 2024 competition cycle, ISC significantly revised its AI rules for the 2025 competition cycle, including language allowing ISC to modify their rules concerning AI at any time. These revisions cannot be applied retroactively to the 2024 competition. (However, they are addressed in this report in Section 6: Ethical Implications and Procedural Recommendations as well as Section 7: Author's Statement . ) The foundation of this investigation remains firmly in adherence to ISC's unambiguous rule disqualifying any submissions generated "partially or in full" by AI content of any kind without thresholds, "majority authorship" clauses, percentages, or exceptions. 4.5 Section 4 Notes Screenshots are included to ensure preservation and transparency, as competition websites routinely update or overwrite their rules annually. The Wayback Machine is an established digital archive used in scholarly writing and research, journalism, and legal e-discovery. It preserves immutable snapshots of websites at specific points in time, which prevents retroactive alteration of the evidence. These captures serve as authoritative documentation of the rules in effect during the submission period. 5. Findings Following expert auditory evaluation of all sixty-seven publicly available 2024 ISC winning song file submissions covered in this report, two recordings, Comedy: Second Place and Gospel/Christian: Third Place , exhibited unmistakable markers of AI-generation and performance that warranted full-spectrum forensic review under the targeted methodologies described in Section 3. While several additional winning songs displayed indications of anomalies consistent with prohibited competition practices, they were neither as pronounced nor as diagnostic as the two escalated entries. Under ISC’s own rules, the presence of even a single element of AI involvement among the published winners constitutes a systemic screening vulnerability. Accordingly, these two escalated tracks serve as case studies for assessing the reliability and sufficiency of ISC’s review procedures. The findings below present the multi-method forensic analysis conducted on the two winning songs that met the escalation threshold. Each subsection corresponds directly to the methodologies employed: auditory analysis, metadata review, spectrogram and waveform analysis, time-domain artifact amplification, text-to-music replicability testing, third-party testing through IRCAM Amplify, and OSINT research. 5.1 Audio Forensic Findings (Expert Auditory Analysis) Comedy – Second Place Expert auditory evaluation immediately and routinely identified vocal and performance characteristics inconsistent with natural vocal cord production and human authorship. These included unnatural metallic disturbances in the vocal signal, anomalously uniform vowel formation across register transitions and extremes, and several instances in which expected breath transitions were absent during passages that physiologically require inhalation. The lead vocal exhibited stagnant, overly synthetic pitch stability and transient precision, with uniformity across micro-timing that is beyond human capability. In addition to these vocal anomalies, the track contains a significant structural and lyrical malfunction at approximately 1:49, where the sung line diverges abruptly from the written lyrics supplied by the entrant. At this moment, two unrelated syllables sound truncated and fused together , creating a non-lexical, unintelligible fragment that does not correspond to any coherent word or phrase . This artifact does not resemble intentional vocal styling, ad-libbing, improvisation, or comedic delivery; instead, it aligns with known failure modes in AI-generated vocals when multiple partial generations are joined or when a model’s phoneme alignment collapses under transitional stress. Structurally, this error occurs at the end of the bridge — a location traditionally used by human songwriters to explore musical contrast, a harmonic lift, or new lyrical insight leading into the final presentation of the song's chorus. Instead, the track abruptly inserts a truncated fragment of the chorus’s final line , which is close to—but not identical to—the song’s title. Notably, the exact title of the song never appears verbatim in any lyrical position , while multiple near-variants recur throughout the work. This pattern of approximate repetition without stable lexical anchoring is a well-documented characteristic of text-to-music systems, which often generate internally inconsistent lyrical motifs unless constrained with explicit human editing. Between 2:32 and 3:18 , the track enters an extended instrumental break—functionally an outro, as the vocal never returns. This is a structurally unusual choice for a competition submission in the Comedy category, where the listener might typically expect to find the final and most impactful punchline or comedic payoff to occur. The outro begins with a fiddle line comprised of rapid sixteenth-note repetitions that mirror the preceding musical texture. This approach is itself narratively incongruous: a relentlessly fast, ornamental instrumental line does not align naturally with a song whose lyrical premise centers on a man comparing himself to a hibernating bear due to his inability to stay awake. At 2:48 , however, the fiddle is abruptly replaced by an electric guitar performing a musically unrelated figure with a conflicting harmonic center, rhythmic contour, and stylistic identity. The guitar material does not develop, answer, or complement the preceding fiddle motif; instead, it appears to originate from an entirely separate generative idea before vanishing suddenly at 3:08 , at which point the fiddle returns to complete the final ten seconds of the outro and thus, too, the song. The effect is jarring, directionless, and compositionally incoherent, leaving listeners perplexed not only by the disjunction between the solos but also by the vocalist’s unexplained disappearance nearly a full minute earlier. This type of discontinuous, multi-source instrumental stitching is characteristic of text-to-music generative systems, which often assemble long instrumental sections from multiple, independently generated segments rather than from a unified compositional intent. Human songwriters and arrangers do not typically alternate soloists mid-outro with unrelated melodic material—particularly not in a competition context where musical cohesion is expected to be a core evaluative criterion. The placement, duration, and incoherence of this extended outro further reinforce the track’s deviation from standard human songwriting practices and highlight systemic concerns regarding the competition’s screening and judging pipeline. Gospel – Third Place Expert auditory evaluation of the Gospel/Christian third-place track revealed immediate and persistent indicators inconsistent with human vocal production. Across the full performance, the lead vocal displays a non-human, metallic timbre that lacks the natural breath shimmer, subglottal resonance, and upper harmonic vitality expected in a lyric baritone — the fach most aligned with the tessitura and range of the work. Instead, the purported “chest register” is dominated by a coarse, mechanical buzz with a frequency profile more akin to an electronic tone generator (alarm-clock–like in its rigidity and overtone shape) than to human vocal-fold phonation. This artificial quality becomes even more pronounced when the voice transitions into what should be the head-register passages of the chorus. Rather than exhibiting the acoustic shifts associated with human registration — changes in formant tuning, laryngeal height, airflow patterns, or vowel reshaping — the timbre remains uniform and invariant, as though a single synthesized sound source were simply pitch-shifted upward without the physical passaggio adjustments required of a human singer. The resulting effect is a tonal discontinuity that listeners interpret as “unnatural,” not stylistic. Throughout the song, repeated phrases exhibit identical harmonic alignment, vibrato rate, vibrato depth, and overtone distribution , with no evidence of the microvariations that occur even in highly trained vocalists. A highly trained human singer cannot reproduce vibrato at the same rate and depth across different pitches, intensities, and expressive contexts without deviation; however, this recording presents a vibrato that functions as a static, model-locked parameter rather than a physiological phenomenon. Further anomalies include: Fixed formant behavior across register shifts, with no observable vowel modification, timbral shading, or tract resonances changing as the melody rises or falls. Absence of laryngeal or articulatory transitions , producing an unnaturally smooth phonemic delivery. Identical transient behavior across varied consonants, suggesting synthetic phoneme rendering rather than articulatory mechanics. Inability to detect inhalation noise or breath events during musically required phrasing breaks, despite phrases exceeding typical breath-cycle capacities. Taken together, these features present a vocal line that behaves not as a biological instrument shaped by breath, muscle, emotion, and resonance, but as a synthetic construct governed by algorithmic consistency . The combination of fixed formants, invariant vibrato, registration uniformity, and metallic timbral artifacts met the established criteria for escalation to full-spectrum forensic review. 5.2 Metadata Findings metadata_forensics_long_FULL.csv Metadata for each winning song is collected in the .csv file above. Metadata extracted from the two escalated recordings was examined against the full dataset of sixty-seven ISC 2024 winning audio files. Although metadata alone cannot confirm authorship, the metadata profiles of the Comedy (Second Place) and Christian/Gospel (Third Place) entries exhibit distinctive patterns that deviate meaningfully from both typical human production workflows and the broader winner pool. These anomalies are consistent with automated rendering, batch-transcoding pipelines, or text-to-music generation systems, and warrant close attention when evaluated alongside the auditory findings and basic visual spectrogram inspection (non-technical). 1. Unusual Encoder Signatures (Major Anomaly) Both escalated tracks were encoded using Lavf , an FFmpeg-based encoder family. This is atypical for the work of human songwriters, especially work that is submitted to an international songwriting competition, which usually retains a DAW fingerprint from Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, FL Studio, Reaper, Studio One, or GarageBand. Instead, both flagged songs display encoder strings associated with post-render transcoding rather than direct DAW export. Comedy – Second Place: Encoded with Lavf58.45.100 , a version not used by any other ISC winner. This specific build corresponds to older FFmpeg branches and has been publicly documented in discussions of AI-generated music pipelines (including Suno’s earlier v3 workflows). Gospel – Third Place: Encoded with Lavf60.3.100 , which appears across nine winning entries in eight different categories . Although theoretically, it is possible for this encoder family to appear in legitimate workflows, its uniformity across unrelated artists, genres, and production circumstances in an international competition is particularly noteworthy. Typically, such a broad pool of independent entrants would never converge on an identical FFmpeg build, only under extremely rare circumstances; the only exceptions being (a) if files were batch-processed post-submission (highly unlikely, given the wide variety of categories), or (b) submissions originated from text-to-music systems that use the same backend rendering tool, Lavf60.3.100, another encoder publicly documented to be associated with Suno's AI-generated song output. Given the diversity of countries, studios, and software normally represented in a competition of this scale, the recurrence of a single encoder version across unrelated entrants is statistically anomalous . It is consistent with centralized processing pipelines—either at the entrant level or at the generation level—rather than independent DAW exports. Public technical discussions (including widely circulated Reddit analyses of AI-generated music output) have associated Lavf60.x.x and Lavf58.x.x signatures with Suno and similar text-to-music platforms, particularly when files are downloaded directly from the generator without additional mastering or DAW intervention. This contextual information does not assert authorship but situates the observed metadata patterns within known generative-music workflows. 2. Absence of DAW Fingerprints (Strong Indicator) Most professional DAWs embed recognizable metadata even when users leave fields blank. Such metadata routinely includes: DAW version identifiers LAME tags (Lame 3.100, etc.) Encoding presets Audio engine markers Render origins Neither escalated track contains any DAW-linked identifiers whatsoever. Instead, both present as bare, minimally populated files with: no composer or publisher metadata no genre tags no ISRC no artwork fields no comments or internal project data no embedded timing or project-stem markers This level of stripping is consistent with FFmpeg-based rendering pipelines or automated platform exports. It is not typical of human-produced competition submissions, particularly when produced in professional or semi-professional environments. 3. Sub-Optimal or Nonstandard Bitrates Competition entries are commonly submitted at the highest feasible MP3 bitrate (320 kbps) or as WAV/AIFF files to preserve fidelity. The majority of ISC 2024 winners follow this pattern. The escalated entries do not. Comedy – Second Place: 192 kbps , among the lowest bitrates in the entire winner pool. Gospel – Third Place: 235 kbps , a nonstandard bitrate appearing nowhere else in the dataset. Lower bitrates are a known characteristic of direct text-to-music platform exports, which frequently render files at middle-range bitrates optimized for streaming previews rather than competition-grade final song submissions. 4. Sample Rate Inconsistency (Supporting Finding) Although 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz are both standard sample rates, the flagged entries differ from each other despite sharing identical stripping patterns and similar FFmpeg rendering markers. This inconsistency is not itself evidence of AI involvement but fits the broader pattern of non-DAW, multi-model rendering, where the sample rate is determined by the export function of the engine rather than producer choice. Combined with the other anomalies—especially the uniformity of missing metadata and FFmpeg encoding—the samplerate discrepancy reinforces the interpretation that these files did not originate from a cohesive human-controlled production workflow. 5. Structural Metadata Uniformity (Supporting Finding) Both escalated entries exhibit metadata rows that follow almost identical structural ordering, omit the same ID3 fields, and present the same “cleaned” exterior—a pattern shared by the nine FFmpeg-encoded tracks but not by the DAW-encoded winners. This suggests: Batch processing , or Automated export pipelines , or Platform-generated files using shared render architecture Independent human songwriters do not typically produce indistinguishable metadata footprints unless they are using the same DAW, same tools, and same encoding chain. The diversity of the remaining winner pool argues strongly against this. 5.3 Consistency Check Using Spectrogram & Waveform Views (Non-Diagnostic Support) Spectrogram and waveform visualizations were optionally reviewed to check for internal consistency within each escalated recording. These views were not used as a standalone diagnostic tool, and no claims of expert spectrogram interpretation are made. Instead, the purpose of this step was limited to verifying whether repeated musical sections displayed identical structural patterns — something verifiable without specialized audio-forensics training. In both the Comedy (Second Place) and Gospel/Christian (Third Place) recordings, isolated choruses were imported into a DAW and aligned sample-to-sample. In every case, repeated choruses rendered visually identical waveforms , with no variation in transients, vowel shapes, phrasing, plosive timing or energy, or micro-timing. Human vocalists, even under controlled studio conditions, do not reproduce entire multi-bar vocal performances with 100% identical waveforms; generative systems, however, frequently do. This limited, non-interpretive use of spectrogram and waveform views was therefore consistent with the artifacts identified using primary forensic methods (metadata, time-stretch review, text-to-music replicability, and OSINT). These observations support but do not replace the conclusions drawn from the primary methodology. Comedy – Second Place A non-technical visual scan of Comedy-2nd's chorus sections revealed nearly identical waveforms across the song's two chorus repetitions. When the isolated vocal stems were aligned and played simultaneously, the contours matched with near-sample-level precision; any minor, inaudible differences can be attributed to inconsistencies in the vocal isolating software, which was a necessary step without access to the source material. This audibly identical waveform used across two sections of the song is far tighter than typical human multitracking, where micro-timing variance is unavoidable even with professional editing. A screenshot (Figure 4) is included for transparency, showing the overlaid chorus waveforms in GarageBand. This visual alignment was not used diagnostically on its own, but it was consistent with the auditory finding that the choruses had identical performances rather than natural re-takes. FIGURE 4. Identical Repeated Choruses in Comedy (Second Place Entry) Figure 4. Identical Repeated Choruses in Comedy (Second Place Entry) Waveform alignment of two independent chorus occurrences from the Comedy (Second Place) recording. When isolated and placed on separate tracks in a DAW, both choruses render sample-accurate identical waveforms, including identical transients and micro-timing. Such perfect duplication is physiologically impossible for live human vocal performance, but it is a known characteristic of text-to-music generative systems that reuse a single synthesized vocal stem across multiple song sections. Gospel – Third Place Four separate chorus iterations were extracted from the full mix and aligned. All four displayed the same timing, amplitude envelopes, and inflection contours, despite appearing in different structural positions within the song. Again, a screenshot (Figure 5) is provided solely for transparency. These repeated patterns do not constitute formal spectral analysis but visually support the auditory finding that the vocal line was produced once and mechanically repeated — a hallmark of text-to-music output. FIGURE 5. Identical Repeated Choruses in Gospel / Christian (Third Place Entry) Figure 5. Identical Repeated Choruses in Gospel/Christian (Third Place Entry) Four isolated chorus repetitions display identical waveform structures across all instances. As with the Comedy entry, this behavior is inconsistent with human vocal production and aligns with duplicated synthetic vocal stems generated by AI text-to-music tools. 5.4 Time-Stretch Artifact Amplification Findings (DAW Review) To further clarify the nature of the vocal lines, each track's isolated vocal (derived from full-mix vocal isolation tools) was imported into a digital audio workstation for controlled time-stretch review. When slowed significantly, beyond natural performance tempo, human vocals, even those that have undergone extreme amounts of pitch correction, reveal unpolished, very "human" irregularities in breath noise, articulatory transitions, formant shifts, and micro-timing inconsistencies. Both flagged songs produced artifacts during slowdown that were inconsistent with human vocal biomechanics, including metallic tearing, abrupt harmonic collapse, smeared formants, and machine-like distortions that intensified at lower playback tempos. These characteristics are expectations with AI-generated, algorithmic vocal lines undergoing time-domain manipulation. Although isolated vocals derived from full mixes are inherently imperfect, the artifacts observed were sufficiently pronounced to provide corroborative evidence supporting the auditory and spectral findings. 5.5 Text-to-Music Replicability Test Findings (Suno v3.5) A controlled replicability test was conducted using Suno v3.5 , the best model available to entrants during the 2024 submission window. Using only the publicly viewable lyrics and a neutral genre descriptor—without providing melody, reference audio, or production instructions—the model generated complete musical tracks that exhibited: similar melodic contour and phrasing patterns, nearly identical chord progressions relative to the respective key signatures, similarly structured tonality and identical lack of any modulation anywhere vocal timbres closely resembling those in the corresponding ISC-flagged entries, comparable genre-appropriate arrangement and instrumentation, and production aesthetics aligned with text-to-music workflows from the relevant period. While this experiment does not determine authorship, it demonstrates that the sonic characteristics present in the flagged ISC entries are reproducible by an AI model available during the submission period with minimal prompting, zero musical skill, and no engineering expertise . This supports the systemic concern that ISC’s screening pipeline is not equipped to detect AI-generated or AI-assisted submissions under current procedures. 5.6 IRCAM Amplify AI-Detection Findings Both escalated ISC entries were submitted to IRCAM Amplify’s AI Music Detector for independent analysis. IRCAM flagged significant AI-generation likelihood for each track, including direct involvement with both Suno v3 and Suno v3.5 AI-generative models. Comedy, 2nd Place IRCAM returned an AI-generation probability of 98% Detected Model (if applicable): Suno v3.5 See Figure 6: FIGURE 6. IRCAM Amplify AI Music Detector Results for Comedy (2nd Place) 2024 ISC-Winning Song Figure 6. IRCAM Amplify AI Music Detector Results for Comedy (2nd Place) 2024 ISC-Winning Song IRCAM Amplify AI Music Detector returned an AI-generation probability of 98% for the Comedy, 2nd Place winner in the 2024 International Songwriting Competition. IRCAM Amplify AI Music Detector also detected Suno v3.5 as the AI model that generated the song. Gospel/Christian, 3rd Place IRCAM returned an AI-generation probability of 95% Detected Model (if applicable): Suno v3.5 See figure 6 FIGURE 7. IRCAM Amplify AI Music Detector Results for Gospel/Christian (3rd Place) 2024 ISC-Winning Song Figure 7. IRCAM Amplify AI Music Detector Results for Gospel/Christian (3rd Place) 2024 ISC-Winning Song IRCAM Amplify AI Music Detector returned an AI-generation probability of 95% for the Gospel/Christian, 3rd Place in the 2024 International Songwriting Competition. IRCAM Amplify AI Music Detector also detected Suno v3 as the AI model that generated the song. 5.7A OSINT Findings: Comedy, 2nd Place Entrant: " Gregory Santora." (publicly listed by ISC) Category: Comedy / 2nd Place OSINT Summary (Public Record Only, No Personal Data Beyond What the Entrant Has Publicly Published) Open-source review of publicly available information about the credited entrant indicates no discoverable background in music production, audio engineering, composition, or vocal performance. The individual’s professional footprint reflects a long career in law enforcement (former NYPD officer) and a current investigative role with the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. No online discography, artist profile, studio credits, performance history, production portfolio, or prior songwriting catalog could be located. This absence of a musical or technical production background does not constitute a violation of ISC's rules; however, it is noteworthy when evaluated alongside the substantive forensic findings indicating production characteristics incompatible with typical human-generated music workflows. In contemporary music competitions, even non-professional entrants typically maintain some form of musical footprint—such as social media performance clips, distributor accounts (DistroKid, TuneCore), SoundCloud profiles, YouTube uploads, Bandcamp pages, or collaborative credits. No such footprint was identifiable for this entrant. Taken together, the OSINT profile is consistent with an individual outside the music production and songwriting ecosystem and does not provide any independent support for human-directed audio engineering, vocal tracking, or multi-instrumental recording capabilities. When viewed in conjunction with the audio, metadata, and replicability anomalies presented earlier in Section 5, this contextual information highlights additional discrepancies between the credited creator profile and the production characteristics of the submitted recording. Discovery of the Pseudonym "Leggo my Greggo" One final audit of the ISC's website led the most significant find of this report. By this time in the investigation, I was very familiar with the ISC's current "Winners" page, but I hadn't yet reviewed the link all the way at the bottom of the page that contained the semifinalist announcement page, which was published ahead of the winner announcements. If there's one thing to know about people who use AI to write songs for them, it's that they are able to crank out astonishing amounts of songs compared to the slower workflows of composition by hand. Surely, if these people have the amount of songs under their belt that I think they might, they might have submitted several of them for consideration in the contest. I looked to the Semifinalist announcement list to corroborate my suspicion. Sure enough, Gregory Santora is listed as a 2nd Place Winner in the Comedy category, the Semifinalist data revealed he had also been named a semifinalist in the Country category with a song called "Heart's Leaking." There was also a crucial addition to his entry on the semifinalist list that was somehow not present on the winner's list. On the semifinalist list, Santora’s name was followed by the artist alias "Leggo My Greggo" for each of the songs he was named a semifinalist for. This branding was notably absent from the high-profile Winners' Circle announcement, effectively obscuring the digital trail of his musical catalog. Public Admission of AI Usage (r/SunoAI) Investigation into the "Leggo My Greggo" alias led directly to a series of public admissions on the r/SunoAI subreddit, a community dedicated to the generative AI music platform. In an August 2024 post, Santora (under the handle FistFullofRavioli) explicitly stated: "Been writing lyrics for most of my life but never done anything with it. Thanks to Suno I've been able to make them into songs and put them on Spotify! ... My artist name is Leggo My Greggo." Direct Link to Fraud: Just seven days prior to the completion of this forensic audit, Santora made a follow-up post in the same AI community, specifically linking back to his ISC winning lyrics and the ISC Winners' Page. He explicitly directed readers to view his "winning song," even boasting about the "nice prizes" he received. 5.7B OSINT Findings: Gospel, 3rd Place Entrant: “JesseJ” (publicly listed by ISC) Category: Christian/Gospel / 3rd Place OSINT Summary (Public-Record Only — AI-Relevant Behaviors Only) Public information for the Christian/Gospel entrant leads to a website branded as “songsbyjesse.com,” where the entrant describes himself as a songwriter and “storyteller” working across multiple genres, including sync, collaborations, commercial work, and Christian music. Notably, OSINT review shows: 1. Extremely high-volume musical output across the entrant’s public SoundCloud account: 110+ tracks posted within ~12 months each track includes fully produced arrangements and unique artwork many genres are represented (Christian, CCM, pop, sync styles, cinematic, etc.) Such high-frequency, multi-genre publishing is rare for independent human composers working alone , particularly without a visible collaborative pipeline, label support, or production team. This does not prove AI usage, but it strongly aligns with generative-music workflows where tracks can be created and published rapidly at scale. 2. Stylistic dispersion consistent with AI music catalogs Listening samples and waveform thumbnails reveal: highly polished mixes across many unrelated genres consistent loudness and mastering profiles artwork that appears to be either AI-generated or templated at scale similar structural patterns across compositions regardless of genre These features match output from: Suno Udio Stable Audio other high-throughput text-to-music generative music systems and differ markedly from typical independent songwriter catalogs, which show slower release schedules, genre clustering, and human-performance variability. 3. Awards pattern inconsistent with a traditional songwriting résumé The entrant’s website lists: Unsigned Only Music Competition Winner award International Songwriting Competition recognition multiple finalist badges Combined with the volume of output, the pattern resembles AI-assisted “competition-submission loops” seen in recent online communities where creators generate large batches of songs through text-to-music systems and submit them to multiple contests. Again — not proof, but contextually relevant to ISC’s mandate to detect and prevent AI-generated submissions. 4. No verifiable professional music credits OSINT searches of: PRO databases (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) Songwriter/producer credits (Discogs, AllMusic) streaming platforms commercial sync libraries return no confirmed songwriting credits under the entrant’s name. This absence stands in contrast to the unusually large and polished body of public output. Interpretation (Non-accusatory, rule-aligned) Taken together, the OSINT indicators do not assert that the entrant acted with intent or violated competition rules. However, they do show: a public history of mass-generated music output, stylistic patterns consistent with contemporary text-to-music generators, an award-submission profile typical of AI-assisted creators, and no traditional music-industry footprint. These factors support the larger multi-method finding : that the sonic, metadata, and production anomalies observed in the flagged ISC entries align with workflows and outputs characteristic of AI-generated or AI-assisted music systems, not with human-authored songwriting. FIGURE 8. Screenshot of Gregory Santora's Reddit handle (FistFullofRavioli) associating his artist handle Leggo My Greggo with his artist name and openly discussing his lack of music creation skills. (https://www.reddit.com/r/SunoAI/comments/1etoag9/been_writing_lyrics_for_most_of_my_life_but_never/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button , URL originally accessed December 19, 2025) Figure 8. Screenshot of Gregory Santora's Reddit Content 1 https://www.reddit.com/r/SunoAI/comments/1etoag9/been_writing_lyrics_for_most_of_my_life_but_never/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button URL originally accessed 19 December 2025. FIGURE 9. Screenshot of Gregory Santora's Reddit handle (FistFullofRavioli) linking him to the ISC through two direct links to the ISC website. (https://www.reddit.com/r/SunoAI/comments/1pjk342/comment/nteh5mr/?context=3 , URL originally accessed December 19, 2025) Figure 9. Screenshot of Gregory Santora's Reddit Content 2 https://www.reddit.com/r/SunoAI/comments/1pjk342/comment/nteh5mr/?context=3 URL originally accessed 19 December 2025. Archived here: https://archive.is/AVFGe FIGURE 10. Awards Recognition Banner on Entrant's Website ("songsbyjesse.com") Figure 10. Awards Recognition Banner on Entrant’s Website (“songsbyjesse.com ”) The high volume of contest submissions and recognitions displayed here is consistent with the OSINT finding that the entrant actively participates in multiple songwriting competitions. Screenshot accessed 24 November 2025. 5.8 Rule Relevance Analysis Per Rule 13, any amount of AI-generated involvement—melodic, lyrical, vocal, or instrumental—renders an entry immediately ineligible and requires disqualification without refund. The combined auditory, spectral, metadata, replicability, and contextual OSINT findings presented in this section do not assert intent or accuse any entrant of wrongdoing. Instead, they demonstrate consistent, multi-method correlations between the posted audio files and well-documented workflows, artifacts, and sonic characteristics associated with contemporary text-to-music generation systems. Taken together, these independent layers of evidence corroborate the conclusions of the primary investigative method—expert auditory analysis—which identified these two recordings as exhibiting characteristics incompatible with human vocal or production norms. Under ISC’s own rules, the presence of even a single non-compliant entry within the publicly announced winners is sufficient to demonstrate a structural vulnerability in the competition’s submission, screening, and judging pipeline. These two escalated case studies therefore highlight specific pressure points that warrant internal review and transparent procedural improvement. Beyond violating Rule 13, the presence of AI-generated performance elements also creates unavoidable conflicts with two additional ISC requirements. Under Rule #6, all entries must be judged on melody, composition, originality, and lyrics — criteria that presuppose human creative authorship. When core musical elements such as melody, harmonic structure, vocal performance, arrangement, and overall design are generated by a text-to-music system, those evaluative categories no longer meaningfully apply to the entrant. Likewise, Rule #1 requires that entries be original and not infringe on the rights of others; however, AI-generated melodic and instrumental content cannot be claimed as original human authorship and does not constitute a human-created work under the rule’s intended scope. As a result, any piece with AI-generated musical or vocal performance is not merely disqualified under Rule 13 — it is structurally incompatible with the criteria and authorship assumptions embedded in Rules #1 and #6. 6. Ethical Implications & Procedural Recommendations 6.1 Integrated Conclusion with High-Confidence Anomaly Indicators The findings of this report do more than expose critical markers that are highly suggestive of explicitly prohibited competition behavior; they reveal a fundamental and systemic procedural breakdown inside the International Songwriting Competition (ISC), a rupture that allowed AI-generated songs to be awarded top honors during a year in which the rules explicitly and unambiguously prohibit any AI involvement of any kind. Beyond the entrants who submitted fraudulent material, this breakdown has immediate and far-reaching ethical consequences for: the legitimate 2024 entrants the integrity of the ISC's judging process the public reputation of ISC the reputations and authoritative statuses of the celebrity judges the broader songwriting community And critically: the 2024 award cycle is still active . These winners are still displayed, still promoted, and still benefiting from honors earned under rules they did not follow. That makes this not a historical error, but a present-day harm. 6.1 Harm to Legitimate Entrants By allowing AI-generated material to advance through the winner pipeline, ISC unintentionally: grossly mishandled opportunities that should have gone to human songwriters who abided by the rules denied life-changing placements, visibility, and career momentum invalidated the meaning of a “human-created songwriting competition” created mistrust in the legitimacy of both the ISC's screening and judging processes Entrants paid real money and created real art under real rules. Those rules were not upheld. This demands retroactive correction , not future promises. 6.1A Clarification Regarding ISC’s “Final Decision” Clause The 2024 ISC rules contain a provision stating that entrants must accept the organization’s final decisions and may not dispute the outcome. Under normal circumstances, this protects ISC from typical disagreements about judging preferences or subjective artistic interpretation. However, this clause does not apply when the organization itself has violated its own binding rules . Rule 13 of the 2024 competition explicitly forbids any AI involvement in any portion of the submitted work. Because two of the publicly announced 2024 winners exhibit undeniable amounts of evidence of AI-generated and AI-assisted production, these entries were never eligible to be judged in the first place . A “final decision” built on an ineligible submission is procedurally void , because: Organizations cannot enforce entrant compliance with a decision reached by breaking their own rules. Entrants consented to a competition governed by the published rules — not to a process in which prohibited entries were allowed to advance. The clause presupposes that ISC fulfills its responsibilities of screening, verification, and rule enforcement. When governing rules are violated, the protective clause collapses; fairness and rule integrity take precedence. For these reasons, ISC’s “final decision” clause does not shield the organization from addressing this failure, nor does it obligate entrants to accept an outcome that was reached in violation of the published eligibility criteria. Entrants fulfilled their contractual obligations by submitting original, rule-compliant human-created work; ISC did not fulfill its reciprocal obligation to uphold the rules that governed the competition. Therefore, legitimate entrants are owed: retroactive correction transparent acknowledgment reinstatement of rightful placements and the restoration of trust in the competition’s integrity 6.2 Ethical Risks to the Celebrity Judges The ISC’s celebrity judges represent some of the most respected names in music. Allowing AI-generated tracks to pass through a judging panel headlined by Grammy-winning, internationally celebrated musical artists is a reputational failure of the highest magnitude. By not detecting AI-generated works, ISC has (unintentionally) positioned these artists as endorsing: prohibited works ineligible submissions procedurally flawed selections And the judges themselves have ethical responsibilities: It is the responsibility of every judge, especially at this tier, to ensure that their endorsement reflects the standards of the art form they champion. Failing to recognize and call out anomalies in vocal realism, spectral artifacts, coherence, and musical origin compromises their reputational integrity. The judges were placed in an impossible situation: their names are attached to decisions that directly contradict the rules they agreed to uphold as ISC judges. For the sake of their own reputations, the judges should insist on a formal correction. Their silence would suggest complicity, and that harms them more than anyone. 6.3 Ethical Failure by Entrants (Particularly the Second-Place Comedy "Winner") One of the escalated "winners" is a former NYPD officer and current investigator for the Office of Homeland Security in the state of New Jersey. This raises extraordinary ethical concerns. Public safety professionals employed by United States governmental bodies who occupy positions of trust hold a higher standard of conduct. Claiming to write a song and submitting it as your own when there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to the contrary, a scenario where all available evidence makes your entry appear to violate the competition rules—particularly when the rules were clear, strict, and repeatedly affirmed—constitutes: a breach of professional integrity a breach of artistic ethics a violation of the implicit trust that competitions require a direct harm to thousands of working artists across the world who depend on these kinds of opportunities. This is not bending rules at a local talent showcase. This is unfairly gaining placement in an international, career-defining songwriting competition through fraudulent tools that displace the legitimate work of hard-working human creators, and staying silent about for 6 months. This is exactly the type of erosion of artistic integrity that is harming the arts industry today. People in positions of authority and governmental influence must be held to equal standards, not be excused from them. Artists have fought for decades to build platforms like ISC that have opportunities that can change their lives. And the fight continues today. Competitions like this exist because of creative integrity, not in spite of it. 6.4 Recommendations for Immediate Corrective Action 1. Immediate Disqualification of Any Entries Showing Substantial Evidence Toward AI Involvement Under Rule 13 (2024), ANY AI involvement renders a submission immediately ineligible without refund. No exceptions. The two entries identified as ineligible to compete by this report's expert auditory analysis and corroborated by the ensuing thoroughly executed secondary evidence must be: immediately stripped of their winning titles banned from entering the ISC indefinitely replaced accordingly with the deserving songwriters. This must occur before the 2025 winners are announced. 2. Public Statement and Formal Apology Because the 2024 winners are still public, ISC must issue: a public correction a transparent explanation of the procedural failure an apology to the entire pool of honest, displaced songwriters clarification that celebrity judges were not knowingly endorsing AI-generated works This is the beginning of a restoration of trust both for entrants and judges themselves. 3. Reinstatement of Correct Human Winners for 2024 Legitimate, rule-abiding songwriters from the 2024 ISC cycle must be publicly declared as winners in the positions they legitimately earned. They should also be compensated with the appropriate prizes. Anything less is unjust and inconsistent with ISC’s own rulebook. 4. Clarify the 2025 Rule Change and Prevent Public Misinterpretation The shift from “ZERO AI involvement allowed” (2024) to “majority human authorship required” (2025) i s a dramatic and ethically consequential policy reversal. This must be addressed because: It suggests that ISC may have changed the rules after discovering AI slipped through. It raises the appearance of revenue-motivated decision-making over artistic integrity. It abandons the clarity that 2024 entrants relied upon. It opens the door for AI-dominant submissions to win major songwriting titles. ISC must publicly explain: why the rule changed why it changed so drastically why an AI category wasn’t created instead how they will protect human songwriters moving forward 5. Establish Verifiable, Audit-Ready AI Compliance Protocols The ISC’s abrupt shift from the 2024 standard of “ zero AI involvement permitted ” to the 2025 rule of “ majority human authorship ” introduces unprecedented ambiguity and invites even more systemic abuse than it already has. As written, the 2025 rule is unenforceable, undefinable, and ripe for exploitation , because: ISC provides no definition of “majority authorship.” ISC outlines no verification procedure to distinguish human vs. AI contributions. ISC collects no supporting documentation that could substantiate human creation. ISC performs no pre-screening for AI at submission. ISC appears positioned to benefit financially from increased submissions regardless of authenticity. This creates a compliance environment where: A fully AI-generated track with two lines rewritten by a human could claim “majority authorship.” A human could write 51% of lyrics while outsourcing all vocals, arrangements, and instrumentation to AI. Entrants using AI could win categories specifically intended to reward human creativity, while adhering to the “letter” (but not the spirit) of the rule. AI-dominant submissions could overwhelm categories, pushing genuine songwriters out of the awards pipeline. To prevent widespread misunderstanding, misuse, and unethical practices, ISC must implement clear, strict, externally auditable AI protocols that define, document, and verify majority-human authorship at the time of submission . Since it's too late to completely change the rules for ISC's 2025 competition cycle, it is my recommendation that they employ the following mandatory safeguards for all 2025 competition entrants regardless of whether they have already submitted and paid, offering refunds to those who wish to pull their names from eligibility (ISC has, after all, newly asserted their right to change their minds at any time about AI given the rapidly changing landscape): A. Define “Majority Human Authorship” in Measurable Terms Without quantification, the rule is functionally meaningless. The phrase must be rewritten to reflect concrete, enforceable standards, such as: A minimum percentage of lyrical content produced by a human A minimum percentage of melodic composition produced by a human A minimum percentage of instrumental arrangement produced by a human A maximum allowable percentage of AI-generated audio or stems A total prohibition on AI-generated vocals unless in a designated AI category B. Require a Signed AI Disclosure Form With Every Entry Entrants must attest whether their work includes: AI-generated lyrics AI-generated melodies AI-generated vocals AI-generated arrangements AI-generated stems/instrumentation AI mastering AI-assisted editing or mixing False attestation should result in retroactive disqualification. C. Require Submissions of Source Files and Sessions Should any questions arise about future category winners and the validity of their majority-human-authored winning entries, ISC should already possess the necessary verification materials, which have been scrutinized prior to the announcement of the winners, on hand in case further verification is required. This may include: DAW project files Lyric drafts MIDI session stems Vocal session stems Evidence of human recordings Timestamped version history Handwritten musical notation on manuscript paper Human songwriting produces a physical and digital paper trail. AI-generated music does not. D. Mandatory AI Screening at Submission To prevent AI-dominant tracks from ever reaching the judging stage, ISC must implement automated scanning or individual personal review of all submission materials. The automated process should use: IRCAM Amplify (AI detection) Metadata analysis Encoder signature scrutiny Spectral pattern evaluation (when needed) E. It is my recommendation that the ISC either return to a mandated ban on submissions created in-full or in-part by any AI system, add a dedicated AI-Allowed Category to their competition categories, or create an entirely new AI-Only Songwriting Competition separate from this one. Instead of diluting the integrity of all songwriting categories by judging two completely different songwriting processes together, ISC should e stablish a dedicated AI category for entrants who prefer to use AI in their songwriting workflows, e ncouraging innovation without compromising the respect of the songwriters who have gotten the competition to where it is today. By keeping AI-authored or -influenced songs separate from the legacy songwriters' songs, ISC will main tain fairness in judging two different processes how they deserve to be judged. This also helps avoid the perception that ISC has “sold out” to protect submission revenue A competition cannot simultaneously claim to uphold human creativity and allow AI-dominant work to compete against human artists without categorical separation. AI music is not inherently bad—it simply must not compete with human songwriting when humans are promised a human-only competition. A separate AI category preserves: transparency fairness artistic legitimacy revenue (without compromising rules) F. Require Judges to Sign AI-Compliance Verification Judges at every stage of the screening and judging process should be required to affirm that: they have actively listened to the entries in their entirety and are equipped with appropriate measures to objectively identify, qualify, and quantify AI influence in the submitted songs; they understand the rules; they would NOT knowingly endorse an ineligible work; they stand by their adjudication scores. This protects their reputation and the competition’s credibility. 6.5 Call to Action: Protect Songwriting. Protect Songwriters. The International Songwriting Competition has long been a pillar of artistic excellence—a place where creators could place their trust in the integrity of the process and the meaning of recognition. The discovery that AI-generated and AI-modified works were awarded top honors in a year where such involvement was explicitly forbidden is more than a clerical issue. It is a breach of trust, a blow to artistic fairness, and a disservice to every songwriter who has given their artistry, their passion, and their money to support the mission of the International Songwriting Competition all of its 23 years of existence. The rightful winners of 2024 must be restored, celebrated, and rewarded as is deserved and well overdue. The competition must publicly correct the record. The judges must demand accountability to protect their reputations. And ISC must reaffirm its commitment to fairness, to its mission, and to human creativity by enforcing its own rules without hesitation. This is not an attack—it is an urgent call to honor the very art form ISC was built to celebrate. The future of songwriting deserves better. 7. Author's Statement I conducted this investigation because of a problem I have witnessed repeatedly in my work as a professional musician, educator, and vocal coach: the growing number of people who claim the title of “songwriter” while relying entirely on generative AI systems to do the songwriting work for them. In recent years, I have seen an influx of new students arrive to my studio excited to “share their original songs,” only to reveal that their role in the creative process amounted to typing prompts into Suno. As an artist who has spent more than thirty years training, studying, and practicing the craft of composition, storytelling, vocal technique, and musical interpretation, I found myself troubled by how casually the term “songwriter” was being redefined—quietly, rapidly, and without resistance. About a year ago, one of my students asked me to help her write and submit a song to the International Songwriting Competition (ISC). That was the first time I had heard about the competition. I agreed, with the full intention of teaching her the true process of songwriting from the ground up, and in record timing, too. But as she began to understand the depth and discipline required to compose and record a song—lyrically, musically, structurally—she became overwhelmed and withdrew her request. Her reaction felt like a manifestation of the very concern that had been growing in me: many people now mistake AI music generation for human songwriting abilities and artistry. And I wanted to demonstrate—to her, to myself, and to my studio—that the hard work of actual human songwriting still matters. So, one week before the ISC submission deadline, I decided to write a song of my own from scratch to enter into the competition myself—not to win, but to model the real creative process for my students. I wrote a fully original song from scratch in those seven days, documented the process, and submitted it just in time. Then I did what most entrants do: I moved on and forgot about it. A year later, an ISC promotional email landed in my spam folder. Suddenly remembering the week of chaos I had writing the song, I curiously checked the ISC website to listen to the previous year’s winners. What I heard put a pit in my stomach. The second-place Comedy category winner—the very category I had entered—immediately exhibited the unmistakable markers of AI generation. And that realization cut sharply against the entire reason I had entered the competition in the first place: to lead by example and demonstrate the value of real artistic labor. That moment became the catalyst for this investigation and report. I did not begin this investigation to expose wrongdoing or to advance my own entry. (I never stood a chance against the true songwriters on that list, like my newest obsession Rett Madison, who scored 1st place in the Americana category with the most amazing song I've heard in a LONG time "One for Jackie, One for Crystal.") I did it because the very thing I sought to teach—integrity in songwriting—had been undermined by the competition itself. My involvement as an entrant is therefore a matter of transparency, not motivation, and I include it here to maintain full honesty with anyone who happens to come across this and gets this far through it. I neither expect nor seek any reconsideration of my own submission. My placement in the competition is irrelevant to the findings, the methodology, and the conclusions of this report. This investigation exists because I believe that human creativity is worth defending. My students deserve a world where songwriting competitions reward actual songwriters. My colleagues—artists who have devoted their lives to this craft—deserve fairness. And the music community at large deserves competitions that uphold their own rules. My commitment to this process has always been the same: to stand for artistic integrity, to protect the value of human musicianship, and to speak honestly at a time when silence would only further erode trust in the spaces meant to celebrate human creativity. This report is offered in service of those values. 8. About the Author Joseph Stanek is a musician, producer, educator, and scholar whose multifaceted career is founded upon 30 years of venerable study in acoustic phenomena, the science of performance, and fiercely authentic self-expression. Through his private the technical backbone for some of pop and Broadway's biggest names. His work with longtime clients, including Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Hudson, and Ariana Grande, has contributed to multiple Billboard-recognized releases, highlighted by Chenoweth's The Art of Elegance, which debuted at #1 on the Top Jazz Albums chart and held the spot for eight consecutive weeks. Stanek's contributions extend globally, having produced the Tabernacle Choir’s internationally broadcast Christmas Concert, reaching more than 66 million households. The recipient of the Pi Kappa Lambda Scholarly Writing Award, he founded Tour de Fierce® to empower artists through authentic expression and technical mastery. His mission is to steward honest, skill-driven performance practices that welcome new opportunities for creative expression through technological and artificial intelligence advances rooted in transparency and innovation. 9. Contact Joseph Stanek (Seph Stanek) Producer | Researcher | Educator Founder & Owner of Tour de Fierce® New York, NY Email: contact@tourdefierce.vip Website: www.tourdefierce.vip Full Report: 2024 AI-Detection Report in the International Songwriting Contest https://www.tourdefierce.vip/research/isc-ai-detection-report-2024 © 2026 Joseph Stanek. All rights reserved. Portions of this report may be quoted or referenced with proper attribution. Please link to the official publication page when citing this work. Reproduction or distribution of the full report requires written permission from the author. Citations & References No third-party citations at this time. This section will be updated if the report is referenced by advocacy organizations, academic analysis, or regulatory bodies. Cite This Report Recommended Citation: Stanek, Joseph. Expert Audit and Public Admission of AI Use Reveal Oversight Failures at the International Songwriting Competition . Tour de Fierce Research, 2026. https://www.tourdefierce.vip/research/isc-ai-detection-report-2024 What's Next Additional reporting and analysis exploring how institutional decisions shape artistic legacy, authorship, and public trust. Roy Acuff and the Cost of Getting History Wrong An investigation into how institutional narratives can distort artistic legacy — and why correcting the record still matters. Continue Reading > From Stage Fright to Stage Might A practical guide to reclaiming agency and confidence in performance. Continue Reading > (Free to download. Opens in a new tab.)

Refer a friend for vocal coaching and both of you get $50 off your next bill! 🎤 Your friend must purchase a plan to qualify. Save more, sing fiercer! REFER A FRIEND Great singers lift each other up—so why not bring a friend along for the journey and both save $50? When you refer someone to my Weekly Vocal Coaching Plan (4 lessons per month), you’ll both receive a $50 discount on your next payment cycle. It’s my way of saying thank you for spreading the love of music! How It Works: ✅ Invite a friend to sign up for weekly lessons. ✅ Once they purchase their plan, each of you gets $50 off your next monthly payment. ✅ Enjoy top-tier vocal coaching together—and save while you sing! Why Refer a Friend? 🎶 Stay motivated together – Having a friend in the journey makes practicing and improving even more fun. 💰 Stack your savings – There’s no limit! The more friends you refer, the more discounts you earn. 🎤 Learn like the pros – Share the same level of coaching that top industry singers rely on. 🌟 Exclusive offer – This discount is only available to current students who bring in new voices. Start Referring Today! Know someone who’s ready to take their voice to the next level? Send them my way and let’s make great music together. Email me or share your referral link now! Get a $50 discount on your plan Apply reward when placing your first order. Get Reward Get a $50 discount for each friend you refer Get special perks for you and your friends Give your friends a $50 discount. Applies to the first billing cycle of "-50% Weekly Vocal Coachings (4x Month)". Get a $50 discount for each friend who buys a plan. Applies to the first billing cycle of "-50% Weekly Vocal Coachings (4x Month)". Log in to refer * Applies to the lowest priced item in the cart.

Podcast guest Joseph “Seph” Stanek discusses performance anxiety, stage fright, and vocal confidence. Broadway performer and elite vocal coach offering practical, science-informed insights. Podcast Guest | Performance Anxiety & Stage Fright Looking for a podcast guest who can speak intelligently and honestly about performance anxiety , stage fright , and confidence under pressure ? Joseph Stanek is a Broadway performer, producer, and elite vocal coach who helps singers, speakers, and creatives perform fearlessly at every level — from first-time performers to artists working on the world’s biggest stages. With a rare blend of performance experience, vocal pedagogy, and psychological insight, Joseph brings practical, grounded conversations to podcasts exploring fear, creativity, confidence, and human performance. Why This Guest Resonates with Audiences Joseph doesn’t offer motivational clichés. He explains why performance anxiety happens, why willpower alone fails, and how performers can work with their nervous systems instead of fighting them. Podcast hosts value him for his ability to: Translate complex performance psychology into plain English Share real-world stories from high-pressure professional environments Balance empathy, authority, and humor Offer actionable insights listeners can apply immediately He is media-trained, articulate, and adapts seamlessly to conversational or structured interview formats. Contact Joseph Podcast Topics Joseph Speaks On 01 Performance Anxiety & Stage Fright Why stage fright exists (and why it’s not a weakness) The difference between fear, adrenaline, and excitement Why “just relax” advice doesn’t work How performers retrain their nervous systems Turning anxiety into usable performance energy 03 High-Pressure Performance What Broadway and professional stages teach about fear Performing consistently under scrutiny Mental preparation vs. technical preparation Why great performers still experience anxiety 02 Confidence, Voice & Self-Expression The voice as a mirror of the nervous system and how it stores traumatic experiences from our past Why confidence can’t be faked sustainably How authenticity and vulnerability improve performance outcomes Common myths about vocal confidence and control 04 Creative Identity & Growth Why the worst fears often appear right before breakthroughs Helping performers reconnect with joy and purpose Separating self-worth from performance outcomes Owning your worst performances For general podcast booking information and additional topics, visit the main Podcast Guest page. Credibility Snapshot Joseph Stanek has performed on Broadway stages, produced nationally televised concerts, and coached singers and speakers worldwide through his company Tour de Fierce. His work spans performance psychology, vocal pedagogy, and creative leadership. He regularly works with artists navigating high-visibility careers and high-stakes performances, while also supporting everyday creators facing fear for the first time. View Portfolio Here > Joseph Stanek + Kristin Chenoweth at the Tony Awards Who This Is a Great Fit For Joseph is a strong guest for podcasts focused on: Performance anxiety and stage fright Mental health and creativity Music, singing, and the human voice Personal growth and confidence The psychology of high performers Creative careers and resilience For Podcast Hosts If you’re booking a guest to explore performance anxiety, stage fright, or confidence under pressure, Joseph Stanek brings depth, clarity, and lived experience to the conversation. For show notes, please link to: https://www.tourdefierce.vip/podcast-guest-performance-anxiety Media assets, bio, and booking inquiries are available upon request. Email Joseph Text or Call Joseph

Your privacy is important. Learn how Tour de Fierce protects your data when you book voice lessons with Joseph Stanek. Read our full Privacy Policy here. Tour de Fierce Privacy Policy Last Updated: January 5, 2026 At Tour de Fierce®, earning your trust is our top priority. Whether you’re booking voice lessons, taking a quiz, purchasing merchandise, or simply browsing, we treat your personal information with care, transparency, and respect. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. 1. Information We Collect Information you provide directly We collect personal information when you: book a lesson or consultation purchase a product join our email list submit a quiz or form contact us for support This may include your: name email address phone number billing and shipping address any notes you provide about lessons or orders We do not store full credit card numbers — payments are handled securely by our payment processors. Information collected automatically When you visit our site, our systems (and permitted third-party tools) automatically collect: IP address browser type and device information referring website/page pages you view and actions you take approximate location (city-level) We use this information to improve site performance, analyze usage trends, and enhance your experience. 2. Cookies & Analytics We use cookies and similar technologies to: remember preferences keep the site functioning properly analyze website activity measure marketing performance We currently use tools such as: Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – to understand how visitors use our site Wix analytics – for site functionality and performance monitoring You may disable cookies in your browser settings, though certain features may not function fully. 3. How We Use Your Information We use your information to: provide lessons, products, and services process payments and orders communicate about scheduling, updates, and support personalize content and learning experiences improve the website and training tools comply with legal obligations Marketing emails are only sent when you opt-in, and you may unsubscribe anytime. 4. Payment Security Payments are processed securely through Wix and trusted third-party providers. All payment processors are PCI-DSS compliant, meaning your card details are encrypted and protected during transmission. Tour de Fierce® does not store credit card details on our servers. 5. Third-Party Service Providers We work with trusted third-party providers for: payment processing scheduling and booking tools email communication website hosting and analytics order fulfillment for merchandise These providers only receive the data necessary to perform their services and are required to handle it securely. If you leave our site via a link, their privacy policy applies — we recommend reviewing it. 6. International Users Depending on your location, your information may be processed in the United States or other countries. We follow applicable data protection standards when transferring information. 7. Data Retention We retain personal information only as long as necessary to: provide requested services maintain business records comply with legal and tax requirements You may request deletion at any time (see Section 10). 8. Security We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information. While no system is 100% secure, we follow industry best practices and continuously monitor for vulnerabilities. 9. Children’s Privacy Our services are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from minors without parental consent. 10. Your Rights & Choices You may request to: access the personal information we hold correct incorrect information delete your data (where permitted) withdraw consent for marketing Contact us at contact@tourdefierce.vip for assistance. 11. Changes to This Policy We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last Updated” date will appear at the top. Continued use of the site means you accept changes. 12. Contact Us Questions about this policy or your data? Email: contact@tourdefierce.vip Business: Tour de Fierce® Vocal Coaching and Artistic Development FAQ Is my information safe? Yes. We use secure systems and never sell personal data. Do you store payment details? No. Payments are processed by PCI-certified providers. Can I delete my account or data? Absolutely. Email contact@tourdefierce.vip to request removal. LINKS TO ALL OF OUR POLICIES Terms of Service Vocal Coaching Policies Booking Policy Return & Refund Policy Shipping Policy Privacy Policy

Practice pitch matching and learn to sing on pitch with this free interactive vocal pitch matching tool. Designed to help singers improve pitch accuracy between lessons. FREE ONLINE PITCH MATCHING PRACTICE TO LEARN TO SING ON PITCH Pitch Matching Tool Learning to sing on pitch starts with accurate pitch matching: you must be able to hear the pitch first, then accurately sing it. This is called "matching pitch." This free interactive pitch matching tool helps singers practice matching notes in real time, building the listening and coordination skills needed to sing in tune with confidence. Practice Matching Pitch Book Voice Lessons How to Practice Matching Pitch with the Pitch Matching Tool 1. Allow Your Microphone Tap Start Microphone. Be in a quiet space and keep the mic 6" to 12" from your mouth. 2. Select and Go! Select the play button below, then choose a practice round, and go! The tool will demonstrate first, then you replicate afterward when you are counted in. You'll get the hang of it quickly! 3. See Instant Results After the practice round, you'll see your cumulative score. Repeat to try and get a higher score! This pitch matching tool uses open-source audio analysis technology and provides visual feedback only. What Your Pitch Matching Score Means This pitch matching tool gives a letter score (A, B, C, etc.) based on how closely your sung pitch matches the target pitch over a short period of time. The score reflects accuracy and consistency, not musical ability or potential. 🟢 A or A-Level Scores An A score usually means: Your voice stayed very close to the target pitch You adjusted quickly when you drifted off Your pitch was relatively steady This suggests strong ear–voice coordination for that exercise. 🔵 B-Level Scores A B score usually means: You matched the pitch part of the time Your voice drifted slightly sharp or flat You may have corrected more slowly This is very common and shows the skill is actively developing. 🟠 C-Level Scores (or lower) A C score usually means: Your voice was often above or below the target pitch Your ear is still learning to identify the pitch Your voice may not yet be responding consistently This is normal for beginners and young singers and does not mean someone “can’t sing.” Important Things to Know About the Score The score is based on how close your pitch stays to the target, not on tone quality or musicality Scores can change from one attempt to the next Pitch matching is a coordination skill that improves with practice Fatigue, distraction, or excitement can affect scores — especially for kids A lower score simply means this skill is still developing. How to Use the Score Productively Focus on improving consistency, not chasing an A Practice matching short notes, not long held ones Aim for small improvements over time, not perfection Professional vocal coaches look for patterns, not single scores. Important Note for Parents This score is not a diagnosis and does not measure: Musical talent Intelligence Effort Potential It only reflects pitch matching accuracy during that moment. Try Our Free Online Vocal Range Test If you don't know your vocal range yet, now's the time to check out our Free Online Vocal Range Test ! It's easy, fun, and gets you started on the road toward becoming a fierce singer. Vocal Range Test Try Our Free Interactive Generators Or, if you're feeling confident, dive into our free Interactive Warmup Generator or our Interactive Tongue Twister Generator below: Interactive Vocal Warm-Up Generator Interactive Tongue Twister Generator Good luck... Vocal Warm-Up Generator Generate Tongue Twisters WORK WITH JOSEPH STANEK, VOCAL COACH Tour de Fierce is a vocal training method trusted by Hollywood stars, Broadway headliners, and beginners alike. Founded by Joseph Stanek, Tour de Fierce is a boutique learning experience, meaning that everyone who signs up for lessons will take individual lessons with Joseph Stanek himself. So you literally receive the same exact training as his most famous singers. Meet Joseph Stanek Learn About Vocal Coaching Book Lessons Pitch Matching Tool FAQs What is a pitch matching tool? A pitch matching tool helps you practice matching a target note with your voice. You sing, the tool detects your pitch, and you get feedback on how close you are to the note. How does pitch matching help me learn to sing on pitch? Learning to sing on pitch starts with ear–voice coordination: hearing a note and reproducing it accurately. Pitch matching practice strengthens that coordination so singing in tune becomes more automatic over time. Is this the same as an AI vocal coach? Not exactly. This tool provides real-time pitch feedback to support practice. A vocal coach provides personalized instruction, diagnosis of what’s causing pitch issues, and tailored exercises. What does the letter score mean (A, B, C)? The letter score is an automatic summary of how closely and consistently your sung pitch matched the target pitch during that attempt. It reflects accuracy in that moment, not musical talent or long-term potential. What’s a good score for beginners or kids? Beginners often start with mixed results, and scores can bounce around. The goal is not an “A” every time. The goal is steadier matching and gradual improvement week to week. Why does my score change so much from one try to the next? Pitch matching is affected by focus, fatigue, room noise, microphone quality, and how long you hold notes. Short attempts and a quiet room usually produce more consistent results. How should I practice with this tool? Use short, simple notes. Match the pitch, reset, and repeat. One to two minutes of focused practice is usually better than a long session where you get tired or start guessing.

Hey, North Aug-orgeous! Welcome to North Augusta On Top, the little podcast making a big difference in North Augusta, South Carolina. Hosted by Joseph Stanek, all episodes feature an interview with a local innovator plus a sickening merchandise selection. North Augusta On Top: Stories that Build Communities Some stories are too important to go untold. Tour de Fierce is more than just a podcast—it’s a movement. Through deep storytelling, meaningful conversations, and a one-of-a-kind virtual marketplace, we’re transforming the way we connect with our communities, one episode at a time. At the heart of this series is North Augusta, South Carolina, a city with a rich history and an even brighter future. This podcast is part documentary, part call to action—an ongoing narrative that celebrates the people, places, and causes that make a community thrive. Each episode highlights local voices and organizations doing extraordinary work, from historical preservation and urban development to animal rights, fine arts training, and sustainable farming. But this isn’t just about listening. Every purchase made through our virtual marketplace directly benefits the causes featured in our episodes. It’s a way to turn awareness into action, and stories into tangible change. Join the Movement 🎧 Listen & Engage – Subscribe and become part of the conversation. 🛍 Shop with Purpose – Support local causes through our virtual marketplace. 🤝 Be Part of the Story – Visit TourdeFierce.VIP and help turn a city’s long-overdue coming-of-age story into its success story. This is more than a podcast. It’s a revolution in storytelling, and North Augusta—this one’s for you. 🎤 Hosted by Joseph Stanek | Produced by TourdeFierce.VIP

In-person Voice Lessons NYC at Tour de Fierce in Astoria, Queens, with top vocal coach Joseph Stanek. Private vocal studio: coaching for singers of all levels. LIVE 1:1 COACHING • PRO STUDIO • ALL AGES, GENRES, & LEVELS In-Person Voice Lessons with NYC’s Top Vocal Coach Step into the Tour de Fierce® Music Studio in Astoria, Queens—where Broadway meets luxury training. Experience hands-on coaching, studio acoustics, and physical cueing you can’t get online. Book Your Free Trial Lesson See Inside the Studio Learn more about Joseph's full Voice Coaching Services > Why In-Person Voice Lessons Are Different Online Voice Lessons transform voices across the world—but there’s something irreplaceable about physically being in the same room as your teacher. At Tour de Fierce®, you’ll experience hands-on physical cueing, immersive acoustics, and the atmosphere of a studio designed to make artists out of singers. Feel the intangible nuances of a shared space, from resonance to connection, in ways a screen can’t replicate. Receive immediate, hands-on feedback and corrections on posture, breath, and vocal placement. Experience a live pianist for real-time accompaniment and dynamic collaboration—no latency, just pure musicality. Sing in a space optimized for sound, allowing you to finally hear yourself with absolute clarity. Step into an environment designed solely for learning and artistry, free from the interruptions of home life. Foster a deeper, more personal connection with your coach, built on trust and in-person interaction. Gain confidence performing by sharing the same physical space and energy with your instructor. Book a Lesson at the Studio > Inside NYC's Most Inspiring Vocal Studio Step into a music studio that feels like home—because it is. Located on the garden level of Joseph’s townhouse in Astoria, the Tour de Fierce® Music Studio blends comfort, creativity, and privacy in a way no Midtown rehearsal space ever could. Tour de Fierce Studio Highlights Classic 1986 Polished Ebony NS-15 Kawai Piano Experience your vocal lessons with the exceptional support of a vintage Kawai NS-15. Revered by professional musicians for its reliable and expressive action, this piano offers a fluid and controlled playing experience, creating a seamless partnership between the instrument and your voice. The solid spruce soundboard projects a magnificent, clear tone that perfectly complements your vocal practice, helping you build confidence and precision in every session. The Rehearsal Mirror Refine your stage presence and technique in front of our beautiful, gold-framed mirror. This isn't just a decorative touch—it's an invaluable asset for singers. It provides a clear, full-body view, allowing you to fine-tune your alignment and connect your physical self to your vocal delivery. It's the perfect complement to the studio's rich acoustics, creating a space where every detail of your artistry can be perfected. Sparkle & Sound: Our Studio Walls One of the most popular features of the Tour de Fierce® Music Studio are our glittering vinyl acoustic treatments. Beyond their stunning visual appeal, these custom panels are essential for creating the pristine acoustic environment where your voice can truly shine. They absorb unwanted reflections and amplify ideal singing frequencies, proving that high-quality acoustics can enrich vocals when recording and when performing live simultaneously. Your Private Garden Oasis Step into a private urban oasis where you can prepare for your lesson or decompress afterward. This verdant sanctuary, accessible directly from the studio, is designed for relaxation and inspiration. Unwind on the serene patio, surrounded by lush greenery and the gentle sounds of the fountain. Whether you want to reflect on your progress in the peaceful quiet or simply find a moment of calm before you sing, this tranquil escape is exclusively yours to enjoy. Introducing the Studio's Resident Mascot, Winston Meet Winston, the beloved co-host of our studio! This friendly blonde dachshund-chihuahua mix is a true lover of music and adores listening to our singers. Known for his gentle and calm demeanor, Winston is available upon request to add an extra layer of comfort and encouragement to your lesson. He’s the perfect reminder that music, at its heart, is all about joy. Vibes On Demand Illuminate your creativity with our studio's versatile lighting system. Our smart track lighting allows you to program and set the perfect mood for any session—from focused lessons to captivating performances. Paired with a classic disco ball and a reflective chrome ceiling, the studio transforms into a dynamic canvas. This magical play of light isn't just for atmosphere; it's a powerful tool for content creation, ensuring you can curate the perfect look for your photos and videos, capturing your artistry in the most stunning light. Studio-Grade Mics Experience the difference of a professional setup designed for the modern vocalist. Our custom Tour de Fierce microphones aren't just for show; they are your personal tool for mastering microphone technique and creating professional-grade recordings. Paired with our Shure M7+ setup, this is more than just a set of microphones—it's a complete recording studio at your fingertips, ready to capture your voice with stunning clarity and rich detail. Additional Amenities Extensive Sheet Music Library (Physical and Digital): Opera scores, Broadway shows, contemporary hits, and a bunch of Celine Dion Private Kitchen Access: water, snacks, tea, and the occasional homemade baked goods. Detached Privacy: no noisy neighbors, no sound leaks—famous clients rehearse here knowing their voices stay private. Private Bathroom: it's pink. See the Studio Yourself Who Thrives with In-Person Lessons At Tour de Fierce®, our in-person lessons are designed to be more than just a class—they're a complete, immersive experience. The energy and resources of our private NYC studio create the perfect environment for artists who are ready to elevate their craft. This is the ideal fit for: The Hands-On Learner: If you thrive with tactile, hands-on training, our studio is built for you. You'll work directly with our professional-grade piano and use our large wall-mounted mirror to perfect your posture and technique in real time. We believe that truly great singing involves the entire body and mind, and our space is designed to engage both. The Private Artist: We understand the need for privacy and a truly exclusive experience. Our studio is a completely private, confidential space where you can learn without distraction. This is a secure and discreet haven for all artists, from emerging talents to high-profile performers, where you can feel free to experiment and grow with complete peace of mind. The Immersive Studio Performer: For those who are serious about their artistry, our space offers a professional environment that goes beyond just a lesson. You'll master microphone technique with our custom-branded mics, feel the powerful acoustics of a room designed for sound, and use our programmable mood lighting to find your perfect stage presence. This is studio work in its most authentic form. The NYC Local: Learn in one of the world’s most vibrant cultural hubs. Our studio captures the energy of Broadway with a personalized, in-room experience you won’t find anywhere else. Not in NYC? Explore Online Voice Lessons for the same expert training anywhere in the world. Find Your Fierce Path in NYC Not quite sure where to start or what you're looking for? Don't worry, that's normal. Don't be afraid to reach out —Joseph will be glad to talk you through some goals and help you come up with some custom plans to help you achieve them. If you'd like to see where others have started, have a look at the specialized areas of vocal coaching below. What these aren't: boxes to squeeze into. What these are: springboards for inspiration, curated here to help you imagine your own fierce path forward with Tour de Fierce®. Belting Coach Hear your belt fill the room with resonance—train mic technique, stamina, and projection with live feedback. Master Belting with Joseph > What is Belting? > Musical Theatre Coach Nail both legit & contemporary styles with piano, mirror, and Broadway's top coach: the way Broadway singers train daily. Explore Musical Theatre Coaching > Broadway Vocal Coach Work the same way casting agents expect: in person, full voice, with the versatility Broadway demands. Work with Broadway's Best Coach > Struggling to stand out in auditions? It might not be you—learn how having the right vocal coach can make all the difference. > Singing Lessons for Adults Adults can hit the ground running since their voices are fully developed and ready to sing. Plus, you can use life experience as your edge—find your authentic voice in a comfortable, inspiring setting. Discover Singing Lessons for Adults > Uncover the importance of mindset + life experience when learning to sing. > Vocal Coach for Beginners Step into a safe space to build foundations—Joseph guides you with patience, clarity, and hands-on technique. Buckle up, it's a fast ride! Explore Vocal Coaching for Beginners > Tips for Starting Your Singing Journey > Be the Next International Singing Sensation From Ariana Grande to Jennifer Hudson to Andrea Bocelli to Kristin Chenoweth , celebrity vocal coach Joseph Stanek has his finger on the pulse of what the world wants to hear. Tour de Fierce® training isn’t just about singing—it’s about building the artistry and star power that audiences crave. Think you're the next big thing? Contact Joseph now and start training like the stars. Let's build a career the world is waiting to see. PROOF IN THE PERFORMANCE Real Singers. Real Stories. Real Results. From Broadway headliners to local singers, Joseph Stanek’s in-person vocal coaching delivers breakthroughs you can hear—and feel. These aren’t generic reviews or bots; they’re lived experiences from artists whose confidence, technique, and artistry have transformed inside the Tour de Fierce® studio. Whether you’re chasing a Grammy®, preparing for your first audition, or just daring to sing out loud, these voices prove what’s possible. "I glitterally can't imagine my life without @sephstanek. Working with you has been the greatest gift—I count my lucky stars to have someone as talented, insightful, and compassionate as you in my corner. Your energy is infectious, your heart is pure gold, and your genius is unmatched. Simply put, you are an extraordinary human being, and I am beyond grateful for you every single day. Thank you for everything—you are IT." Kristin Chenoweth (@kchenoweth) Kristin Chenoweth, TONY® & EMMY® Award-Winning Icon, Coached by Joseph Stanek J., Queens, NY "I love coming in person because every lesson feels like a masterclass. Sometimes I catch the end of another student’s session—occasionally even a celebrity—and I always learn something new. Joseph makes it enjoyable for me and my family, who often sit in and cheer me on. It’s more than a lesson—it’s an experience." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ D., Online + NYC "I usually work with Joseph online, but every couple of months I come into the studio in Queens. We save those sessions for recording my singles and for the physical coaching you just can’t get on webcam. The difference is huge—posture, breath, mic technique—it all locks in when I’m there in person." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ R., Broadway Performer "Every Sunday after my Broadway matinee, I head straight to Joseph’s studio. The location is so convenient, but what I love most is the privacy. Unlike Midtown rehearsal spaces where you hear every voice down the hallway, Joseph’s studio is completely soundproof. I feel free to experiment and push my limits without worrying about anyone listening in." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Your Breakthrough Starts Here. Every person that steps into the Tour de Fierce® Music Studio finds the uniqueness in their voice, along with clarity, confidence, and artistry in spades. Whether you’re polishing your Broadway chops, recording a single, or wanting to discover your true sound, this is where progress accelerates. Don’t just imagine what’s possible—experience it. Book Your In-Person Trial Lesson today and embark on an adventure you never dreamed was even possible. Claim Your Free Trial Lesson See More Success Stories > Your Stage, Your Sound, Your Studio In a city where everyone is teeming with ambition, finding a space that feels both inspiring and private is rare. At Tour de Fierce®, artists don’t just rehearse—they thrive. Step into a space where Broadway stars, recording artists, and first-time singers alike discover their best voices. Your next level isn’t “someday.” It’s right here. See Inside the Studio or Book Your Free Trial Lesson now. Contact Joseph Book Your Free Trial Lesson Meet Your New Vocal Coach, Joseph Stanek Joseph Stanek—Broadway performer , TV and concert producer, and vocal coach to the stars—has built a career guiding singers from their first scales to the world’s biggest stages. With decades of experience on Broadway, in recording studios, and behind the scenes producing internationally televised events , Joseph brings an unmatched mix of artistry, technical expertise, and insider knowledge. From GRAMMY® winners to first-time singers, his students come for one reason: results. Joseph’s coaching isn’t about endless lessons—it’s about transformation. His mission is simple: to make you a smart, self-correcting artist who can step on any stage with confidence. Now, that same elite training is available to you at the Tour de Fierce® Music Studio in Astoria, Queens. Whether you’re preparing for a Broadway audition, recording your next single, or just ready to unlock your true sound, Joseph’s expertise will meet you where you are—and take you further than you imagined. Learn More About Joseph Start Your Lessons Today FAQ: In-Person Voice Lessons with Joseph Stanek Do I need to be a professional to train in person? No. Joseph works with all levels—from beginners to Grammy® winners. In-person lessons are customized to your goals. Where is the studio located? In Astoria, Queens—just steps from Astoria Park with easy access to Manhattan. You’ll receive directions after booking. Is the studio private? Yes. The studio is detached, acoustically treated, and fully soundproofed from neighbors—perfect for privacy and creative freedom. Can I bring someone with me to observe? Yes, by request. The studio has a comfortable lounge area, though lessons are typically one-on-one to maximize focus. What amenities are included? You’ll enjoy a luxe lounge, Kawai piano, pro mics, smart lighting, a private bathroom, snacks, and even a garden patio for breaks. Is Winston always in the studio? Winston, Joseph’s friendly dachshund-chihuahua mix, often drops by. If you prefer a dog-free session, he’ll happily hang out upstairs. Can I combine online and in-person lessons? Yes. Many singers train both ways, depending on schedule and travel. Online students often come in for intensive in-person sessions. What should I bring to my first lesson? Bring sheet music or tracks for any songs you’d like to work on. The studio also provides a full music library, iPad, and recording setup .

Generate brand new Vocal Warm-Ups for Singers with the tap of your finger! Tour de Fierce's fun exercises are designed to improve your vocal skills to the max. Interactive Vocal Warm-Up Generator: Your Ultimate Vocal Training Tool Introduction Before every great vocal performance is a proper vocal warm-up. Tour de Fierce's Interactive Vocal Warm-Up Generator is designed to benefit all singers from total beginners to bonafide professionals to help prepare the voice, reduce strain, and improve overall singing performance. By offering a dynamic selection of varied vocal exercises, this tool ensures that each practice session is unique, engaging, and highly effective. benefits Interactive Vocal Warm-Up Generator: Your Ultimate Vocal Training Tool Vocal exercises are an essential part of any singer's routine. Here’s why our generator stands out: Improved Vocal Range and Control: Regular warm-ups help in stretching your vocal cords and expanding your range. Enhanced Breathing Technique: Exercises designed to promote diaphragmatic breathing lead to stronger, more controlled singing. Reduced Vocal Strain: A well-structured warm-up routine minimizes the risk of vocal damage and improves endurance. Personalized Routine: With randomized exercise selections, every session feels fresh, keeping you motivated and engaged. how to use How to Use Tour de Fierce's Interactive Vocal Warm-Up Generator Tour de Fierce's easy-to-use tool makes it simple to integrate effective vocal exercises into your practice. Just follow these steps: Click the “Generate Warm-Up” Button: Start your session with a unique set of exercises tailored to your needs. Perform Each Exercise Thoroughly: Follow the on-screen instructions and take your time with each warm-up. Repeat for Consistency: Make this tool a daily part of your vocal routine to see long-term improvements. Stay tuned for even more specific vocal warm-ups to follow along with... for now, you'll have to get creative with the instructions and create your own exercises based on the prompts provided. (There is, however, a tongue-twister generator below to help you with your tongue-twisting rehearsals!) Vocal Warm-Up Generator Tongue Twister Generator expert vocal coaching tips and techniques Expert Vocal Coaching Tips & Techniques As a pretty sickening vocal coach, I’ve seen firsthand how the right warm-up routine can transform a performance from ordinary to legendary. Here are some exclusive tips to help you get the most out of your warm-ups: Focus on Consistency: Regular practice is key to lasting vocal improvement. Listen to Your Body: Adjust the intensity of your exercises based on how your voice feels. Combine with Proper Hydration: Drinking water before and during your practice ensures your vocal cords remain lubricated. Seek Professional Guidance: (steps up on soap box) Y'all, look, if you’ve never once been in a room—physically or virtually—with a real vocal coach who’s heard your voice, given you some valuable pointers on how to use your voice, and actually tailored a plan to suit your voice and your goals, I need you to do one thing: pause. Press the brakes on every vocal exercise you see on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram—wherever—until you do. It doesn’t matter if you’re channeling your inner rocker, honing distortion techniques, prepping for gospel riffs, or just trying not to embarrass yourself in karaoke. It doesn’t matter if you’re 3 or 93, or how many viral videos you’ve watched from whichever fad voice teacher is trending today. None of that overrides the fact that if no professional has met your actual voice one-on-one, you’re playing with fire if you want to move forward with longevity in your voice. Because your voice is a living, breathing instrument—and, spoiler alert, you only get one. And here’s the kicker: if you start off by blindly following random exercises that may or may not apply to you, you’ll risk creating a laundry list of bad habits. Bad habits that will take months—or even years—of lessons (and your money) to undo. (Granted, when singers come to me to undo their habits, it's a much faster process, but that's just because I "get it.") Translation: you’re wasting your time now and committing your future self to extra hassle. So, do yourself a favor: find someone who actually invests in you. Then, and only then, go wild with these exercises. I promise—it’ll make all the difference. Watch a video about Tour de Fierce's online vocal coaching services . More Free Tools from Tour de Fierce AI-Music-Detector Free Online Tool > Vocal Range Analyzer > Tour de Fierce Blog > Tour de Fierce Research > How to Deal with Stage Fright > Additional Resources for Vocal Health Technique Additional Resources for Vocal Health and Technique To support your vocal journey, here's a curated list of high-quality resources: Tour de Fierce's Vocal Range Test: Try our free online vocal range test to determine your exact vocal range (your lowest note and your highest note) plus find out which voice type you are. Manage Your Performance Anxiety: Get our free guide on how to deal with stage fright . With Tour de Fierce's tips and tricks, you'll learn to manage those pre-show jitters like a pro. National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS): For in-depth professional insights and industry standards, visit NATS.org (opens in a new tab). Voice Science Works: Explore evidence-based tips on vocal health at VoiceScienceWorks.org (opens in a new tab). The Tour de Fierce Blog: Continue your vocal education with our regularly updated vocal training blog .

Read the official Single Coaching Session Policy for Tour de Fierce. Learn how cancellations, rescheduling, payments, and lesson expectations work before booking a private vocal coaching session. < Return to Vocal Coaching Policies Single Coaching Session Policy Applies to: One-time online or in-person vocal coaching sessions Thank you for booking a single coaching session with Tour de Fierce. These policies are designed to ensure fairness, clarity, and a productive experience for every singer. Please review carefully before completing your booking. Session Overview Session Length: 60 minutes Format: Online or in-person (NYC) Payment: Due in full at time of booking Refunds: Not available (see policy below) Single coaching sessions are ideal for: trying out lessons preparing for auditions / events getting expert feedback on technique, repertoire, or performance If you are interested in consistent weekly progress, consider our subscription plan instead. Cancellation & Rescheduling To reschedule or cancel, please provide at least 48 hours’ notice. Sessions canceled with less than 48 hours’ notice are forfeited. Sessions not attended (“no-shows”) are forfeited. Exceptions may be granted for genuine emergencies, at our discretion. This policy helps protect reserved time on the studio calendar and allows other students access to available slots. Refund Policy All single coaching session bookings are non-refundable. Refunds are not issued for missed or unused sessions. Rescheduling is available only with proper notice (see above). If a session must be canceled due to an issue on our end, it will be rescheduled at no cost to you. Late Arrivals Lessons begin and end at the scheduled time. If you arrive late, the session will continue until the original end time. If you are more than 10 minutes late without notice, the session may be marked as forfeited. Please plan to log in or arrive a few minutes early to set up and warm up. Online Lesson Requirements For online sessions, please ensure: stable internet connection working camera and microphone quiet environment willingness to participate fully and try new approaches If technical issues on your end prevent meaningful progress, the session may be forfeited. If technical issues occur on our end, the session will be rescheduled. Professional Conduct & Confidentiality Tour de Fierce provides a safe, encouraging, judgment-free coaching space. Respectful communication is expected at all times. Harassment, abusive language, or inappropriate behavior may result in termination of the session without refund. All coaching conversations, recordings, and materials remain confidential unless you grant written permission. Agreement By booking a single coaching session, you acknowledge and agree that: “Single coaching sessions are non-refundable. Rescheduling requires at least 48 hours’ notice. Lessons begin and end at the scheduled time, and missed appointments may be forfeited. I have read and agree to the Single Coaching Session Policy.” We look forward to working with you and supporting your vocal journey. ^ Return to Top < Return to Vocal Coaching Policies

Listen to "Red Hot for Reba," the new tribute song to Reba McEntire by Joseph Stanek... Tour de Fierce's "Fancy" celebration of the Queen of Country Music! "Red Hot for Reba" - An Anthem for the Queen of Country Music, Ms. Reba McEntire RED HOT FOR REBA RED HOT FOR REBA RED HOT FOR REBA RED HOT FOR REBA Who better to pen a tribute to the Queen of Country than a strapping, young descendant of Country's King, Roy Acuff? "Red Hot for Reba" is a love-letter-turned-country-anthem that’s equal parts smitten, smoldering, and super-smart satire. With a wit that’s as heartfelt as it is original, this debut composition makes it clear: every note is crafted from the heart, not from hardware. This song is a bold stand for real, homegrown creativity, and a playful reminder that some things—especially Reba-red passion—can’t be programmed. "Red Hot for Reba" Lyrics "Red Hot for Reba" by Joseph Stanek VERSE 1 Blame it on my sister, back in nineteen ninety-four, My fate was sealed the moment she put that poster up on her door. “Read My Mind,” were the words I overlooked, Cuz a sizzlin’ country vixen had all o’ my attention hooked. PRE-CHORUS Oh, that sunset fire hair and those sapphire eyes, With a voice that sends my heat index up to new highs! CHORUS Reba red, I’m Red Hot for Reba! Got a wildfire case o’ her sweet scarlet fever. Smokin’ hot! Yeah, just the thought of her makes me sweat. Oh, Reba Nell, I fell, can’t ya tell? You’re my Mac… Entire life! VERSE 2 All Hail the Queen of Country, God Save the Queen of my Heart This lonely hunter’s kept lovin’ you and only you from the start. I will be the greatest man you’ve ever known, What do ya say, we make sweet music, woman! Singin’ oh, oh, oh, oh! BRIDGE I don’t want your riches, I don’t need no fame, I’m just a man with one request… And Reba is her name. And Reba is her name! CHORUS Reba red, I’m Red Hot for Reba! Got a wildfire case o’ her sweet scarlet fever. Smokin’ hot! Yeah, just the thought of her makes me sweat. Oh, Reba Nell, I fell, can’t ya tell? You’re my Mc… Entire life! OUTTRO (Reba red, I’m Red Hot for Reba!) (spoken) This must be what a hot flash feels like! RED HOT MERCHANDISE Quick View Plush Blanket for Country Music Fans Price $51.57 Excluding Sales Tax | Free Shipping Quick View Red Hot for Reba Heart-Shaped Pillow Price From $25.63 Excluding Sales Tax | Free Shipping Quick View Sweet Scarlet Fever Tank, Red Hot for Reba (McEntire) Vintage Country Style Price $36.98 Excluding Sales Tax | Free Shipping Quick View Crown-Shaped Pillow Price From $25.63 Excluding Sales Tax | Free Shipping Quick View New Single Release Metal Sign Price From $24.55 Excluding Sales Tax | Free Shipping Quick View Red Hot for Reba Crown-Shaped Sticker Price From $12.68 Excluding Sales Tax | Free Shipping Quick View Heart-Shaped Sticker Price From $12.42 Excluding Sales Tax | Free Shipping FAQ Q: Who wrote Red Hot for Reba? A: Joseph Stanek wrote, performed, produced, and recorded Red Hot for Reba entirely by himself at Tour de Fierce Studios in New York City. Q: Is Red Hot for Reba endorsed by Reba McEntire? A: Nope! It’s a playful and independent fan-made tribute—equal parts love letter and toe-tapper. Q: What kind of song is Red Hot for Reba? A: It’s a blend of country, comedy, novelty, and tribute—a clever, catchy nod to the Queen of Country. Q: Where was the song recorded? A: At Tour de Fierce Studios in Astoria, Queens—home base for Joseph Stanek’s high-gloss musical creations.

Learn how to deal with stage fright from a celebrity vocal coach. These practical, proven techniques will help you turn nerves into powerful stage presence. How to Deal with Stage Fright Like a Pro: What Every Singer Needs to Know Stage fright is real—but it doesn’t have to hold you back. In this free guide, I’ll teach you how to deal with stage fright using the same tools I share with my celebrity clients. You’ll learn how to harness nervous energy, command the stage, and deliver powerful performances every time you step foot on stage. 'Stage Fright to Stage Might' is a free download from Tour de Fierce... consider it your official cure for stage fright. Our free guide is rooted in science and real-life experiences from professional performers: it's built for results. Learn the same practical strategies from an industry expert who coaches A-list performers to manage their performance anxieties every day. Enter your email below for exclusive access to this game-changing (and life-changing) performance anxiety guide and discover how to command the stage with confidence. Learn How to Handle Performance Anxiety with our Free Guide These tips on overcoming performance anxiety are ideal for: singers actors public speakers teachers salespersons leadership positions job interviews auditions professional, hobbyist, amateur, and student performers of any age and level of skill who want to learn how to deal with stage fright. Free Performance Anxiety Download public speaking coach The Science of Performance Anxiety Fierce Mindset Shift Relaxation Techniques Public Speaking Tips How to Deal with Stage Fright Top of Page Instant Access Instructions Form for Free Stage Fright Download How to Deal with Stage Fright: The Blog Entry About Public Speaking Coach Joseph Stanek Free Guide Topics How to Deal with Stage Fright 101: Topics You'll Learn from NYC's Top Performance and Public Speaking Coach: ✅ The Science Behind Performance Anxiety: Why Stage Fright Happens—and How to Deal with It The Science of Performance Anxiety Why do we freeze up before stepping on stage? Learn how your brain reacts and how to reprogram nervous energy into focus. ✅ The Fierce Mindset Shift: Pro Techniques for Dealing with Stage Fright Before a Performance Fierce Mindset Shift The secret tricks that top performers and public speakers all over the world use to instantly transform fear into confidence before their time in the spotlight. ✅ Psychological Hacks & Relaxation Techniques Relaxation Techniques From power poses to pre-show rituals, get industry-proven strategies (plus some real-life examples!) to keep stage fright from taking the spotlight. ✅ Stage Fright Recovery Tools Used with A-List Clients, Professional Entertainers, and Public Figures Public Speaking Tips Joseph Stanek’s expert performance-anxiety-conquering techniques that help singers, actors, and public speakers master their stage presence. 🎤 This free guide is designed for performers, public speakers, presenters, hosts, anyone who wants to be more confident for any reason, at every age and with any level of skill—whether you're preparing for a Broadway stage, an audition, a high-stakes presentation, a job interview, or a wedding speech... the principles apply to any and all situations where clear communication is the ultimate goal. How to Get Instant Access 📩 Step 1: Enter your best email in the form below . 📥 Step 2: Check your inbox for a private link to the guide. 🎭 Step 3: Start transforming your stage presence right away! 📩 Enter your email below to get exclusive access! 🔒 Your information is secure. No spam—just fierce performance insights. Sign Up for Your Free Copy of 'Stage Fright to Stage Might'—the Life-Changing, Game-Changing Resource for How to Deal with Stage Fright! First name* Email* What's your biggest stage fright struggle? (Optional) Give Me the Guide! Free Guidebook Form Need Some Extra Encouragement? If, for some reason, all of the things on this page wasn't enough to convince you to sign up for my free guide on how to deal with stage fright, don't worry. Check out the blog post I wrote (also free) with the three most important steps everyone should take when learning to manage their performance anxiety . There's no catch here, I genuinely want you to succeed every time you step in front of a crowd. These techniques changed my life, and I know they can change yours, too. You've got this. Learn How to Deal with Stage Fright and Performance Anxiety from NYC's Best Public Speaking Coach, Joseph Stanek Joseph Stanek is a renowned public speaking coach, acting and vocal coach, performance strategist, and entertainment industry expert who specializes in helping people from all over the world learn how to deal with stage fright. As the founder of Tour de Fierce, he works with Broadway stars, major recording artists, and public speakers to refine their craft and own the stage so they can share their messages with newfound confidence. With over 20 years of experience and a client roster that includes EMMY®, GRAMMY®, OSCAR®, and TONY® Award-winning performers and productions, Joseph’s expertise has helped artists command the spotlight for television specials and sold-out concert venues around the world—including Madison Square Garden and the historic Roman Colosseum. ✨ Now, he’s sharing his strategies with YOU—for free. Read More About Joseph Joseph Stanek Image and Bio

Tour de Fierce® NYC offers vocal coaching and music production services with Joseph Stanek. Book private voice lessons, recording sessions, custom arrangements... ARTIST-FIRST. INDUSTRY-PROVEN. Vocal Coaching & Music Production Services At Tour de Fierce®, we don’t just teach vocal technique — that’s where other vocal coaches stop, but for us, it’s only the beginning. Technique is your foundation, yes, but true artistry comes from discovering the qualities in your voice that no one else has, mastering them, and shaping them into a unique vocal identity and branding strategy that is instantly recognizable as yours alone. Our services are designed to transform performers at any and every stage. We set clear-cut goals, create custom strategies for portfolio-building, and guide artists through the full spectrum of using their voices for high-impact results: from vocal coaching to professional recording, from bespoke orchestrations and song arrangements to fully produced packages. Our singers leave not only with stronger voices, but with the tools, recordings, repertoire, and fully-formed artistry positioned to make their mark on the world. Once our artists emerge, we break the molds. Because at Tour de Fierce®, your artistry is our mission. "Technique, time, tradition — that's where all the other vocal coaches stop. We don't stop at all." -Joseph Stanek, Founder of Tour de Fierce® VOCAL COACHING (IN-PERSON NYC & REMOTE) Transformative vocal coaching for singers of all levels. Build range, power, and artistry with Tour de Fierce® — online worldwide or in our New York studio. Voice Coaching > CUSTOM SONG ARRANGEMENTS Ditch karaoke tracks and discover your sound. Our custom orchestrations and vocal arrangements reimagine songs to spotlight your voice, style, and strengths. Custom Arrangements > PROFESSIONAL VOCAL RECORDING Capture studio-quality vocals with expert coaching and pro gear. From polished demos to fully mastered tracks, your voice deserves the Tour de Fierce® touch. Pro Voice Recording > FULL PACKAGE (COACHING + Arrangement + RECORDING) The ultimate Tour de Fierce® experience — elite coaching, custom arrangement, and professional recording in one powerful package. Full Package > OUR SERVICES AREN'T BASIC — THEY'RE EXTRA AF. Additional Services Beyond our core offerings, Tour de Fierce® provides specialized training and consultations designed to give performers every advantage: Ear training & solfege Sight-singing & music theory for singers Orchestration & arranging Entertainment career consultations Audition prep & stage presence coaching Accent modification & speech clarity Portfolio, digital presence, & demo reel building Stage fright & performance anxiety management These add-ons ensure that whether you’re preparing for conservatory, launching a career, or refining your artistry, you’ll find the tools you need at Tour de Fierce®. THEY COACH SINGING. WE COACH ARTISTS THE WORLD CAN'T IGNORE. Why Artists Choose Tour de Fierce® Industry-grade, not classroom-level. Credits across NBC, ABC, PBS, Broadway tours, Billboard® charts. Technique → Identity → Portfolio. We turn vocal skills into a signature sound, brand, and tangible assets you will be proud of. End-to-end support. Voice Coaching , Custom Arrangements , Professional Voice Recording , and Full Production Packages under one roof. YOUR JOURNEY FROM LESSONS TO LEGACY How Our Services Work 1. Introductions, Consultation, & Goal-Setting: In your first session, we get to know each other and set our goals for our time together. 2. Design Your Plan: A custom mix of coaching, arrangements, and studio work. 3. Create & Refine: Rehearse, record, and iterate with elite direction. 4. Deliver & Elevate: Leave with finished material and next-step guidance. YOUR QUESTIONS, FIERCELY ANSWERED. Frequently Asked Questions How many vocal coaches are on staff, and who will I be studying with? At Tour de Fierce®, there is only one vocal coach: Joseph “Seph” Stanek (the Founder). This is a boutique enterprise, which means every singer works directly with Joseph. Unlike many larger vocal studios—especially in New York City—where the “big name” coach often outsources clients to junior staff in order to scale capacity, Joseph never delegates his singers. After two decades in the entertainment industry, he has never found another coach who operates at his level of instinct and experience. Tour de Fierce® is built on complete transparency: you always know exactly who you’re studying with and what you’re paying for from your very first interaction. What types of clients do you work with? I coach singers, actors, recording artists, public speakers, conservatory students, and ambitious beginners. All ages and skill levels. A typical day at Tour de Fierce® might start with an Academy Award® winner in my New York City studio, continue with back-to-back virtual lessons for singers around the globe (including complete beginners), include an in-person session with a neighbor down the street, and end with late-night coachings for Broadway professionals right after their evening shows. What musical styles do you teach? While I am known for coaching pop, rock, classical, and Broadway singers, I am equally skilled at coaching opera/operetta, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, metal, sacred, chant, blues, country, singer-songwriter, reggaeton, rap, chanson, lieder, art songs, and cross-over styles. I haven’t encountered a genre that has evaded my expertise in 20 years. What singing techniques do you teach? My formal training—both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees—is rooted in the Italian bel canto tradition, which I consider the foundation from which every other vocal technique can be learned. As a Master of Music, I’ve made it my mission to study and master as many vocal specializations as possible. These include classical and contemporary approaches such as belting, straight-tone, falsetto, countertenor, patter singing, vocal percussion, vocalise, scat singing, vocal improvisation, and a wide range of extended techniques like distortion (screaming, growl, rattle, creaking). I also train singers in riffing and melismatic phrasing, stylistic ornamentation, and dozens of comedic and character-based singing techniques. For more information on vocal coaching, visit the Vocal Coaching page. Do you offer free trial lessons? Yes—when my schedule allows, I offer a free 30-minute trial lesson for singers I haven’t worked with before. To request availability and book a free trial lesson, visit the Contact page and submit a form. I will respond as soon as I am able. If no openings are available, I’ll add you to the waiting list and reach out directly when you're next in line. How many clients can you take on at once? Because Tour de Fierce® is a boutique, founder-led enterprise, availability is limited. Every service is personally delivered by Joseph “Seph” Stanek, which means only a select number of artists can be booked at a time. If you’d like to be considered, reach out via the Contact page and share your goals—I’ll let you know if I can fit you into my schedule or add you to the waiting list. How are your services priced? For costs, please visit the Pricing and Sessions page. Do you offer payment plans? Yes. Payment plans are available for vocal coaching subscriptions and larger-scale projects. Our most popular offering is the subscription option, which includes weekly 60-minute lessons at half the standard rate, plus a free trial lesson. How do I book a service? You can book vocal coaching sessions directly through the Book Now page. For other services, such as arrangements or recording packages, fill out the form on the Contact page with details about your project, and I'll be in touch about pricing, or for more information about your project, as soon as possible. THIS MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT TAP YOUR FINGER WILL EVER EXPERIENCE Book Your Vocal Coaching Services Now Don’t wait for permission to shine—your artistry deserves the Tour de Fierce® touch. Whether you’re ready for coaching, arrangements, recording, or the full package, the life you've been dreaming of starts here. Book Your Session Now

Book a free trial voice lesson with Broadway vocal coach Joseph Stanek. Train online or in Joseph’s private NYC studio. Text or call (917) 408-3621. Contact Joseph Stanek | Schedule Your Free Trial Lesson Contact Tour de Fierce Whether you’re ready to claim your free trial lesson, ask about collaborations, or schedule an in-person session at our NYC studio, this page is your direct line to Joseph Stanek and Tour de Fierce®. Every inquiry goes straight to the studio—no middlemen, no delays. Jump to: Customer Support Contact All Other Inquiries Tour de Fierce Business Phone Number NYC Vocal Studio Location Free Trial Lesson Form Google Maps Tour de Fierce Address Claim Your Free Trial Lesson Dip a toe in with a 30-minute session. We’ll assess your voice, set goals, and map your next steps—online or in person in NYC. Free trial lessons are offered on a limited basis and subject to availability. To guarantee your spot and begin consistent training, we recommend starting with a subscription package . Your subscription includes your free 30-minute trial, plus a 7-day grace period to cancel before your first billing cycle. This way, you can dive in with confidence while securing priority placement on Joseph’s calendar. First name* Last name* Email* Phone Entering your mobile opts you in for text reminders. Birthday Month Day Year Your Time Zone* Enter the time zone where you will be taking your free trial lesson. Your Address Country/Region Address City Zip / Postal code Yes, subscribe me to the Tour de Fierce® newsletter (they're rare!). Company name Position Preferred Lesson Type* Online In-Person Experience Level* Total Beginner Some Training Working Professional Vocal Coach Other Coaching Focus* Auditions Belting Broadway / Musical Theatre Pop/Rock K-Pop Country / Folk / Americana Classical/Opera Recording/Studio Karaoke Songs Confidence / Stage Fright Public Speaking Ear Training Music Theory Content Creation Songwriting / Composition / Orchestration Not Sure Other General Availability for Coaching* Morning Afternoon Evening Late Night Weekdays Weekends Other Link(s) of You Singing (Not Required) How did you hear about Joseph/Tour de Fierce®?* I agree to be contacted by Tour de Fierce® and receive scheduling details. Claim My Free Trial Lesson! For All Other Requests... Reach Out! Vocal Coaching & Performance Training – Tell me your goals—I'll build your plan. Industry Collaborations & Productions – Need a creative director/producer/co-vocal arranger? Check out my profile and resume on Backstage (Seph Stanek on Backstage > ) Let's talk. Press & Media: Interviews, expert commentary, speaking. Send an email to: contact@tourdefierce.vip Or fill out the form below: Contact Tour de Fierce® First name* Last name* Email* Phone Adding your mobile number opts you in for text reminders. I have a question about...* Vocal Coaching Custom Song Arrangement/ Orchestration Professional Voice Recording Tour de Fierce Full Production Package (Voice Coaching + Custom Arrangement + Professional Recording) Throat Punch Television, Music, or Concert Production Other Message* If you are using this form to receive a quote for one of Tour de Fierce®'s special services, please provide as many details as possible so we can understand how to make your vision come to life. Submit Vocal Coaching Inquiries Vocal Coach Contact Form All Other Inquiries Customer Support Customer Support Contact For help with an order or to report a technical issue on the website: call +1(917)408-3621 or email support@tourdefierce.vip . Call Tour de Fierce® Email Tour de Fierce® Support Visit the Tour de Fierce® Music Studio (By Appointment) Tour de Fierce Music Studio 18-37 25th Rd, 1st Floor Long Island City, NY 11102 Phone: (917)408-3621 SMS/Text: (917)408-3621 Email: contact@tourdefierce.vip A private, acoustically treated, garden-level studio—quiet, luxe, and camera-ready. NYC Vocal Studio Location Tour de Fierce Business Phone Number Find Tour de Fierce

Review Tour de Fierce's official Weekly Vocal Coaching Plan Policy. Learn how billing, cancellations, rescheduling, and subscriptions work before enrolling. < Return to Vocal Coaching Policies Weekly Vocal Coaching Plan Policy Applies to: Online and In-Person Vocal Coaching — Subscription Plan Thank you for choosing the Weekly Vocal Coaching Plan — a structured coaching program designed to support steady progress, confidence, and long-term vocal development. This page outlines the full policy for the subscription plan. Please read carefully before enrolling. Plan Overview Billing: $390 every 4 weeks Sales Tax: 8.88% NY State sales tax (total billed: $424.63 per cycle) Sessions Included: Four (4) weekly 60-minute sessions per billing cycle Minimum Commitment: 4 weeks Renewal: Automatically renews every 4 weeks until canceled This subscription offers discounted pricing compared to our regular $195 single-session rate. Trial lessons are not included in this plan. If you’d like to try a lesson first, submit the Free Trial Request on the Contact page and we’ll be in touch. Renewals & Cancellations The plan renews automatically every 4 weeks. After the initial 4-week commitment, you may cancel at any time. Cancellations require 7 days’ written notice prior to your next billing date. You may cancel directly through My Subscriptions or by contacting us in writing. Cancellations submitted with less than 7 days’ notice may be processed for the following cycle. Rescheduling & Missed Lessons Sessions may be rescheduled with at least 48 hours’ notice (subject to availability). Sessions missed without notice are forfeited. Missed lessons cannot be carried forward into future billing cycles unless approved in writing. This policy ensures consistency, fairness, and proper scheduling time for all students. Refund Policy Because this plan offers discounted pricing, all payments are non-refundable. Refunds are not issued for unused or missed sessions. Sales tax is non-refundable. If a session must be canceled due to an issue on our side, it will be rescheduled at no cost. Online Session Requirements To get the most out of your lessons, please ensure: reliable internet connection working camera and microphone quiet space willingness to explore, try, and grow If technical issues occur on your end and significantly disrupt the session, the session may be forfeited. If technical issues occur on our end, we will reschedule your lesson. Professional Conduct & Confidentiality Lessons are a supportive, judgment-free environment. We expect respectful communication at all times. Harassment, abusive language, or inappropriate behavior may result in termination of services without refund. All lesson content, communication, and recordings are treated as confidential and are never shared without permission. Agreement By enrolling in the Weekly Vocal Coaching Plan, you acknowledge and agree that: “This is a recurring subscription billed at $390 every 4 weeks plus 8.88% NY State sales tax ($424.63 total). There is a minimum commitment of 4 weeks. I may cancel after the initial period with at least 7 days’ written notice. Missed or unused sessions are non-refundable, and rescheduling requires 48 hours’ notice. I have read and agree to the full Weekly Vocal Coaching Plan Policy.” We’re excited to support your vocal journey — and we look forward to working with you. ^ Return to Top < Return to Vocal Coaching Policies

It’s time we pay tribute to one of Astoria’s most extraordinary icons: Maria Callas. Part of New York's Participatory Budgeting initiative (2024), this project proposes building a small amphitheater in District 22's Astoria Park, designed to honor Callas's early childhood spent here and to celebrate our district’s vibrant Greek history and culture. Maria Callas, the greatest opera singer of the 20th century, revolutionized opera with her unmatched vocal talent and dramatic intensity. Maria Callas Memorial Amphitheater in Astoria Park Honoring the Greatest Voice of the 20th Century and Celebrating Astoria’s Greek Heritage 2025 New York City Participatory Budgeting, City District 22, Proposal by Joseph Stanek info@tourdefierce.vip Introduction Astoria is a lively neighborhood with a deep appreciation for the arts and a rich Greek cultural legacy. One of its most remarkable connections is to the legendary soprano Maria Callas, who spent her early childhood here. As part of New York City's 2024 Participatory Budgeting initiative in District 22, this project aims to create a lasting tribute to her legacy: the Maria Callas Memorial Amphitheater, seamlessly integrated into Astoria Park’s natural landscape. (In perfect timing, too, as Angelina Jolie's triumphal return to the big screen in "Maria" sweeps box office records across the globe.) Maria Callas: Astoria Icon Born to Greek immigrant parents, Maria Callas grew up in Astoria before becoming an international opera sensation. Her extraordinary voice and artistry transformed the world of opera, and her legacy continues to inspire artists and music lovers everywhere. Her life story, from humble beginnings to worldwide fame, embodies the essence of the American dream and the power of artistic passion. "La Divina" Known as ‘La Divina,’ Maria Callas revolutionized the world of opera with her extraordinary vocal range, dramatic artistry, and fearless interpretations of opera's greatest heroines like Tosca, Norma, and Violetta. Her spellbinding performances at La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera ignited fervent fan hysteria, cementing her status as a true cultural icon across the globe. Off the stage, Callas lived a life of elegance and sophistication, gracing the world’s most exclusive gatherings in couture fashion and forming connections with prominent figures, including her celebrated partner, Aristotle Onassis. Yet, beyond the glamour, she was a devoted humanitarian, using her influence to support charitable causes and advocating for the arts' accessibility to people of all backgrounds. Her legacy is one of unparalleled artistic achievement and a deep commitment to using her influence for the greater good. The Vision The amphitheater will be designed to blend harmoniously with Astoria Park’s natural beauty, preserving the green spaces and enhancing the park’s charm. With semi-circular stone seating nestled into the landscape, this venue will be ideal for live music concerts, cultural performances, and Astoria’s summer Movies in the Park series. This space will not only celebrate Maria Callas’s legacy but also honor our district’s vibrant Greek history and serve as a global destination for opera and music fans. Informational plaques will share her incredible journey, her impact on the world of opera, and her deep connection to Astoria. Why it Matters The Maria Callas Memorial Amphitheater will enrich Astoria's community, strengthen our cultural identity, and elevate Astoria Park as a world-class venue for the arts. It will inspire future generations of Astorians and beyond while ensuring that the legacy of Maria Callas lives on in the heart of our neighborhood. More Info 1 / Maria Callas's Wikipedia Page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Callas 2 / Maria Callas's Website https://www.maria-callas.com/en/ 3 / Maria Callas's Estate https://www.mariacallasestate.com/index.php/the-estate/ Back to Portfolio Tour de Fierce Home

Discover Mailable Masterpieces, unique coloring books designed to be colored and mailed as cards. A creative way to connect! Tour de Fierce Publishing Mailable Masterpieces: A Coloring Book Series That Connects Hearts Mailable Masterpieces: In a world of instant messages and fleeting digital interactions, what if a coloring book could bring back the magic of handwritten letters and heartfelt connection? A Creative Experience that Travels Mailable Masterpieces is more than just a coloring book—it’s a meaningful way to share creativity, joy, and love with the special people in your life. This one-of-a-kind series blends the relaxation of coloring, the charm of foldable papercrafts, and the timeless beauty of personal letters into an experience unlike any other. Each Mailable Masterpieces book features: Gorgeously designed pages that transform into stunning, mailable envelopes Coordinated stationery pages for your personal notes and heartfelt messages A unique way to brighten someone’s day with art and words that travel Color, Fold, Send, Connect Color your masterpiece, fold it into a beautiful envelope, write your note on the included stationery, and send it off into the world. Whether it’s a birthday, a thank-you, or just a simple "thinking of you," your handmade creation becomes a keepsake that spreads love and creativity. Mailable Masterpieces Come in a Variety of Themed Collections, Including: Van Gogh Reimagined Zebracorns Leading ladies of the Opera Stage (Limited Edition, Sold Out) Art Deco Architecture: Rockefeller Center Art Deco Architecture: The Chrysler Building Art Deco Architecture: The Empire State Building Vintage Fashion & Couture Christmas Trees 1 , 2 , & 3 Wintery Holiday Scenes Dahlias Roses Weeds Peonies Carnations Calla Lilies Hydrangeas Bouquets for Days! / ¡Flores sín Fin! Birthday Cakes Snow Globes Vintage Fashion & Couture: Men's Swimwear + MORE! 📬 Share more than just a message—send a memory. Exclusively available on Amazon. View on Amazon Back to Portfolio Back to Publishing

Real students. Real results. REAL FIERCE! Hear how Tour de Fierce’s online voice lessons transform the lives and voices of singers all around the world. What Students Are Saying About Tour de Fierce's Online Voice Lessons Online Singing Testimonials Best Online Voice Lessons From EMMY®, GRAMMY®, OSCAR®, and TONY® Award-Winning performers to shower-singing total beginners, our online voice lessons have helped thousands of people across the world find their voices. Read real success stories from students who’ve transformed their technique, confidence, and artistry to become fierce singers, no matter where they came to us from. Whether you're just starting out or wanting a career-making refresh on your singing skills, Tour de Fierce delivers the results you want faster and cheaper than you'll get anywhere else. When you’re looking for the best online voice lessons, the real proof isn’t in marketing—it’s in the voices of the singers who train there. At Tour de Fierce, our students don’t just improve their vocal technique—they experience profound artistic breakthroughs, gain unshakable confidence, and unlock their ability to perform at the highest level—all in a fraction of the time it takes in other studios. From Broadway professionals to recording artists to singers who once doubted they could even carry a tune, every testimonial on this page is a testament to what’s possible when you train with a coach who sees your full potential—and knows how to get you there. Ready to start your own transformation? Let their stories inspire yours. Vocal Transformation Examples: Hear the Improvement Yourself—These Singers have Had Less than Three Lessons Each! Take a listen to the before-and-after audio clip below to get an idea of the kind of results my singers get when they study with me. These singers just happened to be the very first two students who signed up for online voice lessons with me on Fiverr. Neither one of them had any vocal training before they met with me, so they were 100% beginners. The improvement is going to knock your socks off! (By the way, you should hear what they both sound like NOW!) Before and After Beginner Singers, Improvement in Under 3 Lessons Joseph Stanek, New York City Vocal Coach 00:00 / 02:44 Vocal Transformation Examples Real Vocal Coaching Results Best Online Voice Lessons International Testimonials D., United States "As someone who has explored many different subjects, I can confidently say this is the most fun I’ve ever had! Being super introverted, I’ve already noticed a boost in my confidence after just ONE session. Joseph is a stellar teacher with a clear love for what he does, he is 110% genuine and is passionate about helping his singers achieve their dreams. It took so many years of my life to take this first step and I have no regrets about choosing this path with Joseph leading the way. The road ahead looks truly beautiful!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Y., Taiwan "I was raised in a family where everyone told me how plain and talentless I am... And I believed them all these years. Meeting Joseph and working with him in voice lessons is the first moment I've ever considered the possibility that my life may be an extraordinary one." ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A., United States "Joseph is professional, knowledgeable, funny, and he communicates in a way that makes sense. His attention to detail is impeccable! He showed me techniques that I’ve never heard of before and I’ve already put them into action with incredible results. I am super excited to see where he’s going to take my voice!!! I really felt like he listened to me... Listened to my voice and came up with an approach that was tailored just for me. HE IS AMAZING!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Vocal Coaching Student Reviews A., India So, I took a chance on myself by signing up for online voice lessons with Joseph Stanek, and what I got in return is nothing short of a miracle. Pretty much right off the bat, he honed in on an emotional block I was mostly unaware of, something buried deep in my past that had been holding me back not just in singing, but in life. Joseph has this uncanny ability to see beyond the notes and technique, diving straight into the core of what makes you you. In my case, it meant confronting emotions I’d avoided for years—grief, fear, and even the shame of feeling like I wasn’t good enough to pursue something I loved. His compassion, combined with his unwavering commitment to helping his students grow, created a safe space for me to explore not just my voice, but my vulnerabilities. Through tailored exercises, gentle but honest feedback, and an approach that felt both deeply personal and profoundly professional, Joseph guided me to a breakthrough I didn’t even know I needed. Suddenly, I wasn’t just singing—I was connecting. To myself. To the music. To my emotions. It hasn’t just changed the way I sing; it’s changed the way I live. I feel lighter, freer, and more authentic in every area of my life. If you’re considering lessons with Joseph, don’t hesitate. What he offers goes beyond vocal coaching—it’s a transformational experience that could open doors you never even knew were closed. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Best Online Voice Lessons Testimonial from India Kristin Chenoweth Review Testimonial Straight from the Queen Herself (Kristin Chenoweth @kchenoweth) Best Online Voice Lessons Kristin Chenoweth Testimonial ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ "Mr. Stanek is amazing!! I’ve been using his techniques all over the place and I have reunited myself with a new love for my craft. Why are you sitting there reading this?!? Get yourself in shape and sign up with Joseph asappppp!!! That dream is waiting!!! Sing your heart out! You won’t regret it!!" E., Canada "...Superb... rich... the show radiates pleasure across the proverbial footlights." Vocal Coach Press Features Press for the Best Online Voice Lessons