Hi, I’m Jimena
I'm a voice teacher and performer based in Pleasantville, NY, originally from Mexico City, which means I also teach in Spanish for students who prefer it.
I founded Spotlight Vocal Lab because I wanted to build the kind of studio I wish I'd had when I was a young singer: one where the teacher meets you where you are, takes your goals seriously, and actually makes it fun to work hard.
That's still what gets me out of bed every morning. Watching a student walk out of a lesson surprised at what they just did: more capable than they thought, more excited than when they came in, never gets old.
What I actually believe about singing.
Here's something I've noticed after ten years of teaching: most singers think their voice is the problem. It almost never is.
What I've found, over and over again, is that students make the most progress when we work on music they actually care about. Not repertoire someone else decided was 'appropriate.' The song they've been obsessing over, the audition cut that feels just out of reach, the chorus they can hear perfectly in their head but can't quite land yet.
That music becomes the lesson. We use it to build breath support, find where registers connect, develop consistency, and work on performing under pressure. The technique is real, it just doesn't feel like a drill.
My approach is grounded in the vocal styles you hear in musical theatre and pop: the belt, the mix, the emotional directness, the kind of singing that sounds like a person, not a performance. I spent years studying these styles specifically so I could teach them well, because most singers in this area want to sing this way, and deserve a teacher who actually specializes in it.
Every student I work with gets a lesson that's built for them: their voice, their goals, their timeline. No one-size-fits-all method. No 'fix yourself first, then we'll work on the good stuff.' Just singing, from the very first lesson.
A little more about my background.
I hold a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, and I've been teaching voice professionally for over ten years in music academies, private studios, and school programs across Houston and the New York area.
A few years ago, I made a deliberate decision to deepen my training in the vocal styles I was already passionate about: the techniques behind musical theatre belting, pop singing, mix voice, and contemporary performance. I went back to studying specifically because my students deserved a teacher who had really done the work, not just someone who could approximate it.
That's the studio I've built. And it's what makes Spotlight Vocal Lab different from a lot of what's available in Westchester.
Outside of the studio, I’m usually hanging out with my cat Pepe, taking dance classes ranging from contemporary to tap to ballet, or somewhere singing for myself, because even after all these years, I still love it.
I teach in English and Spanish. If you'd be more comfortable working in Spanish, just let me know when you reach out.
Ready to find out what your voice can do?
Start with a free intro call: 20 minutes to talk about your goals, your experience, and whether Spotlight Vocal Lab is the right fit.
No pressure, no commitment. Just a conversation.
Prefer to send a message first? Fill out the form and I'll be in touch within 48 hours.