Alex Parrish
Music Director | Vocal Coach | Composer
ABOUT
Alex Parrish (he/him) is a music director, vocal coach, educator, performer, and composer based in New York City. His fifteen years of professional experience span Off-Broadway, commercial, cruise line, independent, educational, and community theatre, and he has built a reputation as a reliable, knowledgeable, imaginative, and adaptable collaborator.
As an educator, he’s worked in more than 70 public and private NYC schools through New York City Center Education, CO/LAB Theater Group, TADA! Youth Theatre, Wingspan Arts, and Broadway Artists Alliance, specializing in STEAM education and arts expansion for those with developmental disabilities. His private voice studio has included hundreds of students of all ages and experience levels over the years, and is still going strong today.
As a music director, he has taught, played, and conducted for scores of musicals, recently with Meadow Brook Theatre, Summer Theatre of New Caanan, and Kitchen Theatre Company, as well as 50+ revue shows for RWS Global, Holland America, Azamara, MSC, and Norwegian, and independent original productions throughout NYC.
As a professional actor, he consistently performs throughout New York (recently seen as Jonathan in tick, tick… BOOM! and Harry in Flora the Red Menace), and as a composer, he has written scores for musical theatre, films, online content, and multimedia spectaculars.
Alex is the Associate Artistic Director of Forager Theatre Company and creator of The Musical Multiverse parody mashup performance series, a graduate of NYU Tisch (BFA in Drama, Lee Strasberg Institute) and the BMI Workshop, and a current member of Actors’ Equity and The Dramatist’s Guild.
VOCAL COACH
Lessons are available to students of any age or experience level, primarily through remote learning, so that location and time zone are not barriers to entry. Alex tailors the instruction to your student’s needs, and uses his experience as a music director to teach how one translates their actings/storytelling THROUGH their voice. The five core components of his teaching style is to inspire…
1) ARTISTIC AGENCY — Students will constructively build instincts, learn how to self-direct, and elevate the student’s interpretation to promote ownership of their voice. Singers should feel equipped to tackle any audition, song, or character and know how to bring their own self and ideas to their art.
2) STYLISTIC VERSATILITY — Performers today are required to sing in as many genres and styles as possible, so students work on adjusting tone, placement, range, and articulation to match whatever genre is on the table.
3) VOCAL STRENGTH — For young singers, they’ll build clear, healthy vocal technique, range expansion, and breath support. For adult singers, they’ll focus on undoing bad habits, rediscovering core strength, and learning to sing sustainably for long periods of time.
4) INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY — Students are encouraged to ask prodding questions, interrogate their music productively, analyze new songs, research unknown works, and be interested in the (art) world around them, guided by Alex’s experience and insight.
5) PERSONAL JOY — The relationship between self and voice can be complex, and Alex will prioritize a student’s excitement to sing, learn, and grow! First and foremost will always be “what do we love about this work?” so there can always be a joy in making music.
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Appropriate for ongoing vocal technique, song interpretation, and audition preparation. All music genres welcome, taught from a musical theatre lens. Tailored to the student’s experience level and needs. Grade school through professional welcome.
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Focuses on authenticity, uncovering genuine emotion through text, script analysis, character-building, and making smart bold choices for cold reads.
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For beginner/intermediate students to build basic technique, play different genres, learn comp-ing and reading chords, and arranging.
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Alex will dive into your audition “book” (the core selections your student uses for auditions) and discuss the pros/cons of certain, make good 16/32 bar cuts, fill in genre gaps, and find new material.
MUSIC DIRECTOR
PERFORMER
COMPOSER
ASSOC. ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
In 2021, Alex co-founded the nonprofit Forager Theatre Company, for which he serves as the Associate Artistic Director and has led many original projects over the years.
LEAD CREATIVE
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Forager Theatre Company
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
An NYC-based theatre company founded in 2021, featuring four branches: Take Root (donation-based education), Unearth (content development), Blossom (one-night experiences), and Harvest (mainstage productions).
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The Marvelous Musical Mansion
LIBRETTIST, COMPOSER & LYRICIST
An inventive, heartfelt adaptation of the children’s film “Wee Sing in the Marvelous Musical Mansion” (adapted alongside the Wee Sing: Learning Through Music) about the incredible, unknowable magic of music!
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The Musical Multiverse
CREATOR & MUSIC SUPERVISOR
A hilarious, unpredictable performance series where two fan-favorite musicals are mashed together into brand new parody shows, featuring an original script and inventive musical arrangements.
TESTIMONIALS
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“Alex is one of the most diligent, collaborative, and kind music directors and humans I have ever worked with. His excellent musical technique and patient coaching transform notes on a page into high-quality theatrical storytelling, making the whole show shine!”
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“Alex is a joy to work with as a Music Director — in addition to his musical talent and strong teaching skills, he is kind, approachable, and a problem solver. He keeps the room moving forward with a calm and steady approach.
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“He is that rarest of talents: Brilliant, perceptive, adaptable, exceptionally kind and professional. With an unmatched work ethic and bottomless skill set, he transforms every project into its fullest and most glorious potential. It should be illegal to be this good.”
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“He is a dynamic composer who combines his vast musical knowledge, artistry, and tenacity to make wholly original, ambitious musical projects. Not only can Alex move easily between writing musical modes and mediums, but between editing, producing, editing, arranging, teaching, and performing.
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“From our first conversation, it was clear that his ear — not just musically, but in listening for intention, spirit and theme - was a magical tool enabling him to translate my most muddled and clear ideas almost exactly as my own ear was hearing during my writing process. It seemed like he had read my mind and produced music that deeply honored the energy, style and focus of my work.”
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“I thoroughly enjoy working with Alex because I know how much care and attention he will give not only to the performers he's working with, but to the music they are creating together. As a music director, Alex is simply the best because he takes on every nuance and note with such expertise and has been a valuable partner in creating art!”