Biography
Rachel loves her job! She feels so fortunate that she is able to share her passion of the arts through teaching, directing, writing, mentoring, and performing!
She has been teaching singing, acting, musical theatre, and performance skills to children, teens, and adults for 14+ yrs. Her students have gone on national tours, released albums, are in bands, have been accepted to performing arts programs and schools (high schools & colleges), have been cast in regional/NYC theatre (Off-Off-Broadway/Off-Broadway), movies (Noah, The Wolf Of Wall Street, Top Five), music videos, commercials (Miller Lite, Beats By Dre, Sleepy's, Optimum Business), and on TV (Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris, The Mysteries Of Laura, Royal Pains, Smash, 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Law and Order: SVU, Orange Is The New Black, Golden Boy, & NBC's The Voice competition).
Whether working in a private lesson or with a group class (small by design), Rachel is able to focus on each student's individual needs and develop their technique and skills at a comfortable pace. Each student is taught slightly differently to accommodate their personal learning style. This helps each student grow as a performer at their own pace. Rachel challenges each student without intimidation and without taking away the part of them that makes each student unique! She teaches healthy technique that is based off of the human anatomy; the science of how the body/mind works and can work as efficiently as possible while singing or acting.
Rachel is also fully background checked with finger printing. She works with the philosophy that both the teacher and student must feel comfortable and work together (like a team) in the private lesson or group class at all times. Without this effort, the student cannot reach their full potential. Rachel's students come from all walks of life but they all want to be the best at their chosen craft. Rachel's ultimate goal as a teacher is to give all of her students what they need to not only become the best artists they can be but to eventually become self-sufficient singers/performers.
Rachel is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA, VASTA (The Voice and Speech Trainers Association), NATS (The National Association of Teachers of Singing Certified), NARAS (The Grammy Awards), NAfME (National Association for Music Education), NJMEA (NJ Music Educators Association), MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabaret and Clubs), BMI (Broadcast Music Inc), NAMTA (North America Music Teacher Association), and The NJ Theatre Alliance.
Rachel has 20+ years of intense Bel Canto vocal training with a master teacher, 12+ years of musical theatre training, and 10+ years of Stella Adler, Stanislavsky, Meisner, and Chekhov acting training (theater/on camera). She has trained at some of NJ's and NYC's well respected schools like The Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Action Theatre Conservatory, The Barrow Group, Weist-Barron Studios, and TVI Studios.
As a performer, Rachel has 20+ years of experience including originating the role of "Antigone" in "Oedipus: The Musical" (NYC). Other credits include commercials, films, TV shows (One Tree Hill, AMC, Food Network), music videos, and numerous stage credits (Regional, Off-Off Broadway, Off- Broadway, NYC Theatre). Rachel is also a songwriter (15+ years), director, scriptwriter, and an international recording artist (8+ years). Her album, "Just Meant To Be", is available on itunes and her original singles, "Don't Even Try" and "You Will Love On", can be viewed on Youtube. Rachel won the 2014 "Female Vocalist I Like It Award" for her song "Don't Even Try" from JPF/SP Promotions/Productions.
Other honors include magazine covers, featured articles, studio recordings, albums, 2002 Helen Hayes Nomination for Outstanding Vocal Performance in a Musical ("Miss Adelaide" in "Guys And Dolls"), and 2008 finalist for NYC Singing Idol Competition. Ms. Menconi has been fortunate to have worked & performed with many people in the business including Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award Winners/Nominees.
Rachel is also the Founder/President of "Sunshine Face" a music publishing company and is a Certified Artist Developer with Conquer Entertainment where she mentors performing artists/singers and gives them the tools to move their careers forward. She also is the creator, teacher, and director of The Rising Stars Musical Theatre program at The Gifted Child Society in Allendale NJ and is the director of the musicals and director of the drama department at Fieldstone Middle School in Montvale NJ.
Since 2014, Rachel has been the show director of a 3 week performing arts summer camp called ArtQuest (funded by The Wayne Education Foundation). She was the director, vocal/musical director and stager for their production of "The Jungle Book Kids" and "The Lion King Kids". Both performances received rave reviews! This summer she is thrilled to be directing, vocal/musically directing, and choreographing "Beauty And The Beast JR"!
It's official! Rachel is a world record breaker! She was one of the 200+ featured singers at the Metropolitan Room's (NYC) attempt to get into the Guinness Book Of World Records for The Longest Variety Show (60 hours of non-stop show!) They did it!
