Meet Anna!

In this spotlight, we are featuring Anna Altman—a dynamic singer, songwriter, and now screenwriter.

The Power of Active Listening

Anna shares, “Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Some of my earliest memories are from long Sunday drives with my dad, the windows cracked just enough, the world passing by as we listened to the RED album from start to finish. When he bought me my first record player at five years old, something quietly permanent began. I never stopped listening.

Music became more than sound—it became a kind of religion to me. A reminder that something far greater than myself exists in the world. A universal truth that connects us all, whether we understand it technically or simply feel it in our bones.”

Arabella, Anna’s coach, adds that this muscial foundation makes perfect sense. Sometimes the best teacher is the radio or Spotify. The most powerful strategy is active listening: being a sponge, soaking up the music you love, and fearlessly trying the sounds, styles, and ideas that move you.

Success Through Songwriting

Anna reflects, “For most of my life, I never imagined I would call myself a songwriter or a singer. I loved music deeply, but it felt like a language I could admire without ever truly speaking.

That changed when I began working with Arabella.

I’ve been studying with her at Arabella’s Voice Studio for three years now, and what’s remarkable is that she didn’t just teach me how to sing—she quietly taught me how to understand music. Without me even realizing it at first, she wove small, digestible theory lessons into our voice sessions. Little by little, music stopped feeling like a foreign language.

Instead of rules and intimidation, theory became a set of tools. Songwriting stopped being an abstract concept reserved for ‘real musicians’ and slowly became something I could actually grasp.”

Arabella shares a parallel insight from her own journey: “I used to write songs all the time growing up, but I eventually became overwhelmed by music theory. There were so many rules that I didn’t know how to just write anymore. When I started teaching, I had to simplify again—and through working with students, I found my own voice again. That was a beautiful, unexpected gift from the work that I do.”

Ready to Record in the Studio

Anna excitedly shares, “Most recently, with the help of Arabella, I wrote the theme song to the film I wrote and starred in. Recording it was one of the most satisfying experiences of my life so far, and being able to actually call myself a musician is something I never thought I’d be able to do. I can sing songs in a way I never thought I’d be able to, and when I listen to the recordings, I actually love what I hear.”

You can check out Anna’s original piece, Alchemy Gold, below!