Lukas K.
Doubling down for the financial and emotion ruin she caused.
I'm posting this here because Valerie eliminated reivews from her Facebook page after I spoke about my experience. Having invested tens of thousands of dollars into Valerie Fahren’s Artist Development program in 2021, I can say that what I paid for and what I received were not even remotely aligned. Valerie promises significant career advancement and development through her "program" and the language she uses (constant references to A list celebrities). The truth is that her idea of success is winning game shows like America's Got Talent, and being "discovered" - not through the organic growth and development that labels seek these days. I feel genuinely manipulated and misled into believing the program matched my artistic goals, and that its steep cost reflected real industry value. Since working with her, I’ve recorded music with other professionals in Los Angeles who provided infinitely more value in a fraction of the time, with a much stronger understanding of today’s industry. There is absolutely no accountability anywhere in this process, and when I spoke up for myself I was always made to feel like I was the problem, or that I didn't understand how the industry worked. She would scoff at me and deflect responsibility anytime I spoke up for myself. Ultimately I was asked to spend more money even after I made it very clear of the financial risk and investment I was making. After nearly a year and tens of thousands of dollars, all I had to show for myself under her guidance was one song, one performance, and one digital audition...Valerie deflected all accountability during and after the program, shifting the blame for my lack of progress onto me. To me this program was never about chasing fame – it was supposed to help me refine my artistry and build a professional package to present to agents, labels, and managers, as her advertising promised. She had no ideas or value when it came to creating or delivering content - I was only told to "post more", and was given links to buy followers and likes. There was no professionalism: no formal training materials, no clear goals or timelines, and lessons that often derailed into long tangents on unrelated personal topics – including political conspiracies and anti-vaccine rhetoric. I also found it very unprofessional that Valerie's affiliation to Scientology would be woven into the program, as the highly decorated "industry showcase", would be held on Scientology grounds. Given the steep cost, and Valerie’s incessant name-dropping of “A-listers” and “award-winning producers,” I expected structured development and tangible results. What I got instead was fragmented guidance, inflated claims, and hours of wasted time. Yes, I received regular voice lessons, but the effort and value were drastically disproportionate to what I paid. Valerie seems to think that her time alone is worth the $300/hr she charges. Had I known I would be subject to hours of verbal rants detailing person political affiliations and conspiracies during the time that I paid for, I would have obviously declined to work with her. Much of the program also felt out of touch with today’s music landscape. For example, Valerie dismissed the widely accepted practice of sampling, even accusing me of trying to pass off others’ music as my own – despite the fact that any samples I used were heavily engineered and unrecognizable. Instead of actionable support, I was given vague “shoulds,” without tools or resources to execute them. For the same price, I could have recorded a full-length album, or worked with someone with legitimate, verifiable credentials like Lis Lewis. Additionally, I discovered troubling public records suggesting financial instability on Valerie’s end – further eroding my trust in the program’s transparency. Valerie blocked me after I reached out to seek resolution. She has no Google Business profile, no channel for verified reviews, and no real accountability structure in place. Please, if you are considering this program, DO NOT SIGN A CONTRACT, get legal advice, and do thorough research before signing. Valerie is meticulous in covering her tracks. My attempts of resolution through small claims court were ill received because of her inflated and well kept record of services. I wish I had recorded the moments that I was forced to listen to her rant for 45 minutes about topics completely unrelated to my time and money, to have as proof in court. But unfortunately I put my trust in Valerie and didn't have enough evidence to back up my claims. This program left me in financial ruin, and my musical career is no farther along than when I started with her. In fact it's in a worse place. Do yourself a favor, and seek guidance elsewhere.