singing lessons

I have been a singing teacher for the past ten years and before that I worked extensively as a vocal coach or repetiteur for a great many years. I made this shift after studying with Anthony Wade AKA Dr. Voice whose extraordinary approach transformed my singing by connecting my voice to the internal energy of the body and soul. The freedom of singing this way led me to see that I also needed vocal fluency or a clear tonal map of my instrument. So I developed a model for singing training to develop fluent vocal musicianship.

A clear model for developing fully realised singing skills

I use my own innovative model for vocal training that sits comfortably with many other schools and disciplines of vocal study, even ones that disagree with each other. I provide clear materials and a logical scheme of work. Having encountered the very real dangers of a one-size-fits-all, dogmatic approach, my model has a flexibility that means it easily adapts so that different people with unique voices and musical tastes can use it in their own ways.

Each person has a unique voice and I make it a priority that voice students release their authentic tone and never put on a manufactured voice, even if it sounds impressive. It is essential that we express ourselves and never try to impress ourselves or anyone else. The clear model for vocal release, combined with a powerful system for learning vocal musicianship, means that students can learn with confidence and clarity as they work to unlock and explore their true voice and sing with effortless freedom.

Expand your range and expressive power

I work with students to help them increase their vocal range both in terms of pitch and dynamics. My focus is always to  ensure that the voice is produced freely and never using excessive tension or breath pressure against a closed throat, even when vocalising high or loud (vocal belt) notes. This way, using a fully supported voice, singers can perform technically demanding music for long periods without suffering from vocal fatigue.

To achieve this state of relaxed tone, singers are encouraged to investigate their internal blockages to free vocalisation and the uninhibited expressive use of their voices. This process can be very exciting, illuminating and almost therapeutic in nature.

Become a vocal musician with real skills

The musicianship training that I teach means that singing students develop fluent musical skills such as sight-singing, vocal improvisation and the ability to harmonise effortlessly. Such skills are of course very useful in themselves but they also contribute directly to the expressive freedom and authenticity of the singer. A skilled vocal musician has a great sense of rhythm and tonality that allows for the development of true artistic expression rather than relying on “karaoke sense” or vocal mimicry.

Once students have mastered the foundations of vocal fluency, I’m happy to prepare them for examinations if that is something they would like to do. Having vocal freedom and musical fluency, they can expect to find preparation for singing exams very straightforward and to achieve very high marks.

Discover your true, unique and healthy voice

My approach works very well with experienced singers and beginners alike, even people who are afraid to sing and would like to challenge this fear. Likewise, my model of how to develop free, effortless vocalisation and solid musicianship is very suited to professional or experienced singers who are looking to take their artistic development to the next level.

Training fluent vocal musicianship can also be an extremely helpful way for singers to develop greater confidence and overcome performance nerves as well as ironing out technical wrinkles. And because of my focus on the freedom and health of the singing mechanism, I can also help singers with the process of rehabilitating a voice that is troubled by tension and other vocal problems by gently exploring the effortless resonance and freedom of their natural true voice.