My philosophy on voice teaching covers two basic principles: vocal health and improving the quality of your performance, whether you sing in a studio, onstage or in front of a rock band.
Vocal health is essential to the quality of your singing, and your ability to continue singing at the same level for many years.
The larynx can be a very powerful instrument, but also a very fragile one that can easily be damaged. I speak from personal experience, having developed nodules (small lumps) on my vocal cords in my early twenties, when I had not yet learned how to sing without 'straining', or breathe from the diaphragm.
Thankfully, the experience taught me to re-learn the way I sang and spoke (singing is not the only thing you use your voice for!) and I was able to both correct the problem within a few months and drastically improve the quality of my voice for good.
My aim is to help my students not only boost their vocal power and strength with vocal exercises, but also understand more about the voice and how to look after it.
Even technically gifted singers can falter during performance, whether the occasion is a nerve-wracking first gig with a new band, or the time-pressured environment of the studio.
My aim is to teach good tone, presentation and diction and to help students get across the meaning and mood of the song they are singing, so that they achieve the best possible performance.
Overall, lessons should also help boost students' confidence so that performing 'live' becomes more comfortable and enjoyable.
Most lessons are 1 hour in length, during which I aim to cover both vocal exercise and performance.
For first-time students, I will ask what style of music they feel they most want to sing and where they want to sing it. We will then go through some basic vocal warm-up exercises and scales, which allow me to assess the condition, style and quality of the student's voice. I will ask the student to choose a song backing track from my catalogue - or one of their own - and sing it to me. We will discuss what needs to be worked on and choose a song to practice for the next lesson. Students who book regular slots will receive a free vocal warm-up CD for home practice.
As lessons progress, students will also be given hand-outs showing how the voice works and lyrics sheets/CDs for practice.
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