Making you a better singer: the process.
I've been teaching singing and vocal technique for many years, yet it still surprises me (in a good way) just how much repetition there needs to be, addressing the same old pain points for so many different people no matter where they are on their learning journey.
The easiest and most rewarding teaching experience is undoubtedly with those open souls who are driven by the JOY of the whole thing and who never expect the learning curve to finish. It's an exciting and often unexpected ride!
The hardest students to reach are without fail those who imagine they have their goal in sight and once it is achieved, it's a given that they've mastered the skill. That's a tough nut to crack.
Their journey to the OK Plateau will only be a short one.
To learn well, we must surrender to the vulnerability of it all and forgive vocal imperfections BUT also be inquisitive, and questioning about the WHY.
Singers are, of course, buoyed along by the love of music, the quest to express and the innate ...
Recording Vocals at Home: the basics
Last month, we introduced a NEW virtual workshop event into The Learning Curve for singers. Two sessions hosted jointly by myself and Ryan Walker, audio/tech coach here at The Voice School. Intentions of the workshop were to provide hands-on, informative guidance in terms of what constitutes a good basic recording set-up, grasping best practices when doing so at home on a realistic budget.
The idea developed from the need and desire for continued music-making and connection during these restrictive and isolating COVID-19 times. Singers need to continue using their voice, to keep the instrument in fine fettle - and in seeking to do that, technology repeatedly came to our rescue to make blending voices for ensemble singing a possibility.
As such, fun vocal work/projects we’ve been pursuing within The Voice School Hub since April 2020 using and sharing recorded vocal MP3 and WAV files have given rise to many FAQs along the way and a natural curiosity in understanding more to achieve be...
Vocal goals: motivation and planning
The New Year is just getting underway.
As I write so my ears are drawn to the rush of traffic outside - even amongst the restrictions that the pandemic imposes, life goes on. And so it must.
Singers who study within The Voice School will be aware that the wheels that drive all lessons, classes, events, and mentoring groups are about to start rolling. I'm advising that each should take the broader view and imagine not just the beginning of their year's journey, but to envisage where they might wish to arrive at the end of it.
Everyone agrees that 2020 was the strangest of years. Life - interrupted. Yet, within The Voice School, once we had regrouped and restructured - put a virtual plan in place for community and connection with plenty of singing to boot - it was one of the busiest of my 35+ years teaching career.
A steep learning curve as to how to overcome problems, implementing, and using technology to the advantage of all the singers. What an endeavour ... But, 2020 culminated...
Technique Tuesday Revised: Breathing - no need to push!
I first shared this infographic in May 2017 - inspired by a quote from The Voice Gym that I had seen on Twitter. Its message has to be one of the most golden statements when it comes to learning how to sing well.
But, what does it mean?
Misconceptions
When we think about breathing, everyone is usually very stressed about it as they get into their singing. It becomes a primary concern ie, will I have enough to get me through that phrase?
Will it last…?
There’s the fear that since breath is always escaping, it needs to be controlled by
- a) getting masses of it IN, and then
- b) to hold on to it, to control it for as long as possible, to nail that 4-bar phrase/that high note/the last note…
If we imagine gaining greater volume when we sing, there’s a psychological trigger that suggests to us that we must push more air to make it happen. But a greater volume achieved by pushing more air simply puts more stress on those little vocal folds (only 3-6 cells thick each) and leads to a...
Virtual Workshop Weekend for singers: Sing Joyfully 2020
This year, in the wake of COVID-19 and the uncertainty that it has created for singers getting together, I decided to make 2020 my year of delivering my regular workshop courses online.
Residential weekends at Dartington Hall, form part of my teaching year structure. Situated near Totnes in South Devon, the Dartington Hall ethos provides the perfect vibe for such valuable learning exchanges to happen. The workshop weekends run in March (Love Your Voice) for solo singers, and October (Sing Joyfully) for ensemble singers.
Thanks to the pandemic, I’ve been on a learning curve of my own since March, reconfiguring my music studio, learning more about the tech requirements for teaching, and leading online. Little did I know how eerily on-point my post of January this year, where I welcomed applications for my ‘Love Your Voice’ course at Dartington Hall. This is how I opened the post:
“Teaching is more than imparting knowledge, it is inspiring change. Learning is more than absorbing f...
Technique Tuesday: Did you know ... about vocal support?
One of the trickiest concepts of vocal technique (spoken or sung) to grasp is the delicate question of ‘support’.
What is it? I’m not fond of using that word when teaching actually, because of the picture or feeling that it can evoke.
Usually, that word physically translates to actions like ‘grip’, ‘tense’, and ‘block’ rather than ‘release’, ‘allow’ and ‘enable’.
When you’ve got it, you’ve GOT it, and that word becomes part of the skillset, a component that is so hard to explain. Unlocking the puzzle initially, finding new ways to nudge students along the path of learning is a challenge because different ideas both mean and feel differently to each person.
The infographic below focusses on ‘Expiration’ or the ‘outbreath’.
All singers worry about how long their breath will last, often running out at peak moments of the phrase despite best efforts. Why is this? It’s because their postural alignment and understanding in relation to different abdominal muscle groups is slightl...
Singer's Learning Tip: Trust the wait
A short video note dedicated to a few good singing souls out there: you know who you are!
(Confession: I found this blog post lurking in my unpublished folder. Too good to pass up! It's a year old, but honestly, the advice is timeless. Pertinent to the same degree, right now.)
I have witnessed frustration and even disappointment in students when I am teaching and it's important to give it the space it needs. Every singer is different. Learning how to sing well takes time, you can't rush it. Persistence is key, and it's my job to pave the way for experimentation and experience.
I like to create a working environment where everyone feels at ease - freedom to bring true voices to the fore. Mistakes will happen, odd sounds will be heard but always there must be a feeling of creation, happy trial and error, with true learning at its core. It's a journey and it takes persistence, as do most things of true worth.
American baritone, Thomas Hampson says it all here ... No more words requi...
Stay connected. Let's Sing!
I’ve been teaching online for some time now, and I really enjoy it. It started out of necessity, because I had moved away - relocated - just as a parent had reached out asking me to mentor his son. To avoid disappointment and to see if I could help despite the 165 miles distance between us, I began crafting my teaching business to include delivering lessons and mentoring more online.
That was back in 2012. Technology has moved on a lot since then - of course. If you can handle the thought processes, be creatively curious about how to overcome problems, or embrace new tech solutions, then it’s an exciting way to deliver to students and groups who would normally be separated by geography.
Coronavirus brought a whole new meaning to separation and isolation, with many singers, necessarily cut off from their normal routine - lessons, rehearsals, ensembles, choirs, and performances. All halted.
Technology and the internet, with all its variety and wonder, has been a saviour; the online ...
More than skin deep ...
Actually, it's been another good well-being week. I’ve been really drilling down on food, refining natural supplements, cooking more, choosing to buy organic products when I can, and further reducing the use of plastic in the house. Good digestion and gut health have a direct link to my happy skin, and with focus, it is gradually improving. I soothe my working environment by diffusing essential oils...and I have some rescue and renew bath crystals for a relaxing soak in a candlelit bathroom. Thanks, Sophie, for that tip....
To explain, Wellbeing - always accepted as important of course - has become more than a supportive focus for me, because of an ongoing issue I have with my skin. I could just attribute stress to the cause of the problem. Whilst I readily acknowledge that I tend to be a bit of a sensitive soul, with allergies of various types showing up through my adult life, this latest chapter has at times made me so miserable. I am very visible as a teacher and singer and n
...CODA: final singing notes
Postlude thoughts, given by the singers.
We’ve all just had a week of back-to-normal life routine after our wonderfully indulgent long-weekend ‘Shake Down 2020′, where we did nothing but sing, discuss, cook, eat, relax, listen and work for 4 days. It was idyllic - such good times, full of music, vocal vibration and lots of laughter.
But - how did this re-entry truly feel?
The Classical Singer's Path
A new Substack series, written from the inside out - glimpses into my own life as a classical singer, and the way I think about the art we share. It is quieter than the bustle of The Voice School, a place for reflection, stories, and ideas that might travel with you into your own singing life.. It’s free to subscribe, and early support means a lot as I get it going. You’re warmly invited to join me there.
Repertoire that meets you where you are.
A curated, confidence-building guide for returning, rebuilding, or refining classical singers. Includes expert commentary, a clickable playlist, and clarity on how to choose songs that truly fit. Instant download.
Sing Joyfully '25 - with Mozart at the helm!
On 15–16 November in Chandler’s Ford, UK, we gather for a weekend devoted to Mozart’s music — full of wit, precision, and heart. Across two days, we will work with solos, ensembles, and stagecraft in Italian, German, and Latin, shaping the sessions to the voices in the room. Come and sing, or come and observe, and be part of a small, connected group where the work has room to breathe.
Featured in Feedspot
Ranked #29 in their Top 60 Singing Blogs — a lovely recognition of our reflective approach to singing.
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Singing Basics Guide
Getting to grips with or making improvements to your singing and the methods to achieve progress are all far easier and more accessible than you think.
