Singing keeps me sane.

Quite literally. Singing has been and continues to be both my linchpin and my salvation. It may have been challenging to maintain the learning regime at tumultuous times, but I always have returned to music - to singing - to restore my sense of balance.

For centuries, humans have enjoyed vocalizing as a means of expression, connecting with others, and celebrating life. Singing, in particular, has been scientifically proven to have numerous health benefits. This article delves into the positive effects of singing on our well-being and emphatically emphasizes how this activity can significantly enhance our overall health and happiness.

It’s a question of balance

Singing restores my equilibrium. It lifts me up in unseen ways and gives me permission to engage with my inner self. It helps me express and communicate, share thoughts and even commemorate.

In 2001 I gave a concert to celebrate the life of my youngest daughter Alice, who had died earlier that...

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...

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...

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...

In March 2017, the Universe neatly delivered the opportunity for me to build an online mentoring group for singers. I had just hosted an initial weekend course at Dartington Hall; called ‘Love Your Voice’. It was nurturing, inclusive, and organic, tempting some of the participants to sing out for the first time in more than 10 years.

We sang all weekend, of course, immersed in solo song, in finding their voice. I built a feeling of trust and safety in the exploration, and emotions began to stir. 

There was much discussion at the end of sessions, in the tea breaks and in the evening around the table as we all dined together. I listened hard to the vocal wants, needs, and desires of everyone involved and came away charged with the task of creating an online membership, a location-independent community. The experiences of the weekend workshop could be extended, and continued through a central hub. 

And so, Virtually Vocalise was born.  A...