How long do I need to take singing lessons for?
How long do I need to have singing lessons for?
In this blog post we look at why awareness, having clear goals and having some guidance from an experienced teacher can best help to answer that question.
What is Estill Voice Training®, and is it for me?
On Sunday 9th November, I’ll be running another full-day Intro to Estill Voice Training® workshop in Canterbury, and if you’ve ever wondered how your voice works, or how to help others use their voice more confidently, this day could be for you.
We’re going to be learning in the beautiful and central Community Studio behind the Cathedral Gift Shop. This one-day, in-person session is designed to offer a friendly, practical and engaging introduction to Estill Voice Training®, and how it can support you, whether you're a singer, a teacher, a choir leader, MD, actor - or simply curious about the voice.
Estill Voice Training - Introductory Workshop
On 10th June I ran an Introductory Workshop in Estill Voice Training in the heart of Canterbury. I was joined by a wonderful group of singers, teachers and artists who were so generous in sharing their voices with me! Here’s just a snippet of what they had to say…
What key should I sing it in?
It’s sometimes seen as a badge of honour to be able to sing songs in the original key, but in my opinion this is just silly. Why would you not want to make your singing both comfortable, enjoyable, and have it show you and your voice off to its best? So wherever possible, I always advocate for changing the key to suit your voice. How to find the best key for your voice…
5 easy ways to keep your vocal folds happy
Our vocal folds do such a lot for us, so it’s the least we can do to look after them and keep them happy. Here are 5 easy ways to do just that
Why tongue twisters are great for your voice
Tongue twisters can be used to warm up the voice and to provide targeted exercise for our articulators. They're fun to say, and to sing.
Tools and resources to help you learn to sing
As singers, we’re lucky that our instrument is both portable and free. With the exception of all the things we should be doing to take care of ourselves as a whole (eating well, sleeping well, staying hydrated, managing stress levels) it doesn’t require quarterly services or expensive upkeep. However, once we start thinking about voice training, it can benefit from a little investment. Here’s my list of some add-ons that I’ve found useful. Although none of these are essential to a healthy and efficient voice, they can all play a useful role when training it.
How to ad lib (for those who find it scary!)
Some singers find improvising very intuitive, but others find the prospect very daunting! If you’re in the latter camp, then this blog post is for you!
How to do SOVT exercises
What are SOVT exercises? SOVT stands for ‘semi-occluded vocal tract’ - a fancy way of saying that the air is partially blocked on its way out of your mouth. There are several different types of SOVT exercises, which all have different levels of air resistance, and different advantages and disadvantages. The benefits of this type of exercise are scientifically proven, so I encourage my students to build some into their day whenever and wherever they can. Here’s a handy breakdown of the what, when, and how of SOVT exercises.
5 things you should know about starting singing lessons
If you’re venturing into the singing studio for the first time, you may have some anxiety about singing in front of somebody new during the first lessons - don’t worry! It’s totally normal to take a little bit of time to feel settled and relaxed.
How to get the best out of online singing lessons
Since the pandemic, the world has really opened up, and online lessons can work brilliantly when we get the set-up correct. To help us get the best out of online voice lessons, here’s my go-to checklist