Sing with Claire!

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Welcome to Sing Your Song. 

I am a passionate singing teacher and choir leader on a mission to show, even the most introverted of people, that anyone can sing, and everyone has a voice. It's time to feel part of something you never thought you could and sing your heart out. Feel the fear but do it anyway!

My name is Claire Platt and I am a South Croydon based singing teacher and vocal coach. I want to help you become the best singer that you can be. Whether you are confident and ready to take on the world or a scaredy cat desperate to let your inner diva out, I can help!

I teach all levels. You are never too old to enjoy singing. Whatever your style I can help you find a stronger voice. I can help you build stamina, confidence and repertoire. I enjoy troubleshooting and helping people work on their performance skills. I prepare, and can enter students, for ABRSM, LAMDA and LCM Musical Theatre exams however, you are responsible for finding your own pianist to accompany you or your child. I do not accompany ABRSM exams but LCM Music Theatre exams allow you to use backing tracks and I can accompany these sometimes. Please note I do not teach children under 11 years old.

During your 1st lesson we will discuss your needs, aspirations and goals. We would then do a warm up and start working on the songs you want to start with (or I can suggest something). It would be nice to hear you sing something you know in this session so please feel free to bring sheet music or a backing track or just sing a cappella.

I have limited availability for face to face lessons at St John the Divine Church Hall, Selsdon on Thursday and Friday afternoons/evenings. 

When online I teach via Zoom and find these lessons to be incredibly useful. 

My rates are as follows:

£48 per 60mins
£39 per 45mins 
£30 per 30mins

See below for my cancellation policy.

Payment must be made the day before the lesson by bank transfer or PayPal.

Rates are subject to change.

If you need to cancel or rearrange a lesson this should be done with, at least, 24hrs notice. Failure to do this will result in your having to pay for the lesson whether you attend or not. The cancellation fee can be waived at my discretion but if you know you can't make it please do not leave it until 2 hours before to tell me. I would appreciate as much notice as possible so I can offer someone else the slot. I realise people get ill and can't always give 24hrs notice and this is where my discretion comes in!

Finish what you start!

Well hello again! Today I have a rare Saturday off and, as the weather is a bit grey and blustery I thought I'd stay in and get some work done. I checked my email and was very excited to see that a result had come in for a Grade 8 Musical Theatre for Actors one of my 17 year old students had taken last week.

This particular student has done very well in their exams in the past gaining merits for their grades 6 and 7. I was thrilled with those results. A merit is an excellent result, especially for the higher grades, but many of my students feel that less than a distinction is tantamount to failing. Of course I would love all my students to get distinctions but a merit, or even a pass, is still something to be proud of.

This student almost gave up on her singing lessons and the exams when she got her result for her grade 7 exam as she didn't think it was worth it if all she was going to get was another merit. I pointed out to her that she had already come so far and she should really think about finishing what she started. After a bit of nagging from me (and using her mother to help persuade her) she agreed and we set about picking her songs for her final grade.

She worked incredibly hard on her songs, one of which also had to be performed as a monologue, and was ready to do her final musical theatre exam. Today I got the result of all of her hard work and was delighted to send her a message to tell her the decision to carry on had paid off with a distinction.

The distinction for me was the cherry on the top of the cake. I would have been happy had she only got a pass as I would have been so pleased that she had seen the whole exam journey through from start to finish and didn't give up on it. She put in the work, and then some, and reaped the rewards. The reward is not only the distinction but the satisfaction of working through the grades plus it looks great on any university applications to show that she can apply herself and, as I said in the title of this post, finish what she starts!

So perhaps this is something you might like to do. I can help you work through singing exams with the LCM or ABRSM , musical theatre, pop or classical. If you live anywhere near Selsdon, a stones throw from Croydon, get in touch and we can start you off on your exam journey or, if you don't live anywhere near me, get in touch with your local singing teacher and see if they can help.

Is there an alternative to singing lessons?

The quick answer is YES! 

Now, I don't want to put people off having individual singing lessons. Singing lessons are extremely useful for those wanting to understand their voice better and those wanting to hone their vocal skills, but there are other ways of getting your singing fix without having to pay full whack for individual singing lessons.

The best way I know is to join a choir. There are so many different kinds of choir out there these days, choirs for women, choirs for men, classical choirs, pop choirs, rock choirs, choirs that sing sea shanties or folk songs, musical theatre choirs and everything else in between. There is something for every musical taste out there.

It is well documented that singing is beneficial for our mental health and general well-being. Endorphins are released when we sing which should, in theory, make us happy. So let's go through a few simple reasons to bite the bullet and join a choir.

1) Feel better!

Singing releases endorphins. Endorphins are a chemical created in the brain that give us that warm and fuzzy feeling inside. Apparently there is a tiny organ in the ear called the sacculus which is activated by the frequencies created when we sing, it doesn't matter if you sing well or badly this little organ will still make you feel fabulous! Why join a choir though? Surely if singing just makes us feel better we can do that at home or in the car or in the shower.

2) Singing is best shared

Of course you can sing on your own with nobody listening (or judging) but it can be so thrilling to sing in front of people or with people. It can feel good to feel the adrenaline coursing through your veins and joining the alto* section of your local choir can give you this feeling. It's scary but the deep sense of achievement you will feel afterwards makes it all worthwhile. *applies to all voice types!

3) Banish your demons!

Many people want to sing but many have traumatic memories of singing as child. Specifically being told they can't sing. I have heard stories of people being told to mime the words or being asked to leave the school choir because they were "ruining it for everyone else". Don't let this stop you now. Explain your concerns to any potential choir leader and they will help you get over any hurdles. Choir members don't tend to join choirs to judge other people so don't let that stop you giving it a go.

4) Try something new

Perhaps you have never sung before and want to do something out of your comfort zone. Perhaps joining a choir is on your bucket list. Bite the bullet and do it. Even if you decide it's not for you at least you can say you gave it a go! One thing I would say is, unless you absolutely hate the experience, you should try going for two or three sessions before you decide to throw in the towel.

5) Meet new people

Choirs could be full of like-minded people just waiting to befriend you! Depending on your circumstances you might find it difficult to meet new people. A choir is the perfect place to do this. As well as singing you'll find you have time during a rehearsal to chat and get to know your fellow choir members. Joining a choir could be just what you need to find your tribe, plus you get a hobby at the same time. Two birds, one stone.

And finally....

6) Be confident

As we get older we can lose our sense of self and the fearlessness we might have experienced and enjoyed when we were children. We need to rediscover that daredevil that lives inside us and what better way to do that than by joining a choir. If you are nervous about singing a choir is a great place to start. There's safety in numbers and the support you will feel when singing with others will lift you up like nothing you have experienced before.

So there you have it, if you don't fancy the idea of singing on your own in a singing lesson go and enjoy the feeling of safety in numbers and join a choir! Google is your friend, use it to find choirs in your local area.

If you identify as female, love show tunes and live anywhere near South Croydon in Greater London why not consider joining the choir I run, Songsations. Visit songsations.net for more info. New term starts on Tuesday 9th January 2024. 

Practice Makes Perfect!

Not sure anyone still reads this blog anymore. I haven't actually posted on here for quite a while because I have a new venture, The Enlightened Singer, that I'm trying to build at the moment and I have been writing another blog on that website: https://www.enlightenedsinger.com/ 

It isn't dissimilar to this blog but there is more scope to do more interactive things over there so you might want to go and check it out.

I have written a little guide to practising that I thought you might be interested in.  Although I have been busy with prep for the new term I did achieve something this week. I have been working on a short guide to practising and I want you, dear readers, to be the first people to see this guide.

Practice/Practise is a tricky word when using it in the UK. The Americans have got this right by only using practice but over here in the UK:

Practice = noun

Practise = verb

I spent a LOT of time checking and re-checking this in my guide so if you sign up to receive this free guide below please don't tell me if you think any of them are wrong as I am past caring and you will get the gist anyway!

Click on the link below to get your free guide to practising efficiently.

SEND ME MY FREE PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT GUIDE!