Sing Your Song

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:

£50 per 60mins
£40 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! 

Benefits of Singing Lessons for Adults

Welcome to a new mini-series of blog posts delving into the benefits of singing. Today's post looks at the Benefits of Singing Lessons for Adults. Look out for the Benefits of Singing Lessons for Children and the Benefits of Singing in a Choir.

1) SINGING IS GOOD FOR US

Why go for singing lessons 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 SHOULD BE 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. It can feel good to feel a bit of adrenaline coursing through your veins and singing in front of a singing teacher can give you this feeling. It's scary but the deep sense of achievement you will feel afterwards makes it all worthwhile.

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 teacher and they will help you get over any hurdles. Singing teachers are not here to judge you or laugh at you. They want you to enjoy your singing. Singing teachers were put on this earth to make you feel better!

4) TRY SOMETHING NEW

Perhaps you have never sung before and want to do something out of your comfort zone. Perhaps having a singing lesson 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 lessons before you decide to throw in the towel .

5) IMPROVE YOUR PITCH

You may know you sing out of tune and you might feel like you will never be able to sing in tune. In the majority of cases this is not the case. A voice is like any other part of us, we have to train it to do something. You have to learn to knit, sew, cook, play tennis etc and singing is not really different. Most of us can sing in some way shape or form but a singing teacher and singing lessons will help you hone your skill and improve your ear so you can start to correct your pitch problems.

AND FINALLY....

6) LEARN TO LOVE YOUR VOICE

Your singing teacher can't turn you into Beyonce or Pavarotti but they can help you make the most of the voice you have been given. Have you ever heard yourself speaking on a recording? Most of us hate the sound of our own voice but we can learn to love it. Most of us have a body part we hate but many of us also have something about ourselves that we love. Why not try to make your singing voice the thing you love about yourself!

Snow, singing and 60 Seconds

Well hello, and happy belated new year. To say we are locked down in the UK, and have been for a month now, I am crazy busy right now. Having been online for nearly a year teaching it’s been an interesting and thought-provoking time as well as providing me, and every other teacher in the world, with an extremely large learning curve.

I am writing this on a cold and snowy Sunday afternoon whilst watching an audition workshop on Zoom (I find it impossible to do one thing at a time anymore, I am constantly multi-tasking). It appears to have stopped snowing outside now and, because I’ve just had a horrendous electricity bill come in, I’ve turned down my thermostat and am wearing two jumpers along with an old woman blanket over my knees whilst I compose this post.

So, what have I got to tell you? A few things actually. I started 2021 with a few manageable resolutions and, so far, I am sticking to them. Well, most of them. The two big ones I really want to stick to are the ones that are going well, thankfully. They are 1) to read for at least 5 minutes a day and 2) to exercise (go for a walk) for 10 minutes a day. I have managed both of these and, of course, do more than the required 5 or 10 minutes at a time. I just figured, if I set myself a ridiculously easy goal I am more likely to achieve it and, so far so good (perhaps some of you, particularly the students, could apply the 5 or 10 minute idea to your singing practice!). What this has meant is that I don’t feel as drained as I had been when I sit down to teach online. Especially when, at times, I can be teaching for over 4 hours without a break. It is really quite tiring looking at a screen for such lengthy amounts of time when you aren’t used to it.

This new found energy has also meant that I look forward to teaching online. No matter what happens with this pandemic the online thing is here to stay. I will now always have students that would rather have their lessons online and that is more than OK with me. I made a decision a couple of weeks that I will probably do more online teaching than in person teaching from now on. I have also found that I want to teach more adults and young adults rather than children which is why I am raising the minimum age to 13yrs old to have lessons with me from now on (this does NOT apply to the people I already teach, your places are safe!).

What I have found is that I like working with people preparing for further education. Auditions for drama schools and dance colleges. I particularly like working with those for who singing is not their strongest discipline and helping them gain more confidence before they face their greatest fear - singing in front of people! I have a few ideas to help more students needing help with this through group sessions as well as individual lessons. Watch this space.

The other thing I wanted to tell you about today is that I’ve started a new venture on Instagram. The 60 Second Singer will be a series of 60 Second videos of me giving you little breathing techniques and vocal exercises to try at home or on the go. Check it out here and please consider following me there.

If you have snow, and like snow, go and enjoy it. If you don’t, get yourself an old lady blanket and a hot drink and snuggle up on the sofa. Perhaps also go and like The 60 Second Singer on Instagram!

Oh and here’s a picture from my snowy walk this morning.

September is bustin’ out all over (because June was cancelled)

Apologies for taking so long to write an actual post for you. It has been a crazy 6 months. Lockdown, Zoom classes, baking, daily walks, endless webinars on all sorts of subjects. So how are we all feeling about singing face to face again?

I haven’t hated teaching online at all and, in fact, I will continue to teach online in conjunction with my face to face teaching for the foreseeable future. I have found online teaching to be an excellent way to deliver singing lessons. They are not a total substitute for being in the same room as my students but it definitely has its uses. I now have some students who don’t live near enough to me to have face to face lessons so the ability to meet with people online means I can offer lessons to a wider group of people.

I have been teaching face to face for the past 2 weeks and, so far, it's been great. I am not teaching from home anymore but my local church hall has done me a great deal which means I can teach in a huge room with plenty of scope for social distancing and I, and my students, feel very safe. I'm only doing 3 or 4 face to face sessions a week right now but aim to increase this a little over the coming weeks.

My choirs are still online, 3 sessions a week, and new members are welcome. Tuesday evenings will remain online forever so if you don't live anywhere near Selsdon/Croydon but are looking for an online choir to join you might want to consider Songsations. Email me at songsations@outlook.com or visit songsations.net for more details.

I thought with this new post I would tell you a little story. I have been watching endless free webinars over the past few months. Most have been pointless and resulted in me losing many hours of my life that I will never get back but the odd one has proved interesting and actually useful. I have had tasks to complete over the past few days and today's task was to write about something in your past that has been a lightbulb moment in your career. This is what I wrote:

I realised I could sing when I was 10. From that moment I knew that my career would be a musical one (this was a lightbulb moment but not THE lightbulb moment). I went to university and music college and trained to be an opera singer. I was pretty successful and ended up side-stepping into musical theatre along the way.

Back in 2002 (ish, can't remember exactly) I did a job where I was one of 3 professional singers employed to put on an opera in a week with a group of amateur singers making up the chorus. Part of this job, that I was not informed about when I took the job, was to deliver a masterclass with a couple of the amateur singers who had signed up to sing their favourite operatic arias for the rest of the group and I would help them make it better. I objected to having to do it as I really didn't think I could do it or that I would be any good at it. Anyway, to cut a very long story short, I did it and I LOVED it. I worked with 2 women who had very little confidence when it came to singing but got up and did it anyway and by the time we had finished working together they left the stage with a spring in their step and big, beaming smiles on their faces. It was at that moment I realised I possibly had a knack for coaching.

I received praise and thanks for a job very well done and our director of the opera, who had come to the masterclass even though he had the afternoon off, stopped me in the street to tell me how good a job I had done. At this point I wasn't really thinking of teaching/coaching being part of my life's plan but a few years down the line I had no performing work but needed a job that would allow me to still go to auditions. I remembered the masterclass I had done all those years ago and how much I had enjoyed the coaching experience and helping those 2 women become more confident singers and wondered if I could do something with this skill.

So 10yrs ago I started teaching as a side hustle. That side hustle has turned into my full time career and ultimately led to my starting my choirs, Songsations, which has allowed me to help even more women find somewhere they can sing without feeling judged or scrutinised.

So if you are looking for a singing teacher (either online or in person) or if you're a woman aged 18+ looking for a choir to join, get in touch and we'll see what we can do!

A change is as good as a rest.

Well hello there. Just a quick post to say that it is all change at The Singing Stars. So much so that the name “The Singing Stars” is now obsolete. This blog is now called Sing Your Song. You can still find details about singing lessons with Claire and info about The Songsations here but I decided I wanted spruce up the blog.

The reason I chose the name The Singing Stars originally was because I was planning to start a Sunday Singing school for children and the name seemed child/teenage friendly. However, it never happened and, to be honest, the idea no longer works for me. I LOVE teaching 1-1 so want to concentrate on that.

This means the blog can move in a different direction and I can find new things to talk about. So keep checking back to see where Sing Your Song might go in the future.

Exam time yet again.....top tips for practice.

So, once again my students are preparing for their LCM Musical Theatre exams. This year I have prepared 44 students for exams over 2 days. So I thought it might be useful to revisit my top tips for practicing.

I see many of my students for an hour or half an hour a week. I can only do so much in that time to help them prepare. I can not tell you how important practice in between lessons is. There is nothing more disheartening to my ears to hear, "No!", when I ask "have you managed to do much practice this week?".

Of course, if you just come to singing lessons in order to have a good sing once a week then I really don't mind if you practice or not. However, if you have a goal or an exam you intend to take then singing once a week ain't going to cut it. I try to make life as easy as possible for my students to be able to practice. I can provide a warm up MP3, I even, on occasion, will record a demo version of any song they are singing (if they want to spend the week listening to me - I'll sing anything!). So there are no excuses to not sing between lessons.

Top tips for practicing:

1) Set aside a certain amount of time every day, or every other day, to sing and stick to it. It's like any exercise, if you factor it into your schedule you are more likely to do it.

2) Find a place in your house where you feel comfortable to sing. One of the most difficult things about singing at home is the constant worry that someone will hear you. Unfortunately, this is something you have to overcome, and quickly. When we sing it can be loud but, as long as you aren't singing for hours on end every day, most neighbours/flatmates/partners/pets are very understanding and sometimes impressed. So just go for it!

3) Speak the words. A great one for those who are a little shy about singing out at home. Muscle memory is very helpful and important and is particularly useful when singing in another language. Get your mouth used to forming the words and the order they come in. This also helps in languages you understand too. Work out, through reading aloud, how you would say the sentences before trying to sing them. That way you find the important words and can give them that little extra help.

4) Hum through the tune. Another good one for scaredy cats. Lightly humming through the tune without the words can help your brain learn the tune without the added pressure of trying to remember the text. Once you confidently have it, change to a favourite vowel sound then sing the vowels of the text. Work up to the full words.

5) Relax! Singing should be fun, even singing in exams. I don't mean there should be no nerves. I love adrenaline and the buzz I get from singing in front of people but it shouldn't be debilitating. Don't forget your breathing when you are practicing alone.

I will let you know how my students get on in due course, but for now, get in touch if you want to start singing lessons. However, more importantly, get singing people!

Exam time again...I think I'm more nervous than my students...a few practice tips.

So, following on from 28 of my student's successes in LCM musical theatre exams earlier this year, this term sees a few of my students taking ABRSM exams. Including one student doing Grade 8. As the title suggests, I think I am more nervous than her.

I see many of my students for an hour or half an hour a week. I can only do so much in that time to help them prepare. I can not tell you how important practice in between lessons is. There is nothing more disheartening to my ears to hear, "No!", when I ask "have you managed to do much practice this week?". I should just point out that my Grade 8 student is very studious and does practice.

Of course, if you just come to singing lessons in order to have a good sing once a week then I really don't mind if you practice or not. However, if you have a goal or an exam you intend to take then singing once a week ain't going to cut it. I try to make life as easy as possible for my students to be able to practice. I can provide a warm up MP3, I even, on occasion, will record a demo version of any song they are singing (if they want to spend the week listening to me - I'll sing anything!). So there are no excuses to not sing between lessons.

Top tips for practicing:

1) Set aside a certain amount of time every day, or every other day, to sing and stick to it. It's like any exercise, if you factor it into your schedule you are more likely to do it.

2) Find a place in your house where you feel comfortable to sing. One of the most difficult things about singing at home is the constant worry that someone will hear you. Unfortunately, this is something you have to overcome, and quickly. When we sing it can be loud but, as long as you aren't singing for hours on end every day, most neighbours/flatmates/partners/pets are very understanding and sometimes impressed. So just go for it!

3) Speak the words. A great one for those who are a little shy about singing out at home. Muscle memory is very helpful and important and is particularly useful when singing in another language. Get your mouth used to forming the words and the order they come in. This also helps in languages you understand too. Work out, through reading aloud, how you would say the sentences before trying to sing them. That way you find the important words and can give them that little extra help.

4) Hum through the tune. Another good one for scaredy cats. Lightly humming through the tune without the words can help your brain learn the tune without the added pressure of trying to remember the text. Once you confidently have it, change to a favourite vowel sound then sing the vowels of the text. Work up to the full words.

5) Relax! Singing should be fun, even singing in exams. I don't mean there should be no nerves. I love adrenaline and the buzz I get from singing in front of people but it shouldn't be debilitating. Don't forget your breathing when you are practicing alone.

I will let you know how my students get on in due course, but for now, get in touch if you want to start singing lessons. However, more importantly, get singing people!

Songsations Update!

Hi all. Just thought I'd let you know what is going on with my choir, The Songsations. I have been talking about starting a choir for the past couple of years so the fact that it has happened thrills me!

I wasn't completely sure that I would enjoy leading a vocal group, particularly a group of adults. I have much experience of leading children in singing activities but I had not, until a few weeks ago, worked with a group of adults. It is a very different kettle of fish (not in a bad way).

The group has grown in number, over the few weeks we have been going, to a healthy 7 regular members and I have one more starting next week. All those that have joined must enjoy it as they keep coming back! We get a lot of singing done but always make time for a cup of tea half way through.

This term we have been working on 'Falling Slowly', from Once, 'Seasons of Love' from Rent and a medley of songs from the animated film Sing! Next term we will add new repertoire and we might, (might!) organise our first concert.

So if you fancy giving our group a try, click on The Songsations at the top of this page for all the information you need or send me a message via the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Go on, come and have a sing!

Why are you even here?...actually there are many reasons.

So, as I prepare for the new term I thought I would write a little post about something that winds me up, but probably shouldn't. I love teaching, I really do (good job too as its all I do these days) but what really gets my goat is when people come for a lesson, on their own or as part of a group session, and won't sing out. I feel like screaming "why are you here?". I should point out this does not apply to those attending their first lesson. It is nerve wracking singing in front of someone you don't know for the first time and I totally get that, no, I refer to those who have been coming for lessons for a long time and still can't seem to open their mouths wide enough to shove a Malteaser in there.

I pride myself on being a confidence builder first and foremost. I like to coax a voice out of the nervous student and love watching them become more comfortable and confident and able to open their gob to finally let their voice out. Those are the students I love teaching. I have a pretty good record in my private 1-to-1 lessons of getting students to open up and sing with confidence the one area that frustrates me the most is group singing lessons, particularly with teenagers.

I do find myself saying, sometimes out loud but most of the time in my head, "why are you here? Why do you come to sing when you won't sing loud enough for anyone to hear you?". The fact that they turn up every week means they are getting something from their lessons with me so I try not to push them but try to "trick" them into singing just a bit louder. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The simple fact is, people get there in their own time. I can't and won't make someone sing out when they aren't ready but I really hope I am there the day they do decide they are ready to move to the next level.

However, as we head towards the new term and, most importantly, The Songsations inaugural session (12th Sept, click here for more information), I ask all students, old and new, to just go for it. Sing like no one is listening. There is nothing to fear and everything to gain. The endorphins released when you really sing are the best and totally addictive, in a good way, you don't need to go to rehab for a singing addiction. In sessions with me, nobody is judging you, nobody expects or wants you to fail. Even singing out of tune is fun! Although I will try to help you remedy this if tuning is a problem. Just use both lungs and go for it. If you have been thinking about having lessons or joining a group get in touch via the "Contact Me" section below and let's get started. What's the worst that can happen?

The Songsations

Welcome to the info page for our brand new vocal ensemble "The Songsations".

We are based in Selsdon and rehearse upstairs in the Morris Chapman room* on Tuesday evenings, 7.30-9pm, at St John's the Divine Church Hall on the Upper Selsdon Road. Click here for directions.

There is parking available behind the church hall or you can park on the street outside. The 412 bus stops almost outside the church hall whether you are coming from Croydon or Purley or the 64, 433 and 359 buses also stop not far away.

We sing a mixture of mostly pop and musical theatre and we welcome anyone aged 16 and over. All abilities are encouraged to join. We will work towards performing in concerts in the future.

First session is the 12th September. The cost is £8 per session PAYG** however your first session is free!

If you have any questions or would like to register your interest in joining please feel free to email Claire at ceplatt@live.co.uk or use the Contact Me form at the bottom of this page.

See you in September!

*please note there are steps up to the Morris Chapman room. Should the group take off I will try to move it downstairs so as to make it accessible for everyone. Please bear with me.
**the session fee is subject to change.

Don't keep me in the dark....your teacher needs to know!

So, over the years that I have been teaching I have had a lot of students who have come to me on a regular basis but I have also had a fair few who have come to me for one or two lessons to help them prepare for an audition/exam/karaoke spot and there is one thing about this that frustrates me. I never hear the outcome.

No matter how many times I say to a student I know I will (probably) never see again "please let me know how it goes" not one has ever got in contact to tell me. This could be for a variety of reasons: it went badly, they forget, they don't want to tell me, they have been traumatised by the whole experience and never want to think about it, they think I don't mean it plus a variety of other reasons. The fact of the matter is I am REALLY nosey and REALLY want to know.

It is one of the best parts of my job finding out if the work I have done with a student has paid off. I don't like to contact the student as I feel it is up to them to contact me if they want to tell me how things went. This, very short, post is simply to tell all you students of singing out there, your teacher is interested! Your teacher has invested time in you and is always curious to know how you got on so please don't forget them. Just send a quick text to tell them how you got on. I promise you will make their day!

In space, no one can hear you scream....the same goes for a closed mouth.

So, Fridays and Saturdays are my busiest teaching days of the week. I teach 10 private lessons on a Friday and 8 group classes on a Saturday and this past Friday and Saturday I found myself getting a little perturbed by the amount of students reluctant to open their mouths when they sing.

I personally find this odd but I do understand. There is something very personal about singing and expecting a beginner to just "go for it" right from the off is unlikely. It's far easier to learn to play the violin and to play with abandon in front of people than it is to produce a sound from inside yourself that you are happy for other people to hear.

I like to think I am the encouraging type of teacher. I never say anything is bad, unless it is an intermediate or advanced student I have worked with for a while and I know they want constructive criticism and that they can take it. With beginners and scaredy cats I find the softly, softly approach works far better than shooting them down the first opportunity I get. I find that even the most confident people in life can be riddled with fear if asked to sing on their own. This fear can also apply to group singing. The fear that you will come in at the wrong time or keep singing when everyone else has stopped singing can be, for some, a risk not worth taking causing the student to sing in nothing more than a whisper. Case in point:

One group I teach is made up of 10 highly exuberant teenagers. All have something to say, many of them are hilarious and they are all very chatty (sometimes to the point that I want to tear my hair out). However, the minute I ask them to sing the volume goes down to the level you would hear in a library. This annoys me for many reasons, the main one being, I know for a fact, that they can all sing in tune and all have pleasant voices (some have great voices) but ask them to sing together and the fear takes over. I have made headway with some of them and they have started singing out a little more and I am hoping this will encourage the rest of the class. The main culprit for lack of noise, though, is the fact that they will not open their mouths.

I have to stop myself telling these and other children to stop being silly and just sing for goodness sake as I know it will have the opposite effect. It has to be coaxed out of them, but my advice to all beginner singers is just open your mouth and let the sound out. I promise you won't regret it.

Come sing with me!

Hello again all.

Good news, The Singing Stars is expanding!

Do you or your child have ambitions to take the LCM (London College of Music) Musical Theatre exams? These exams are great for confidence building and working on performance skills. Plus when you get to Grade 6 they get you UCAS points which helps when applying for universities etc...

I also prepare students to take ABRSM and Trinity exams too. So if you really want a challenge ask me about these too.

At the moment I have some availability after school during the week and a couple of slots on Saturdays or Sundays so use the contact form below to ask me any questions

Of course you don't have to take any exams if you don't want to. Perhaps you are thinking of joining a choir or the local amateur dramatics society and want to feel more confident about your singing before the first rehearsal. Perhaps you want to sing out more at church but don't have confidence in your voice. There are so many reasons to come for a singing lesson. I am pretty sure you will leave my lesson feeling great thanks to all the endorphins that will be released.

So what are you waiting for? Send me a message via the contact form below.

28 exams and 23 distinctions later....

You will find that this blog post is just an excuse for me to blow my own trumpet. A couple of weekends ago was one of the most thrilling and stressful of my teaching career to date. I arranged for 29 students at one of the theatre schools I teach at to take LCM (London College of Music) Musical Theatre exams. I had 5 doing Grade 1, 16 doing Grade 2, 5 doing Grade 3, 1 doing Grade 5 and 2 doing Grade 6 (although one of my grade 6 students came down with a bug so couldn't do the exam in the end). Thankfully all my work and, more to the point, the work the children put in really paid off.

In the run up to the exams I was not convinced our results would be as good as they were. The children had to practice in their classes in front of their peers. That can be more terrifying than an actual exam in reality. For many people singing in front of strangers is much easier than singing in front of their friends. Therefore some of the students had not showed me what they were really capable of in the class but when they got in front of the examiner something made them go for it. I think you get to the point where you realise there is no turning back and you just have do you best and hope you remember everything you worked on.

Well these kids did just that. Everyone passed and as the title suggests 23 of the results were distinctions. These exams are not only good experience in performing but also in self discipline. The children would not have achieved the results they achieved unless they had put some work in at home on their own. I can help them learn the songs but I can't make them remember everything. That's where practice comes in. Plus all the nagging I did over the 6 weeks run up to the exams was obviously worth it. Onwards and upwards!

Ah, the curse of Christmas....and every other school holiday actually.

So, 'tis the season and all that. Everyone is happy, everyone is excited, everyone can't wait for a bit of time off work or school (I realise this is a huge sweeping statement and there may be many among you who hate the festive season but please, just go with me for a minute). Unfortunately for the self employed teachers out there it also means cancellations and a drop in income.

I set up as a singing teacher about 5 years ago and, at first, I had another job to supplement the little income I had coming in from teaching but now, three years on, all I do is teach singing. When I initially decided to go it alone I was extremely dependant on my private singing students turning up, and paying, for their lessons. One week I would do quite well and have 8 or 9 students turn up, the next it could be as little as two as everyone else dropped like flies, sometimes with an interesting array of excuses. The turning point for me was a a year and a half ago when I started working for my first regular theatre school. So now it isn't all private lessons - staying at home, drinking tea while people sing at me - I also teach at two theatre schools. This meant that I have became less reliant on the private students turning up as I know I can pay my rent at the end of the month regardless.

However, that is not the point. The majority of my students are respectful. They only cancel when they have to and try to give me as much notice as possible and I never object to them cancelling. I am not stupid, a singing lesson is only a singing lesson. Sometimes it is not a priority. Life gets in the way and you have to concentrate on other things. I get that. Although, having said that, sometimes the best thing you can do when life gets you down or you are a bit stressed is go and have a good sing. Unfortunately I will always have a few students who don't understand what I do and that I actually make my living doing it. They will think nothing of booking in for regular lessons at the same time every week and then cancelling 3, 4 even 5 in a row the evening before (or on the day) not realising that that means I don't get paid or that, had I had a bit more notice, I could have given that time slot to another student.

Many colleagues of mine tell me I should get people to pay in advance for lessons either singularly or in a block. I have been reluctant to do this up until now because I like people to feel they have some flexibility. I am thinking about it but have reached no decisions as yet. I don't want people who are genuinely ill coming to my house for a lesson because they have paid for it and think they will lose that money if they don't. Of course there would always be an element of discretion on my part but, for the most part, my present system works.

So as we enter the Christmas season, all I ask is that students think before they book and think before they cancel. That way I will be a very happy teacher, you will be a happy student and I will have no reason to vent again.

Just be yourself...not who you wish you were.

So, starting this Sing Your Song blog has been a wonderful thing for me (hopefully for you too, but, if not, give it time). It has inspired me to look into more singing techniques and how to break them down in order to teach them better.

I have spent days, literally days, watching YouTube videos and webinars to see what others have to say (it's so cold outside at the minute so any excuse to stay in the warm). I am not simply nicking other people's ideas I promise. I am working out how to put other ideas into my own teaching without changing my approach. I suppose the fact that I am not performing (or even auditioning) at the moment has given me a new lease of life as far as my teaching goes and I am determined to become as good a teacher as I can.

I come from a Bel Canto background but am fascinated by other techniques, such as Estill or SLS (speech level singing) however I hate labels and recently found a YouTube channel called "Singer's Secret" run by an Australian woman called Nicola Milan. She speaks a lot of sense and doesn't get bogged down with too much jargon. Obviously she is gearing everything to the beginner singer but there are lots of great hints and tips about technique and also about performance. Deffo worth a look.

As a performer, people will constantly try to pigeon hole you and I don't intend for that to happen with my teaching. I want people to have one voice. Their own voice. I am constantly striving to enable my students to move between their chest voice and head voice seamlessly. Get rid of clunky gear changes and work with what they have got, not what they wish they had. Nicola said a very interesting thing in one of her videos "there is no one that can sound as good as you can when you sing like you. However, on the flip side, you are never going to sound as good as an artist singing a song written specifically for them or by them. Everyone is unique". She then goes on to say you do your own version of a song, don't copy. This is something I try to instill in my students. Just because someone sings a song in a certain way doesn't mean you should.

The number of students that come to me and try to sing a carbon copy of Taylor Swift's latest offering is staggering. They try to copy everything and if you try and tell them that is not what's written the student will tell me I am wrong. It is a constant battle to try and get beginner singers not to rely on, and sing like, their idols. I would love to be Beyoncé but it's never going to happen so I would never attempt to sing one of her songs in the way she sings her songs, I would think outside the box and try something a little left of centre.

I feel it is my mission in my teaching life to make sure as many people think in this way. We already have a Beyoncé, a Taylor Swift, an Ed Sheeran. We don't need another. However we may need you when you sing like you. Be yourself, don't try to be someone else.

You've got a friend in me!

So, here is post number 2 already. Don't worry I won't bother you like this all the time but I thought I would write this as I had lunch yesterday with a fellow singing teacher. Teaching singing can be a lonely business and it is important to meet with other teachers from time to time. This way you get to share ideas, talk about teaching frustrations, share success stories and get a bit of adult conversation (if you've spent the weekend teaching kids).

It is important to have someone who understands how insecure you can feel when you are teaching. When I perform I feel like I am only responsible for me but when you teach you feel a responsibility for your student too. If they haven't learnt the song I told them to learn last week I feel responsible which is, frankly, ridiculous. I can only do so much. If a student comes to me once a week for an hour or half an hour I can only do so much in that time. Between the end of that lesson and the beginning of the next the student has to be responsible for putting the work in.

When I was a student I could be lazy, we all can, but I used to want to practice so I find it bizarre when students come to a lesson and say they haven't practiced. Singers are like athletes. People say that all the time and it is true. If an athlete trained once a week for half an hour and did nothing in between they would never improve. It is the same for singers. I just wish some students would realise this.

So it was refreshing to talk to my friend and find that she had the same frustrations as me, the same feelings of guilt. I can't tell you how much better I felt after this lunch. I felt more confidence in my teaching abilities and felt like I am far too hard on myself when students fail to learn the words to their songs. That is one thing I can not do for them. Word learning is their responsibility, not mine. So today I started my teaching week (at the moment I have no students on Monday - so plenty of availability - hint, hint) with a renewed feeling of purpose. I have much to say and I can help students improve but no more spoon feeding.

Go to the "Come Sing With Me!" page for more details on how to start singing lessons with me.