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.
Welcome to Sing Your Song. Here you'll find all the information you need about singing lessons with Claire Platt. Face to face in Selsdon or online from anywhere! (Blog is just a little extra treat)
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!
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.
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.
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.
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