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I am a certified CoreSinging teacher, which is an approach based on the universal truth that everything is energy. Sessions involve a balance of right and left brain learning (technical and emotional), are creative and fun. Whether you are a complete beginner or seasoned professional you've come to the right place to explore and develop your voice.
If I have singing lessons with you what positive changes can I expect to occur?
You will become freer in the mind so your ability to improvise will improve in everyday conversation and in singing.
You will be able to let go and realize that who you are and what you sound like is ok.
You will be able to color your voice using your emotions and natural reflexes.
Your ear will become more tuned into melody and your body more tuned into rhythm.
You will be able to express yourself more freely.
Your voice will become more flexible and interesting.
Your muscle tone will improve.
Your awareness of your general health (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) will improve.
Your mental state of mind will become clearer each time you focus on what is wanted rather than unwanted.
Your appreciation of language and lyrics will improve.
You will calm that negative mental chatter.
Your appreciation of external and internal sounds (aural awareness) will open up.
You will leave the sessions with a feeling of having done something great for yourself.
You will connect with feelings that may need healing and expressing thereby ridding them from your energy field.
You will become more connected to your feelings if you have a hard time expressing them.
Do I need any previous experience to have lessons with you?
Believe it or not, most people do have previous experience with singing. When you were a child you probably sang loads, but have just forgotten how to do it. As the old saying goes, ‘use it or loose it’. So if you’re out of practice… come along! No ‘experience’ needed.
Am I too told to have singing lessons?
Are you too old to speak? I doubt the answer is yes. Therefore you are not too old to sing. Singing can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone at any age and should be for your all round health.
I am a confident singer and performer but sometimes I find it difficult to make a connection to the song/audience. Will singing lessons with you help that?
Yes. If you have gotten so used to performing while thinking about your technique you may have lost some of the passion. Perfection can create sterility, which puts a barrier up between you and the audience. The audience would much rather see an authentic performance with a few ‘mistakes’ than a ‘note perfect’ performer with no spark in his or her eyes.
I am very nervous, what will a lesson entail?
I will never force you to do anything that you don’t want to do, however, I ask you that you be prepared to step out of your comfort zone just a teensy little bit. This is only a good thing. We spend too much of our lives inside our comfort zones never experiencing what we’re really capable of. Lessons normally begin with a breathing visualization exercise to focus the mind and gather your energy. We then tune in to the creative energies by doing various improvised warm up exercises with scales, text and songs. This way not only do you exercise all aspects of your singing voice but you start to get the emotional juices flowing ready for your performance. You then perform your song using visualization and energy awareness.
I really don’t like the sound of my voice, will lessons make me sound better?
The answer to this is two fold. Firstly, by working with your singing voice you will be uncovering what has always been there, not making something new. Think of a sculptor, with a huge piece of marble in front on him. He will say that the statue is already in there, he is just letting it out with his hammer and chisel. His vision of this work of art is so strong that the statue can’t not be revealed. The same thing happens with your voice. You will be encouraged to develop a realistic goal of what you would like to sound like and then imagine that opening up inside your mind’s ear.
Secondly, after developing a realistic expectation of what you would like to achieve, the bit about accepting what you already sound like will come into play. This is a big part of it. Consciously tune into the way your speaking voice (and singing voice) sounds and do your best to find good feeling thoughts around what you hear. Every voice is individual and has it’s own beauty. As with self love, voice love is equally important for being able to express yourself with clear intent.
In short, your perception of what you are hearing will change and yes, your singing voice will ‘improve’ too.
How often should I have lessons?
As with learning anything new, once a week is good to start with for 6 weeks, then you can trail it off as your time and budget allows. Since this is about changing habits, it’s good to immerse yourself in it for a while until you fluctuate between conscious competence (“I can do but I have to think about it”) and unconscious competence (“I can do it and I don’t have to think about it).
I am bored of singing the same scales over and over again. How are lessons with you different?
We use the realm of the imagination! So while we are exercising the voice, we will be improvising and having fun too. If you laugh, you learn!
Does having a break in my voice mean that I am doing it wrong?
No! There are certain ways to override or disguise the break and you will learn them with me. Breaking, is either a choice, a habit or due to lack of emotional connection with the song. Sometimes, if you want to avoid breaking, there are a few left brain physiological things we can do as well if you need it.
How long will it take before I start to see an improvement?
There is nothing to ‘improve’. Improving implies ‘trying to change something’. You will start accessing the vocal freedom that you are looking for within the first session. It depends how committed you are to changing old habits as to how quickly you will be able to unravel the layers of what’s already there.
Recording lessons?
Lessons are available to be videoed which is invalable. If you would like your lesson video'd please bring your own SD card with you. These are available from places like Argoz, Amazon, Curry's and come in various sizes.
Do I have to bring my own songs or will you choose songs for me?
This is totally up to you. I like the more advanced students to bring their own material, however, if you have come because you want to expand your repertoire then certainly feel free to leave song choices up to me. For beginners, it is useful to have in mind one or two songs that you would like to sing that I can help you with in the lessons. Feel free to bring your own backing tracks on CD or MP3 player or sheet music although I do have access to most backing tracks here via internet.
Can you run workshops for a group of people? There are a few of us that would like to have some fun with singing.
Yes. Singing workshops can be part of a team building day or just for fun! Time wise they can be whatever you choose, they are tailor made to your needs, from one hour to a full day. My hourly rate is the same whether it’s private lessons or group workshops, I simply include a fee for traveling time and petrol. Group workshops are extremely fun and are designed to open you up creatively, boost your confidence and raise the roof with our collective voices.
What happens if I can’t make my lesson and need to cancel or postpone?
I simply ask that you value your own commitment to your personal growth and try not to cancel. However, I do understand that things crop up. I appreciate as much notice as possible with regard to cancellations. If you cancel at short notice (less than 24 hours) it is likely that I won’t be able to fill the slot. A certain amount of money has to be made each week to maintain costs, so I ask for a great amount of awareness concerning this. Cancellation fees are discretionary. So if you do cancel I simply ask that you re-book asap (usually with the same week) or offer some kind of monetary contribution towards the time slot that you have booked out. Everything is gratefully received
