It’s not always true that you NEED a vocal coach, singing teacher, or voice specialist of any kind to be a great singer, but where do you turn when you want a helpful nudge, a different perspective, or a boost in your confidence? Hopefully, a vocal coach, voice or singing teacher. Maybe you’ve never had lessons before but it’s always been a desire? Maybe you sing in a choir and want to work on your technique so that you can offer the best to your ensemble?

Because of this it might be useful to know what I offer in my singing lesson sessions at Grace Allwood Music. What can you expect when coming to your first lesson? What will we work on? What does a session entail?

Now if you’ve got in contact with me, and you’ve booked a lesson you’ve already had a chat with me about why you’re coming to your lessons. So I will already have some sort of plan in mind as to what you want to work on, and how I can help. You will have been asked to bring with you a song that you like, or your feel comfortable singing, but other than that there’s not much else to prepare. Simply turn up at your booked time, and we can get started!

First sessions always start with a chat, making sure that you haven’t changed your focus since your consultation. This is a great way to break the ice in first sessions, I get to know a little bit more about you, and you can start to relax in the new space. All the sessions are recorded and uploaded for you to view afterwards. This is done through the secure portal that allows you to fully manage your music practice and bookings.

I then get to know your voice in a little more detail. These are the “Weird” tasks that I start with before we get into the singing proper. This involves exploring your speaking voice, your comfortable voice range, and me noting anything else I hear as we go along. Quite often this is the section of the lesson that contains a bucket load of laughter, and encouragement for you to get outside of your “serious” mindset and feel happy with playing around with your voice. Remember you should enjoy your voice lessons - if you’re not enjoying something, or finding it too challenging you should always let the teacher know, they might have another way around it.

After all the laughter and discussing what you’re experiencing as you’re working through your voice, it’s time to get to that song you brought with you. Don’t worry I am always aware that this is a daunting task, and you might look like a deer in the headlights, but it’s never as scary as it seems once it’s over. With gentle encouragement we can decide your confidence level for the task at hand.

If you’re really uncomfortable I simply ask you to sing along with a recording of the song.

Feeling a little more confident, why not use a backing track?

Sung this before and are used to performing it, why not try it with a piano accompaniment?

I offer no comments and I just let you get over the first hurdle of singing a song in the studio in front of someone you’ve known for approximately 15 minutes!

From there we can take you through some ideas and techniques to help with this song, and start you on your journey to knowing more about your voice. This can include the introduction to various aspects of singing like your breathing. Similarly it could be looking at something specific for a student who is more advanced in their vocal journey.

Singing lessons are an excellent way to improve not only your voice, but also one's overall health and well-being. The benefits of singing lessons are numerous; they help to enhance breathing and vocal technique, develop stage presence and performance skills, and increase both confidence and self-awareness. Moreover, singing lessons can also provide opportunities for personal growth, as students learn to express themselves through their music and connect with others in a supportive and creative environment.

When it comes to long-term outcomes, singing lessons can lead to a lifetime of musical enjoyment and accomplishment. Students who engage in consistent practice and continuous learning can achieve significant improvements in their vocal abilities, as well as in various other aspects of their lives. Singing lessons can foster self-discipline, creativity, and resilience, which can translate to success in other areas of academic and personal pursuits. Ultimately, singing lessons provide a foundation for a lifelong journey of musical growth and expression.