Singing Teaching Lineage

This is a short description of my singing teaching lineage. It’s always good to know how your teacher works and where their traditions lie, along side contemporary research into vocal function.

Classical singing training is an excellent basis for all singing.

I owe a great deal to the international opera coaches and repetiteurs who have worked on all sorts of Classical and Operatic repertoire with me over many years. I still train the voice and continue to learn so much, particularly from the fantastic Raymond Connell (Royal Academy of Music) part of whose training lineage can be traced back to Matthilde Marchesi and to Garcia.

 

Anatomical research taught by Professor Chapman (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) and Dr Ron Morris (Brisbane Speech and Hearing Clinic) has been especially useful to my teaching, being an excellent assembly of the science behind the way we sing, often providing an explanation of discoveries I’d made myself. Specialists in fascia manipulation, including Emil Vincenzi, have also taught me a great deal. I learn through experience, which I can then pass on.

Classical singing is very demanding on the voice and it’s vital to keep body and soul healthy.  I connect with a small group of professionals to whom I refer students who need physio, medical or psychological interventions.  Many jazz singers have a classical as well as a jazz training and every single singer, no matter what genre they work in, needs to look after their voice as well as they can.

There are several strands to my early singing teachers. The most important have been the following:

Classical English Singing

As a youngster I was awarded a scholarship to train privately with the then octogenarian Prof Fabian Smith, retired head of singing at the Guildhall, who himself had worked with Sir Thomas Beecham! Through him I learned about the English singing tradition. I also studied English song repertoire with the late renowned mezzo-soprano and exponent of English song Ameral Gunson.

Husler

Both Elizabeth Brice (who studied with Joy Mammen (Royal Academy) and at the National Opera Studio) and Paula Anglin (Guildhall School of Music and Drama) with whom I trained for several years, had themselves studied with Prof.Peter Harrison who worked with Yvonne Rodd-Marling, close associate of Frederick Husler.

Bel Canto Training  (Opera/Classical Song)

Paula Anglin trained with Vida Harford who taught a belcanto technique learned during her time in Dresden. Neil Semer (London, New York and throughout Germany) brought to my attention the crucial importance of posture and tongue release. I have studied the history of belcanto, florid singing and musical styles as I teach all types of singing.

Musical Awareness (Sound singing and improvisation)

This goes to the heart of sound and song as self expression. I believe my inclination towards improvisation may come from an Irish old-style tradition. My meditation and awareness training also comes into play here as the two are very closely linked. You will find examples of improvised songs here .

 

I have a special interest in helping people back to vocal health (whether from psychological or physical illness) as well as fixing more common singing problems like tight tongue, lack of resonance, wobble, general tightness and metallic sound. My therapeutic singing lessons have proved helpful for students. I am also available for online singing lessons for those unable to come to see me in person.

These techniques combined enable me to teach most repertoire and to help people learn to sing pretty much anything they want. They are also revealed in their very simplest form in my book “Sing Your Heart Out” for beginners.

I am happy to help singers and singer songwriters as well as traditional music performers from many different cultures.

For more information please contact me direct.