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Imagine!

 Imagine John Lennon’s song might have been a political statement, yet, within it he invites pictures to swirl around your head as you think about the concepts. He plays into the richness of being human, the ability to use imagination, and this is also the world of singing. There has been an alarming trend to take imagination out of singing teaching and replace it with the bare reality of what is happening. How many lessons do I witness where, once again, the singer is taken back to some technical aspect when they have the ability to sing well enough, and what is really needed is the freeing of the imagination for the next ‘stage’? Somehow it is as if we never get beyond that; we can’t let the singer grow up. There is a credible argument that not everybody thinks the same way, therefore what is valid for the teacher, may be a vacuum for the other learner in the room. Using more neutral, less colourfully imaginative ideas is more helpful. As a former classroom teacher, I could concu...
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Unwrapping the voice

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I often get asked what genre I teach in singing and I usually say classical and music theatre. I now think this is a limited and loaded question! People, naturally, make decisions on my response, yet what I teach is much more useful.  I teach how to make a voice function. I teach the mechanics of vocal operation so that the singer is empowered to make a choice as to which genre they wish to pursue. There is nothing more powerful than knowing how to make a sound that is stable and secure; knowing that when you open your mouth, that sound is available to you.  The setting up of a voice is the longest and most complex element in voicing.   Understanding the subtleties of muscular and cellular interchange to create the widest palate of sounds you can find. More importantly, gaining control so that the emerging sound is smooth and clear and at your command. That involves practising across the whole of the vocal range of which you are capable and understanding that this will al...
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Flippin' singing teachers

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  Flippin' singing teachers There are some phenomenal singing teachers and singers out there and long may that continue. Therefore, I am very sad when students end up at my door who have been intimidated, have lost confidence and feel they can no longer sing at all. It’s one thing to reach the requirements of an exacting music course, but it is quite another to be undermined by somebody who has lost their integrity when it comes to teaching (if they ever had it). My first degree is in education, back in the day when that was a qualification fit for purpose. I have always retained much of what is the beating heart of excellent teaching: working with what you have in front of you; listening to your student; seeking endlessly different ways to explain something; steering a course through the multiple aspects of using your subject; reading around the subject; having empathy as a core skill; seeking knowledge but also acknowledging what your own strengths are that you bring; supporti...
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Booking your celebrant  It can seem overwhelming can't it, once you start thinking about the actual day of your ceremony and all there is to do?! It is easy to get caught up in the flowers, the make up, the venue, the photographer - all the logistics associated with the 'look' of the day, yet right at the heart of your day, is the ceremony. the reason you are both here and the main event which sets off the later celebrations. And that ceremony has to be right for you. It needs to have heart and meaning and love flowing through it. Once you start thinking about it, you realise that the success of the day hangs on this moment and a poorly executed ceremony is often commented upon. Things I become aware of when sitting as a guest is the voice of the celebrant; are they speaking with lots of expression or is it a bit monotone? Do they seem comfortable in their role as a public speaker? Do they look like they are excited about the ceremony? Have they practised reading the ...
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When disaster comes calling   Just when you thought you were going to be married This month I have had two calls from distressed and panicked brides who discovered they were unable to have their legal ceremony on the day they had picked. Venue is booked. Registrar is booked, Photographer, catering, bands - everything is booked and people are flying in from different countries to be there to celebrate on a specific date. Then out of the blue, the unexpected happens and suddenly all the carefully thought out plans are in disarray. While some things might mean that you do have to abandon plans and cope with the costing implications, love can find a way around others. Here are my thoughts on the subject from experience so far! Stop! Think! What exactly has gone wrong? Try to take out the rising panic and focus on what you are being told. For most scenarios it will not mean abandoning the actual day, but it will mean reframing how you look at it Can you keep most things in place? The la...
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Charting my journey through breast duct removal - the recovery

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And so it came to pass that the single duct had been found  and removed and I had a tiny scar. Not that I could see it initially as I had dressings galore. I then discovered I was actually allergic to silcone dressings - good job I wasn't in line for a breast enhancement. The irritation caused some opening of the skin - thankfully not on the actual scar, but around it and I ended up visiting the local surgery for a nurse to remove the dressings and change the thinking around that.  Despite being told I would have to keep up the codeine to stop the pain coming back, that Fentanyl had done the trick and although I took a few tablets, something told me I was going to be ok and so it proved. I now have a huge jar of codeine and an entire bottle of laxative hidden away! I dutifully wore my bras 24/7 - well I obviously changed them frequently, ie daily - and this was not as onerous as I had imagined. I did g and buy a sexy leopard print number from 'cosabella' which slipped over ...
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Charting my journey through breast duct removal - update

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My apologies for not concluding my duct removal story and forgive a truncated version of it now. The late newsreader Peter Sissons used to say "You couldn't make it up" and that might be a fair comment upon the next stage of the processes.  After failing by the vegetables I got home and found solace and comfort in reaching out to friends. It is amazing how a few words here and there can be so helpful. useful for us all to know that although we may feel we are doing nothing to help at all, in fact even just engaging and providing solidarity means a lot to the recipient. You even gain strength from re-reading those words. Words are indeed powerful. Over the next few weeks I was called in to be further assessed and in a way this got me more used to the shock of this unexpected moment with my body. They didn't install a guider thingy - a fabulous tool which is activated by the surgeon to locate exactly where the offending duct lies. It turns out mine was very close to the...
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