Singing Lessons

This studio welcomes singers that are beginners to more advanced students, including those who are returning after time away from singing. Students at this studio also include those that sing just for fun or relaxation, choir members, in preparation for a tertiary audition or VCE/IB/AMEB examinations, or those that support themselves singing professionally.

The instrument of the singer is entirely unique to all others. For most instruments, they are routinely packed away when the performance or practice is finished, and are protected in order to maintain their optimal condition. In contrast, the singing instrument is permanently exposed to the surrounding environment, and naturally the voice reflects that in a phenomenal way. All that is taken in during the course of the day, the week- our whole life, is expressed outwardly through the sound.

With that in mind, it is possible to see that life experiences greatly impact the relationship we have with our voices, or the way we express ourselves vocally. Extraordinarily, its not unlikely that we find ourselves to be a mix of beginner and mastery all at once, and some days we may be more one than the other. In this way, the process of uncovering our voice is not linear, but begins right from where we are on any given day.

If you are considering taking your first singing lesson ever, and you have no idea how to choose a song to bring or where to start, it could be useful to do the following:

1. Go through your collection/playlist ie what music do you love listening to?
2. Choose music that is not too demanding ie is very dramatic, requiring a really wide range, or has a big climax needing higher sustained notes at considerable volume.
3. If you already have a few ideas, musicnotes.com has an abundance of sheet music including classical, soul, jazz, blues, film favorites, contemporary etc. Its also possible to get music in keys suitable for different voice types if needed. imslp.org is also great for classical rep and its free (as they are out of copyright).
4. Alternatively, repertoire can be found together and/or suggestions can be made at your first lesson.

For students undertaking examinations or VCE/IB etc, the first few lessons will be needed to map out the curriculum. These types of exams are often part of a fairly busy school schedule, so its a great idea to plan ahead whilst keeping a certain amount of flexibility, if repertoire needs to be added or swapped for alternatives.

For tertiary entrance, a well prepared audition is important. Most music departments require that you present a program of contrasting works. Keep in mind, that the values of the particular vocal departments, and the institutions they are within, vary between schools. Whilst the auditions are a chance to show your sense of style, ability to sing in another language, or interpret a character-dont be surprised if you are also asked to show your level of raw skill by singing scales and other technical work! It has happened…