Heather's Happy Voice Blog

Notes from a Holistic Singing Coach Inspired by some recent one-to-one sessions with my private clients. Don’t be afraid of your emotions when you sing - particularly when you start exploring your voice as an adult - with all the judgemental thinking we can bring to it! Very often, for many different reasons, people, myself included, can become tearful and emotional during their singing lesson - and it’s usually a really good thing. Some people feel grief for the lost years they felt prevented from singing, or being shamed about their voice.  Others can feel frustrated by their level of skill versus the level they desire.  As adults we are happiest doing what we know we are good at, and learning new skills can feel challenging to the ego and our self-esteem. Most are simply overwhelmed by the stresses of daily life, seemingly unrelated to singing, which bubble up when they finally spend time focusing on themselves.   But none of it is unrelated...

Recently, I have enjoyed coaching the Crouch End Players community theatre in preparation for their musical play "Sea Airs" - a love story set in my native Cornwall, featuring Sea Shanties and traditional methodist hymns, as well as songs from the 1980s. As opening night approached, the cast have been beset with seasonal colds, coughs and the usual Autumn term  lurgy!  Under these circumstances there is a lot of well-meaning advice given to amateur performers, some helpful and some downright destructive! But finding the right advice can be a minefield, particularly relating to amateur performers who have to work all day and perform in the evening, and who don't get much rest! I remember when I was studying at Trinity College of Music (now Trinity Laban) in the 1980s, we were lucky enough to have a lecture from the eminent throat specialist, Mr David Garfield Davies, to educate the singers about vocal health and hygiene. Mr Davies is laryngologist to the RSC and ...