Private lessons taught from my home in Bingham, Nottingham. My love of singing goes back to earlier than I can remember – my parents still frequently tell the story of me, at 2 years of age, stood at the top of the stairs singing Barbara Streisand’s ‘Woman In Love’ at the top of my voice! As a child school was the main place that fostered this love; I took part in various school productions, choir
s and other musical activities readily. Then as a teenager I competed in numerous musical festivals and was an active member of Stoke-on-Trent Operatics Society Youth Section taking the lead female role of Ann Pornick in ‘Half a Sixpence’ when I was 16. My first forays into teaching and directing came in my late teens when I was given the opportunity to stage a production for an awards evening at a local theatre. Then at the age of 18 I achieved ABRSM Grade 8 with Distinction before heading off to university where, as well as achieving a BA (Hons), my vocal skills were also recognised when I was selected as a soloist for the university graduation ceremonies. During my 20s and early 30s singing had to take somewhat of a back seat as I moved into a high paced corporate career and then left that to start and raise a family. However, I continued to perform as a soloist in various charity recitals and also regularly sang in church choirs and worship bands. Then 18 months ago I was asked to help out with the choir at my daughter’s junior school and found it a thoroughly rewarding and enriching experience. Watching these children discover their voices, learn about music and fall in love with song really sparked my passion and made me realise how much I enjoy helping children (and adults) develop a love for singing. I continue to work with the school choir and am also now working as a choir director for a Vale Voices Community Choir. Much like the school choir, this venture is all about nurturing a love of music and singing in the local community. Teaching singing privately has been a natural progression on from this. I offer lessons for people of all ages and abilities. I believe everyone can sing, you just many not have been shown the techniques to unlock your voice. Singing is also a great way to improve confidence and bring shy children out of their shell. Whether you just want to sing for fun with no agenda, or if you want to perform regularly or track your development with formal exams (I offer tuition for the ABRSM Classical and LSM’s Pop and Musical Theatre exams), I can help you improve your technique and develop your repertoire accordingly. In terms of my own professional qualifications, I am currently studying for my Diploma in Music Performance with the ABRSM and expect to achieve this by Christmas 2017. I am a member of the Association of Teachers of Singing (AOTOS) and the Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM) through which I have full Public Liability and Professional Indemnity Insurance. I also hold portable Enhanced DBS certification and have recently done child safeguarding training.
