Questions and Answers.
- Can you help? Try me, I love
solving vocal problems and the chances are, I can help. I have helped
hundreds of singers-why not you?
- What singing styles do you help?
My methods have been used by professional opera, concert and
Musical singers and those who want to sing for fun.
- What speech problems do you help?
People who find their voices disintegrate when they have to
speak in public. People whose voices lack
warmth or other qualities, people whose voices are too high-pitched, or
lacking in colour. People who lack confidence in speaking.
Example: One client I recently worked with came because she had a
high-powered job which involved giving a lot of presentations in the English
and German languages. She was continually frustrated by people telling her
that she spoke too fast and unintelligibly, which was part of her very
dynamic personality, but proving a disadvantage professionally. After about
eight lessons, her style had changed completely as she had learned to
breathe, pace herself , speak more slowly and clearly, and pitch her voice a
little lower therefore presenting her business propositions in a more
acceptable and profitable manner. She is happy and doing well professionally.
Another client who came to me because he was unhappy with his mumbling
monotonous voice is learning to vary his pitch, dynamics and respond
emotionally with his voice.
- What do you charge? 50 Euros an
hour. Reduced price for impoverished students, unemployed, etc.
- How can I pay?
Cash, please, after the lesson.
- How long is a lesson?
A full hour. I also throw in a free group
lesson on bodywork and breathing once a week in addition to the solo lesson.
I have found that the bodywork lesson speeds up the development of the
voice, and it is an important part of my training scheme.
- How many lessons will I need ?
Voice-training is an on-going process and for a professional
singer an important part of life. You will need a lesson a week for a couple
of years if you are a beginner. I have singers who have been working with me
for many years, who no longer take regular lessons but come back when they
have new projects to tackle. Other singers who have been working with me
from abroad come back for intensive work over a period of a week or two and
combine it with a holiday in Vienna. Voice lessons are part of normal
routine for singers.
- Are intensive lessons over a short time
beneficial? Many singers are finding
this at the moment, and I have several guests every year for varying periods,
from one week to three months. I make sure that I give visiting singers
plenty to work on when they return home, and include a print-out of my
(still unfinished !) book, ”Bodysinging” which provides exercises to work on
alone and many motivating ideas. I encourage my visiting singers to work on
their own afterwards and email me with any problems or queries which may
crop up in their practice. If you would fancy a holiday in Vienna combined with
voice lessons, click here!
- Is it safe? In safe hands,
yes.You might well be concerned if your voice is your livelihood. I know
what it is like. I take great care.
- Where do you work?
My studio is at home,in the thirteenth district
of Vienna, near the Schönbrunn Palace. Easily reached by public transport
More....
- What happens? I spend time
finding out how you are using your whole body, as well as your voice.Can I
bring a friend? Yes, of course. They can sit in with you and listen.
- How long have you been teaching?
I have been teaching voice since since 1982. Previously I was
a professional singer. I have sung nearly all my life, so can offer fifty
years experience of performing in public.
- What are your qualifications?
BA English & Music, UC Wales, Cardiff. Post-Graduate studies
at London Royal College of Music - awarded an open Exhibition and the Albani
Prize. Then I won a scholarship to the Vienna Academy where I graduated from
the Lied and Oratorio Course with distinction. For five years I studied
Alexander Technique in London with Jean Gibson and have done courses on
Eutonie and Feldenkrais techniques.
More...
- What is your style? Warm,
sympathetic, patient, encouraging, humorous and experienced.
- I have tried various forms of voice training with
no great success. Why should you be different?
Possibly because I spend more time tuning the whole body and
correct breathing and not just the vocal mechanisms. Many people who have
worked with me were at the end of their tether and fed up with voice
teachers! I believe in education which means "drawing out"-and unblocking
your potential .I don't spend a lot of time talking about it, but I do spend
a lot of time getting you to experience feelings inside you in a practical
way, and relate them to your singing.
- What is the most common thing students say to you?
"Why didn't anyone else ever get these sounds out of me?", "I
feel more alive!" "My sex life has improved since I have been doing my
breathing exercises!!!" (Honestly! I heard that a few times!) more
dramatically -- "You've saved my life!"