Understanding and training the singing voice takes a lot of time and effort - there are no short cuts to being able to sing really well! And in voice work, as with any 'instrument', there is never an end to the learning process!

On the one hand, there is the technical work, which can be thought of as 'the mechanics' of singing. On the other, there is the 'artistry' - where technique hands over to the creativity and personal expression of the individual. Anyone that sings brilliantly has to some degree mastered both of these. And the good news is, both areas can be taught! 

The 'technique' of singing can get complicated, but with clearly explained exercises, and by tackling one area of voice work at a time, it can be exhilarating and very rewarding. It is an incredible feeling to find notes easy that you once thought of as difficult or impossible, and to find true power and tone in the voice - making expression through song so much more meaningful. As for creating a unique singing performance, apart from a good grounding in technique, probably one of the most important things is to convey the 'meaning' of the lyrics in the song -  for the singer to communicate directly to the audience what the song is all about. When listening to singers we like, we tend to be most admiring of those that convey emotion and honesty in the voice - and as a singer and as a teacher, that seems to me to be the ultimate aim!

Finally, this may sound banal, but it has to be remembered that everyone has a unique voice! Often people will want to sound like someone else, usually someone they admire, or else they might have a fixed notion about what 'good' singing is - for it to sound pure, or husky, or raw or silky, or deep etc...  but what's actually really important is to sound like yourself! As much as we all have unique fingerprints, so we have a unique voice!