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Personal Message

I am a professionally trained singing and acting teacher local to SW1, Chelsea, Knightsbridge & Central London.

Interview

Which subject(s) do you teach?
Singing - clasical, musical theatre and other styles including pop and jazz. Singing, drama and musical theatre audition preparation. Drama tuition for students and amateurs. Voice tuition for actors and public speakers.

Tell me about your qualifications.
I have a BA (Hons) degree in Music from the University of East Anglia, Norwich; a Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music in Singing Teaching as well as a BA in Acting from East 15 Acting School, London. I have Grade 8 Piano, Associated Board. I also have a TEFL (Distinction) Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language as well as the DELE Spanish Language Diploma from La Escuela de Idiomas, Madrid. I also have an Italian 'A' level, Grade A (Edexcel).

What kind of experience do you have?
I started out as a classical session singer and undertook regular contracts with London Voices, including recordings of various Verdi operas at EMI studios, Abbey Road; BBC Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall and Opera-In-The-Park with Andrea Boccelli. I was hired to sing on several film soundtracks including Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars for New Line Cinema. After I trained as an actor, I was contracted to sing, as Male Principal Singer, fronting large scale musical theatre productions aboard worldwide cruise ships for Hire Notes Inc., Las Vegas and Nippon Yusen Kaisha Cruises, Japan. As an actor, I have also appeared in several short films and theatre productions as well as rehearsed readings for the public. I still work as an actor and singer and draw upon this experience in order to share it with my students.

How much do you charge?
Singing & voice teaching rates: £35 for 60 mins Drama & audition preparation rates: £30 for 60 mins I also offer reduced rates for those on lower incomes

Where do you teach?
I teach from home in Chelsea Bridge, situated next to the Lister Hospital and the corner of Ebury Bridge Road. The nearest tubes are Sloane Square (10 min walk) and Victoria Station (10 min walk). The nearest overground train stations are Battersea Park (10 min walk) and Victoria Station. The nearest areas to me are Chelsea, Kings Road, Kensington & Chelsea, Fulham Broadway, Gloucester Road, South Kensington, Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, Pimlico, St. James' Park, Westminster, Charing Cross, Waterloo, Vauxhall, Central London, Central West London, West London, London, West End, Piccadilly, Soho, Covent Garden.

When are you available?
I teach Monday to Saturday between 10am and 9.30pm.

Which ages and levels do you teach?
I teach adults from 17 years and upwards. I teach total beginners to advanced level - singers, actors and public speakers.

Do you have an up-to-date CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) disclosure certificate?
The CRB check is not required for teachers working with adults.

Do you belong to any professional organisations?
British Actors Equity and Actors Spotlight.

Where and with whom did you train?
I first studied the piano with Pamela Chilvers in Berkshire and finished my Grade 8 Associated Board exam, aged 14. I read music first at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, where I was also a choral scholar at Norwich Cathedral Choir. I then won a Berkshire County Scholarship to study singing at the Royal Academy of Music where I took lessons from the eminent English opera baritone, Derek Hammond-Stroud, O.B.E. Here, I undertook my performers and teachers diplomas. I also won a place at East 15 Acting School where I trained on the full-time 3 year BA in Acting.

Tell me about some of your current students.
Some of my current students speak for themselves in their testimonials which are found at the bottom of this page. They range in ages from 22 to 60. Some are young students of medicine and engineering, who come for the sheer love of singing and a desire to relax from their formal studies. I have one 40-year-old who simply wishes to improve her Karaoke performances and has now discovered that she is more than just a Karaoke singer! I have a 60-year-old who formally studied with the eminent French teacher in the 1960's, Pierre Bernac. She wishes to re-discover her voice after having had a family and not had the time.

Do you have a personal message for students?
Singing and acting are about letting go, playing and having fun. There is also the formal serious side to learning these disciplines. I believe that good structured vocal exercises, breathing techniques and posture are the keys to unleash the full potential within each individual. We all walk about in life, carrying around our various tensions and stresses. When my students come to me, we learn how to shake these off over time and tune into our bodies. We relax and learn to enjoy the sounds that we make without pushing or forcing. As well as making song/speech suggestions to my students, I also encourage them to bring their own ideas to the table.