Please visit my new website: www.singing-lessons.com.au
Frequently asked questions:
What are your rates for
2012-13?
$70 per hour of private tuition. You may combine singing lessons with guitar
lessons at no extra
charge.What will I learn?
Relaxation, Breathing, Pitch, Resonance, Placement, Projection,
Phrasing, Vibrato, Interpretation, Performance skills,
harmonizing, Microphone techniques and all correct singing methods.
Each lesson starts with about 15 minutes of warm vocal up and the other 45
minutes are dedicated to working on songs of your choice. I use backing tapes/CDs or guitar for accompaniment.
Do you teach any other
instruments?
I also teach classical, acoustic and electric guitar. Whether you
are alone or with friends, one of life's great pleasures is picking up a
guitar and breaking into song. It is my favourite instrument because it's portable,
relatively easy to learn and complements the voice beautifully. I am happy to
incorporate guitar with your singing lessons. Playing an instrument will
complement your singing and will turn you into a well rounded musician and will improve your chances at
auditions.
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What styles of music do you teach?
Mostly contemporary, pop, rock and musicals but I'm happy to teach in the style
of your choice. I've trained students in
everything from heavy metal to philharmonic choral singing. The fundamentals of good
singing are similar regardless of style.
How long will it take me to learn to sing?
It depends on your current skills and ultimate goal. Each student gets an individually tailored
program according to their needs.
For example, you may be a beginner wanting to impress your friends at Karaoke,
10-12 singing lessons with me will guarantee that you'll be their new hero.
If you have specific needs or are working to a deadline (e.g. an upcoming
singing audition), I will create a
program to help you reach your objective in the shortest possible time and for the
least amount of $$$.
If you want a career in singing, you will need ongoing lessons.
What are the benefits of taking singing lessons vs.
being self taught?
Many successful performers have not taken a singing lesson in their lives. In
most cases, they would have reached their goal sooner if they had. A good teacher (e.g.
me!) will speed up your progress by creating a program specific to your needs. A
good teacher (me again!) will support you through thick and thin. And most
importantly, a good teacher (Yep, definitely me!) will give you objective
feedback.I've always wanted to
take singing lessons, but aunt Sheila reckons I'm
tone deaf. Is there hope for me?
Tone deafness is very rare (i.e. not being
able to recognize which way the pitch changes).
When people talk about tone deafness, they usually mean that you can't hit
the right note. The "fix" is quite easy: You need a fold back
system whereby you can hear yourself (Often this simply means singing louder)
and doing a few vocal exercises. Before you know it, aunt Sheila will be baking
humble pie.
I was a good singer as a kid, but now I can't even
sing "Happy Birthday". What happened?
Inhibition is usually the cause. At about age 6, our parents, teachers
and aunt Sheila start pulling us into line. They are convinced that if we were
allowed to continue expressing ourselves as we did when we were 5, we would soon
run amok and where would the world be then? They may have genuinely believed that
it was "for our own good", but sadly this frequently results in withdrawn
kids. Subsequently speaking in public, singing and any other activities which may attract
criticism are avoided at all cost. By the time we are adults, many of us would not have sung a note
in 10 years. Remember the saying: "If you don't use it you'll lose it?".
The good news is that it's not lost forever. All you need to do is take the
first step and it will all come flooding back.
Speaking of kids, do you teach
children?
Absolutely. From my experience
it's best to start at age 8 or over. I'm happy to coach for AMEB or Trinity
exams, but find that many children lose interest because of the restrictive
styles. As with adults, progress is much quicker with songs you enjoy.
Do I need to learn to read music?
No. Unless you want to sing with the Sydney Opera Company, you'll get away
with little or no music theory. Most people, even readers, find it easier to
learn a song by listening to it a few times rather that trying to work it out
from the notes.
I can teach you to read, but it's optional.
What if I want to
take singing lessons but live outside the eastern suburbs of Sydney?
If you would like to find a singing teacher in other parts of Sydney, or
would like lessons on other instruments, please go to:
www.allmusic.com.au
OK, after all that, I can't wait to book my first singing lesson. How do I contact you?
Phone: 9389 8440
Email: joe@bridge.com.au
Unit 3, 125 MacPherson Street BrontE.
If you are catching public transport,
take the 378 bus from Sydney Central or from Bondi-Junction station.
See you soon and Keep singing!
Updated:
Tuesday, 02 October 2012 03:05:29 PM
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