From when my career as a singer began in 1990, I have worked with many of the world's best directors and conductors in some of the most famous and well respected International Opera houses. My career has also given me vast concert, recital and recording experience and I bring all of this knowledge with me.
I am a graduate of the Opera Studies Course at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and have more than 30 different Operatic roles under my belt.
I had always been a very natural singer and never really thought too much about the way my voice was produced. In 2001 having had my first child, my lack of technical knowledge got me into trouble. While having to rebuild my voice from the ground up , I realised I had a curiosity and passion for teaching vocal technique and the way I overcame this difficult time in my career has given me a perspective on singing which is now crucial to my teaching. In 2008 I made a conscious decision to start concentrating more on teaching and have discovered my passion for it!
My approach is based on a positive process rather than stressing the negatives.
Together we aim to achieve the following:
- Knowledge and understanding of one’s instrument and how it functions.
- Development of a personal, reliable technique upon which the singer can depend and which leads them to be able to work independently from the teacher.
- Establishment of an ethos of professionalism in the preparation of repertoire and work practices.
-Guiding students with regard to different vocal styles in music and helping them gain clarity and legato line in any language they are singing.
-Becoming a confident performer and trusting their own instincts.
-Being sensitive to others onstage and being a good colleague.
-Challenging them regularly to be more entrepreneurial in their performance/repertoire ideas and to ‘think outside the box’.
Giving group lessons is an important part of my working structure, which is a standard part of the curriculum at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague. It enables students to have regular opportunities to work on singing technique, interpretation, character, relationships onstage and how to hold the audiences' attention whatever the size of the venue ( which are all crucial parts of developing the singer as performer)and many of the studio classes are conducted in the larger concert hall and theatre so that they can get used to filling a large space as well as a much more intimate one. Being able to learn in a constructive framework and receive feedback not only from the teacher but from fellow students is an essential part of learning. Creating a narrative between different characters, working as a team, being active in the creative process and problem solving are all skills which I see as important facets of being a performer and I welcome and encourage the focus in developing performing opportunities within my group class.