I’ve quite taken to writing a blog so I have decided to write another one. Not about being a wedding singer but this time about teaching singing lessons in my home town of Manchester and how they all started. I’ve never really seen myself as a teacher, I didn’t think that it was something I would be particularly good at, especially because I don’t have great general knowledge! But as I built up my knowledge and information on singing over the years I suddenly felt like I wanted to pass on all of that as well as my passion and love for what I do.
I learnt the hard way how to look after my voice, as a child I mistreated it badly, mostly shouting in the play ground and would lose it quite often. This made my parents happy as there would be a bit of peace and quiet but it also meant they had to take me to speech therapy! As I grew older I realised that I could hold a tune and that I also enjoyed to sing but I soon found that it wasn’t always a pleasant experience. I was so breathy that I struggled hitting high notes, I couldn’t hold notes on and had zero confidence. Luckily I always had fantastic parents who always pushed me to do what I loved and always told me that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to. Still it’s hard to believe you can do something like this when your own mind is constantly telling you that you just aren’t and won’t ever be good enough. Oh the human mind, what a little gem it can be at times!
Life completely changed for me when I joined Salford University and started my HND in Media Performance course, there I met Talena. I instantly loved her and eagerly took in everything she said, so much so that once I had finished my two years at university I started going to Talena for private singing lessons. She completely changed my life! Suddenly I was singing from my diaphragm without even thinking about it, my technique had totally changed for the better and I was hitting notes I never even dreamed I could hit. I was there every single week, it cost me a small fortune but my gosh I would do it all again and pay more to be where I am now. What Talena taught me was priceless, it was gold to me, 100% life changing. She started me out with my first gig, helped me get my PA, which I still have to this day, over 10 years old that bad boy! I will always be incredibly thank you to Talena, the impact she had on my life was massive, I honestly think that if I hadn’t have met Talena I would never be doing what I am today. It’s funny how life works.
Without realising it at the time I think that this is where my desire to help and pass on everything I had learnt began. It is so important to me to help children/adults who love to sing but just don’t know how or where to start. Since starting my 121 private lessons back in January 2018 I have worked with so many different types of singers and it has honestly been a wonderful experience to watch them grow over the sessions. Some are fighting confidence issues, some want to show the world that they have a voice but they’re scared to do it and some just want to sing at the tops of their lungs! A lot of my students are completely different from the first time I met them and to know that I helped that little bit to give them the confidence to sing properly with all of the correct technique and information is something I’ll always be grateful for. I have never been a selfish singer who is out for number 1, I know what it’s like to be the under dog that no one really, deep down believed would be able to do something like this. So I’m here to show all you under dogs out there that we can absolutely, 100% smash this little thing called life!
For me singing is an escape, a release and a way of showing my feelings and emotions. It is so precious to me that I will never take it for granted. In fact I am so glad that I learnt the hard way how to look after my voice, I will never under appreciate it again. This is what I try to stress to my students, there is so much more to singing than just, well singing. Everything goes into it, your mind, your body, your soul, your emotions, your fears, your hopes. We’re exposed and vulnerable when we sing, it’s raw and it’s beautiful. If I can help others see all of that in themselves and love it then that’s a job well done for me.
Long story short, I love to sing and I absolutely love teaching others to sing. I am proud to say that I am bursting at the seams at the minute with lessons but I do have a waiting list so if anyone out there is interested in coming to me for a 121 lesson then please contact me. I have a lovely, private music room in the back garden which my very clever husband Kyle built. We will work on vocal exercises, breathing and diaphragm work, vocal technique and then we put everything we have learnt into a song! I am serious about my sessions but I also want them to be fun, life is too short to be serious all of the time. I like to try to make it an hour of decent, fun learning!
So if singing makes you happy, do it! Do it in the car, in the shower, with your headphones on walking the dog (I’m terrible for this), in the house, on karaoke, in your bedroom, while doing the ironing, in your underwear, to your baby, while cleaning the house, do it anywhere!
Do what makes you happy.
Kirsty x
