Singing | Voice | Acting
FAQ'S
WHAT IS MY FIRST LESSON LIKE?
We’ll talk a little about you. What your experience is (if any) and why you’re looking for sessions. We’ll go through some exercises which will help us to assess how we will be best approaching our sessions. We want you to feel comfortable and relaxed. This is a very personal thing, so it’s important we are both happy to move forward as a team.
SHOULD I PREPARE SOMETHING?
Yes, please. Ideally it should be something you feel very comfortable with and have sung/acted for a good amount of time. If you are having voice work, please bring any text with you, could be a book your reading, a speech your preparing, a poem etc...The purpose of this is to get a clearer understanding of you.
SHOULD I BRING SHEET MUSIC?
If you have a song to sing, yes, if not this will be something we will come to further along the line.
DO I NEED TO READ MUSIC?
Nope! Depending on your goals, this can be something we work on together in lessons. Otherwise, we can learn by listening
CAN I BRING MY OWN BACKING-TRACK?
Yes, especially if it’s a good one!
CAN I RECORD MY LESSON?
100% !! This is something we advise all our clients. It’s difficult to remember everything in the moment as there can often be a lot to take in. Also, when you listen back, you may hear something we've said or something you had not realised at the time.
DO YOU OFFER DISCOUNTS?
Yes, for students, MU, Equity and ISM members, there's also a discount for coming to our place in Holmfirth.
HOW MANY LESSONS WILL I NEED?
Training anything is a practice. Even the most renowned singers and Actors still see a vocal and acting coach regularly and are always learning to keep their instrument in top form! This training is a life long adventure, if you want it to be. For voice work, you tend to have a set amount a sessions which is devised after your initial consultation, you will then have time to go away and implement what you have been doing into your everyday life. You can then arrange a 'check in' session to see how you are doing.
HOW MUCH DO I NEED TO PRACTICE?
Keeping in check with your body and your voice is integral to improvement, just like doing regular exercise is the only way to stay fit. If you want to get better, you have to practice regularly.
IS THERE PARKING?
Yes, there is free street parking in Scholes and paid for parking in Manchester.
CAN I GET TO YOU WITHOUT A CAR?
There are regular bus services to our home studio in the village. The studios we teach at in Manchester are extremely central. Take a look at google and key in the address, it'll soon show you the way!
WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM UNWELL OR HAVE BEEN AROUND PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK? CAN I RE-SCHEDULE?
Yes. We would rather you re-schedule. We see a lot of people for which singing is their job and being ill means no pay, and that goes for us too. So please, if you are feeling under the weather, get in touch so that we can re arrange your in person session, or move it to an online session. We reserve the right to not teach you if you arrive unwell.
If your illness is affecting your voice in anyway please rearrange your session, you should avoid vocalising at elite levels when your voice is affected by illness. Sleep, Hydrate, Rest.
If you cancel more than 4 times in a year, you will be charged for sessions thereafter that are not cancelled within 24hours.
IM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY VOICE ARE YOU THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO COME TO?
We might be or you may need assessing in ENT. If you have had persisting voice difficulties for more than 2-3 weeks and/or you develop a voice problem after a URTI (upper respiratory tract infection) that had lasted for more than 2 weeks you should contact your GP for an ENT referral.
Having Singing / Vocal coaching is not a replacement for an ENT referral, if you would like advice around this don’t hesitate to contact Lucy.
Singers and Actors
Please make sure, if you need an ENT referral, that you request to go to a clinic who have experience working with Elite Voices. Great resources and contacts for appropriate NHS ENT departments can be found on:
BAPAM - British Academy Performing Arts Medicine
If your voice problem is affecting your ability to work as a performer: