Why I Changed the Way I Teach Singing
Why I Changed the Way I Teach Singing
One of the most difficult things about singing lessons is that singers often leave a session feeling inspired… and then struggle to recreate that progress on their own.
For years, I noticed many singers were working incredibly hard but still struggling to build momentum between lessons. They would come into a session, make a breakthrough, feel hopeful, and then return a few weeks later feeling frustrated that they had “lost it” again.
Sometimes we would end up revisiting the same issues repeatedly, not because they weren’t capable, but because they didn’t yet have the structure, support, or clarity needed to fully integrate the work between sessions.
Eventually, I realised this wasn’t because they were doing something wrong.
It was because I was.
At the time, most of my online singing lessons were offered on a drop-in basis. On the surface, it seemed flexible and accessible: book a session whenever you like and pay by the hour.
But over time, I started to realise that this model didn’t reflect how meaningful vocal development actually works.
Singing is not just about collecting information or learning isolated techniques. You are building coordination, awareness, physical habits, confidence, consistency, and trust in your voice over time. That process is rarely linear, and it usually requires more support and continuity than many singers realise.
I also realised that I wasn’t adequately showing singers how to practise between sessions.
A good lesson can create awareness and possibility, but without guidance around implementation, it is easy for singers to feel lost once they are back on their own. So I started building much more practice support into my coaching, helping singers understand not just what to practise, but how to practise in a way that would empower them to continue improving in their own time.
Looking back, I also realised that I had started thinking about coaching too narrowly through the lens of time.
If somebody paid for an hour lesson, then in my mind, the coaching happened during that hour. Outside of it, I was much less generous with my time, energy, and attention. If singers messaged me with questions between sessions, I didn’t always prioritise responding because, consciously or unconsciously, I still saw the lesson itself as the ‘product’.
Over time, I realised that meaningful progress rarely fits neatly into a sixty-minute window.
Singers often need support between sessions. They need direction, encouragement, resources, accountability, and support applying the work in real life. Once I shifted away from thinking purely in terms of selling time, I became much more focused on asking:
“What support does this person actually need in order to succeed?”
That question changed the way I coach completely.
There was another layer to this too.
If I am honest, part of me was uncomfortable asking singers for commitment.
It felt easier to keep lessons transactional:
“This is the hourly rate. Book whenever you want.”
But in many cases, that wasn’t actually serving the singer as well as it could.
I found myself avoiding difficult but important conversations like:
“Yes, I absolutely believe you can achieve this, but it will probably take consistency, support, effort, and time.”
So around seven years ago, I started restructuring my vocal coaching studio.
Instead of beginning with:
“How many lessons would you like?”
I started beginning with:
“What are you trying to achieve?”
“Where are you now?”
“How do you like to learn?”
Rather than treating lessons as isolated appointments, I started viewing vocal coaching as an ongoing collaborative process. If I know a singer is part of my studio long-term, I can think ahead for them. I can notice patterns over time, adapt our work as their voice develops, and continue my own learning about the specific things that may affect their voice and learning process.
For example, if a singer has ADHD, hypermobility, performance anxiety, a history of vocal injury, or a chronic health condition, those things matter. They influence how somebody learns, practises, processes feedback, and experiences singing. This model of coaching gives me the continuity needed to support the whole person, and not just react to the sound coming out of their mouth on a particular day.
Implementing this new vocal coaching structure was nerve wracking for me, but the results were immediate.
Singers started progressing faster. They felt more supported, more focused, and more confident in what they were doing between sessions. They stopped feeling like they were constantly starting from the beginning.
Most importantly, they started getting results that felt meaningful and sustainable.
And that is the whole point of working with a vocal coach.
This shift moved me away from a studio built on filling time and fighting fires, and towards creating a coaching structure that genuinely supports singers to achieve long-term progress and trust in their voice.
These days, I still offer one-off sessions where appropriate, because every singer is different. But in general, I no longer see singing lessons as disconnected hourly appointments.
My online vocal coaching studio is no longer built around selling time. It is built around understanding what each singer needs in order to succeed, and creating the right structure and support to help them get there.
If you are looking for online vocal coaching and want support that is tailored to your voice, your goals, and the way you learn, you can book a Discovery Call here.
