London Teacher Gets Rave Reviews For Her Singing Lessons
Singing student Steve Williams recently emailed our ‘My Singing Lessons‘ tutor Rosel Labone from London to offer his thoughts on the amazing singing lesson he received: When I was 7 years old we were preparing for our christmas show and our teacher told us that there was a growler in the class spoiling it for everyone, he went around and put his head next to every little child one at a time until he came to me. “Williams, it’s you, you’re a growler. Stand outside the class until we have finished it, I don’t want you spoiling it.” I stood outside the portakabin our lesson was in until they had finished and I was allowed back in but never allowed to join in the singing lessons. To be honest at the time I wasn’t really bothered, singing was for girls anyway eh? Little did I know how much it would affect my confidence, I have spent the last 30 years appearing in courts around the country as an advocate without a trace of nerves, I have done live TV and radio interviews and loved them but for 50 years I would never sing in front of anyone. On the rare occasions I was drunk enough to sing everyone fell about laughing and confirmed that Mr Blank (his actual name) was right.
I took up guitar a few years ago and got to a stage where I was happy with my playing, I had said that all I wanted to do was to be able to play well enough to strum out a few songs around the barbecue etc but the problem was people wanted me to sing along and, well, we know how that ends.
During lockdown I finally took up the courage to try and get singing lessons after researching online such things as “can anyone learn to sing?” and being reassured that they could…. apart from the growler I presumed!
I sent in an online request and was paired up with Rosel. I was terrified but she quickly put me at my ease. I explained my problem to her, I basically couldn’t sing at all. I had no idea of what notes were what. I didn’t know when my voice went up or down (despite being able to play the guitar). I couldn’t hit a note to save my life. I told her I would understand if I was just being silly thinking I could learn to sing and she didn’t want to work with me.
After my first attempt at singing a note I presumed I would see shock in Rosel’s eyes – she had been sent the growler! If she thought that she hid it well and was encouraging, enough for me to sign up for regular lessons.
I still could not for the life of me change the pitch of my voice, I just didn’t know how to do it. Rosel was very patient and very thorough. It became clear how seriously she took it. She had put so much effort into my particular issue. It was obvious it wasn’t a one size fits all approach. She taught me from scratch, showed me pictures of vocal chords, the science of how they worked and how you used them to change pitch. I had never before experienced the feeling of my vocal chords working to change pitch.
When I started to hit notes I can’t tell you how shocked and pleased I was – but not as much as Rosel, she was so enthusiastic and encouraging and was genuinely excited with every development. That first lesson when I used my vocal chords to change pitch was like a blind person must feel seeing for the first time.
I look forward every week to my lesson with Rosel, she puts so much effort into it, gives me exercises to do after the lesson. I get the impression she spends longer preparing the lesson than the lesson lasts. She is so determined, if I don’t get it then she always has a plan B. “ok, let’s try this then….”
I am probably not going to be joining a boy band any time soon but I have experienced the joy of singing with my daughter and dancing around the kitchen when she gets home from school and for the first time ever I don’t stop singing as soon as my wife walks in.
I doubt you will be starting at such a low level as I did but whatever your level I am sure you will improve with Rosel’s hard work, she is a miracle worker. I can’t thank you enough.
If you would like a singing lesson from Rosel either online of face to face please email her at Rosel@MySiningLessons.co.uk or visit her singing tutors profile at www.MySingingLessons.co.uk/Rosel