About Me
Hi, I’m Chris - I’m a voice trainer, specialising in working with professional singers, dancers, and actors. My studio opened in 2008 in London, and is now based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia and online, where I work with performers from all over the world.
I began my career as a keys player and a musical theatre performer before realising my true passion was teaching (being the son of two teachers I should have seen this coming). I completed a Masters degree in the Practice of Voice and Singing in the UK at the Guildford School of Acting, which was (and is) a unique program in the way it holistically grounds voice pedagogy in practice, through both the singing and spoken voice. Because I am passionate about the voice and in growing as a teacher, I have continued to expand my knowledge-base in the years since. I’m creeping towards the final stages of my PhD in voice pedagogy, and am also about to begin a degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology (there are a lot of crossovers, surprisingly!)
My passion for learning and teaching has also afforded me the opportunity to work at many of the world’s finest conservatoires. I was formerly Head of Singing & Music at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (UK) and Head of Singing & Music at the Victorian College of the Arts (Australia). I’ve also taught singing/voice at The Guildford School of Acting, The Royal Academy of Music, The Royal Scottish Conservatoire, and NIDA. I’ve run workshops and masterclasses all over the world - Singapore, Slovenia, Poland, Australia, the UK, Spain, and the Netherlands.
These days, I mostly work with professional voice users at my private studio. Hollywood actors, Broadway and West End performers and Triple J Hottest 100 Artists trust me to help them achieve their vocal goals. It’s a pretty great job.
About My Teaching
My teaching is evidence-informed - I think it’s important to be up to date on the latest voice research and teaching approaches, so I’m not just relying on ‘how things have always been done’ when I’m working with students. This commitment to working with the best current available information has taken me in lots of interesting directions. I initially learned about the science of the singing voice from Anne-Marie Speed and Robert Forbes, and I completed a Certificate in Human Anatomy and Physiology at La Trobe University, and. Certificate in Estill Voice Training Figures with Naomi Eyer. My first steps in learning how to teach singing to dancers was at Millennium Dance under Mary King.. In NYC I have extensively studied athletic singing training with Andrew Byrne and have completed certification as Singing Athlete Trainer.
My teaching is holistic - it’s one of those words that get thrown around a lot, but for me what it means is that I don’t just shine a spotlight on the voice/larynx when teaching - I consider the whole system. Our voices sit at the centre of a lot of systems in the body - breathing, swallowing, talking - and it would be weird to not consider how those interact with our singing. In a singing lesson it is not unusual for students to be using weights or resistance bands, doing aerobic exercise, working on peripheral vision, or stretching out the tongue!
My teaching is student-centred - which for me means that those first two dot points are used to facilitate your goals and what sounds you want to play with. Because of that, lessons are always a back and forth conversation, to establish and refine what makes you feel good as a singer, and what sounds you want to work towards, and we go from there!
Other Things
In addition, I am a professional pianist too, which means my students are able to experience singing with an accompaniment that will sound like what they’ll hear in the audition/rehearsal room.
I hold professional affiliations with the Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing where I am on the Victorian Chapter Committee, and the Australian Music Examinations Board, where I am specialist Music Theatre examiner.
