Singing Teachers Talk BAST Training

Hear the behind-the-scenes story of how Caroline Redman Lusher turned Rock Choir into a household name – and kept the business afloat during lockdown. In this episode, Caroline also talks about the importance of building a strong team and finding a healthy work/life balance. The singer-turned-entrepreneur also discusses her fierce loyalty to Rock Choir’s 33,000 members, whom she affectionately calls her ‘Rockies’.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Pivoting from face-to-face rehearsals to online sessions during lockdown was a huge challenge, one that took an enormous team effort.
The Rock Choir team set up daily singing sessions during lockdown so that Rockies could stay connected and still enjoy the benefits of singing.
Caroline has a strong personal connection with Rock Choir members - and wouldn’t want it any other way. For her, it’s much more than a business.
Rock Choir provides many people with important social connections and, as a result Caroline feels a huge sense of responsibility to keep things running smoothly.
The biggest challenge Caroline faced was finding a healthy work/life balance. While she may have made things look easy, behind the scenes she was grafting to make the business a success. The long hours and stress took their toll.

BEST MOMENTS

‘Everyone’s reaction was to try and find their own solutions’

‘We had the same objective that everyone was working towards’

‘I really felt like I’d found plan A in my life’

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

BAST Training

Dancing in the Street, Rock Choir, Proms, Hyde Park 2018

BBC Proms in the Park (What Would Have Been!) 2020


ABOUT THE GUEST

Caroline Redman Lusher is the founder and creative director of Rock Choir, the UK’s biggest contemporary choir.

The former lounge singer started the first ever Rock Choir in Farnham, Surrey, in 2005. Today the brand has 33,000 members rehearsing at 400 locations in the UK every week.

Caroline continues to personally oversee every creative aspect of Rock Choir which includes the musical harmony creations and choreographing of each song in the Rock Choir repertoire.

Her voice has contributed to more than a million album sales and she has gained four gold and platinum certified sales awards from the British Phonographic Industry.

 

Guest Website:

http://rockchoir.com

https://carolineredmanlusher.com

 

Social Media:

https://twitter.com/rockchoir

https://twitter.com/rockchoir

https://twitter.com/credmanlusher





ABOUT THE PODCAST

 

BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events.

Website: basttraining.com

Get updates to your inbox: Click here for updates from BAST Training

Link to presenter’s bios: basttraining.com/singing-teachers-talk-podcast-bios

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MJ Paranzino runs no less than five community choirs, including one in Wandsworth Prison and joins host Bronwyn on this week's episode of The Singing Teachers’ Talk Show. Find out all about the work MJ does for communities, the disables, and her dreams for choir music to be a part of the rehabilitation process.

Healing Through Singing Energies Crystals and Creating Atmosphere with Gia Morgan

In this episode, vocal coach Norwood reveals how his business, Transitions Voice Lab, flourished after he made one important change to his marketing strategy. Norwood also explains how to identify your USP as a singing teacher, how to juggle teaching and a pro singing career and ways to make your studio welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community.

 

KEY TAKEAWAYS 
Norwood studied with several top vocal coaches and BAST Training. His studies gave him a solid foundation for creating his own studio.
If you’re starting out as a singing teacher, identify what sets you apart from your peers. Do you have a specific skill? Are you part of a community that could benefit from your expertise? When it comes to marketing and branding, don’t cast a wide net; be specific.
Transitions Voice Lab also caters to transgender students who want to work on their speaking voice, singing voice - or both.
Norwood has built a safe teaching space where all students can feel understood, supported and welcome.
Top tip: To ensure transgender students feel welcome, add your pronouns to your website and social media. This will send a clear message that you are respectful of people who are transgender.

 

BEST MOMENTS

‘I learned things from that course that I didn’t even know about before and use them in every lesson I teach now’

‘I want them to feel that they are seen and that we will take care of them’

‘You need a willingness to learn and to set your ego aside’

‘BAST was so helpful in finding out the physicality of my voice’

 

EPISODE RESOURCES

RAab Stevenson https://kimadproductions.com/?page_id=663

Line Hilton http://www.linehilton.com/voice-performance-coaching

BAST Training https://www.basttraining.com/bast-course-description

 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Norwood is a BAST-certified professional vocal coach and a Vocal Health First Aider, international pop artist, actor, emcee and public speaker.

As the co-founder of Transitions Voice Lab, Norwood is dedicated to providing professional and affordable vocal training for people of all ages, genders, and skill levels. He offers coaching for both singers and people looking to improve their speaking voice.

Transitions Voice Lab is an LGBTQ+ affirming company that prides itself on being inclusive and welcoming to people from all walks of life.

Guest Website:

www.transitionsvoicelab.com

https://www.norwood-music.com

Social Media:

https://twitter.com/norwoodmusic

https://www.instagram.com/norwoodmusic

https://www.facebook.com/transitionsvoicelab

https://www.instagram.com/transitionsvoicelab

 

ABOUT THE PODCAST

BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great singing teacher. We can help you whether you are getting started or just have some knowledge gaps to fill through our courses and educational events.

Website: basttraining.com

Get updates to your inbox: Click here for updates from BAST Training

Link to presenter’s bios: basttraining.com/singing-teachers-talk-podcast-bios

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professional singer, actor, dancer, voice-over recording artist Philippe Hall joins Alexa on Singing Teachers’ Talk this week to discuss emotional layering, the most neglected skill in vocal training. How do you add those emotional layers into your voice and how do you teach others to do so? Listen in and find out.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
If you’re smiling your friend can hear that even on the other side of the phone, and when you’re miserable, they can hear it and ask what’s wrong.
Perfect pitch singing is not necessarily going to hit you emotionally. It’s some of the breaks in the voice that can create and evoke that emotive response.
Philippe wants singers and teachers to know that he wasn’t good at the beginning, The teaching he was getting was just “try emoting more”, he was hearing things that don’t actually tell you how to do it. That’s why he thinks a good vocal coach is so important.
The real purpose of technical skills is to allow you to be free to layer your singing with emotion.
Your true power is your uniqueness and your ability to communicate emotionally. Your voice can be part of your identity even while playing a role.
One of the fourteen layering techniques Philippe teaches is asking yourself the question “who is singing, who is sending this message”. The answer will always be “I am” but it’s not limited to you. It can be you being anything you want.

 

BEST MOMENTS

 

‘Perfect pitch and perfect technique does not equal singing success’

‘You’d rather be making a performer who is making you feel something’

‘It’s sincere, emotional communication’

‘The brain doesn’t need truth, it just needs detail’

 

SHOW RESOURCES

 

BAST Community Discount Offer Link (expires 14th November 2021): https://www.singingrevealed.com/bast_special_offer_emotional_layering

Alexa’s Performance Choice: Send in the Clowns from A Little Night Music performed by Judi Dench on a 1996 daytime talk show with Alan Titchmarsh: Judi Dench - Send In the Clowns, 1996

Philippe’s Performance Choice: I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables film 2012 performed by Anne Hathaway: Les Misérables (2012) - I Dreamed A Dream Scene (1/10) | Movieclips

How to Nurture a Singer’s Authentic Voice: An interview with Dr Trineice Robinson-Martin: https://www.basttraining.com/how-to-nurture-a-singers-authentic-voice

Dr Paul Ekman: https://www.paulekman.com

Singing and Teaching Singing by Janice L Chapman (3rd Edition)

Pamela Davis; contributing author to Singing and Teaching Singing by Janice L Chapman (3rd Edition)

‘To Be or Not to Be’ Sketch; Shakespeare Live! From the RSC, BBC: Hamlet with Prince Charles and Benedict Cumberbatch | Shakespeare Live! From the RSC - BBC

 

ABOUT THE GUEST

 

For the past 30 years Philippe Hall has been in demand non-stop internationally as a professional singer, actor, dancer, voice-over recording artist.

He has performed in more than 80 professional productions in 28 countries, amounting to well over 3,000 performances, not including public & private concerts and corporate show events. He has lent his voice to over 200 games as well as various commercials & films.

He earned three degrees in three different countries from acclaimed institutions. BFA Music Dance Theater, BYU - USA. Masters of Music in Voice Performance Opera, Folkwang University of the Arts - Germany. Masters Voice Pedagogy equiv. in Contemporary Singing Styles, Complete Vocal Institute - Denmark.

He is an authorized Vocology in Practice & CVT teacher.

Philippe is a sought-after speaker & teacher at international educational events for voice teachers & singers.

Guest Website:

https://www.singingrevealed.com/

Social Media:

https://www.youtube.com/c/SingingRevealed

https://www.instagram.com/singingrevealed

https://www.facebook.com/SingingRevealed

 

ABOUT THE PODCAST

 

BAST Training is here to help singers gain the knowledge, skills and understanding required to be a great

As you may or may not know we like to give you our reviews of resources and books as recommendations for you to add to your list, or sometimes leave off the list. And in this podcast, Alexa will be giving her review of The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters and explaining why she believes it's a book every adult could benefit from, as well as why the model is so easily applicable to coaches.