Gillian Ramm All Voice

Sharing is caring, right? I love how different specialists can offer voice coaches so much to support our work with singers.

I'm always looking for useful resources to share with my clients, so I'm grateful for coming across the wonderful work of Jeannie di Bon (who I came across because of a post shared by the wonderful Sarah Algoet singsing! )

This is one for you hypermobile folks out there. In fact, even if you're not hypermobile but your breath just feels a bit stuck, this might be a nice way to spend 11 minutes today, reminding yourself of how easy things can feel.

If you’re Hypermobile, diaphragmatic breathing may be hard. Here’s why. We’re always told we need to practice diaphragmatic breathing. Brea...

It’s too darn hot 🔥 right?
Some of my clients are choosing not to travel and switching to online for their lessons today, which is a super smart choice.
Pre-pandemic, who would have thought that online options would have taken off in the way that they did? And it’s definitely not a “second-best option”. Online sessions can work just as well as in-person with a few little tweaks and tricks.
I’m also feeling really grateful today for my Victorian living room which is the most difficult room to keep warm in winter but the coolest by far in summer. Phew…..

The Millions of Songs Mashed Into AI-Generated Music Explore the astonishing amount of music available to AI developers.

These are just some of the singers I've worked with this week.
I'm so lucky to work with such a variety of clients and I've always maintained that it's such a privilege to work with someone's voice, because you're never just working with a voice, you're interacting with the whole person.

The BMUS (Bachelor of Music) comment isn't meant to be controversial, rather an honest reflection of the skills and training I draw on as a multi-genre vocal coach, and even more so when crossing over into the more specialised field of vocal rehabilitation.

Don't get me wrong, my BMus and Postgraduate Opera training have obviously been really useful. Music history, harmony, languages, all of the repertoire I studied, performance experience and more. I definitely draw on those things alongside my performing experience. It's also really useful when someone puts an unknown piece of music in front of me! I'm actually a dreadful pianist but I can help someone decode a new score darn quickly and that's so useful.

Beyond that, it's all the extra CPD I've taken in things like contemporary singing techniques, functional voice training, anatomy, vocal health, counselling skills, mindfulness, acting through song techniques, endoscopic evaluation, neuroscience and more. It's countless hours of reading and hours observing voice clinics and listening to inspirational people in the field of voice. I actually made a spreadsheet of my CPD last week and added up the figures. Wow! Let's just say my eyes watered a bit. 😂

Would I change that? No. Am I flexing? No! Pinky promise. I'm just being really honest about what it takes to do this work. The more you learn the more you want to learn. It's a vocation.

And if you're looking for a good vocal coach or specific help with a vocal issue, it's well worth asking a potential coach what sort of training they've undertaken beyond a general music degree.

When you started teaching, did you feel prepared? What have you learned ON the job or on courses that has equipped you with the skills you use in your teaching studio? I know I have my favourites, I'd love to know yours.

It was wonderful to refresh my knowledge of integration this cool little gadget, the flexiflow into my voice work last night with the wonderful . I’ve been using the Flexiflow with a range of clients (and myself!) for about 6 months and it is a very cool little device for enhancing kinesthetic awareness of breath flow and how we feel air pressure changes in the body. It was wonderful to listen to how other practitioners are employing it creatively in their studios, too.

* I am not a distributor of the Flexiflow and receive no compensation or reward for promoting it, I just like sharing stuff that I have found helpful.

A lovely client testimonial, received with much gratitude. 🙏

Have you ever felt confused by a direction in a rehearsal, audition feedback about your singing or even had a letter from a clinician that you’ve been to see about your voice and then thought: “Okay, great, now what?”. 🤷‍♀️

As a singer you’re probably used to doing a little translation on the spot. “Oh they asked for a more of an [x] sound so if I do this I think it will work”. But sometimes you could get some feedback that leaves you a little bamboozled and you’re not sure whether it’s actually useful or how to translate it to what you’re doing.

Or another scenario. You’ve seen an ENT and have been cleared of any vocal injury on your tissues (so, no lumps or bumps, hooray!) but….they mentioned something in the report about some muscle tension and whilst you’re relieved there are no nasties, you don’t know what to do about the “tension.”

Add to this soup the fact that the internet is a Wild West of tips, hacks and terminology that can bamboozle singers who are just trying to get on with their job of… singing 🎤🎶 and you have a recipe for potential overwhelm.

What I LOVE 🥰 more than anything is being that translator. Helping demystify the mystical or paraphrase the terminology in a digestible, understandable way .

You don’t need to know all the fancy words to sing well, just an understanding of what it feels like to live in your instrument.

Have you ever felt things got a bit lost in translation? Give this post a like 👍 if this resonates with you.

I’ve been reading this book as I prepare to interview Megan Durham for the next An Audience With… series for .

Megan contributed a substantial chapter to this excellent book and I’m really looking forward to our conversation. Being trauma aware as voice practitioners is something we’ve been having conversations about for several years. I want to learn more about where these conversations are now headed. Has anything changed? Do voice teachers and practitioners feel confident navigating these waters?

Do join us if you can next Tuesday.