Voice Teacher
Noel’s passion for vocal health was born early in his teaching career, when he found that lack of guidance and insecure technique caused him significant vocal problems. This experience inspired him to find ways of helping singers to maintain vocal health, and Noel now has a long history of helping singers of all ages to solve their vocal problems. Noel holds a masters degree in music and other academic qualifications – MA, BMus (Hons), BEd, FTCL (Fellowship of Trinity College, London).
Noel aims to find each student’s unique sound and help them to achieve their full potential. His approach is guided by scientific principles and research and focuses on building reliable technique. Noel helps his students to explore the technical aspects of breathing, tonal control/colour and registration to produce a truly musical result in repertoire appropriate to each student’s ability and aspirations.
Posture
Alexander’s three “primary controls”
Breathing
Emphasis is on sending the breath out in a supported and focussed way. Breath comes in as a “free gift from the atmosphere” – a reward, not an exercise in “hunting and gathering”.
Resonance
Singers learn the sensations of well-placed and well-supported tone.
Agility
Singers learn to practice effectively and efficiently.
Repertoire
Chosen to suit singers’ interests and level of development.
Exercises
Also see Ancell, Noel, “Building Voices and Concepts” in Harrison, Scott D. (Ed), Perspectives on Teaching Singing, Australian Academic Press, Bowen Hills, 2010.
Designed principally for teachers and choir directors of adolescent boys, this video demonstrates some technical aspects of training teenaged boys’ voices in the choral situation. Click here to download the supporting notes.
This video can also be used to encourage and inspire young male singers. The boys of the Kelly Gang (a training group of the Australian Boys Choral Institute) speak freely, revealing their motivations and anxieties, their passion for singing and their determination to do it well.