1:1 Singing Tuition

All our staff have been trained using the Estil Vocal Method which is a method focused on “developing vocal skills based on analysing the process of vocal production into control of specific structures in the vocal mechanism.” This means we will identify obstacles and work through specific vocal techniques and qualities to overcome this. 

We know that singing is fun and not everyone wants a technical lesson, when teaching younger children we put a huge emphasis on acting through song, posture, diction and confidence! Any technique do we focus on will be presented in easy to handle games and exercises so there is no need to worry if you are new to any of the content. The most important element of your lesson is to make sure you keep the love of singing, so the lessons will always be a lot of fun.

All lessons are tailored to your goals, whether you want to tread the boards of a West End stage, or build your confidence; Popcorn is here to help you on your journey! Some of the things we can cover include; 

Vocal Health- Vocally warming up, combating constriction, loosening jaw and tongue, posture and general vocal maintenance. 

Breath control- Using your diaphragm and other muscles to support breathing and sound to enhance areas such as projection.

The use of different vocal qualities- Different styles of singing require different qualities. Some of the main focal points will be; speech quality, twang, sob, falsetto/mix and many others.

Acting through song- It’s really important that the words and the emotion behind the music influence your performance of the song. We will work on interpreting the song in your own way, thinking about the context and character. 

Or we can have a bit of fun if that’s what you’re after!

1:1 Acting Tuition

In our acting lessons we will largely focus on storytelling. It may sound obvious but storytelling is at the core of successful acting. We will develop your skills in this area by looking at; 

Confidence- Developing confidence through solo speaking. Sometimes speaking in front of one person can be just as challenging as speaking in front of 1000. We can help children (and adults) who might find it challenging to just put their hand up and speak in front of a class, acting is a great way to develop these key life skills.

Physicality- How to create a character who’s physicality and posture might look and move differently to yours. We will look at how we can use this effectively to drop into your character. 

Voice- Using your voice in an appropriate way for the piece. This includes a range of focal points including; connecting to your voice in order to support and project, voice placement, emotional recall through voice and accent support. 

Script work- Focusing on analysis of text. This includes; adding beats and intentions, actioning the text (finding new ways interpret the words), creating context and given circumstances for our script (what has happened before and what will happen after) and looking at punctuation in the script and how that can serve us. In depth script work may only be relevant to older students, but this will be decided with your teacher.

We look at a wide range of scripts. The choice of script is totally led by you and what you want from the lessons. Some of the type of scripts our students look at are; film and TV, modern play scripts, classical (greek or shakespeare) scripts and modern or classical monologues and/or soliloquies. 

If you’d prefer not to work with scripts at all we can also focus on developing your acting skills and finding character through devising. This means we develop our own piece of theatre from scratch, be it a monologue or scene. We create brand new characters and context through our own imaginations. 

Drama School Audition Coaching

For our older students we are here to help if you're looking to audition for Drama School! Auditioning for Drama School can be a very stressful experience but, it doesn’t have to be. The key to success is to be as prepared as you physically can be. In these lessons we will think about what we can control, and letting go of those things that we can’t. 

We will be looking at; 

Repertoire selection- For any audition it’s important that you pick the song that shows you off and fit’s the required criteria. We can help you look at a wide range of musical theatre and pop songs in order to find the perfect choices for you and your chosen schools.

Monologue selection- Most schools will require a classical Shakespeare monologue as well as a modern monologue. It’s really important that both of these show you off and contrast each other to show different sides of your abilities. All our teachers have extensive knowledge of many different plays, both classical and modern, and can help you decide which pieces work for you. 

Vocal technique- Being strong vocally is important in both singing and acting. We will work on spoken voice as well as singing technique to ensure you are vocally ready for your auditions. We will, of course, work on our vocal technique through our chosen pieces but also through a range of vocal exercises which the panels are likely to ask you to complete in an audition. 

Acting technique- Acting is equally as important in our songs and monologues. We will look at how to analyse songs and text in order to create a character and context for the pieces. 

Cutting of songs and monologues- Most drama schools ask for cuts of songs and monologues, usually between 1 - 2 minutes. When cutting songs we need to look at the piano line on the sheet music and make sure the cuts are clear for the accompanist. When cutting a monologue or a song we look at the through line of thought, does it make sense? 

Presentation-  How you present yourself and your music is very important when in an audition. We will cover; how to present your music to the accompanist in the clearest way to ensure the song goes exactly how you are expecting it to, how to prepare your sheet music, how to introduce your pieces to the panel and even how to enter the room. 

While we are able to provide musical accompaniment for our singers, we always suggest our students source a backing track for their songs so we can focus on you rather than playing the right notes. We can source one online or the team have many contacts that I can put you in touch with, who can record versions of your songs for a small fee. This is especially helpful after we have cut your music so you can hear how the cut music sounds. 

It is our aim to send you to your auditions feeling confident and prepared, meaning you can shine without any doubts or worries.