About Me
Hello and welcome to The Connected Voice!
My name is Susie and I’m a vocal coach, musical director and actor now based in Bristol. Originally from Glasgow, I have been performing professionally for over fifteen years and trained at both The Royal Academy of Music (Distinction, Musical Theatre), The University of Manchester (2:1, Joint Honours Music & Drama) and The Actor’s Door Studio in London (Meisner Technique).
Since moving to Bristol, I now lecture vocals at the British & Irish Modern Music Institute and work as a freelance singing teacher for the music charity Bristol Beacon. I am passionate about encouraging singing in absolutely anyone! It is a joyful and wonderful thing, and anyone can come to it at any age.
Singing is something very close to my heart, it became my main focus at secondary school when I was cast as one of the Three Boys in Scottish Opera’s production of ‘The Magic Flute’. It blossomed my love of performing and I went on to work professionally as an actor/singer both in the UK and Hong Kong after my studies at undergraduate and postgraduate level, performing in Musicals, Plays, Cabaret, TV and Corporate Events as a Session Musician. I recently finished a successful tour as Musical Director on ‘Our Little Hour’ in association with Live Wire Theatre and Show Racism the Red Card.
It has not been without its foibles; I was diagnosed with vocal nodules at 19 where I was required to go on complete vocal rest for a year and undertake speech therapy at Manchester Royal Infirmary. This triggered my careful research and study into the anatomy of the voice and how to always implement safe and connected vocal practice.
Since then, I make it my priority to always stay up to date with new vocal research, exploring different pedagogical approaches to teaching and becoming a member of the British Voice Association.
Why ‘connected’?
Whether you are a beginner starting out or a seasoned professional, safe and truthful singing is all about connection – connecting and supporting your breath, connecting to the text in front of you, connecting to your audience, and allowing to connect with yourself. If you think of all the best singers, every single one of them are unashamedly themselves, performing and radiating in their own vocal style (Aretha Franklin, Dinah Washington or Freddie Mercury always jump to my mind). Many people are culprit to imitation or mimicking their favourite singers (it’s human nature!) and yet, I believe the magic happens when people connect to their own tone and sing freely without insecurity. Each person’s vocal tract differs slightly from the next and whilst it’s an important first step to explore other singers you like, your own voice is a unique and special instrument.
Teaching approach and ethos
More so than anything, I am passionate about teaching people in a safe and enjoyable environment. Don’t we love those performances where singers or actors just seem to be having the time of their life? We all need a bit of that! I’ve had previous lessons where I was overly anxious to ‘be the best’ or ‘get things right away’ so pushed my voice too far under teachers who demanded it. I will never allow that to happen as that’s where problems can seed (constriction and nodules notably). Every lesson with me will be tailored to suit your musical or creative journey, and in a space that is comfortable and fun.
Performance Experience
Whilst working in London, I came across The Actor’s Door Studio under the direction of Fay Beck which ignited my love of Meisner Technique (an approach to acting developed in the 1920s by American Theatre Practitioner Stanford Meisner). It encourages you to connect truthly to the text and your fellow actors.
“To be an interesting actor – hell, to be an interesting human being – you must be authentic and for you to be authentic you must embrace who you really are, warts and all. Do you have any idea how liberating it is to not care what people think about you? Well, that's what we're here to do.” — Sanford Meisner
I took my studies north with the company ‘Both Feet’ under Steph Upsall and still undergo training with them now. It allows me to stay focused and connected to the current acting industry and networking with other creatives.
Testimonials
“Susie is a fantastic teacher - generous, enthusiastic and really knows her stuff. She has a thorough understanding of different techniques, allowing her to draw from a range of methods and tailer things to help you understand and achieve, as well as equipping her to teach different styles and genre. She’s really helped me develop my confidence and technique, I feel like I make so much progress every session!”
“Susie is completely brilliant, I have learnt so much and my confidence, sound and technique have improved immeasurably from even just a few months of lessons. Susie makes practice easy by providing structure and audio files and is approachable, knowledgeable and fun. 100% recommend!”
“Susie is the best teacher I ever had!! She is helping me to find my voice in a unique and safe way. She is amazing explaining complex vocal topics in visuals ways that makes everything easier and fun! She is making me feel more and more confident with my vocal abilities and I’m so grateful I can work with her!”
