Testimonials
Carol Grime - Choir Singer
Jennifer is a very dedicated teacher. I was extremely nervous when I first started having singing lessons, but she put me at ease straight away. Jennifer is very knowledgeable about all styles of Music and adapts every lesson to suit my needs. She also seems to be able to sing everything!
Since starting lessons, I have learnt a lot about my own voice, the singing process and different styles of Music in general. I very much look forward to my lessons and I hope I will still be having them when I’m 95 – I’m 57 now so not long to go!
Chris Norman - Aspiring Singer
I have been training with Jennifer in the Speech Level Singing (SLS) technique for nearly a year now, and have noticed that it has really improved my range and also my confidence in general. In a matter of 3-4 months I was singing a variety of songs with ease that I had previously struggled with.
The increase in my vocal range and flexibility means that I can now sing songs that before would have been too far out of my vocal abilities. This is extremely rewarding and I have Jennifer to thank for making this possible.
Bill Burch - Male Barbershop Singer
I started singing 4 years ago with a local Barbershop Men’s Chorus, not having sung at all since leaving school. I also sing with another mixed group of singers in the A cappella style.
The lessons offered appealed to me because they concentrated specifically on vocal technique and not on a particular style of singing. It was exciting to discover that Speech Level Singing (SLS) could be applied to all styles of Music!
Since working with Jennifer my range, breath control, tonal quality and overall singing technique has improved. It is hard work at times but Jennifer is a good teacher and makes the lessons enjoyable as well as educational. She has also given me the opportunity to train with Spencer Welch – Canadian vocal coach to stars and Master Instructor to SLS. This gave me further encouragement to continue with SLS in the future.
Jen Symes - 'A' Level Student
I have been a student with Jen since February 2009, and since then can definitely say my voice has improved! With her help on audition pieces, I have obtained two leads roles in upcoming Musicals Footloose! and Sweet Charity - with my Theatre group! I feel that I wouldn't have had the confidence or the talent to audition for these roles before my lessons, never mind get the parts! I enjoy my lessons very much - we manage to have fun whilst doing some serious singing. My vocal confidence has also improved, as using the exercises Jen gives me I feel I have a better voice, helping me to sing out knowing that it sounds better! Speech Level Singing is a great technique to work with and I say this having had singing lessons with other teachers who all used different techniques. SLS definitely works best for me!
Jane Hardman - Female Barbershop Singer
Having not sung since I was at school, I joined a Ladies Barbershop Chorus called Heartbeat 4 years ago, which is based in Marple, Cheshire. We are the current National Sweet Adeline's Gold Medalist (midsize) and 2009 European Barbershop Championship Bronze Medalists. I also sing in a barbershop quartet called Wicked! Although Heartbeat's roots are in the barbershop genre we also sing a wide range of other styles such as Classical and Popular Music.
For a longtime I wanted to take singing lessons to improve my vocal technique but was put off because my friends' vocal teachers all seemed to coach in a Classical Choral style. By chance I came across an article about JCSS in a local business magazine which sounded like just what I was looking for.
From my very first lesson I knew SLS was right for me as the focus was on the function of the voice instead of a particular style of Music. I look forward to every lesson and Jennifer's enthusiasm for SLS and singing on the whole is infectious. The lessons are also hard work but fun. Since starting SLS in March 2009, my voice has changed dramatically because it has much more power, quality of tone and control to it. Listening to recordings I made before starting with Jennifer, its hard to believe its the same voice. There is still a long way to go but I look forward to developing further with Jennifer's help.
Liz Brown - Semi-Professional Vocalist
I started taking singing lessons from the age of 14 whilst at school and continued until college. I then had the opportunity to develop my voice further at Northumbria University where I studied a BA (Hons) in Performance for 3 years. My main interest throughout this period was the Musical Theatre genre.
Jennifer and I began singing as a female duo in Summer 2007 - performing at private parties and wine bars singing contemporary material. During this time she introduced me to the SLS technique and began to coach me during rehearsals and I developed a great interest in it.
After a while I decided to take up regular lessons with Jennifer and can honestly say I discovered more about my voice in a short period with her than over the previous 8 years of singing lessons. At University I studied Arthur Lessac's technique, which looks at the speaking voice, and I felt this provided me with a good foundation for singing. However, my previous singing teachers didn't properly build on my voice like SLS was able to. I feel I have progressed rapidly in a short period on my bridges, range and especially the way I approach a song and break it down. I also thoroughly enjoyed working briefly with Jeffrey Skousen (IMT of SLS) who gave me a great insight into the technique.
Although I primarily play keyboards in my band Escape, I always apply the work that we do in lessons to the vocals that I perform on stage. SLS has been really positive for me and it's the best way to approach my singing style/technique.