[Jonny Black]

Thanks Veronica. I’ve not heard of that method and will certainly give it a try:)

[Jonny Black]

Thanks guys. Some good advice there. It’s deyseems to be about tongue discipline and repetition and retraining old habits which can take a lot of work. I find it’s just a ‘lazy’ way that quite a few people sound the th, by connecting the bottom lip and top teeth and a lot of the time they don’t hear the difference. Particularly younger singers who speak in ‘MLE’ street type accents. Tongue exercises and commitment to practice really pays dividends. I often get the student to hold the bottom lip down to avoid making the f sound. That seems to work and also the sink/zinc/think exercise with slightly different tounge positions.

Great video Matthew. That is a good way to explain it and I’ll use the exaggerated sound and tounge positions with my students.

Jonny

[Jonny Black]

Just found it online when I searched vocal ranges:)

[Jonny Black]

I have a book/diary and make notes after each lesson. I’d never remember everything otherwise that I’ve asked them to prepare/practice for next lesson. I just have lots and lots of books with old records in. I can carry that around with me then too.

[Jonny Black]

Dear all,

I’ve had quite a few situations with people wanting to cancel pre-booked block bookings and asking for refunds etc. I generally run with a no refund policy however I treat each situation according to the person and their particular approach and attitude. I try and be as reasonable and flexible as possible. Matthew and I came up with the following T’s and C’s which is on the FAQ page on my website. I’ve not had any issues since as this seems to cover every possibility and is pretty strict (but fair) –

Cancellation Policy & T&Cs:

If you need to cancel or rearrange, please call, text or e-mail me 24 hours before the scheduled lesson. Please see my terms and conditions below:

1. Regular cancellation of lessons may result in you losing your slot.

2. 24 hours notice is required for cancellation of a lesson. If less than 24 hours notice is given, the full lesson fee is charged. (Does not apply in exceptional circumstances).

3. Gift vouchers must be used within six months of purchase. Vouchers may only be used by the recipient. Gift vouchers are non-refundable.

4. For block bookings paid in advance:

(i) Lessons must be taken within 6 months of booking.

(ii) A 25% cancelation fee will be charged if the series is cancelled at any point and lessons received up to the point of cancelation will be charged at full rate.

In terms of who has booked singing vouchers, I just make a iist and when they contact me I know who has redeemed their vouchers. Nobody ever seems to actually bring them with them anyway but I always know who they are so there is never any confusion. The strangest thing about all this is the people who pay/book lessons for a present and I never hear from them again!

Hope this helps!

Jonny

[Jonny Black]

Cheers guys for the good advice. My instinct was to just stand my ground as it’s quite annoying when students just think they can cancel an agreement on a whim however I think it could be quite stressful as she seems the type who may take a legal route and I had nothing concrete in my Terms and conditions about it. I’ve decided to change the terms now so in future I’ll charge a 25% cancelation fee which seems fair. Best to be covered from all angles I think.

[Jonny Black]

This is something that has always puzzled me. For years I’ve tried different responses and wording to maximise the chances of getting a follow up reply from the prospective student. It’s almost become an exercise in phycology! My advice would be to follow up quite quickly but not instantly as that looks like you’re a bit too available. Keep it fairly short and business like but also warm and friendly. I have found ending with wording like ‘if you would like to book an initial session and see how it goes then let me know and we can get something booked in’. Also, ‘let me know your availability and when you would like to start and we can get something in the diary’. I always ask them to let me know if they have any questions or queries regarding the lesson context and another thing I’ve found to increase the chances of getting the student to book is to ask them if they are interested in singing and learning any particular styles. This normally gets a conversation going which helps. My final bit of advice is just to be really perceptive regarding their initial message and maybe pick out an aspect of what they say they are looking to do and make sure you address that in your response – this shows you are really taking an interest in them. Oh, and if I don’t hear from them after say 3 or 4 days then I send another message along the lines of ‘I just wanted to check you received my initial message and to let you know that I would be able to set up lessons with you if you are still interested’. This can really work. Sometimes, as you say, I just don’t hear anything back and it makes no sense but I suppose they just were not that serious in the first place. The wording of responses though can definitely make a difference so good luck!!