Covid-19 Information
Sessions can be conducted online or, infection rates permitting, in person at the Dumbarton Studio.
Please read the following announcement in preparation if you plan to attend in person or to help you decide what might be the best option for you.
Would You Like To...
- develop your speaking and/or singing voice?
- strengthen your musicianship skills?
- work on your confidence as a singer/performer?
- grow as a person?
- learn how the (singing) voice works?
- start teaching yourself but don’t know where to start?
- move your musical career forward?
- get rid of limiting beliefs tied to your voice?
My unique approach will help you build the instrument you always wanted.
-
Petra had been on my radar for some time. I asked her to help me address my mindset recently when navigating a health challenge. I really appreciated combination of somatic and cognitive work - it helped me get out of the intellectual zone and into the body zone which was exactly what I needed. Now when my challenge raises its head, I have strategies for 'tuning in' and am coping far better. Petra's work on the emotional, psychological and somatic self can really help you move forward if you are feeling stuck. 
Gillyanne Kayes
August 28, 2020 - Petra has been very helpful in me helping MY clients and students! I asked her to come speak to a class I was teaching about boundaries in the studio.
Her knowledge and experience in psychology make her highly intuitive, while giving her the ability to call out people to their best selves.
I recommend Petra highly when you need performance anxiety help, as well!
Thank you, Petra, for your work in this area!
Michelle Markwart Deveaux
October 17, 2018 - Petra is a wonderful singing tutor and coach.
She has the perfect balance between working on technique and emotional engagement of a song, whilst encouraging exercises beyond the repertoire to develop the voice.
Petra is also one of the most patient coaches ever, I've been her student for a while now and really happy with how things are progressing!
Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi
June 22, 2019 - Petra is a wonderful coach and mentor. She guides you supports you and gives you the tools to become the vocalist you want to be. I have been her student for nine months and am feeling so much better about my voice and how to look after it and get the best out of it.
Kendal Paterson
April 23, 2019 - Petra is the absolute best! Her expertise and her people skills are incomparable! She is very generous and open-minded and the moment I met her, I knew that I found a colleague I could trust.
Izzie Baumann
March 10, 2021
I Offer You
- a true passion for coaching
- a desire to help you find your voice. Our voices are designed to create all sorts of sounds in a healthy and sustainable way, so you do not need to worry that I will try to make you sound like someone you aren’t
- the ability to teach both classical and contemporary singing styles, both in person and online
- additional training in psychology, which enables me to help with issues related to performance anxiety, low confidence, artistic identity crisis and blocks (individual coaching packages available, please enquire)
- a studio equipped with two Yamaha Portable Grands, an extensive music library, backing tracks, Avid Vocal Studio (incl. condenser microphone & Pro Tools SE), a basic portable PA system with iPod dock and several dynamic microphones
- a supportive student network, ranging from complete beginner to seasoned performer and professional voice user, bands, music- and theatre groups
- speaking fluent English and German, plus having basic skills in French and Italian
Online or Studio
My clients cover the full range from complete beginner to professional musician. Past and present students include singers and actors in critically acclaimed films (British Independent Film Awards, Cannes Film Festival/Palme d’Or), The Voice UK and Britain’s Got Talent participants, recording artists and professional performers in Musical Theatre, Pop/Rock and Scottish Traditional Music/Folk. I also work with speakers and corporate clients, e.g. Google.
Clients who book singing lessons and vocal coaching at the Dumbarton Studio travel from all over Scotland: Dumbarton, Clydebank, Helensburgh, Alexandria, Balloch, Glasgow, Oban, Inverness, Fort William and even the Hebrides. Some choose to attend at the studio regularly, others prefer a mix between in person and online lessons.
Long before Covid-19, I already taught online singing lessons and still provide online vocal coaching to clients around the globe: United Kingdom, United States, South Africa, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain, Estonia, Russia, Malta and even Singapore and Brunei. Time differences can sometimes make things harder, but very often, they actually work to my clients’ benefit due to their complicated schedules (e.g. because they cannot find anyone locally who teaches what is very early in the morning or late at night for them).
My teaching is quite firmly grounded in physiology – the technical side of singing is important, and you will learn to use your voice in an efficient and sustainable way.
What though if I told you that this is only half of the equation? That there is more to singing than just having technical command over your voice?
This is where my special expertise in psychology, cognitive and somatic coaching comes in. You will discover how emotions and the power of intention do not only help you to tell a/your story, but also help with releasing and freeing your voice in the first place.
So How Can You Work With Me?
I have a range of coaching options to suit every experience level and personal preference:
Spark
These are one-off drop-in sessions. They are most suitable for more experienced singers and only available to students over 16 at a duration of 60 minutes, both in person at the Dumbarton Studio and online.
Ignite
My monthly subscription model for singers who wish to attend weekly for 30 minutes (under 16s or people who would benefit from shorter online sessions). Between sessions, you have access to me via Marco Polo.
Liftoff
The option for committed singers: You purchase a block of time and need to commit to attending weekly for at least 60 minutes (twice weekly at shorter durations is possible). Time not taken will expire after 90 days.
Sing Me a Song!
The vocal coaching subscription with a difference: Every week, you send me a Marco Polo video of your singing. I will send you a video with tips and “homework” that you practise for your next submission.
