Verified Company
I still remember my very first vocal lesson with Ian. My heart was beating at about 180 bpm, and I was completely drenched in sweat because, after 15 years of not singing a single word, I had decided I wanted to learn.
I was terrified going into that first session, and I remember feeling incredibly relieved afterwards. Ian immediately met me exactly where I was, without ever making me feel embarrassed about how little I knew. He’s encouraging, but also honest, which I think is such an important combination when you’re learning something new and want to make progress.
He somehow hears mistakes before they even happen and always seems to know exactly which exercise or approach will work best for me. And he has an impressive amount of patience, because I genuinely don’t know how he never lost it while I was overthinking absolutely everything. 😂
Before Ian, I’ve had a handful of lessons with two other teachers and struggled with both sides of the same problem: either I couldn’t reproduce what we’d done when practising at home, or I left feeling like I hadn’t actually learnt anything that was helping me move forward. Ian has found a really good balance. He gives me things I can actually practise and understand, while continuously pushing me to improve without overwhelming me with technical information.
I've made really good progress since that terrified first lesson, and I'm becoming more comfortable and confident with every session. He's also been really encouraging when it comes to my own music, which I appreciate a lot as someone who's finding their feet as an artist.
If you're looking for a vocal coach who teaches with warmth, patience and honesty, but also knows when to push you so you actually make progress, I genuinely couldn't recommend Ian more. He's made learning to sing feel both much less terrifying and much more achievable, all while being someone who's always up for a laugh in between!
