Gemma Denman

Gemma Denman - Professional Vocal Coach

"I am so glad I listened to Gemma's wisdom and experience, every day I get so much pleasure when I hit a note that 4 months ago would not have been possible..."

07929 760092 Phoning Hours 9am-9pm

For enquiries, bookings or cancellations. It is likely Gemma may be teaching when you call, so if there is no answer please leave an answer phone message and Gemma will get back to you as soon as possible - you can also email Gemma directly at gemmadenman@yahoo.co.uk

Teaching times

Monday- Friday 10am-7pm

Prices

1 hour - £27

1 hour 30 minutes - £40

Gemma also offers singing and speaking lessons via     

- meaning that anyone in the world can be taught by Gemma!

Book a lesson now by emailing gemmadenman@yahoo.co.uk

"Although being extremely nervous Gemma put me at ease straight away. With her calming voice Gemma is patient, kind and encouraging. I am enjoying my lessons and cant wait to progress"

Singing Lesson Slots Available

Monday Morning Weekly or Fortnightly

1 hour lesson  10-11am or 11-12pm

1 hour 30mins lesson 10-11.30am or 10.30-12pm

2 hour lesson 10-12pm

Monday Afternoon Fortnightly

1 hour lesson  1-2pm or 4-5pm or 4.30-5.30pm

1 hour 30mins lesson 3.30-5pm or 4-5.30pm

2 hour lesson 3.30-5.30pm

Tuesday Afternoon Weekly or Fortnightly

1 hour lesson  1-2pm or 3-4pm

Wednesday Morning Weekly or fortnightly

1 hour lesson  10-11am or 10.30-11.30am or 11-12pm

Wednesday Afternoon Weekly or fortnightly

1 hour lesson  1-2pm, 1.30-2.30pm

1 hour 30mins lesson 1-2.30pm

Thursday Morning Fortnightly

1 hour lesson  10-11am, 10.30-11.30am or 11-12pm

Thursday Afternoon Fortnightly

1 hour lesson 1-2pm, 2.30-3.30pm, 4-5pm

Friday Afternoon Weekly or fortnightly

1 hour lesson 3-4pm, 3.30-4.30pm, 4-5pm, 4.30-5.30pm, 5.30-6.30pm, 6-7pm (available from 1st October)

1 hour 30mins lesson 3-4.30pm, 3.30-5pm, 5-6.30pm, 5.30-7pm (available from 1st October)

*****

Due to popular demand Gemma also offers

"Book As You Go Lessons!"

Below are a selection of up to date available lessons ready for you to book on the 'Book As You Go' service. All lessons can be booked as 1 hour, 1 hour 30 mins or 2 hours where time allows. To book a lesson please email your preferred date/s and time/s to gemmadenman@yahoo.co.uk

Mon 9th Aug 11-12pm or times between 1-5pm

Tues 10th Aug times between 1-4pm

Mon 16th Aug 11-12pm or times between 1-4pm

Tues 17th Aug times between 1-5.30pm

Weds 18th Aug 11-12pm or times between 1-3pm

Thurs 19th Aug 4.30-5.30pm

Mon 23rd Aug times between 1-5.30pm

Tues 24th Aug times between 1-4pm

Weds 25th Aug 11-12pm or 1-2pm

Thurs 26th Aug 11-12pm or times between 1-5.30pm

Tues 31st Aug 11-12pm or 4.30-5.30pm

Fri 3rd Sept times between 1-4.30pm

Mon 6th Sept 1-2pm or 5.30-6.30pm or 6-7pm

Tues 7th Sept 11-12pm or times between 1-4pm

Weds 8th Sept or times between 1-3pm

Thurs 9th Sept 11-12pm or times between 1-5.30pm

Fri 10th Sept 3-4pm

Mon 13th Sept 1-2pm or 5.30-6.30pm or 6-7pm

Tues 14th Sept times between 1-5.30pm

Weds 15th Sept times between 1-3pm

Fri 17th Sept times between 1-4.30pm

Thurs 30th Sept 5.30-6.30pm or 6-7pm

*****

All ages and skill levels are welcome! (beginners - professionals!) - all styles of singing are taught.

Please note that Gemma does not accompany on piano, and works with CD's and backing tracks. Gemma does not teach singing grades.

Gemma sadly cannot travel to students homes due to the tight schedule in which she teaches. All lessons are held at Gemma's home studio.

Gemma lets her students choose their own songs from a vast selection of backing tracks - learn the songs YOU want to sing. Gemma teaches mainly contemporary songs, but can teach a wide range of styles -  rock/pop music, r 'n' b, jazz, rap, country, show songs... Gemma is not a classical teacher, so is unfortunately unable to teach opera.

No one is too old to sing, so if it's always been a life long dream, but you have never tried it before, Gemma can offer understanding lessons to help you achieve your goal.

Gemma will teach you the correct breathing and breath control techniques, relaxation, confidence building, vocal warm ups, scales, vocal techniques, projection, dynamics, articulation, pitch, finding your range and building your range, singing with emotion, mic technique, recording your voice and listening back, performance skills, improvisation, how to smooth out the passaggio, all about the singing registers, placement, how to achieve good tone, the vocal anatomy and much more! You will also learn how to sing full length songs of your choice.

Gemma can assist professionals before a gig, or people wanting extra help before an audition.

Gemma welcomes record companies to put their artists forward for vocal lessons to help strengthen their voices for the purpose of recording an album, or going on tour.

Auditioning for X Factor? or another TV Singing Programme? - Gemma can help you with a crash course in vocals leading up to your big audition and help you on your way to giving a polished audition piece.

Are you taking GCSE Music and need help with singing for part of your coursework or exams? - Gemma can assist you in developing your voice so that you achieve the best grade you possibly can.

Do you just wish you could have the confidence to get up and sing some karaoke with your friends without turning into a nervous wreck? Gemma can help build your confidence, and allow you to sing to your full potential!

An annual 'Student Showcase' is held each year which enables Gemma's students to show off their developing skills to friends and family at a private theatre show.

Gemma teaches at her home in Aldershot.

Phone: 07929 760092

Email: gemmadenman@yahoo.co.uk

Please Note:

Gemma does not teach grades. She adapts her lessons to her students pace of learning, their ability and what they want to specifically learn.

Gemma teaches at her home in  Aldershot, Hampshire, GU12

Gemma sadly cannot accommodate for wheelchair users in her house, as Gemma's teaching room is based upstairs, sorry.

Please take your shoes off before entering the house, as this stops mud from being accidentally brought into the house. Please feel free to bring a pair of slippers to wear. Thank you for your co-operation on this matter.

Please do not attend your lesson with a cold, throat infection or if you have had a sickness bug within the last 48 hours.

General Lesson Structure

Physical warm up

Breathing and breath control exercises

Scales, exercises, vocal warm ups and range building

Working on a chosen song

Gemma also offers 1 hour lessons which contain just breathing and vocal exercises (no learning songs) - this type of lesson is ideal for the professional singer who needs that extra bit of help with their voice.

Gemma's lessons come in blocks of learning, looking at different areas of singing and using different exercises to warm up and improve the voice. You will learn the following...

Lessons 1-10

Breathing and breath control

 Vocal techniques

 Scales

 Your range and ways of increasing it

 The passaggio

 Voice registers

 Intervals

 Licks

 Articulation

 Dynamics

 Sirens

 Emotion

 Chromatic Scale

Abdominal push

 Recording progress and analysing

Lessons 11-20

 Vocal Techniques

 Scales

 Middle voice

 Improvisation

 Flip-flopping

 Rhythm

 Vibrato

 Projection

 Recording progress and analysing

Lessons 21-30

 Breathing and breath control (continued)

 Vocal techniques

 Advanced scales and modes

 Intervals (continued)

 Challenging patterns

 Licks

 Articulation

 Identifying head voice and falsetto

 Recording progress and analysing

Lessons 31-40

 Breathing and breath control (continued)

 Vocal techniques

 Following difficult scales

 Musical theory

 Different vocal sounds

 Working on the low voice

 Staccato singing

 Recording progress and analysing

Lessons 41-60

 Breathing and breath control (continued)

 Vocal techniques

 Following difficult scales

 Call response exercises

 Different vocal sounds

 Working on the lower register

 Increasing chest voice range

 Adding power to head voice and falsetto

 Advanced chromatic scale

 Advanced abdominal push

 Recording progress and analysing

 Perfecting performances

 Filming and video play back to analyse performance

Lessons 61-75+

 Breath Control - advanced (Messa Di Voce)

 Blending

 Harmonies

 Difficult patterns and structures   

 Advanced diction and timing     

Vocal Training Day!

The Vocal Training Day is ideal for people who don't want to have lessons every couple of weeks. The day takes place over 4 hours, it will be intense. In the 4 hours the following will be covered...

*Registers

* Breathing

* Vocal warm up exercises

*Finding your range

*Sirens

* Articulation

* Checking pitch

* Emotion/expression

* How to learn a song technically

*Recording a song

*Call response

*Improvisation/scat

*Licks

*Dynamics

You will also go home with...

* A Singer's Guide Folder

* A CD of your vocal performance

You can have all of this for just  £110

The £110 must be paid for in advance. No refunds will be given for 'no shows'. However The Vocal Day can be re-arranged if 48 hours notice is given. Any Vocal Day's cancelled due to illness or emergency will be re-arranged for another day.

Please email Gemma for more information or to book a vocal day...

Email Gemma gemmadenman@yahoo.co.uk

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Record a CD Experience Day - £82

A 3 hour session, starting with a vocal warm up, breathing techniques and much more. Followed by learning and perfecting a song to the best of your ability which will be recorded onto CD for you to take home the same day. The Roland CD2 is used to create the recording in just one take (no editing).

To book a 'Record A CD Experience' Day please email gemmadenman@yahoo.co.uk

or phone 07929 760092

The £82 must be paid for in advance. No refunds will be given for 'no shows'. However The Recording Day can be re-arranged if 48 hours notice is given. Any Recording Day's cancelled due to illness or emergency will be re-arranged for another day.

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Gift Certificates

Do you have a friend or relative who would like to receive singing lessons as a birthday or Christmas present? Well buying them a gift certificate is the answer!

Simply contact Gemma and say who the gift certificate is for, how many lessons you would like to buy, and the duration - 1 hour, 1 hour and a half or 2 hour. You will also be required to give your contact details and contact details of the receiver of the gift certificate - so if need be they can be contacted a few months before the expiry date ends to be reminded to book their lesson/s if they haven't already done so.

You can purchase the certificate directly by booking a time to collect it, or you can post Gemma a cheque (after contacting to confirm) and then Gemma will post your gift certificate to you, or if you prefer the certificate can be posted directly to the person you have bought it for. Postage for the gift certificate costs an extra £2 to cover creation and postage and packing costs.

The gift certificate and information can be emailed to you for FREE, you will just be required to print out the information, and present it in any way you wish to your loved one.

Please note:

The lesson/s must be taken by the receiver of the certificate by the end of the tax year (5th April). Please note that if the receiver tries to book after this date the lessons will no longer be valid and full payment will be required if they still wish to take the lessons.

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FAQ

Question: I think I am tone deaf, I really want to learn to sing though. Am I a lost cause or can anyone learn to sing?

Yes, I believe anyone can learn. Really there is no such thing as 'tone deaf' - unless you actually have hearing problems. In the past I have met many people who have believed themselves to be tone deaf, but so far no one has been un-teachable (and people I've met with tuning issues have learnt to pitch perfectly nearly every time!) 99% of people can sing in tune with a bit of help, support and training. If you are determined to learn, and put effort into learning then you're already half way there.

Question: How many lessons will I need?

This is a question I can never put a definite answer to. It all depends on how fast you pick things up, the skill level you are already at, if you are determined, and if you put work in outside the lesson time etc. If you take lessons to reach a specific goal, (e.g. to prepare yourself for an audition) then the amount of lessons would depend on your situation. If you wanted on-going singing lessons then you could have lessons for as long as you wanted. Most of my students have been having lessons with me for years. Even professional singers like to take vocal coaching, as even the professionals need help to improve. Any pro would be foolish to say they were already good enough and didn't need any more training!

If you wanted on-going lessons I would advise having an hour lesson or a one and a half hour lesson once a week. How many weeks you wish to carry on for is completely up to you, as the more lessons you have, the better your singing will get.

The Contract:

1. FEES

1 hour - £27

1 hour 30 minutes - £40

2 hours - £54

Lesson fees are subject to annual review.

2. MISSED LESSONS

Any lesson missed by the Student shall be paid for unless otherwise agreed with the Teacher. If the

Teacher is unavailable to give any scheduled lesson the lesson will be carried forward to another

date. If this is not possible, any fee already paid will be refunded or used to pay for a future lesson.

You MUST inform the teacher at least 48 hours before if you cannot attend a booked lesson, so that the teacher can offer your slot to another student. If you give less than 48 hours notice then full payment for the lesson WILL be required. If any debts are not paid, the teacher reserves the right to pass details on to the Musician�s Union for perusal.

Emergency / illness

If you have to cancel due to illness or emergency (including having to work late) you must give a minimum of 3 hours notice. Eg let Gemma know by 8am for a 11am lesson. If you give at least 3 hours notice due to emergency/illness no fee will be required. Failure to give 3 hours notice will unfortunately result in a late fee of £15. This only applies to lessons cancelled due to emergency or illness. Failure to turn up completely without contacting Gemma or cancelling for any other reason will result in FULL payment unless a minimum of 48 hours notice is given. If you cancel during your lesson time or after your lesson time FULL payment will also be expected. If you forget you had a lesson FULL payment will be required.

Please remember to bring the correct payment in cash for your lesson, or make sure you carry a cheque book on you. Fees should be paid at the beginning of the lesson, and Gemma reserves the right to not teach the lesson if you attend with no money on you. Gemma can sometimes provide you with change if need be, if not any extra monies will be carried over towards the next lesson.

If  YOU are late for a lesson, the lesson will finish on the original agreed time. The teacher will NOT add extra time on to the end of the lesson to make up for it. If you are slightly early then please wait in your car until your time comes. Parents/Guardians must pick their children up on time. Otherwise an extra fee for over time may be required.

3. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT

This applies to everyone, in all circumstances.

A decision to discontinue lessons may be taken by the Student/Parent/Guardian or the Teacher in

which case six (6) weeks written notice shall be given by the party seeking to discontinue. In the

event that the Student discontinues lessons with insufficient notice, the Student/Parent/Guardian

will be liable to pay fees for those lessons not taken during the notice period. Any lessons booked

after the six week period will not have to be paid for.

5. GENERAL

a) The Student/Parent/Guardian will be responsible for any loss or damage incurred to any

books, accessory or music loaned by the Teacher to the Student. Such items will be

returned on request to the Teacher.

b) The Student/Parent/Guardian undertakes not to make photocopies of any paperwork provided

by the teacher.

c) In the interests of the Student�s well-being whilst in the Teacher�s care, the Teacher must be

informed of any medical or other condition affecting the Student.

d) I agree to inform the teacher of change of address/phone number/email address immediately.

e) I promise not to attend any lesson with any stages of a cold, throat infection or any kind of viral illness, or if I have had sickness or diarrhoea within the last 48 hours.

f) The student is responsible for their own vocal health, and the teacher will not be held responsible in the unlikely event of vocal damage.

NOTES FOR GUIDANCE

As a member of the Musicians� Union, the Teacher is fully insured for public liability. It is important to note that while a Teacher will use his or her best endeavours to ensure the Pupil makes satisfactory progress, this cannot be guaranteed. In particular, careful regular practice as advised by the Teacher is a pre-requisite of success on a musical instrument.

THE COPYRIGHT IN THIS CONTRACT BELONGS TO THE MUSICIANS� UNION, 60/62 CLAPHAM ROAD, LONDON, SW9 0JJ

This contract has been modified to be relevant to the service being offered.