Welcome to Voxbox

Hello my name is Leon Berrange. I have been a musician, singer and engineer/producer all my life, and have been teaching singing voice for over ten years. I have studied with leading teachers and spent some time as a SLS certified teacher.

The refined art of singing rests on a raft of physical and mental skills and awarenesses. I have developed powerful techniques for achieving real vocal development when working with groups by concentrating on developing these underlying skills.

These proven vocal development techniques, used regularly in my premium course modules, are now available to you in these NO CHARGE public sessions. Just register, respond to the weekly attendance email, and come along. Challenge and develop your technical abilities, and deepen your understanding of good vocal production.

'Who should attend?'

• If you are a pro or semi-pro singer: These sessions will keep you relaxed and balanced and performing at the top of your ability.
• If you are a developing singer you will gain skills and understanding that will enhance all aspects of your vocal studies.
• Beginners will become familiar with the foundations of the singing voice. Beginners will benefit from also taking an introductory course such as our Beginners Part A.

Each session will address the core voice issues facing singers at all levels, so they are great for transitional and intermediate singers as well as pro's who are looking for an effective vocal-fitness regimen. Provided you can sing the scales in tune you will be able to benefit from the work done in this group.

'What are these sessions about?'

To achieve our artistic goals as singers, we need to learn to control all aspects of the sound we make. Read my article on pre-singing skills if you want to know more.

To enable us to develop a great sounding, healthy voice, with seamless range, power and control, we need to take control and build awareness of the physical skills and actions that underlie the singing process. The exercises we do have the following aims:

• Eliminate throat tension
• Encourage strong use of the jaw
• Training the tongue to stay flat at the back
• Develop strong, connected vowels and relaxed, precise consonants
• Develop phrase legato
• Develop correct breathing
• Develop singing posture
• Get in the habit of making a strong sound

'Where and when?'

Ideally timed on Mondays at 12:30 am for working music and theatre pro's as well as the unemployed struggling artists and part-timers.

'How to I attend?'

Just fill in the form on the right. You will get a weekly email (Monday morning) with a link to click if you are attending that week. This is just to keep numbers under control.

'What's this about being webcast online?'

The sessions are webcast live online, and are available online for a week. You can download or stream this weeks video here. There is a release form to sign when you first attend.

'Why are the sessions free?'

The sessions are free and there are no hidden charges. This is our way of being able to work with people we may not otherwise reach. We know singing lessons are expensive and often beyond the reach of the struggling artists who in many ways need them most. Anyway we know that some people who come along will eventually end up booking lessons, so it's kinda good marketing for us, too.

'Do I need to be taking lessons?'

It depends on your goals and the stage you are at. A good teacher will give you a deeper understanding of your voice and how you get it sounding the way you want. A teacher will also work on repertoire, applying the technical to the artistic. If you are an online viewer, you can book lessons with Leon and his colleagues via Skype. But any time whether you are studying actively with a teacher or not, the freevoice sessions will challenge and develop your technical abilities, and deepen your understanding of good vocal production.

'I have a limited range... can I still attend?'

One of the best features of this type of group is that by hearing singers around you doing the exercises, you learn how to overcome the common problems. We exercise right across the vocal range, and this may seem daunting if you think you have a limited range or weak sound. But as you gain control of these basic skills, you will find that getting the basic physical approach right is a key ingredient in a strong sound and good working range.

'I have difficulty pitching notes... can I still attend?'

To work, the group must all be singing in tune. You need to be able to sing the basic voice exercise scales in tune in a mixed male/female ensemble.

'What's next?'

This group is newly started in Sept 2010. In the beginning we will be concentrating on building regular attendance at a half-hour session. We will also be exploring and refining our broadcast technology. As soon as we have a regular group and reliable broadcasts (it's technically quite tricky getting a good quality live webcast...) we will move over to the following one-hour format:

• Half-hour Vocal Development and Fitness
• Live questions and vocal work with a studio volunteer. (Studio or skype-in questions)
• Featured Performance - live in the studio. Tell the folks back home you will be live on the internet! Plus there'll be a nice studio HD video available for your YouTube (Chargeable).