Biography

How long have you been singing for?

I’ve been singing since a very young age.  At primary school I sang in the school choir and was the only pupil able to work out harmonies.  At the age of 13 I joined a gospel group called ‘Raise the Praise’, with whom I did numerous concerts and tours.  I joined the London Community Gospel Choir and was the youngest member at the grand old age of 15.  I am now involved with a number of session agencies as well as Noel Robinson’s Nu Image.  I am also hoping to start doing my own material within the year.

Have you sung for anybody famous?

Westlife, Simon Webb, Carleen Anderson, Paul Carrick, Louise Rednapp, G4 and Leona are just some of the artists I have had the opportunity to work with over the years.

Have you sung at any prestigious venues?

I have been involved in concerts at venues like the Royal Albert Hall, The Royal Courts of Justice, Earl’s Court and London Arena.

Have you ever done any television work?

I have been on Blue Peter, the Westlife Show, Comic Relief, and Top of The Pops, Songs of Praise and GMTV, as well as God channel a number of times.

What festivals have you been involved with?

The main festival I have done would probably be the Glasgow Jazz Festival.  I have also done the big chill, grassrootz and spring harvest.  I also did a jazz festival in Austria, which was based in the hills, with lots of local beer and freshly pressed apple juice – very nice indeed.

Have you ever done any tours?

With the London Community Gospel Choir I have done numerous tours around Europe, including Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Norway and Holland.  With ‘Raise the Praise’ I did a tour to the USA, which involved a lot of singing, sleeping and eating.

What do you think makes you a good singing teacher?

I am a certified speech level singing teacher (level 1), which provides me with not only a first class knowledge of both male and female voices but also access to a vast teaching support network.  With SLS I have the tools and knowledge at my disposal to teach anyone how to use their voice with maximum efficiency and proficiency.

Outside of SLS I have a wealth of experience in singing professionally, doing tours, recordings, concerts and festivals.  This gives me the ability to apply the theoretical and practical elements of SLS with the reality of what it is like working as a singer in the ‘real world’.

My aim as a teacher is not to ‘crack the whip’ and force people to practice, but to show them how straightforward and enjoyable learning to sing can be, inspiring them to practice.

Why is it better to study with a Speech Level certified teacher than any other type of vocal teacher?

Apart from the very obvious vocal benefits that you get from studying SLS (see ‘What is SLS?’ for more details) when you study with a SLS certified teacher you get someone who not only has a great knowledge of the mechanics of the voice, but who also knows the tools to fix any of the problems you may experience when singing.  SLS certified teachers are also regularly assessed in their knowledge and their teaching ability - through exams and an SLS equivalent of ‘Ofsted inspection’ - ensuring that we are firstly always improving as teachers and secondly only teaching what is correct and beneficial to the student.  These assessments are good for pupils, as you know that your teacher is only teaching you what is anatomically correct, and not what they have made up themselves.  SLS teachers are also required to take lessons themselves, again ensuring that you are learning with someone who is continually improving, improving the service and teaching that the pupil receives.

To see Matthew’s last teacher assessment click here