Singing is an inalienable human right. We sing before we speak. And yet, the most common story I have heard as a singing teacher of hundreds of students is "I have been told I shouldn't do it" by some authority figure. As one of my teachers, the fantastic Naomi Susan Isaacs (her TEDx talk here), has noticed — music seems to be almost the only subject where we are graded before we are taught.

I do not care about the starting level of my students. The reason I do what I do is that it gives me a deep sense of fulfilment to help them reclaim their own voice for themselves, to support them in their own process of discovering that the criticisms they faced were misplaced and invalid. I know what it's like. I have passed through long periods of self-doubt and silence, and I want all those who want to sing to know that they can sing, that they are allowed to, that they will get better, that they are not alone.

The truth is, we have different upbringings — some of us are surrounded by music and given permission to sing from a young age, some of us are told that "fish and children do not make sound", some of us give in to peer pressure, some of us resist it, in various degrees and dimensions. This formative stuff is important to recognise, but it's also important to recognise that it does not define our future, it does not define where we can go and what we are capable of.

It is never too late to learn. At every stage in life, learning takes time and dedication — but the most important thing is to not lose sight of our passion. We are constantly bombarded with ideal, produced voices, and we are led to believe that unless we sound like "the final product", we are not allowed to be on the learning path, we are not allowed to try things out, to take small, incremental steps, to recognise our own progress rather than measure it by some external standards.

If a student comes to me, I do my absolute utmost, using all of my skills and experience, to create the conditions under which they can grow as a singer, feeling safe and supported. I believe that each voice is a gift, and it gives me immense pleasure to help singers share their gift with the world.

My take on teaching singing

I do not believe in "good/bad" when it comes to the voice.

We start with a conversation. The "why" to me is more important than the "how" — and the conversation itself is already a meaningful exchange; we can already hear each other's voices. I believe that you can shape the voice to sing in a certain style, acquire classical technique, study belting or jazz improv or whatever, or sing your own songs — but none of this matters at this stage. What matters is what brings you here. What matters is me hearing from you what it is that lights you up. Giving you the space to share your stories of singing, of your voice being experienced by others — maybe family or friends, maybe a wider community of people around you who want to hear you, maybe finding the points that light you up, that give you passion, and then getting you to articulate any beliefs that someone might have imparted on you that you've held up until now.

My role is to give space and to listen. To give room for your voice to reverberate — and I don't mean that just in a traditional, technical sense. There are plenty of singers who don't have "conventionally big" voices, whose message and whose voice resonate deeply because they are expressing something personal, some truth. I want to know your favourite songs, your dreams about singing, what it is like for you to experience your own voice.

Only from there will we develop a path that is unique to you, and uniquely useful to you. You might be more interested in pop music, or in musicals, or in a particular artist — anything that motivates you will be the vehicle for our lessons. You will be allowed to do what gives you pleasure, and you will be encouraged to discover that pleasure in singing.

I will be very honest about the emotional impact that your journey has on me, and basically be a kind and encouraging audience. I might suggest ways of singing, or particular exercises, that I think might help you — but this will not be an expectation. I will be with you on a journey of discovering what works for you, and I have solid experience and many, many ideas to try, and it will bring me immense joy to share these to empower you and help you let yourself be heard.

From people I've taught

Below are some words from the students I've had the pleasure to work with.

I had given up on being able to sing well; it seemed like people who could sing already knew how. Karaoke? No way. … I thought singing lessons were for professionals. It's not true! … Matt also has reframed the learning process for me to overcome my fear of making mistakes. Learning to sing as an adult makes me feel alive and courageous!

— Serafina

I've been told pretty much my whole life that I need to speak up because people can't hear me. … Within a few months of doing the choir, I started hearing less often from people that I needed to repeat myself. My voice naturally went up without having to do anything specific, besides just showing up and singing and trying. And I started realizing that my voice, first of all, people want to hear it. It can be louder if I allow it to be louder. So it's not like a genetic thing. It's just me toning myself down.

— Abi

Matt treats each singer as an individual and offers bespoke teaching, taking each person's ability into account — challenging those who have developed skills and supporting those who need help. I will be forever grateful for all that I have learnt.

— Susan

How it works

The first step is just a chat — friendly, free, no strings. First contact is always very approachable: a conversation where we see if this is the right fit. I want to hear about your interests, your dreams, what music you listen to, what you'd like help with. It's very personal.

I don't promise a miracle cure — but I can offer ideas to try, specific exercises that will help: working on tuning, rhythm, voice emission, accompanying yourself on an instrument, songwriting, or whatever you would like.

There will be things to do in between lessons — learning the lyrics of songs, trying specific online or recorded exercises. It's about incremental progress: not like cramming a book, more like learning a language — by immersion, with a lot of practice, learning to treat “mistakes” as an indication of which direction to go next, rather than taking them personally.

An ideal start is a 30-minute lesson once a week. There are discounts if you book five or ten lessons in advance.

Once a month or so there's an informal get-together with small presentations — even if that means each person just sings a song they like to everyone, unaccompanied. Very low-pressure and community-oriented — and it's included in the price of your lessons.

Lessons are in English, Polish or Portuguese. To start — or just to ask — send me a message through the contact page or on Instagram at @p.le.bouton.