About My Teaching: Nurturing Vocal Development

“Sarah [Rhodes] truly understands the workings of the individual voice and demonstrates this during each lesson with a strong emphasis upon technique thus improving my overall performance and progress. Sarah’s enthusiasm and love for teaching is very obvious and she is an extremely encouraging teacher who always looks for the positive aspects in her students.

[Sarah] has been an invaluable mentor, teacher and friend.”

“I have been a member of several choirs for over 30 years but always wanted to improve my singing. After looking for some time for a suitable teacher, I count myself extremely lucky to have found Sarah, who agreed to help me ‘explore my voice’.

Sarah is a gifted musician who manages to inspire confidence and enjoyment in her students in equal measure. But her consummate skill as a teacher arises from the fact that she is able to articulate vocal techniques in the form of everyday actions; that she is able to demonstrate exactly what she requires; and most importantly, that, having been a professional singer all her adult life, she has a vast knowledge and experience of performing that she is keen to share. In the six months that I have been with her my voice has improved significantly and I can now reach notes I have never sung before…

Lessons are challenging, but always a pleasure.”

“I trained as a singer at the Royal College of Music before singing professionally for a number of years and when my son showed potential as a singer, I taught him at home. When it was time for him to go to Hull University as a drama student, he also wanted to continue having vocal tuition. I found Sarah Rhodes on the university website and upon further investigation decided that she sounded the best option for my son. It was very difficult for me to hand over both a son and a pupil to another teacher but Miss Rhodes reassured me on the phone and invited me to observe one of my son’s lessons. I needn’t have had any doubts or worries. The moment the lesson started I knew my son was in good and safe hands. He has thrived under Miss Rhodes’ tuition and extended his range significantly. She has also taught him theory of music from scratch and he passed his grade 5 theory and his singing exam with distinction. He has since passed grade 8 singing with distinction. I consider Miss Rhodes to be a teacher of music college standard which has … been endorsed by her appointment as a vocal tutor at the Royal Northern College of Music.”

“I have known Sarah Rhodes personally and professionally for a number of years. My operatic collaboration with her began when we worked together at Scottish Opera (a company she has had close links with over many years and for whom she has sung a variety of roles). She has vast experience as a singer, both on the international operatic stage and the recital platform and continues to enjoy a successful performing career alongside her teaching commitments.

She has proven her capabilities as an excellent voice teacher with many of her students entering UK Conservatoires both at undergraduate and postgraduate level with many of those students continuing to have successful singing careers themselves.

I have found Sarah to be a musician and singer of great intelligence with a firm understanding of vocal technique and an ability to deliver information to students in a precise and uncomplicated manner.

I would highly recommend Sarah Rhodes as an excellent choice as your voice teacher.”

I began studying with Sarah during my first year of postgraduate study at the Royal Northern College of Music and her enthusiasm and dedication to working out my frustrating technical quirks has unlocked parts of my voice that I never dreamed existed! I came to Sarah with a myriad of technical problems but her strong emphasis on good vocal technique improved my voice significantly during my years at college and continues to do so as I’ve begun my singing career. I find Sarah to be a brilliant teacher who combines imaginative analogies with her vast knowledge of the soprano voice to deliver highly engaging lessons. I strongly believe I would have given up my dream of a career in singing if I had not studied with Sarah at such an important point in my vocal journey.

Sarah is a truly inspirational teacher, mentor and friend and I would highly recommend her to anyone serious about developing their voice and exploring the world of singing!

Sarah is very comprehensive in her approach; she has greatly improved my understanding of the mechanics behind a good vocal technique and ensures that I am able to incorporate what I have learnt in the lesson into my own private practice. In addition, Sarah has been extremely helpful in educating me in the practicalities of working as a performer, from future career planning to how to build a useful vocal resume.

I greatly look forward to each lesson, taught from her beautiful home studio, and cannot recommend her highly enough for anyone looking to take their vocal abilities to the next level.”

“I first met Sarah as a student at Yorkshire Young Musicians in 2017 and she has in the ensuing years taught me a tremendous amount. She not only has a seemingly endless wealth of knowledge of the voice but also the talent to put it across in a plethora of ways to ensure her students properly understand. Her focus on developing strong vocal technique has transformed my voice even in the short few years I have studied with her so far. I am proud to say that I’m her student and that I consider her a friend. She has supported me through my transition into the undergraduate course at the Royal Northern College of Music and there we continue to work on technical ability. She brings to her teaching years of professional experience and knowledge which she imparts with a clarity rarely seen. I cannot recommend her highly enough”.

“Sarah is an inspirational and outstanding teacher. She is extremely skillful with her knowledge of the voice and how it technically works, yet is able to explain this in clear and simple ways. Her friendly manner helps to adapt this knowledge to every  learning style and focuses on  individual needs to each student. I have studied with Sarah for many years and trust her judgement on all aspects of vocal technique and choice of repertoire for each stage of development, and I know that my voice is in extremely safe and expert hands.”

“I was a late starter to singing, taking it up in midlife as an antidote to a demanding and stressful professional career. Sarah took me on after Grade 8 and worked with me to refine and improve my technique. She has a wonderful, approachable style and a very clear way of explaining that makes it possible to grasp what is needed without feeling stupid. My confidence and capability skyrocketed and I was able to take on challenging solos with relative ease.

Sarah also taught my daughter, taking her from a shy 15 year old to an accomplished performer, treating her as an adult from the beginning, setting high expectations, and establishing a warm, supportive and productive relationship.

Sarah has an excellent ability to work with a wide range of people and to understand that sometimes life gets in the way of art; I have seen her support singers during work stresses, exams and even through serious illness with understanding and compassion.
I would thoroughly recommend Sarah as a teacher for those who really want to work on their vocal technique and improve their performance skills.”

“As a 78  year old pensioner I decided to try singing, the idea of which scared me rigid ! Then I was extremely lucky enough to find and experience being taught by Sarah.

Through kindness, humour, honesty and the ability to use her extensive performance experience, both in the UK and worldwide, to teach and demonstrate the mechanics of singing Sarah has given me the confidence to join a male voice and two choral choirs which I’m still in at 78. I now no longer limit my singing to the bathroom.!”