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The Singing Practice
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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How do I book a singing lesson?You can book a singing lesson using the online booking system which is integrated on the website. If you would rather go to the booking system directly, click here. Feel free to book any time that pops up and works for you. Please feel free to contact me if you’re struggling to find a time. If you're a new student, please contact me before booking any lessons.
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How do I book an online singing lesson?Booking an online singing lesson works in the same way as booking a physical singing lesson . Once you have picked a time that works for you and you have paid for your lesson, you will receive a confirmation email that will give you the link to the zoom “meeting”. If you’ve never used Zoom before, click the link before the start of your lesson so you have time to set everything up. You can either open zoom in a browser on a computer that has a microphone, speaker and a camera, or you can use your phone or tablet. Please click here for tips on to have a good online lesson. Once you’re all setup you are ready for your online lesson.
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How do I reschedule my lesson?You can reschedule your lesson up to 24 hours before your scheduled lesson time. Once rescheduled your payment will automatically transfer to the new lesson time. You can reschedule your upcoming singing lesson by clicking on the <change> button in your confirmation email. Once you’ve clicked this button, you will be taken to your confirmation page where you are given the option to cancel or reschedule.</change>
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How do I cancel my lesson?You can cancel lessons yourself up to 24 hours before your scheduled lesson time. Any lessons cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice prior to the scheduled time will be charged at the full lesson rate, unless there are exceptional circumstances or illness. There are no refunds for missed lessons. You can cancel your singing lesson by clicking on the <change> button in your confirmation email. That button will take you to the lesson confirmation page where you can cancel or reschedule your lesson. Refunds are not automatically done by the scheduling website, so do give me a heads up if you require a refund.</change>
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How do I register for an account?When you’ve scheduled an appointment in the booking programme, you will be given the option to register for a client account. This is in no way mandatory. You can check your past and previous appointments by clicking the <change> button in your confirmation email which will take you to the confirmation page.</change> With this you can: You can only register for an account by clicking Register after booking an appointment through the scheduling page or by clicking the <change> button in your confirmation email which will take you to the confirmation page where you will see the <register> button.</register></change>
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How do I book a regular slot?If you don't have a lot of availability it might be a good idea to book a couple of lessons in advance or pick a fixed weekly slot to make sure you can come regularly. go to the scheduling page by clicking here choose a location choose the duration of the lesson you want click on the time you would like to come in the first week click <recurring...></recurring...> choose the amount of lessons you would like the recurring lesson to happen (be aware that you will have to pay for it all at the end) click <add></add> If you are happy with this selection of times, click <continue></continue> Fill in your information If you've bought a package for 10 lessons, click <redeem> if not click <pay></pay></redeem>
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How do I book several lessons in one go?If you’d like to book several lessons at different times in one go, please follow the steps below. Tip: Whatever you do, DON'T CLICK CONTINUE until you're ready to continue to the payment. If you click it before you'll have to start from scratch. go to the scheduling page by clicking here choose your location choose the duration of the lesson you want click on the time you would like to come in the first week click <recurring...></recurring...> click <choose></choose> You will now see your first added time added above the continue button click the time you want to book another lesson If you want to book another time: click <choose> again</choose> if you're ready after this one: click <continue></continue> Fill in your information If you've bought a package for 10 lessons, click <redeem> if not click <pay></pay></redeem>
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How do I check my remaining lessons in my subscription?The easiest way to check how many lessons are left in your subscription is by registering an account. You can register for an account by clicking Register after booking an appointment through the scheduling page or by clicking the <change> button in your confirmation email which will take you to the confirmation page where you will see the <register> button.</register></change> Once you’ve registered for an account you can: bypass any forms you’ve already filled out when scheduling previous appointments sign in to your client account and reschedule or cancel any existing appointments view all upcoming and past appointments see any active codes for packages
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How to I check my current and past bookings?In order to see an overview of your past and upcoming singing lessons, you will have to register for an account in the booking system. You can register for an account by clicking Register after booking an appointment through the scheduling page or by clicking the <change> button in your confirmation email which will take you to the confirmation page where you will see the <register> button.</register></change> By registering for an account you can: bypass any forms you’ve already filled out when scheduling previous appointments sign in to your client account and reschedule or cancel any existing a ppointments view all upcoming and past appointments see any active codes for packages
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.. I havent been able to practiceDon’t worry, we’ll still be able to work. Come for your lesson and we’ll concentrate a bit more on technique or we’ll look at your song and learn it together. There is always something we can do. Life is busy and it’s not always easy to plan practice in. That being said, regular practice is definitely going to help with your progress as the voice and breath are controlled by muscles who work best when regularly exercised.
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.. I'm feeling illIf you notice you’re feeling unwell 24 hours before your scheduled lesson time, you can reschedule your lesson yourself on the website. If it’s less than 24hours before your scheduled lesson time, let me know as soon as you can and we will reschedule your lesson. Just have a look online at what date and time is available and would work for you to reschedule your lesson to and let me know. I will reschedule your lesson for you in the booking system, making sure that your payment will automatically be transferred to your rescheduled booking. Singing can only be done if you’re feeling well. Even singing with a cold can be harmful for your voice, so it’s best to reschedule and come back at a later time if you’re feeling poorly. Please don’t come to any lessons if you’re infectious, as you could make other people ill as well.
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.. I have to cancel my lessonAny lessons cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice prior to the scheduled time will be charged at the full lesson rate, unless there are exceptional circumstances or illness. There are no refunds for missed lessons. Terms of cancelling are subject to our policy.
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.. I have to reschedule my lessonYou can reschedule your lesson online up to 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of your lesson. Once rescheduled your payment will automatically transfer to the new lesson time. Terms of rescheduling are subject to our policy.
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.. I'm running latePlease let me know if you are running late as soon as possible. I will not be able to extend or make up the missed lesson time. Lessons will be classified as a ‘no-show’ if no notice is given after 20 mins after the start of the lesson time and will be charged at the full lesson rate. For more information, please consult our policy.
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How do I pay for lessons?All lessons are payable in full online upon booking a lesson. I use a service called Square which is a very safe payment service and with which you can save your card details to make the payment easier. Any payments for extra services can be paid by card -including contactless and ApplePay/AndroidPay- at the start of the lesson.
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What do lessons at Altrincham cost?Lessons at Altrincham are a bit cheaper than in the City Centre: £30 for a 1 hour singing lesson £25 for a 45 min singing lesson £20 for a 30 min singing lesson
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How much do lessons at St Ann's Church cost?Lessons in the City Centre are slightly more expensive due to the room charge. £35 for a 1 hour singing lesson £30 for a 45 min singing lesson £25 for a 30 min singing lesson You can buy a package of 10 lessons and get one lesson for free.
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How do I use my subscription code?Once you’ve booked a subscription you will be sent a confirmation email which will include a subscription code. To use this code, book a lesson as you would normally. Once you’ve picked your location, lesson day and time and you have filled in your contact details, click <redeem> and fill in your code. You will now see the remaining lessons that are left in your package appear below.</redeem>
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What do online lessons cost?£25 for a 45 min singing lesson £20 for a 30 min singing lesson
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How do I use a couponCoupons can give you a discount of either a flat amount or a percentage. If you have a coupon, use this at the end of your booking after picking your location, lesson day and time and you have filled in your contact details. Click <redeem> and fill in your code. You will now see the the remaining payment that needs to be made.</redeem>
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What are the best Zoom settings for online lessons?Since Zoom is mostly used for online meetings, the programme automatically has settings in place that make sure background sounds are faded out and speech is brought forward and made crisp and clear. These are very useful settings when speaking to people, but when we’re making music the programme can get a bit confused. Luckily Zoom has anticipated that some people will use their programme for online music teaching, and has given us an option to turn on a special setting specifically for online music lessons. Please follow the steps below for the right settings in your lesson: Open Zoom Open your settings/preferences Click the <audio> tab on the left side of the preference window</audio> Untick the box "automatically adjust microphone volume" Then click <advanced> in the bottom right corner in the audio section</advanced> Tick the box "show in-meeting option to "Enable Original Sound" from microphone" Close your settings Next time you have a lesson, make sure you can see the screen says ‘TURN ON Original Sound’ in the top left corner of your meeting screen.
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What's the best set-up for online lessons?Once you have booked your lesson in the booking system, you will receive a confirmation email with the link to your lesson. Click this link about five minutes before the start of your lesson to make you’re ready to start. You can either open Zoom in a browser on a computer that has a microphone, speaker and camera, or you can use your phone or tablet. Here are a few tips that will help you to have a good online singing lesson without too many glitches: 1. SET UP THE RIGHT SETTINGS IN ZOOM Since Zoom is mostly used for online meetings, the programme automatically has settings in place that make sure background sounds are faded out and speech is brought forward and made crisp and clear. These are very useful settings when speaking to people, but when we’re making music the programme can get a bit confused. Luckily Zoom has anticipated that some people will use their programme for online music teaching, and has given us an option to turn on a special setting specifically for online music lessons. Please follow the steps below for the right settings in your lesson: Open Zoom Open your settings/preferences Click the <audio> tab on the left side of the preference window</audio> Untick the box "automatically adjust microphone volume" Then click <advanced> in the bottom right corner in the audio section</advanced> Tick the box "show in-meeting option to "Enable Original Sound" from microphone" Close your settings Next time you have a lesson, make sure you can see the screen says ‘TURN ON Original Sound’ in the top left corner of your meeting screen. 2. USE HEADPHONES Online services sometimes struggle with handling audio-in and audio-out at the same time. The easiest way to fix that is to use headphones during your singing lesson. The most basic headphones that don’t have a microphone built in and are using a wire (so not Bluetooth) are the best. Bluetooth, however good, will always have a slight delay in transferring the sound from your device to the headphones and back, which is why it’s a good idea to plug your headphones into your device using the cable that usually comes with them. If a microphone is built-in into your headphones, choose the option to use the microphone of your device instead. You can find this option by clicking the little arrow next to the microphone icon in the Zoom window. Microphones in headphones are often not able to cope with audio in and audio out at the same time, which is why it’s better to prevent using them. 3. USE AN ETHERNET CABLE INSTEAD OF WIFI Your internet will generally be quicker if you plug your computer into the network with a cable. Wifi can sometimes be unreliable and is often going to be slower than using an ethernet cable. If you are using a tablet or a mobile phone for your lesson, try to sit as close to the router as possible, as the connection is going to improve the closer you get. 4. MAKE SURE YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF FROM THE WAIST UP Make sure you can put the camera somewhere so that you can see yourself from the waist up. It is important for me to see you so I can help you with posture and breath control. 5. MAKE SURE THE ROOM IS WELL LIT Make sure the room isn’t too dark as it’ll be very difficult for your front facing camera to ‘see’ you if there’s not enough light. 6. TRY TO FIND A QUIET PLACE IN THE HOUSE It’s hard singing when there’s people around, so try and find a quiet place in the house that has a good connection to the internet.
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How do I get to you by bike?The house is easy to reach if you’re cycling. You can take the Bridgewater Canal -which has a very rich history and is worth checking out even if you don’t like cycling- from the Hilton Hotel in Manchester and cycle down all the way to where it crosses Manchester Road. It’s a very flat and beautiful cycle which I can wholeheartedly recommend. It’s a 39min (8.2 miles) cycle according to Google.
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How do I get to you by train?If you are coming from further away, you can take the train to Altrincham Interchange. From there you can take the bus or walk from the station (see directions for Altrincham Interchange in the tram section.
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How do I get to you by car?You can park around the corner in Lindsell Rd, Dawson Rd or any of the other roads for free all day.
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How do I get to you by bus?The bus stop in the direction of Altrincham is Sinderland Road -which will come from Manchester- across the street. You can take buses here to Altrincham and from there you can either take the tram back or the train to any location you might need to go. If you’re coming from Altrincham you can either get off at The Cheshire Cheese (half a minute walk from the house) or at the Railway Bridge (2min walk from the house). There are buses to Piccadilly Gardens, the Trafford Centre, Wythenshawe, Lostock, Eccles, Moss Side Woodsend Circle and Baguley.
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How do I get to you by tram?There are several options for getting off the tram. Either you get off at Navigation Road and walk a 13min walk to the house or you can opt for an 11min bus ride. If you would like a more scenic route you can get off at the Timperley tramstop and take a 13min walk via canal. If you’d prefer to take the buss you can get off at Altrincham Interchange. It will take a 9min bus ride on one of the many busses passing the house. Alternatively you can walk for 22min to the house.
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How do get to the Ann Bland Room?St Ann’s Church opens at 10am and closes at 5pm. If the doors of the church are open on the side or front entrance you can walk in and find anyone in the church that can help you find the entrance to the Ann Bland Room. If you’ve been for a lesson at St Ann’s before, you can wait in the back side entrance (near St Ann’s Passage) on the bottom of the stairs and I’ll come and get you at the beginning of the lesson to take you up to the Ann Bland Room. If you have a lesson when the church is closed, send me a text when you arrive and I will come and get you asap.
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How do I get to St Ann's Church by bike?There are several bike racks near St Ann’s.
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How do I get to St Ann's by train?The nearest train station is Manchester Piccadilly which is an 18 min walk from St Ann’s Church. You can click here for the walking route on google maps. Alternatively you can take public transport, which will take you as far as Market Street and has a total journey time of 13min.
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How do I get to St Ann's by car?The nearest on-street parking is available on King Street. Off-street parking is available on King Street West, behind House of Fraser (Kendal’s). NCP supply a complete list of car parks near St Ann’s. There are also disabled spaces at both ends of St Ann’s Street, which can be accessed from Deansgate.
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How do I get to St Ann's by bus?If you are coming by train or bus, it is easiest to use one of the Metroshuttle buses to travel from the terminus to St Ann’s Square. The number one (orange) or number two (green) Metroshuttle buses pass closest and are free.
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How do I get to St Ann's by tram?The nearest tram stops are Market Street, Exchange Square, St Peter’s Square or Deansgate-Castlefield.
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