'May you live a hundred years and may the last voice that you hear be mine.' – Frank Sinatra
'The only thing better than singing is more singing.'
– Ella Fitzgerald
'Excellent teacher. Excellent school. Thanks for giving me the confidence to get in touch with my real singing voice. Music is one of the greatest gifts we have been blessed with.'
– T. Dollard
'My singing teacher is very motivational and passionate about music. I found the lessons at Waltons a valuable learning experience and great fun at the same time. Highly recommended.'
– K. Healy
'I really enjoy working with my teacher - she is wonderful. I very much like the atmosphere at Waltons, as do my family. I look forward to next term and to improving my voice and technique.'
– G. McLellan
'I have an excellent teacher. She is very encouraging and has a lot of insight into the individual student's problems and how to improve them.'
– M. Conroy
'This year at Waltons has gone a long way towards achieving my two goals: building confidence and repertoire. Thank you.'
– C. Opitz
'Very good teacher, with excellent knowledge of good technique. Keep up the good work.'
– D. Steele
'The best singing teacher I have ever had - have learned so much.'
– K. Sanderlin
'Have been to the Jazz Vocal Workshop at Waltons as well as one-on-one singing lessons. Teachers are personable, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, so too are the admin staff. I would highly recommend the school and will be signing up again soon for more intensive singing lessons!'
– Y. Murphy
Private, Partner & Group Lessons
The New School's voice programme is designed to help new and experienced singers of all ages to get the most out of the instrument they were born with. Singing instruction for adults and teens is two-part, concentrating on both vocal technique and interpretation. The technique portion works on breathing, range development, vocal strength, flexibility, intonation and tonal quality. The material chosen for interpretation work – which may include classical, jazz/blues, rock/pop, traditional music or musical theatre – is chosen with each student's unique goals (and voice) in mind. (The New School also offers Jazz Voice lessons, focusing specifically on the skills and techniques of jazz singing.) As it is not generally advisable to begin technical work before the age of 15, singing lessons for younger students concentrate on musicianship and interpretation skills. Vocal tuition at the New School can also include preparation for graded music exams as well as Junior Cert. Music and Leaving Cert. Music practicals, and counts as the 'personal skill' challenge area for Gaisce - The President's Award.
Weekly private (one-to-one) lessons are 30, 45 or 60 minutes in length. Group lessons, designed for students at the same level of proficiency who enrol together, are available as 30-, 45- or 60-minute ‘partner’ lessons, as well as 60-minute lessons for 3 or 4 students. Single 1- or 2-hour Intensive Lessons for both individuals and small groups are also available for any singing style.
Go to Tuition Options for more information on private, partner and group lessons, and Enrolment & Fees for tuition fees and enrolment forms.
Group Courses for Beginners
One of the New School’s most popular courses, Introducing Singing for Adults is designed to take some of the mystery out of singing, improve your confidence in singing before an audience and introduce you to the fundamentals of voice training.
Workshops for Intermediate-Advanced Students
The Contemporary Vocal Workshop is designed for individuals who want to improve their ability to perform and sing contemporary music with (and in front of) others. The Jazz Vocal Workshop provides an intensive introduction to the range of skills and techniques required to sing in the jazz style. The Musical Theatre Workshop is designed for anyone interested in performing in musicals and is an excellent opportunity to develop your vocal abilities, song/audition repertoire and dramatic skills. The Opera Workshop invites you to bring to life the music of great operatic composers in a relaxed and enthusiastic environment. All four workshops finish with public performances before family and friends. Intended for solo vocalists, bands and singer/songwriters working in all styles, the Intensive Vocal Workshop can be individually tailored to your needs and scheduled on demand.
Waltons Gospel Choir
Focusing mainly on a capella (singing without accompaniment) repertoire, with a vocal warm-up at the start of each session, the Waltons Gospel Choir is a wonderful ‘work-out’ for your voice and a great way to train your ear! Full choral arrangements will be supplied by the choir director, and opportunities will also be provided for members to improvise, take solos in the ‘call and response’ tradition of gospel music, and develop their own harmonies. Music reading is not required to join the choir.
Theory & Musicianship
Designed especially for voice students and choristers, Sight Singing Made Easy simultaneously develops their music reading skills and practical sight singing – incorporating such elements as pitch, tuning, rhythm and solfege (do-re-mi, etc.). It is highly recommended for all voice students. Jazz Improvisation Basics, intended for voice students with at least one year’s singing experience, is an ideal introduction to improvised music making and is strongly recommended for students intending to take – or while taking – Jazz Ensemble I or II.
Songwriting
Taught by acclaimed singer-songwriter Melanie O'Reilly, The Art & Craft of Songwriting is a summer course that will take you through the entire songwriting process, integrating the craft's many skills into a seamless artistic whole.
Friday Casual Concerts
The New School’s Friday Casual Concerts are a great opportunity for students of all instruments (and all musical styles) to play in public, in a relaxed and supportive setting, before friends, family and other students. These brief concerts, which take place once a month on Friday evenings at 7.30 pm in the school, allow individual students and ensembles to perform in public, show off their skills and learn how to cope with nerves. They are also highly recommended for students preparing for grade exams.
Recommended Equipment
We strongly recommend using a digital recorder to record all of your voice lessons or classes, both to review what was covered in the lesson/class and to listen to your voice and singing more objectively. The Zoom H2 Handy Recorder, available from Waltons, is particularly suitable for this purpose and can be purchased by students of the school by payment plan. Go to Recommended Instruments for more information.
Faculty
Emer Barry (Introducing Singing for Adults and Opera Workshop courses)
Marta Burns
Joyce Byrne
Janyce Condon
Sinéad Flynn (Introducing Singing for Adults and Musical Theatre Workshop courses)
Jenna Harris (Introducing Singing for Adults and Jazz Vocal Workshop courses)
Jessica Harris
Niamh McCormack
Ciarán Nagle (Intensive Vocal Workshop)
Joan O'Malley (Introducing Singing for Adults course)
Suzanne Savage
Candra Sleeman (Contemporary Vocal Workshop)
Conleth Stanley (Introducing Singing for Adults course)
Back to top
Jazz Voice
'No two people on earth are alike, and it's got to be that way in music or it isn't music.'
– Billie Holiday
What does it mean to sing in the ‘jazz style’? What goes into making an exceptional jazz performance? The New School’s lessons in Jazz Voice introduce singers at all levels of experience to the wide range of skills and techniques required.
Jazz is as much an approach to as a style of music, and lessons focus equally on understanding and interpreting jazz from the inside they do on the techniques of singing it. Depending on student level, lessons may include some or all of the following elements:
- Physical and vocal warm-ups
- Voice technique
- Listening exercises and harmonies
- Defining your vocal range
- Rhythm work
- Jazz-style phrasing and expression
- Singing in various styles, including swing, Latin, bebop, ballads and the blues
- Improvisation and scat singing in various styles, from blues to bebop to modal music
- Choosing repertoire and exploring jazz standards, including the songs of Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, etc.
- Using a microphone
- Identifying and communicating tempos and grooves
- Creating intros and endings
- Understanding charts
- Setting songs keys and transposing
- Developing your own unique style
Jazz Voice lessons, taught by Jenna Harris and Suzanne Savage, can be taken alone (through 30-, 45- and 60-minute private lessons) or as a supplement to regular voice lessons. Go to Enrolment & Fees.
Located in Dublin city centre, Waltons New School of Music offers tuition in the broadest range of instruments (including voice) and subjects of any music school in Ireland, for students of all ages, levels and abilities.
Back to top