Course Description

Do you love to sing? Have you ever been told that you had a good voice and ‘must get it trained’? Would you like to know what actually goes on in singing lessons? Featured on RTÉ Radio One’s ‘Morning Ireland’ programme and one of Waltons New School of Music’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. Along with a small group of like-minded adults, you will observe and participate in basic singing tuition. You will learn how to choose songs (from a range of musical styles) that suit you and your voice. And you will begin to explore the technical side of singing, discovering the application and use of Focus and Support. (We will also discuss how to work with a voice/singing teacher to achieve your singing goals.) But most of all you will learn – in a relaxed and supportive environment – to sing with and in front of others. For those who want a basic understanding of technique, as well as for those who want to begin a lifetime of study (Pavarotti took a singing lesson every week for most of his life!), this course is the perfect introduction to the singer’s art.

Please note that although Introducing Singing for Adults is an excellent way to build your confidence as a singer, it is not a course for the timid. You will be asked to sing in front of others on a weekly basis.

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Questions about the course?

CONTACT US

or call us on (01) 478 1884.

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In-School & Online Tuition

We offer two versions of this course, in-school, which takes place in the New School, and online, which takes place in your own home.

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In-School Version

The health and safety of both students and staff at the New School is of the utmost importance to us, and we have made a number of changes to the school, its equipment and our policies to make in-school tuition safe during the time of COVID-19. These include:

• Perspex screens in every classroom.
• Installation of HEPA air filtration/purification units where necessary – especially in classrooms where voice (singing) and wind instruments are taught.
• Antiseptic dispensers available throughout the school.
• Cleaning and disinfection of classroom instruments and furniture between all lessons and classes.
• Regular cleaning of public spaces.

See our COVID-19 Safety Policy page for more information on what we have done, as well as the protocols we expect all In-School students and visitors to follow.

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Online Version

Online course participants will need:

• An internet-connected laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone. (A laptop or computer with webcam and microphone is recommended, as it will have the largest picture.)
• Ideally, internet speed at least 1.5Mb per second. (You can test your speed using Measurement Lab’s Speed Test.)
• Headphones or earbuds, if possible.¹
• Free Zoom software or app.²

1. Waltons Music has Zoom headphones and microphones that are ideal for online music tuition and are available at 5% discounts for students enrolled in the course. If you would like to obtain a discount, please contact Waltons with your instrument choice and include a scan or photo of your course payment receipt.
2. If you haven’t learned music with Zoom before, please see our printable Zoom for Students information sheet for information on how to download and set up Zoom for music tuition.

Before the course begins, the teacher will email you a Zoom meeting invitation that includes a meeting ID and password to join the first class.

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This course covers Stage 1 of the New School’s ten-stage system of student progress and assessment, which culminates in a teaching or performing qualification (Stage 10) should the student progress that far. Participants who successfully complete the course can be issued with a certificate of completion of Stage 1. If you are taking the course, please let the school office know if you would like this certificate. See About Our Stage System for more information.

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Have you enrolled in this course?

Download our Introductory Handout
for tips on how to get the most from it.

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See Summer Singing for Adults
for the summer version of this course.

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Introducing Singing for Adults is one of the New School’s group courses. We also offer private voice (singing) tuition for students of all ages and skill levels. See Voice (Singing) Tuition for more information.

Ana Dundovic

Hailing from Croatia, Ana started music at an early age, first by joining a children’s choir and then by taking singing lessons. Later she developed an interest in rock music and joined her first rock band, touring across Europe at the age of seventeen. She began attending opera singing classes shortly after and received a scholarship to study in the BA Music programme at the University of Arts in Osijek, Croatia. As one of their most promising students, she performed in Italy, Hungary, Montenegro and other countries, with a highlight singing before thousands of people in Venice’s Piazza San Marco. She is currently studying at the TU Dublin Conservatoire. Ana had won several singing competitions, both as a soloist and a part of the vocal ensemble. And she has performed in the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek in productions of Nikola Subic Zrinjski, Gianni Schicchi, Nabucco and The Magic Flute. Besides opera, she continues to pursue her rock career with a band called Piano Black. Ana is also a certified yoga and pranayama teacher, and she uses their techniques to help students with performance anxiety. Her professional training and versatility, as well as her extensive experience as a teacher both in Croatia and in Ireland, make her an ideal teacher for students of all ages interested in classical singing, as well as rock, metal, pop and jazz.

Sinéad Flynn

Sinéad received a BMus in Music Performance from the DIT Conservatory of Music and also trained in the Gaiety School of Acting. She has sung and acted in a wide range of theatre, opera and musical theatre productions, as well as on television and film. She has performed in the National Concert Hall, the Gaiety Theatre, the Peacock Theatre, Cork City Hall and Waterfront Hall in Belfast, as well as in Germany and the USA. Sinéad’s favourite singing roles include Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Her chorus work includes Puccini’s Tosca, Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Glucks’ Orfeo. And her favourite acting roles include Grusha in Bertolt Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle and the title role in Terence Rattigan’s The Winslow Boy. Sinéad has won numerous prizes, including the Gilbert and Sullivan Cup in the Feis Ceoil and the Light Opera Cup and Margaret Dillon Memorial Prize in the Feis Maithiú, Cork. She has written and devised many of her own plays and performances, including The Box of Earthly Delights (the Pearse Centre, Culture Night), Discord (Phizzfest) and 10 x 10 Short Plays (Cork Arts Theatre). In addition to her work teaching voice, musical theatre and the Musical Theatre Workshop with the New School and singing for our Outreach Programme since 2006, Sinéad has also created and directed performances for several community and classroom groups. She has a particular interest in outreach education.

Fiadh Rua Gregg

Fiadh began music at an early age, studying both voice and classical piano, as well as performing with the Dublin-based choir Cantairí Óga Átha Cliath. She received a BA in Jazz Performance from Newpark Music Centre and has been teaching voice, as well as working as a vocalist and composer, ever since. Vocal science and pedagogy are fast-evolving, and Fiadh is keen to stay up to date on the latest research and practices. She is a frequent attendee of Vocology in Practice conferences and has also completed a BAST vocal pedagogy course. In 2021, she further advanced her expertise by completing a seminar on trauma-informed voice care given by Megan Durham of the Respire Wellness Centre. Fiadh has performed throughout the country with numerous ensemble and bands. Working as a session singer and backing vocalist in The Metabollix, she has performed at Trinity Ball and Electric Picnic. And with Mondegreen, she has performed in the Aviva Stadium and at the Guinness Storehouse Winterfest. Fiadh also works as both composer and vocalist with the groups Shy Mascot (a five-piece hip-hop jazz band) and Claritas (an improvising vocal trio). With Shy Mascot, she has performed at numerous festivals, jazz bars and curated music sessions, including the Forbidden Fruit Festival, Sofa Sessions (Kilkenny) and the Everyman Theatre in Cork (as part of the X Collective at the Cork Jazz Festival). Because of her extensive work covering multiple genres, Fiadh recognises and understands the importance of healthy vocal technique regardless of musical style.

Dav McNamara

Hailing from Sligo, Dav McNamara has long been one of Ireland’s leading session singers, with many well-known radio and TV ads to her credit, including campaigns for Guinness, the National Lottery and Dunnes Stores. Her work has covered a wide range of styles and genres, and as well as singing in English she has also sung in French, Spanish, Italian, Irish and even Serbo-Croat! Over her long career, Dav has worked with a number of jazz luminaries both in Ireland and abroad, including the late, great Ray Charles, Jimmy Smith and bassist Paul Langosch (Tony Bennett band). She has also regularly performed in various Dublin venues – including The Globe, J.J. Smyth’s and Bewley’s Café Theatre – as well as numerous regional venues around the country, and she has appeared and sung a number of times on national television. Dav has taught with the New School since 2001.

Róisín Mulliez

Hailing from Galway, Róisín has been singing for most of her life and has a particular passion for jazz and its rich heritage – from the blues to the era of the Great American Songbook, following through to bebop, cool jazz, easy listening and beyond. She has an honours BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance from DCU, specialising in vocal jazz, and has years of experience collaborating with artists around the country, not only through gigging as part of traditional jazz outfits, but also through creative musical projects such as JazzTempo with the RTÉ Contempo Quartet (directed by maestro clarinetist and saxophonist, composer, arranger and conductor Matthew Berrill), the Tapestry Vocal Ensemble (consisting of ten professional jazz vocalists based in Dublin) and her own vocal trio, Mayflyes. Róisín has taught music and voice in a variety of contexts: giving private lessons for adults, teens and children both in-person and online; facilitating workshops on vocal jazz and vocal harmony; teaching music and singing in primary school; and directing her own community choir.

Melanie O’Reilly

Melanie is an internationally-known jazz performer, singer, songwriter and music educator. She has recorded seven albums and performed on eight compilations, her music has been featured on PBS television and she has won numerous awards from the Arts Council. She was lauded by Downbeat magazine as one of Ireland’s foremost jazz ambassadors, has performed at several international festivals, including the inaugural EU/USA Jazz Festival, where she represented Ireland at the Los Angeles Schoenberg Hall, and her recent tribute to jazz icon Anita O’Day show earned her four-star reviews at the Edinburgh Festival. She is a regular performer on radio and TV and is the creator and host of the award-winning RTÉ radio show Jazz on the Bay. Melanie has extensive experience teaching songwriting, jazz voice and performance technique. She has taught at the Oakland School of the Arts, the New College of California in San Francisco and University of California Berkeley’s CAL Extension programme, among others. She also regularly teaches at the California Jazz Conservatory Berkeley as part of their World Music Vocal programme and was a Visiting Scholar and Musician-in-Residence at the University of California Berkeley’s Celtic Studies programme from 2003 to 2009. She is currently Jazz Artist in Residence at the Wexford Arts Centre, and she recently completed an MFA in Performance at the American College Dublin, where she was also awarded Graduate Student of the Year. Melanie has taught with the New School since 2004 and also teaches our Songwriting Workshop and The Art & Craft of Songwriting summer workshop. as well as directing our Sing & Swing Jazz Vocal Ensemble.

Reviews • Testimonials

‘Relaxed but progressive atmosphere. Excellent tuition. Professional teacher.’
– K. Ackland

‘A great introduction to the basics of singing. You learn how to sing great songs step-by-step, without having to be able to read music.’
– F. Bulcke

‘This course is a great introduction and confidence builder. Before you realise it you’re singing in front of people and loving it!’
– E. Donnelly

‘Professional, friendly and fun. Learned a lot about singing [with a] very enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher.’
– M. Doyle

‘I enjoyed the course thoroughly and learned a lot. I would definitely recommend this course and Waltons New School of Music to anybody thinking of taking up singing lessons. The atmosphere is friendly and professional, I personally learned a lot and have decided to sign up for further lessons!’
– M. Dunne

‘Very enthusiastic teacher and great breadth of genres taught. Really enjoyable – didn’t miss a class!
– P. Dunne

‘My teacher is brilliant at explaining, giving hands-on tips and exercises to practice. She knows how to make people feel both more comfortable and braver, and she is always positive and encouraging.
– C. Fabry

‘I really enjoyed the course and gained confidence in my singing abilities as well as learning new techniques, and I had fun singing songs I would not normally have considered “suitable” for me.’
– R. Ferguson

‘Great fun. Relaxed atmosphere. Learned loads!’
– K. Finn

‘Excellent teacher and class environment in which to (re)learn singing!’
– T. Hennessy

‘It is a great singing experience. Besides learning the techniques, you gain confidence in yourself. It is also a relaxing time.’
– M. Laboureur

‘A great introduction to singing and the different genres of music. The course definitely made me want to pursue further vocal training.’
– R. Lee

‘A very enjoyable course. The teacher was very experienced and all participants improved hugely, even shrinking violets!’
– E. Loughrey

‘If you love to sing but are not sure how to progress, give the singing course a go. Hugely enjoyable and a great way to progress in a small group. It helps with wobbly nervous voices too! Highly recommended.’
– A. McCabe

‘Gave me confidence to try for the high notes in the choir I’m in.’
– B. Mac Ceallaigh

‘The course was so much more than I expected. I learned so much and gained confidence within myself. The teacher was an inspiration!’
– C. McGowan

‘For me, as an aspect of personal development, the classes were hugely enjoyable and rewarding.’
– E. McGrath

‘I enjoyed the course immensely and learned a lot. The teacher was excellent and I liked the whole welcoming set up in Waltons New School of Music.’
– A. Molony

‘Excellent tuition. I really enjoyed getting to know different voices and different styles of singing.’
– P. Murray

‘It was so enjoyable that I never noticed the time passing and was always surprised when the time was up!’
– N. O’Reilly

‘I have been singing ‘au natural’ for years, but in the class I learned about the importance of breathing correctly when singing, and also posture and other things that helped me feel that I could improve.’
– E. Wynne

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Have you taken – or are you taking – this course? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about it.

FEEDBACK

2023-2024 Third Term
Class Schedules

CLASS 1
10 weeks, 16 April – 18 June 2024
Tuesdays 7 – 8 pm
Teacher: Dav McNamara
Course Type: In-School

CLASS 2
10 weeks, 17 April – 19 June 2024
Wednesdays 7 – 8 pm
Teacher: Ana Dundovic
Course Type: In-School

CLASS 3
10 weeks, 18 April – 20 June 2024
Thursdays 7 – 8 pm
Teacher: Róisín Mulliez
Course Type: In-School

CLASS 4
10 weeks, 19 April – 21 June 2024
Fridays 1 – 2 pm
Teacher: Sinéad Flynn
Course Type: In-School

Tuition Fees

Classes: 1 – 3: €210
Class 4: €190 *

* The lunchtime version of this course is offered at a 10% discount.

Enrolment

Enrolment for this course requires a completed Enrolment Form and full payment of the tuition fee. Places in each class are limited to eight and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date of enrolment. Many of our group courses fill in advance of their start dates, and early enrolment is recommended.

ENROL NOW

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Purchasing this course as a gift?
Please complete a Gift Certificate Booking Form.

BOOK NOW

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Questions about the course?

CONTACT US

or call us on (01) 478 1884.

What happens after the course?

Two weeks before the end of each Introducing course, participants will be given options for continuing their tuition with the New School if they would like to do so. Although an ‘improvers’ or continuation course cannot be scheduled on the same day/time as the Introducing course, one can be arranged if enough course participants would like to continue and the teacher has timetable availability or there is timetable availability with another teacher. Participants can also continue their tuition with private (one-to-one) lessons or ‘partner’ lessons with another class member. (See Tuition Options – Private • Partner • Small Group Lessons.) Or they can continue their tuition with another course or ensemble:

• Jazz Vocal Workshop or Musical Theatre Workshop.
• Sing Your Heart Out Choir or Sing & Swing Jazz Vocal Ensemble.

We are happy to discuss these options with you.