Testimonials

"Michelle has helped me so much with my vocals I can't thank her enough. I front a rock covers band, and until I went to see Michelle I was having a lot of problems with some of the songs I was performing. Michelle has taught me many things which have given me so much more from my voice and the ability to hit notes I never thought I could, with relative ease. Many people whom I have sung in front of before have come up to me and said how much my singing has improved, the transformation is amazing and I owe it all to Michelle. She gives me so much encouragement and makes you feel so relaxed . You couldn't ask for a better teacher!"

Spencer Chapman

"I have always enjoyed singing but since taking lessons with Michelle I have gained confidence and sung songs that I never would have believed I could sing. I have improved my techniques and become more relaxed, I have learned to control my breathing and to sing with feeling. Michelle is very friendly and has encouraged me and taught me a lot with her guidance and tuition. I enjoy my lessons and every time I leave a lesson I am already looking forward to the next one. Anyone thinking of taking singing lessons should go for it, you won't regret it. Michelle has a lot of experience and is a fantastic vocal coach. Thanks Michelle."

Laura Nicholls

"How wonderful it has been for me to find my voice. How many of us wish we could sing but never dare, it is scary. I still remember the first lesson and the sheer fear I felt singing a note out loud, how encouraging you were, and still are. What fun it is to sing for an hour, literally to sing your troubles away. Whatever the reason for singing, maybe to perform or like me to give it a go and be the best I can be, and have such fun along the way.I cannot imagine life without singing. If anyone has ever thought "I wish I could sing" or "I wonder what it feels like to sing your heart out". Then go for it, you will never look back. Thank you Michelle for helping me and encouraging me."

Caroline Miller

Sarah Hanna

"Michelle has helped me enormously with every aspect of singing; breathing technique, control, posture and expression, things which were previously inhibiting the development of my voice. In addition her encouraging ways have really helped me to develop my confidence as a singer and performer. I really enjoy my lessons with Michelle, and always feel the benefit so much. She really is a great teacher."

"I started taking singing lessons from Michelle in October 2013 to overcome a long-standing fear of singing in public. As a guitarist I have often been asked to play a song for friends and family, but I've always refused, despite secretly really wanting to. I found it extremely difficult to sing in front of Michelle that first time, but she quickly intervened, gave me some really encouraging feedback on what she'd heard and some corrective steps that we were going to try during that very lesson.

That first hour was a complete whirlwind for me, I loved it and I left there buzzing. I now go back for tuition and to try new and more challenging songs as often as I can, without any of those original nerves. Michelle is consistently encouraging and fun to be around. I have since dared to play and sing at an 'open mic' in a pub in January 2014, (something I never planned or thought I would do), and I'm now a regular performer at these events, with my friends and family starting to attend and support me. I suppose you could say 'mission accomplished', but that's the thing with music, there's always a new mission and something new to learn."

Danny Booth

"Since beginning singing lessons with Michelle Stratford just under a year ago I have seen a vast improvement in all aspects of my voice. She has helped me to improve my breathing technique, improved the strength and quality in my voice, and has also taught me how to effectively add dynamics and good diction to songs. Which people have greatly commented on when performing live. Michelle has worked with me with both ballads and cover tracks and also on my own written material that other singing teachers don't often help with.

She has encouraged me and supported me in all aspects of my career and was comforting and full of advice when I suffered several problems with my voice earlier in the year. Michelle has been a great help and is an excellent singing teacher! Thank you."

Kelly Pepper

"She is a wonderful teacher, always so encouraging, great fun and very inspiring. I sing a wide variety of songs and with each one she offers careful direction on diction, dynamics, expression and most importantly breathing... I feel the strength and range of my voice has really improved since I started and my confidence greatly increased. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her!"

Jo Adams

"I had been having singing lessons on and off for a couple of years with other teachers, without much success. During my first lesson with Michelle she soon realised that I had extreme difficulty getting through an entire song without losing my voice, and immediately pinpointed the problem down to incorrect breathing technique."

During the next few weeks we worked on various techniques for supporting the breath and I started to see a great improvement. I am now working on more advanced songs and continue to improve and widen more vocal range. Michelle's lessons are always fun and enjoyable, she has excellent knowledge of all genres and is extremely encouraging and supportive."

Tony Woolsey

"I have been taking singing lessons with Michelle for the past 6 years now. I feel as the years have gone on I have improved in confidence and have gained a lot of experience and encouragement from Michelle. Learning something different every time... Michelle is such a lovely person and a fantastic and very talented vocal coach. If you are thinking of taking singing lessons then Michelle is definitely the one to go too. You won't look back! Thanks Michelle xx"

Laura Tindell

Joanne Truby

"Before having singing lessons with Michelle, I had always enjoyed singing but never hadthe confidence to sing in front of others. Now since having lessons I feel my vocal range has much improved and my confidence has come on leaps and bounds. This year I have sung at a few family parties and even gone for two singing auditions. I love my singing lessons on a Saturday and would like to thank Michelle for all her help and support."

"I have been taking singing lessons from Michelle for just over 5 years. I often perform in amateur musicals and wanted to progress from chorus and cameo parts to taking principal roles, which required me to improve my range, power, tone and technique. She started by teaching me how to breathe correctly, the first step to improvement of everything else, and over time we worked on the other aspects necessary to help me attain my goals. My voice has improved significantly, to the point where I will shortly be playing the lead role of Max Bialystock in “The Producers”, something I never would have thought possible when I started taking lessons.

I was so happy with Michelle’s teaching that I also signed my teenage daughter up for lessons, and I can honestly say that with Michelle’s help she has developed into a superb singer with a really strong voice.

Whatever song we are working on, whether it’s a ballad or a comedy number, Michelle takes the time to break it down and work on extracting the most out of it, including things like feeling and diction as well as musicality. Michelle is a wonderfully kind, talented and supportive teacher, and I would thoroughly recommend her to anyone who wants to learn to sing or to improve their voice."

Richard Gissing

"I have been having lessons with Michelle for just over a year now and through the time I have spent with her she has helped me build my confidence andI can feel a dramatic change in my voice and how I sing.

Not only do the lessons really improve my vocal skills, but I also always have a brilliant time. I would recommend Michelle to anyone who was looking to gain confidence and skills in singing. She is a fantastic teacher."

Emma Panas

"I have been taking singing lesson with Michelle for about 5 years now. I started because I regularly perform in amateur dramatic productions and so I wanted to improve my confidence and the strength of my voice. Since then I have learnt how to breathe properly, how to improve my diction and generally how to improve my voice and range. Michelle is a great teacher as she really takes time to go through a song to improve every aspect of my performance and is willing to do any song I choose. Michelle is a kind and very talented teacher and I would recommend her teaching to anyone thinking about having singing lessons!"

Sophie Gissing