What is your greatest passion or joy as a singer, voice teacher, or vocal professional?
I feel very fortunate to be blessed with this wonderful gift of my voice and my biggest joy is to be able to share it with others, whether it’s through the stories I tell in my songs or the lives I touch through my teaching.
As a singer, music has been my anchor through life and as a voice teacher I’m happy to be able pass it on to my students to help them tide through anything that comes their way.
Tell us the latest news about you, your studio, and your work!
We ended last year with a wonderful initiative we put together, ‘Cause It’s Christmas’, a carol a day for 25 days wherein through song, our students helped raise considerable funds for an NGO that supports street children.
This year had an exhilarating start, with one of our students making it to the Texas Superstar 2022 Finals and 4 of our students in India being selected after citywide auditions to perform at one of the biggest talent shows, Wunderkinds 2022 at the National Centre of Performing Arts.
On the studio front, for the last couple of years I’ve been studying at the British Kodaly Academy and I’m very excited to have put together a curriculum for my young students that provides a roadmap to learn not just vocal technique (based on my learnings at NYVC) but hone their musicianship skills too.
Alongwith that, given my marketing and video production background I have also started working with my students on their creative, marketing and social media skills to help them build their portfolios as young artistes.
What is an interesting fact about you?
Apart from being a singer, songwriter and voice teacher, I’ve been a marketing professional and a show producer for over 20 years working for brands like the Walt Disney Company, 20th Century Fox, Discovery Channel and have won several prestigious awards for marketing campaigns of international shows like Game of Thrones, MasterChef Australia, The Oscars, Bollywood’s iconic show Koffee with Karan and more.
I am happy that I can use all this experience to help my students with building their brands and producing their content too.
What led you to the NYVC Voice Teacher Training & Certification Program?
I truly believe that it was divine intervention and was meant to be. After I completed my Voice Technique and Musicianship certification at Berklee Online College of Music I was looking for ways to enhance my teaching skills. I went through multiple options and stumbled upon this course. I then started watching Justin Stoney’s amazing YouTube videos, bought his riveting book ‘Sing Like Never Before’ and then decided to attend one of the live chats he conducted. During that session just watching his passion, drive, patience (through all my questions) and immense humility, I knew this was where I wanted to learn and I am so glad to have been led to this path.
What was your experience in the NYVC Voice Teacher Training & Certification Program?
NYVC Voice Teacher Training & Certification Program has been one of the best experiences of my life. I don’t know how this happened but I thank God for leading me here. Justin Stoney is truly one of the best teachers ever. The course is exhaustive, informative, entertaining and full of soul. To give you a perspective, I am from India and given the time difference I had to attend this class from 3am-7am. Even though it was the wee hours of the night / early morning I was wide awake, excited and would hate it when class ended. But that’s the power, goodness and energy of the course and the wonderful teacher Justin Stoney. And you can feel this energy all across the team and teachers (my favourite Andy King - I took voice lessons from him too and he’s fantastic) at the school. If you want to be an amazing voice teacher this is a course you should do. Not only did I learn how to be a good teacher but I learnt how to be a better and a more joyful person!
What advice would you give to future participants of the Program?
DO NOT miss a single lecture or Q&A sessions with Justin Stoney - and don’t hesitate to ask questions as that is the best way to learn.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as an artist, teacher, or vocal professional?
One of the most common questions I was asked when I started teaching was ‘why does anyone need to learn how to sing - how do you teach that’ - which is usually something you don’t hear too much of if you’re teaching a musical instrument. This was a challenge initially but I’m happy after seeing the work we’ve done with our students, am not getting much of those.
What was your greatest victory ever as an artist, teacher, or vocal professional?
My biggest victory so far as an artist
In 2018 I put together my first album as a tribute to my parents who had passed away. The title track that I wrote and sang, was based on their love story and it crossed over 1 million views on YouTube and Facebook. This was truly one of the most beautiful and meaningful victories I’ve had as an artist.
As a Voice teacher
Few years back I left a very lucrative media career to pursue my passion to teach and founded The Vocal Studio - a specialized studio empowering young singers across the globe. And while everyone thought I was going through a mid life crisis, with my family’s support I followed my heart and today I feel blessed to have a successful studio and students not just from India but US, UK, Europe, Canada, West Asia and Southeast Asia.
What is one piece of advice that you would love all singers to know?
Sing from your heart and not your brain. During your rehearsals, it is important that you focus on technique and all you’ve learnt. But when you sing let everyone feel your soul & story.
What is something you've learned on your journey that you would love other vocal professionals to know?
Don’t ever stop learning - I make it a point, however busy I am to keep studying and learning something new every year. Anything that can contribute to make me a better voice teacher, singer, musician or just a better person.
And one of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt through my journeys is to celebrate my failures (not just my wins). Remember even if you don’t succeed you would have learnt enough to help you on your next journey – so keep smiling, keep singing, keep teaching!
How can we find out more about you and your work?
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thevocalstudiobytatum/
Website – www.thevocalstudio.in
Email – tatum@thevocalstudio.in
