Bel Canto Singing School.

frobisher

I've been looking for somewhere good to go for some singing lessons and came across this place in Dublin: Bel Canto School of Singing. They don't teach any normal stuff like breathing techniques but instead focus on "setting your natural voice free" by making you a storyteller with your voice and have worked with people like Sinead O'Connor.

The odd thing is that I tried to find out what they charge and guess what? They don't tell you! Instead you have to go into their school and pay €100 (??!) to be assessed for 30-45 minutes and then they tell you about classes and rates. The place is run by a guy(here's his blog) who seems to be an interesting character and reckons his school is far beyond anything else available. He describes his favourite book as: "You won’t find it on any bookshelf or in any bookstore. The book is inside yourself. If you learn to read that book you will be a very rich human being. Therein lies the true key to great singing and it belongs to YOU!!" Hhhmmm, legit or odd? I can't work it out and don't want to spend €100 on a being told that I need to spend even more €€€'s to get anything.
Any got any experiences or thoughts?

I've posted this here thinking it's not reeeaaaly to do with music directly.

frobisher

MrJoeSoap wrote:

<removed>.

Tony Quinn did spring to mind. That said, he could be legit. Although he's not doing himself any favours by not giving prices and insisting on a 100 quid to meet him! And those photos just look kinda wrong too!

Devon

Avoid Frank and his "tell the story" nonsense at all costs. I have direct first hand experience with him in one-on-one and group sessions. Sinead O'Connor doesn't have that great a pure singing voice, but what she has she uses well.

Frank takes the smallest thing that happens in group or one-on-one work and makes it out to be this massive breakthrough. I remember once when someone hit a note higher than they should have during their singing of a Bette Midler and he went crazy in the room claiming something amazing had just happened and we should consider ourselves privileged to have witnessed it.

Edwyn is an incredible singer but I have no direct experience with him in a student/teacher setting, so can't comment. I know someone will point out that Edwyn was taught by Frank, but I say this is anecdotal evidence. <snip>

frobisher

I'm delighted to have read your post. I smelt something fishy but didn't want to jump to conclusions with trying to find someone with experience there. He told me on the phone that while €100 was alot for an assessment it was nothing compared to every other singing school in Dublin where you are, and I quote: "Throwing your money to the wind." There are some reputable instructors that might have a thing or two to say about that.

<snip>

Devon

There was one guy I found to be very good there on Abbey Street opposite the hotel but I'm not sure if he's there anymore. He didn't charge me €100 for my first visit that's for sure. A few lessons helped me out just nicely.

The key is this: Stop trying to sound like someone else.

The problem is: Everyone does is subconsciously.

Go into a room on your own or even in your car and just sing the Happy Birthday song, and you'll find your own singing voice in seconds because it was never a hit or sang by someone else.

That's basically what Frank does for the €100.

humanji

Devon wrote:

There was one guy I found to be very good there on Abbey Street opposite the hotel but I'm not sure if he's there anymore. He didn't charge me €100 for my first visit that's for sure. A few lessons helped me out just nicely.

The key is this: Stop trying to sound like someone else.

The problem is: Everyone does is subconsciously.

Go into a room on your own or even in your car and just sing the Happy Birthday song, and you'll find your own singing voice in seconds because it was never a hit or sang by someone else.

That's basically what Frank does for the €100.

Do we have to pay you €100 now?

Devon

nah.. just make a donation to SSF!

Unpossible

Do we have to pay you €100 now?

I won't, I'm taking this free lesson and not paying for it


HA!!!

fish-head

Loarrabollocks.. How can you possibly learn to sing without the correct breathing techniques.

frobisher

fish-head wrote:

Loarrabollocks.. How can you possibly learn to sing without the correct breathing techniques.

I agree 100%. I trained for quite a while under a pro classical singer who performed all over the planet. Breathing was one of the main components.

Giamaria

thank you all so much for these posts it has all helped tremendously!
i had the same problem with frank....i rang to look for pricing...i said i understand the voice assessment thing but will need an idea of how much classes might cost after...even just a maximum otherwise i couldnt go to the school. his reply was "as far as i am concerned i have given you all the info you need and the info i give everyone else".
i then came to the provisional conclusion that this might be a school for people with lots of money - like one of those expensive designer shops you go into and theres no price tags on anything.
i still think him a little odd though because i made it clear that i need to plan and budget unlike some people maybe but he still wouldnt even give me an idea and started going on about how its not like the olden days where you can charge someone a good price for a good service or something like that. anyway i was still curious (maybe it is legit and just really good) so i googled it and came across this thread so thank you again
i will now get on with googling "singing schools in dublin"!

AnonoBoy

My mission is to spread the news that EACH PERSON HAS A UNIQUE AND PRICELESS GIFT to offer the world.

This sentence alone on his blog should have alarm bells ringing.

It's clearly a lie - each person does not have a unique and priceless gift to offer the world.

A lot of people are just boring, mundane and untalented.

consultech

<snip> Stick with established techniques such as breathing and vocal excercises. TBH there's a lot of good stuff free online; at least excercise and instructional videos you can download to get you started.

ScumLord

frobisher wrote: »

The place is run by a guy(here's his blog) who seems to be an interesting character and reckons his school is far beyond anything else available. He describes his favourite book as: "You won’t find it on any bookshelf or in any bookstore. The book is inside yourself.

Cheapskate. I'd hate to round to his house for movie night.

Piste

Gah this sounds very dodgy. What style of singing do you want to train in OP? If it's classical I'd suggest somewhere like DIT or RIAM. I think Waltons does a Jazz singing course.

wiggley

I was all ready to sign up having stumbled upon their website while looking for singing lessons (google search), but after speaking to an obnoxious man on the phone who refused to answer my question about the price, I eventually hung up! They just lost a potential customer because they wouldn't give a price! I was willing to pay a reasonable amount, but I won't be treated like a fool. He kept dancing around my question and repeating that he had given me the information. But he hadn't; the information I required was the fee per lesson. Ok, I can understand that he may not know what level of work my voice needs until the assessment, but surely to god he could give a reasonable ball-park figure of € 'x' per lesson and apx 'x' amount of lessons. Even an hourly rate etc!
<snip> If someone isn't upfront about their fee's you would have to wonder! Sounds totally dodge to me!
Right, I'm off to Waltons where there is a perfectly run school, with price-plans in print and lovely pleasant staff!