Frequently Asked Questions

Your first session is a 90-minute ‘Initial Fit’ session, which costs £150. This session includes a detailed vocal assessment and a comprehensive report on your voice, helping us tailor the ideal approach for your needs.

After that, pricing for ongoing sessions varies based on the coaching package that best suits your goals and availability. You can explore sample packages here for an idea of what to expect.

Note: Prices are reflective of 2024 rates and may be adjusted over time. Packages are fully customizable to each singer’s needs, so we’ll work together to find the best fit for you.

Collaboration is at the heart of everything that we do. The studio offers expertise in singing and you are the expert in what is right for you. Together we create something amazing! Your programme may encompass elements such as vocal health, individualised singing practice plans, inspirational playlists, tailored vocal workouts, video check ins, resources, books and referrals to experts in oher areas such as laryngologists, osteopaths, Myofunctional Therapists. and breathing specialists and more.

The specific timeframe will depend on your unique situation- how big your goals are, the point you are starting from and how you use your time in between sessions. Smaller goals can be achieved quickly, so long as you are committed to making them happen. However, if you dream of selling out the O2 arena, you will need to think longer term.

This is an online only vocal coaching studio, providing coaching and singing lessons for singers all over the world. We find that singers actually improve more quickly when working online.

The studio has offered online vocal coaching for approximately 10 years and have put together this guidance on how to configure your tech for the best possible results. We love online singing lessons as they have allowed the studio to help singers in Malaysia, Australia, France, Italy, England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The studio has served clients living on small islands, travelling in camper vans as well as people who have health needs that make travel difficult.

Gemma uses a high quality external microphone, headphones and a macbook with enhanced audio and visual capabilities. These ensure the best possible online vocal coaching experience for you both.

Gemma loves helping singers who are struggling with their voice, and has structured her coaching to ensure that you will make as much progress as possible. In the Initial Fit session we ‘zoom out’ and look at your voice holistically so we can understand all the factors that could be making singing hard for you. All the strategies that we use in our sessions will help your voice to function better. Solving a voice problem can be complex and often involves input from medical professionals, however Gemma will guide you through this.

We will start our work together with an ‘Initial Fit’ session. This will allow you to see if you like working with the studio, and will give us the chance to understand your training needs. When you book your Initial Fit Session, you will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom details/location, and anything you need to prepare. You can get the best out of your session by making sure you are well rested, well hydrated and have done any tech updates well in advance of your session time. Its natural to feel nervous before your first session and you are encouraged to embrace this. Gemma will walk you through everything and ensure you feel comfortable.

A stable internet connection and a laptop is really all you need. To help you get best results, you can read the studio Zoom set up guidance here.

You can read the studio policies below.

Thank you for choosing to work with Gemma Milburn’s Vocal Studio and trusting us with your voice. In this studio we celebrate individuality, collaboration and acceptance. We believe that talent is not magic, but a product of commitment and work. Everyone who wants to sing deserves to, and can be an exceptional singer with training and practice.

This is a boutique studio, which means that client numbers are purposefully kept low. We believe that you will get the best results when working with a coach who is:

a) the right fit for you ,and

b) who has the time and headspace to be fully present with each and every client.

Expectations

The art of singing is about so much more than the larynx, breath and lyrics. We hope that you will feel free to bring your whole self to your vocal coaching sessions. We believe that you get out what you put in and trust that you will approach your training with an open-heart and willingness to work collaboratively. As your coach I do NOT have all the answers, but use my expertise to provide a framework and opportunity for experimentation and exploration.

The studio is committed to acceptance and improving its understanding of people who have different life experiences than our own. Homophobia, racism, misogyny and any form of bullying is not tolerated.

Communication

We know that your training and growth is about much more than our time together in coaching sessions. For this reason Gemma aims to be open and available to you for voice- related advice outside of sessions if needed. Preferred mediums of communication are email, WhatsApp and Marco Polo. There will be no replies at weekends except in emergencies which thankfully are very rare in this industry.

Resources

It is strongly encouraged that you record your sessions and use these recordings to aid your practice. Please note that session recordings, Marco Polos and any resources we create for you are the studio’s intellectual property and you do not have permission to share them publicly. On the same note, The studio will never share content from our work together without your express permission.

Practice

Research has shown that when working with a vocal coach, the bulk of your growth will come from the way that you apply your training in between sessions. The studio promises to help you to understand how and what to practice, and it is up to you to commit to doing so on a regular basis.

Payments, Refunds and Rescheduling

You will receive bespoke terms and conditions depending upon the programme that we design for you, so specifics may differ from below (with your agreement.)

You are welcome to reschedule your session time at your leisure unless that session is less than 72 hours away. In this case you will not be able to reschedule the session and any payments will not be refunded. No refunds are given under any circumstances.

The studio does understand that things come up unexpectedly and if there is space to fit you in elsewhere, we will do our best. However the studio is very busy and this is not guaranteed. You are welcome to request an asynchronous session as an alternative.

Subscriptions

The majority of the studio's clients opt to work via subscription.

Please understand that your subscription syncs your payments with your bookings and will go out automatically at an agreed interval (usually every 4 weeks.)

If you cancel a session within the notice period of 72 hours, (or if the studio takes a holiday) the date of the next payment will be adjusted to reflect this. You will get an email confirmation every time the payment goes out.

You can cancel your subscription with 72hours notice, either via a button in the email, logging into the bookings system or by emailing gemma@gemmamilburn.com

We are thrilled to welcome you into the studio.