Frequently Asked Questions

Not at all, singing is for anyone who wants to do it! I often find that the older a singer is, the more ready they are. With the right support, you can build healthy technique, grow your confidence, perform and enjoy singing at any age.

Often it’s a sign that your voice is working harder than it needs to. This can be for many reasons but is often linked to breath support, posture, or habits picked up over time. In coaching we look at both technique and vocal health, to find the right answers for your specific situation. The Initial Fit session helps us get to the bottom of why this might be happening for you.

Absolutely. Approaches like Buteyko breathing and accent method work directly on how your body regulates breath and tension. For many singers, this is the missing piece of the puzzle and once we’ve found the right way of applying it for a specific individual, it unlocks a door to ease and consistency.

Your first step is a 90-minute Initial Fit Session (£160). In this session, I carry out a detailed vocal assessment and create a written report, so we can tailor the coaching approach to your voice and goals.

After that, ongoing coaching is available in different packages, depending on how often you’d like to work together and the results you’re aiming for. We’ll decide together what feels like the best fit for your voice, lifestyle, and budget.

You can read more about how I create packages here.

Yes — tongue tie can affect the way your tongue, jaw, breathing and body alignment work together, which in turn impacts tone, range and stamina. The good news is, with the right strategies, singers can adapt and thrive. I have been through this process myself! You can read my blogs about it here

Each vocal coaching session is personalised to you and your voice. I don’t use a one-size-fits-all routine—your sessions are designed around your goals, your current vocal needs, and where you are in your singing journey.

We’ll usually begin by checking in with how your voice is feeling that day, followed by guided voice and body awareness work to build proprioception and healthy coordination. Depending on what’s most useful for you, we might explore vocal exercises, song application, breathing techniques (including Buteyko Breathing for singers), or performance mindset tools.

Every session is grounded in evidence-based vocal pedagogy, helping you strengthen your voice safely and sustainably while improving confidence and creativity. You’ll leave each lesson with clear strategies to practise between sessions—and a growing understanding of how to manage your voice independently over time.

Whether you’re a pop, rock, or musical theatre singer, my online singing lessons are structured to help you make steady, lasting progress and reconnect with the joy of singing.

It depends on your unique situation: where you’re starting from, how ambitious your goals are, and how you use your time between sessions. Smaller goals — like finding more ease in your range or preparing for a performance — can often be achieved quite quickly if you’re committed to the process.

If your dream is something big, like selling out the O2 arena, then of course we’ll be thinking long term. The key is consistency: even 10–15 minutes of focused practice a few times a week can lead to real, lasting progress over time.

All sessions take place online, which means you can join from anywhere in the world. Many singers are surprised to find that they often improve faster online, because it encourages focus, comfort in your own space, and flexibility in fitting lessons into your life.

Yes, online coaching is highly effective. I’ve been teaching singers online for over 10 years, and many of them notice they improve faster than they expected. Working online has allowed me to coach singers in Malaysia, Australia, France, Italy, the UK, and even those living on small islands or travelling in camper vans. It also makes lessons possible for people whose health needs make travel difficult.

I use a high-quality external microphone, headphones and MacBook settings optimised for music, so I can hear your voice clearly. You’ll also read simple tech guidance here on how to set up your own equipment for the best possible experience.

Every singer is different, and there’s rarely a single “quick fix.” Sometimes we can identify a clear root cause, and sometimes it’s more about experimenting, adjusting, and finding what brings you the most ease.
What I can promise is a safe, supportive process where we explore the factors that may be making singing harder. Whether that’s technical habits, breathing patterns, vocal health, or even things like having a tongue tie.
With the right strategies, most singers notice real improvements in ease, stamina, and confidence within weeks. My role is to give you the tools, feedback, and encouragement you need so your voice feels stronger and freer for the long term.

We’ll begin with an Initial Fit Session. This gives you the chance to see if you enjoy working with me, and it allows me to understand your voice and goals. When you book, you’ll receive a confirmation email with Zoom details and anything you need to prepare.

To get the best out of your session, make sure you’re well rested, well hydrated, and that your tech is updated in advance. It’s completely natural to feel nervous- many singers do! I’ll walk you through everything step by step so you feel comfortable and supported.

All you really need is a laptop (or desktop) and a stable internet connection- nothing fancy required. If you’d like to get the best possible results, I’ve put together some simple Zoom set-up guidance you can follow. Extra equipment like headphones or an external microphone can be helpful, but they’re completely optional to begin with.

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.

My mission is to help adult singers overcome vocal challenges, reconnect with their creativity, and sing with freedom and confidence — at any age and starting point.