Frequently Asked Questions

Your first session will be a 90 minute ‘Initial Fit’ session which costs £150. Thereafter, Gemma Milburn’s studio uses a pricing model that is a bit different to what you may be used to. We very rarely charge by the hour, because we know that one-off vocal coaching sessions are not what most singers need in order to smash their singing goals. Instead we take our time to get to know you and design a unique plan that will ensure that you are successful. These plans take into account your hopes and dreams, current level, individual learning style, whether you are working on something long or short term, how much input you want, and your budget.. Many clients opt for monthly subscriptions which start from £90 every 4 weeks. For more exact pricing, please book a Complementary Discovery Call so we can start to understand your needs and give you a more realistic quote.

The beauty of a different pricing model is that you and I get to decide how to structure the work as a team. 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. Very occasionally we decide that more traditional one- off ‘drop in’ sessions are the best option for you, and that is cool too.

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.

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

Your training and growth is about much more than our time together in coaching sessions. For this reason the studio aims to be contactable to studio members as much as possible. The preferred mediums of communication are email, WhatsApp and Marco Polo. We do not reply 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.

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. However it was only in March 2020 that it was necessary to move the whole studio onto an online format.. We have since made several attempts to go back to in-person vocal coaching, however our clients have chosen to remain online as they actually prefer it! It may take a bit of fiddling with the technology initially, but once that is done it works really well. Zoom has allowed the studio to help singers in Malaysia, Australia, France, 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. We adore working online because it connects us with so many amazing singers like you.

YES. It will also make you happier, more confident and more self aware too. Whilst we all have limitations (i.e. Gemma will never be 6ft tall) we can all develop and nurture our own unique instrument, and Vocal Coaching gives you the platform to do that.

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. The studio understands that you may be nervous before your first session and will do its best to walk you through everything and make you feel comfortable.