Alexa: [00:00:00] What do you love about performing? Maybe you're a singing teacher who just really misses that part for themselves and is wanting to get back into some regular gigs. Or maybe you're a performer who is just feeling a bit stuck between contracts, wanting something to feed that passion you have for voice and singing.
This week we are joined by Olly Christopher, who is a musical theatre performing professional, who has appeared in shows such as The Book of Mormon, Hello Dolly, and is about to join the company for A Christmas Carol. But who also is a singing teacher working from two performing arts institutions, as well as running his own vocal coaching business in London.
Olly is sharing his experience of musical theater training and how he came to be a singing teacher as well, how he manages both of those professions together and how they can benefit each other as well as the challenges that he faces. Olly Christopher, welcome to the singing teachers talk podcast.
Olly Christopher, [00:01:00] what would you advocate as being the best musical ever written?
Olly: Oh, that's a really hard one to start with. I'm gonna put out there and say Les Mis, I think it's A masterpiece in music characters epic story and amazing singing, hopeful.
Alexa: Dare I ask or put your career at risk with the question, what's the worst?
Olly: There's some pretty bad musicals out there, isn't there? I don't know. I don't know. Because I feel like even if I thought it was my worst, it might be someone's absolute treasure of a show. But maybe for me personally, something like Heather's doesn't quite do it for me.
Alexa: Sure. We, we are human beings, we all have tastes and it's okay to dislike stuff and love stuff.
Olly: Particularly there are moments of Heather's which are magical and wonderful and I think the music is great, but it's quite hard for that show I think to come together. With production, music, cast, all of those things to blend in. I [00:02:00] think, that's what I think makes a great musical. All of those departments coming together.
And I feel like that's quite a hard one to get right. It's one I prefer to listen to than maybe watch.
Alexa: So when and how did you recognise that you had this real love for musical theatre?
Olly: I think I was lucky enough to grow up quite close to London in South East London, which is where I still am now. My parents always worked in London when they were, in their 20s and 30s, before they had children.
I love their stories already. They went to the original cast of Phantom of the Opera in London. They they saw the original Evita. Barnum at the Palladium, all of these amazing shows. And I feel like when I was growing up, it was just part of my childhood, was going to London. And I will never forget, the first thing I ever saw in London was um, Chitty at the London Palladium.
With Michael Ball, and yeah. And I will never forget that experience. And I think we're lucky enough to go to so many shows growing up. Just because my [00:03:00] parents were interested in it too. But really, I remember, we've got a really great local theatre here in Bromley called The Churchill. It's Which hopefully, stays open for as long as possible.
I know there's like some issues with it at the moment, unfortunately. But I remember going to a show, maybe I was about 14, and it was a UK tour of Jekyll and Hyde. And I saw it like the Tuesday night, obviously on tour at things that are only here for about a week. I remember seeing it on Tuesday night and thinking, wow, this is incredible.
I went back on Friday and saw it again. And I think that was the one moment where I thought, these people on the stage are actually real people. And you're not watching a movie that gets distributed and released. It was the first time I thought, these are real people, these are their jobs, and this is what they do.
And that's the first moment I thought, I want to do that too. Even though I'd always danced and sung and all of those things, it was like a real clicking moment of a bit of a life goal, I think, knowing that it was a real thing.
Alexa: And how amazing that your parents would have then gone on to see you, their son, in the [00:04:00] shows that they were loving to go and see before they even had you.
That's, that must have been a real proud moment for them.
Olly: I know, they do absolutely love it. There's not many careers that your children have where you're as involved as they are. And I do have to remind them sometimes, this is also my job and, when they invite 50 people on a coach to come and see me in something, it's this is my job too, but Yeah, it's a weird job, isn't it?
Because people are always interested. It's always the first question if I haven't seen maybe family, friends in a long time, what are you doing at the moment? What's happening? And it's obviously beautiful and lovely. But it does become like, the big question all the time, but I'm very lucky, for sure.
Alexa: You've been in shows like Hello Dolly, The Book of Mormon, Pretty Woman, we can see your posters behind you. You're about to start A Christmas Carol as well. So from that moment of going to see Jekyll and Hyde and realising, Okay, these are real people, I'd really like to do that. What were the steps that you took to pursuing this musical theatre [00:05:00] career?
Olly: I was lucky that I was already at a really good kind of Saturday school that did. a really good broad kind of broad singing, dancing, acting. I also had a really fantastic singing teacher who worked in my secondary school, which I was also very lucky it had a really good drama department and we'd put on shows.
So I had those two things running at the same time. And I really just started to look at what those next steps were. In terms of drama schools and the shows that I wanted to be in and, I'd buy a program at the shows and I'd flick through and say where have they trained? Where have they trained?
I'm going to look into those. And then I remember going to see some third year shows at a few drama schools to really, someone said this is a really good idea to go and watch some, some graduate shows and see what you kind of love and you get to go to the building and have a look around.
So I did that for a few places and then. It's once you get to 17 you start applying and I knew I wanted to do that route of, drama school and then [00:06:00] see what happens from there.
Alexa: Where did you audition?
Olly: I auditioned for GSA, the Guildford School of Acting, Mountview and ArtsEd. And
Alexa: where did you end up going?
Olly: I went to ArtsEd, yes. It just, I walked in and for me, it was just the one I went, God, I really want to come here. And I said to myself, if I don't get in this year, which is a really common thing, I would happily go and do a foundation course or take a gap year because I want to come here so bad that I would wait and re audition for the next year.
But luckily I got in, I did get in the first time I went, which was amazing. Incredible.
Alexa: And since you've graduated and you've entered the professional industry, what's been the most vocally challenging role so far, and why is that?
Olly: Definitely the Book of Mormon. If anyone knows it or has seen it, it is The vocals are super high, they're, pingy, American Stephen Remus is the most [00:07:00] incredible orchestrator.
He's done Wicked, Kinky Boots Mormon, among many other things. And he writes a really high male vocal line. But that's what makes it so impressive. And also I was a swing on the show, so every single time I went on, each different track is pretty much on a different harmony line, and we're talking like, it goes three part harmony into four, into five, back to four, and as well as learning as a swing, all the dance moves and where you have to be on stage and all the little lines, you have to learn all these vocal lines too.
Which was, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So challenging, but also really rewarding at the same time. But doing eight shows on that top line was, yeah, by far the hardest stamina thing ever.
Alexa: You were a swing, so what parts were you covering?
Olly: It was all the Ensemble Mormons, so there's seven, seven Ensemble Mormons, so I did, I covered all of them.
And also Joseph Smith, who's like a nice little role in the show [00:08:00] too.
Alexa: You went to ArtsEd, and I'd love to know, throughout your training, what were some of the challenges you faced, particularly regarding the singing discipline, and how did it prepare you for the roles that you then went into, like Mormon, singing those top tenor lines?
Olly: It's a really good question. I thought I went into drama school with quite a good basis. My teacher before drama school was an incredible opera singer, so I had a good foundation. Ideas, and I felt very classical compared to a lot of people in my year. Yeah, you go in not knowing what might happen.
I felt like at drama school, the thing that maybe held me back, and the challenging thing was, it was very much set up almost like a rule book. You must be able to, separate these sounds, complete them, and then I never quite felt that I managed to master them and put them into practice enough before I [00:09:00] left.
Almost it's that word, isn't it? Or that phrase paralysis by analysis. I felt very paralyzed by the technique, I think. And obviously at drama school, there's a lot going on and there's Stress and you've got all dance classes to go to and all of these things and for me, I almost felt like I came out more paralyzed as a singer than I went in, which is really interesting.
Also a constant pressure to sing high and have a really big range and going in as a tenor, it's like you can't be a tenor unless you can do these notes consistently. And that was also really hard. And we'd have a singing lesson at half eight in the morning and all my rep was this wonderful tenor rep.
And I was like, Oh my God, this is really difficult at half eight in the morning, along with all these other things that you're stressed about and trying to complete. So I feel like I learned a lot more after drama school and how to relax into that technique a bit more [00:10:00] and release sound. But I do think it's a bit of a process and maybe you do have to go through that at drama school.
And it's definitely informed my teaching, now teaching at drama schools, a hundred percent from my own experience, I think.
Alexa: Yeah, and as you say, working in those drama schools and reflecting on your time at ArtsEd, what do you think would have been useful for you to have in order to implement these sounds a little bit deeper so that you could leave with more confidence and trust that you could complete these sounds in an audition?
Olly: I really think it's being able to mix the two ideas of good technical singing and acting through song at the same time. I really think we had brilliant technical lessons and they felt like they were so solely based in technique that my mind wasn't on the acting or the character or the context or, the objectives of the song and those sorts of things.
And then we'd go to [00:11:00] acting through song class and talk about all of those things. but not having then linked it to technique. And I know we were meant to, but I didn't feel like those things were brought together. And I felt like I could only sing well if I was, thinking about the technique and I couldn't sing well if I was just thinking about the acting.
And I really feel like those things, they just go together and the acting informs the vocal choices that we should be making. in a good technical way. It informs our breath, it informs vocal quality, it informs loud the volume you might need to be singing. All those things come into play, and I don't feel like they were quite merged together for me personally.
I think that's that paralysis by analysis thing. I just needed to let go of all those things a little bit.
Alexa: You mentioned you had a really good singing teacher from your secondary school and that you've had some great technical lessons [00:12:00] throughout your training. So what was it that actually did really help you?
What was the structure or what really spoke to you as a singer to help you progress and take on those tips?
Olly: I think it's actually since graduating I've really found something that really works for me. I was introduced to Julie Gossage and Richard Houlton at Vocal Balance And this is coming, coming towards the end of my third year when you started auditioning for things and I was really thinking something isn't quite working for me.
I really need a bit more help here. I went to go and see them and instantly my mind was a bit transformed because it was everything I was looking for in terms of. That release of sound without feeling paralyzed by a song. And since then, that was nine years ago. So since then I've really just, got into the vocal balance technique and it's helped me immeasurably for sure.
And it's partly why I've decided to teach a lot more in the last few years, because [00:13:00] I know what that did for me and I'm really passionate about passing that on. Cause. if I get to, if I get students to feel like I did and transform in that way as soon as possible I feel like I've done a bit of good, I think.
Alexa: Yeah. And in that first lesson with Julia Richard, what was it that kind of released that paralysis analysis that you talked about earlier? For
Olly: me, I think the biggest thing was the breath, I think even subconsciously, at drama school, you're desperate to please and desperate to be perfect.
So that was already let go of with Julie, which was fantastic. And then the next thing was, I was almost looking back trying to sing on the tiniest amount of breath, these kind of big tenor y songs. wondering why I was running out of breath and why, sometimes it was really high pressured and not coming together and I was knackered by the end.
And I really feel like she managed [00:14:00] to just get my mind going into how to release that breath. And it's always connected to human nature. And she always says, if you've got a big thing to say, Like you've just won the lottery and you go, wow, whatever that might be. We take in such a big amount of breath and we release so much breath.
But that breath is still connected to our sound. It's not a load of breath is, escaping. And I feel like once you start connecting singing as an extension of speaking and high emotion speaking, then that really started to make sense to me. How, we do it as humans in daily life.
So therefore, when we go to sing, why do we forget that these things happen naturally in our bodies, I think. And that kind of just switched something on for me, I think. Switched off that kind of singing mode now I'm singing, it needs to be something. And I went, it was a bit of a relaxation, I think.
But that breath thing has really, yeah, something that's [00:15:00] really transformed me, I think.
Alexa: As singing teachers, we can often think that the singer in front of us has taken on board what we intended. or that they've left with the tools that we thought we gave them. But then, upon reflection, sometimes that's not always the case.
The communication has somehow taken a little detour, and it's not actually what we intended to do. Just reflecting on your lessons, throughout your training and how you said the acting through song and the technique just didn't quite marry up for you. But putting a bit of the spotlight on the technical training itself, not to bring any disregard or judgment on the teachers at all, but what was it from your standpoint, your individual experience that was just the most confusing or could have been easier for you to understand in those lessons?
Olly: I think definitely one thing would be [00:16:00] linking the exercises and everything we were talking about into actually singing a song. I felt like sometimes they felt like two very separate things let's do these exercises, let's work on belt quality, let's work on thin fold quality, let's work on tilt, and then we'd go and sing a song for the second half of the lesson.
And I might be able to have done those things on their own. And, um, shown that, therefore, I couldn't then work out how I could feel those things and make them work within a song, technically. I'd get to maybe a big section and go, oh, I, that is, that bit isn't happening for me. And I felt quite like the, almost like the teacher said you can do it on its own.
So you can do it here, right? And I'm like, but how? I couldn't quite marry those two things up. So that's I guess it's made me think, how do we always link those exercises [00:17:00] into a song? And if we're doing a lovely legit piece, how do we, use exercises and warmups to really go, do you remember that exercise we did?
This is perfect for this section. This is about long line and legato. That's why we did the exercise to make this.
Alexa: How do you find yourself now segueing so that the exercises and the song don't feel like two polar opposite things?
Olly: I always ask the student what they want to work on that day and what song they want to do and what bits they find hard in a song.
It might be, oh, I really can't get to the end of this phrase, I don't have enough breath, or it might be, oh, there's some really high notes at the end, and I can't work out, they're just too heavy, how do we really get them in a more mixier place, or whatever it might be. And I think, okay, so they want to work on taking a bit of weight out of their voice, and they want to work on really good airflow for really long phrases.
What exercises do I have in my toolbox? to [00:18:00] feel those things now in the first, 10, 15 minutes of the lesson. And then how can we then use that in the song? So I always try and make that a thing.
Alexa: When you first graduated, what was the first vocal audition that you had? And how did that feel with these feelings that were then later helped by Julie Gossage?
Olly: The first thing, we're very lucky, when I was at ArtsEd a lot of people came in and auditioned us in third year, which is, you don't really realise at the time, but very lucky to have that for us. And Mamma Mia and Les Mis are always the two shows that come in and just audition everyone, kind of thing.
And obviously the very different one is like living in that pop world, no vib allowed. And then one is, where do you fit into Les Mis in terms of the characters and the understudies and things? I just remember having no confidence and thinking, even if I sing really well, will that be [00:19:00] enough?
Where do I fit in this show? Definitely overthinking those things. I remember thinking, okay, I think I've done an all right job here. But yes, definitely overwhelmed by it. all those things, all that stress that happens in the industry and your friends get a recall and you might not, or you might get a recall and your friends don't, and you think, oh god, this is Overwhelming, for sure.
Alexa: Really overwhelming. And as you mentioned there, you're trying to see, how do I fit in this show? Where do I, where, what's my place? What's my identity in this particular realm of performance? And I remember speaking to, I think it was Dr. Trenise Robertson Martin, ages ago, for one of our blog articles. And she mentioned how people coming into more CCM pop music from a musical theatre realm, how people coming into more CCM pop music from a musical theatre realm, Just don't know who they are as a singer.
And confidence is such a big one for a lot of singers. So how do you [00:20:00] help students? now that you're working in these institutions and that you have your own private business as well in London, how do you help them to feel more confident, build that resilience, understand who they are as a performer and what they get to offer rather than feeling about how I can squeeze myself into a particular mould that somebody might want from me?
Olly: I think you really said it there, Alexa, with the student is enough and what they bring to the table is absolutely enough in terms of their talents, their personality, their look. And they need to know that the casting team are going to do all that work for them. They're going to place them in the show and that is their job.
And I think it's really nice to switch off from thinking about where do I fit in that show? Cause I absolutely used to do that. And I know auditions can be so hard to get and getting in for that first round is. is truly amazing with all the submissions that, [00:21:00] come in. Just to get that first round is so brilliant.
And it's just about going in, being yourself and doing your best. And if you don't get a recall, a lot of the time, it's not based on the fact that you weren't very good. It's based on actually, we don't have a place for you right now, but we really like you. And, there's that really famous saying about don't win the job, win the room.
And it's about saying that casting director, okay, you might not be right for this job, but if you do your best and present yourself in the best way, they will remember you. There is no doubt that they will remember you. And when that right thing comes along, that's yours.
That's your time. Keep working, keep being consistent with your practice and with your classes and it will pay off. Absolutely.
Alexa: I think we think that the success of an audition is always down to getting the job, but [00:22:00] I think reminding the singer that there's so much more success that you can have from an audition regardless of the result.
Did you pick a really suitable song? Did your sheet music, did you prepare that well? Did you have a good rapport with the pianist? Did you have a lovely chat with the panel? Did it feel like you had good adrenaline but not overtaking nerves. There's so many more things to take from an audition that are a success than whether you got the job or not.
Olly: Absolutely. And I always say, learn from that. If you really felt your tummy tensing in because of your nerves or your leg was really shaking, the only way you know that those things happen to you and how to unwind them for the next time is by doing it. It might, you might feel like that was an unsuccessful audition.
But like you say, it might, you might go, that song is not good for me. That note, I don't think I can do that note under pressure. Wait so let's find the song that you know. I always say this to students. Find that song that you know you can wake up. You might be tired, you might be a little bit ill.
What [00:23:00] song can you do in those instances where you know you can walk in and you switch that brain and you say, I'm going to smash this however I feel today. Because that is so empowering to feel like that. The last thing you want your mind to do is say, Oh, I'm not sure about this song today because I feel like if that is a part of your mindset, it's more likely not to happen.
So it's definitely about mindset as well and learning from each audition you have and how you respond to that. Because a lot of the time that stress is subconscious. We don't know that those things are happening. So it's really about like just checking in with your body and your brain and thinking, okay, what happens to me in those situations?
Alexa: That can be really hard for like somebody like me, I'm mid 30s, I know you're still a bambino, you're not in your 30s yet, but I'm just thinking about these people who are auditioning when they're in their teenage years, their brains are not fully developed and they're graduating still when their brain might not [00:24:00] be fully developed.
How on earth can we help them find The best mindset to go out into this world and it'd be a little bit like water off a duck's back.
Olly: I know, it's really difficult. And I definitely think it's about having great people around you and really supportive friends who are also going through the same thing.
And you want to know that those friends are going to support you whatever happens. And you want to be able to talk about those things openly and not feel shut down and isolated. Not valid and you almost want that friend. You can go. I did a really crap job today and talk about that It's really important.
I also think it's super important to find something completely outside of auditioning and theater and Singing and anything like that find something else that does fuel your passion that you can go to still feel happy It doesn't have to be a paid thing or a job. It could be knitting. It could be [00:25:00] reading it could be You work, working out and gymming and all of those things, find that thing that actually, means that it doesn't just become the only thing in your life.
Because that is a lot of pressure if it does do that. And I think we all fall into that very often about feeling like it really is our life. And of course we have to try and make a living out of this, and, or find something that we can earn money from when we're not lucky enough to be in a job. So I think it's super important to find a passion elsewhere too.
And it doesn't diminish your passion for singing and for theatre, it just means that you can also find joy elsewhere.
Alexa: And this is what you've done by learning to be a singing teacher and offering your services. So what benefits do you think that brings to the singers you work with as you continue a professional performing career as well as being their singing teacher?
I think
Olly: I often find that they really like hearing some [00:26:00] stories and some audition stories and often like bad audition stories kind of thing. They often find comfort in the fact that I have been and am going through all of the things that they're going through, not in a way of, I know how you're feeling.
It's no, I really do know how you're feeling. And also find that it really helps me to stay. up to date with industry, and I feel like what I can then say to them is true reality of what's happening right now.
It might be casting directors, it might be auditions happening, or, the best shows to go and see, whatever it might be.
Alexa: Equally, do you feel there are any disadvantages for still performing and being a singing teacher? I'm just thinking about the day that you turn up and you're like, hold on, we had a lesson yesterday and we're up for the same job.
Olly: I think the good thing is that I feel like enough into my performing career that we probably aren't going to be up for the same jobs, which is comforting for me, [00:27:00] definitely. And the older I get, I know you say I'm, not even 30 yet, but there is. That kind of like 20 to 30 bracket is huge, I think.
I'm starting to be up for covering dad roles and it's what? I'm not even 30! So I feel like long gone are the days of me being, trying to play a teen in a show or anything like that, which is great. Another disadvantage I think is time. I would love to teach five days a week and be teach.
I would love to teach. But that is impossible as an auditioning actor at the same time. It's really hard to find that flexibility in life of doing those two things.
Alexa: Yeah. So you teach at two drama schools and you have a private coaching business. So how many hours would you say that you're teaching on average a week?
Olly: Oh, that's a really good question. I would say
about. [00:28:00] About 30 hours.
Alexa: Wow, that's quite a lot.
Olly: I reckon. Yeah.
Alexa: And what happens when you get an audition through last minute? They're not, it's not like you get it in the post and they're like on like the NHS, it's six months in advance. What's the process when you get that audition through?
What do you have to say to the drama schools and your private clients?
Olly: This is the good thing about just being really honest and open with them and about me, still being a performer. I make that really clear about the flexibility that is needed and very lucky about the places I work and my private clients that they do really understand that.
Most of the time, the audition is the easiest thing or the meeting is the easiest thing to rearrange. So I'll try and make that my priority to when can I do this? Is it best to do, first thing in the morning, and then I can use the rest of the day to teach, or is it the final thing in the afternoon, or is it the days that I'm not so busy?
Had one the other day on Wednesday morning and I had private clients all day and I literally was in there for far [00:29:00] longer than I thought. I was running to my first lesson with the client. I said, Oh my God, I'm so sorry.
Alexa: At least they know that you're running from an important, I went to an audition.
I can share that with you. Or if you're allowed to share at that point, rather than, Oh, I overslept or. I was waiting in line at Greg's.
Olly: Absolutely.
Alexa: How do you maintain your own vocal health as a teacher doing 30 hours of that job and then being audition ready? Particularly when it's so common that singers are coming in sick.
Olly: Yes, it can be really hard. I definitely learnt over the last couple of years as I've started to teach more and more. how to look after my voice on a long day of teaching. And as we have to demonstrate quite often. I always make sure I do some nice sobt warmups before my long day of teaching.
And I, a bit like I am now, I try and talk as on voice [00:30:00] as possible. I'm just trying to stay really consistent with my tone, with my breathing. Not as easily done sometimes. Especially I teach a lot of female voices and often I find the best way to help them and to demonstrate is to be at pitch with them.
So often I have to give them some B's and C's and T's sharps, which is, the top of my range. But that often helps them more I think than being an octave low, because they do need to really hear what it, what that kind of place sounds like. So I do try and demonstrate at their pitch as much as I can.
Yeah, I just think it's about staying as consistent as I can on voice throughout the day. And I just drink water constantly. Hydration is so key. I try and get as much sleep as possible. And, yeah.
Alexa: And has it been working so far? Have you felt that your voice has been consistent for you and playing ball?
Olly: Yeah, absolutely. So far, [00:31:00] so good. And I always find with the demonstrations, if I You know, if I do what I believe in, which is what I'm trying to teach, something that I know works, then, in theory, I should still have my voice by the end of the day. Because if I was trying to do something that wasn't correct, I'd be like, ooh.
And that also teaches me, it goes, is that, have I said the right thing there? Because that didn't feel great for me. So I always think, I always wanna teach something that I truly believe in, that I can demonstrate that fully works for me, and then I can then put that into words and try and get that across.
Alexa: And I think you hit a really important point there in terms of when we are questioning ourselves as teachers, was that the right thing to do? Was that the right demonstration? If it felt really great for us? That's really telling that actually our voice was in a really great place. It can form us still as singers.
I remember I had a lesson this week where they were doing vanilla ice cream and it's [00:32:00] that top B5, I think area. And I was like, Oh, I don't know if that's going to come out. But they demonstrated it, and for a minute I wanted to just stop the lesson and be like, that was great! And just give myself a little pat on the back, because I thought, hold on, what did I do?
I wanted to break it down for me, but then you realise, hold on, student centred, it's not about me.
Olly: You can think about it after the lesson, that's it, you go, it doesn't make you go, what did I do there? Because, that seemed to work. I think I did this with my breath and I think I, the vowel I used was this vowel.
And you think, okay, great. Why don't you try that and see how that works for you? Kind of thing.
Alexa: Yeah. It's the reflection. That's really important.
Olly: Absolutely. And I was talking a little bit about female voices and how I do tend to demonstrate at pitch with them, unless we're talking stratospheric soprano, like Vanilla Ice Cream, that B5 would not be demonstrated by me at that pitch.
But anything that they're trying to, do mixy, belty kind of things, maybe up to a C-D. Yeah. I prefer to be at pitch with the female voice. [00:33:00] And that also obviously goes for male voices. They often do like to hear you do it. Also, it's a bit of proof, isn't it, that the teacher can do what you're asking them?
Not always, but I do find sometimes they do want to hear what I am trying to get them to do. I leave the demonstration almost to the last point. I try and get them to do all the things, and if they're not quite getting it, it's listen to how this sort of setup works for me. What can you hear on me?
Is that something you can try and input? And all I'm doing is these, these three things I've told you to do. Can you hear how that might work on my voice? Kind of thing.
Alexa: Have you ever had it though, where you've done a demonstration and it's absolutely not what you wanted to come out?
Olly: Absolutely.
And I, I always lead with a sense of humor and I just go, Oh, don't do it like that. Absolutely.
Alexa: I just go, that's the negative practice one, that's the one we don't want.
Olly: [00:34:00] So I was actually doing, I was doing the one I didn't want that time, so now let's do
Alexa: Yeah, there's a little cover up.
You're about to go away for the Christmas period in A Christmas Carol. How do you maintain a clientele, how do you make sure that people are going to come back to you and that you can go back into contracts at the drama schools once you've left for a bit to do a performing contract.
Olly: Absolutely. I do think that is the trickiest thing about doing both of these things at the same time.
It's just about being really open and honest with the clients. Like I said earlier, they know what I also do and they know that, and I let them know dates, I will be unavailable from this day to this day. But as soon as I opened up that calendar and I'm back in January with, these dates available, let's get booked in ASAP.
Including the really nice thing with Vocal Balance is we have a really nice hub of [00:35:00] teachers who obviously use the same terminology and teach in the same way. And I have no qualms with saying, look, I can give you, another teacher if you want to, carry this on and do a weekly thing.
Unfortunately, I'm unavailable, but why don't you go to this person and see what they're doing? And there's no pressure to come back to me, I don't think. If they really love that teacher, then I want the best for that student, of course. But equally, I just really open and honest about when I'm back.
And I always try and make sure I'm reachable in that time also. I get quite a lot of messages from students saying, I'm in for this. What do you think? Which song should I be singing? Or really struggling with this section. And sometimes we have a little, a quick five minute base time and. I try and help them as much as possible.
So I do definitely open up my I've got a teacher's Instagram page. Often I open up my messages and say, please do keep in contact, please do message. And I'll be there as much as possible because as much as teaching [00:36:00] is really important to me, I also find that more mentorship, really fascinating.
And often students need that mentoring sometimes more than the lesson. And They, they do get in contact and ask questions. And it's very funny. Sometimes I get some voice notes with three different versions. Should I do this? Should I do it this way or this way? And I'll go, Oh, you can, let me go from there.
But, I do try and leave those messages open.
Alexa: That's a really lovely way that you're creating that rapport with your private clients to, to keep that relationship going so that you do feel available even in an unavailable period of time.
Olly: Absolutely. I do think that's important.
Alexa: Yeah. Can you give us a really sneak peek into your audition folder?
What, What songs are your kind of, favourites, without giving it away, maybe you can just give us one.
Olly: I don't mind. I don't mind. I pick something that everybody already [00:37:00] knows, and I try and pass it on to students. Sometimes it isn't about, and I think this is what drama school is for, finding the next best, unknown song, exploring what that means, and that's what drama school 30, 40, 50 songs.
that you want to work on. Fantastic. Use that whole breadth of knowledge of musical theatre. But really, when it comes down to auditioning, and we've said this before, pick that song that you know you can walk in and just go, I've got this. I know what my character is. I know all the notes. I know all my lyrics.
And I need to do this song the best. And that song for me is Something's Coming from West Side Story. And the thing I love about it is it feels Kind of up tempo and I love the kind of the kind of I want feeling to the song But of course, he doesn't really know what he wants. Something's coming. It might be this It might be that and I think it is a joy to act and So maybe using it for the last [00:38:00] five years as my go to song.
I still don't feel bored of it Every single time I try and find something something new with it. And what I do quite like about it is You can make it more legit if you want to. And then if you're slightly more contemporary, you can have that little contemporary edge if you need to. But it really shows off technical ability.
It's got a nice range. And I mean, the only downside I would say, it's a little bit difficult on the piano. So I have had a couple of times where The pianist has struggled, which is understandable, but, um, most of the time we're all good in that department.
Alexa: Thank you for that. That's lovely. And you're going to sing it for us in three, two, one.
Can you imagine?
Olly: I could try and play it. That would be even funnier to be honest.
Alexa: What would be your advice to performers who want to teach in the interim of contract, or teachers who want to [00:39:00] continue performing or want to get back into performing even?
Olly: Well obviously there's lots of different kinds of teaching, it depends whether you want to teach 18 plus or 16 plus or children's classes, and all of them are fantastic and brilliant, but I think the most important thing is to definitely have a passion.
for teaching and passing on that knowledge. I also think it's really important to have as much of a breadth of knowledge as you can. Therefore, you're kind of opening up the world to something much bigger than maybe one, one technique or one rule book. And I really do find that I've had that too with, Bel Canto background.
Lots of STIL training at college and then finding vocal balance, which is speech level singing and everything beyond. Plus my own personal performing experience and my troubles and issues there. And I feel like that is then a joy to pass on. And [00:40:00] when you see that working for students and you see them like somewhat click in their head and go Yes, that really made sense or that felt so much easier.
That is the kind of passion and That's the joy you get from it. Equally, yeah, teachers you want to perform, it's never a bad time. It's never, never too late. If that passion is still there, then fantastic. I also think it's really important that it's not just an interim job that just pays the bills.
You know, that passion does have to be there. I also think for teachers who want to still perform, I think it's never a bad time. And this is just absolutely fantastic. absolutely go for it. And the teaching is there to, you know, back up money wise, because it's probably better than performing, but yeah, they probably have all the knowledge they need .
Alexa: And do it in whatever capacity you've got your gigs and going to auditions again. Yeah. Brilliant.
Olly: Gigging on the weekend and all of those things is the best kind of experience to then pass [00:41:00] on to students. So anything you do as a performer is going to be valuable to you as a teacher. And I really think they do just really go hand in hand.
Alexa: And you've mentioned vocal balance there. Can you tell us a little bit more about the process that you went through becoming a vocal balance teacher?
Olly: Absolutely. So I started with vocal balance, like I said, about nine years ago, solely for me as a performer and how that helped me. And It really transformed just the way I approach singing, which isn't the biggest thing, the mindset shift.
And then as I progressed with vocal balance, I could really feel like it worked for me. I thought, I really want to pass this on. I really want people to feel like how I've felt as, as a performer. And they were on their fourth year now, I think, of teacher training. And I was like, I really want to be part of this.
And. So I did the teacher training course, which is a year long, quite informal course, [00:42:00] um, you can do it online or in person and it's helped me immeasurably as a performer and a teacher. Because in fact I had more lessons in that year for myself, because you get that included in your teacher training.
More lessons for myself in that year than I had previously, which was fantastic for me, of course. At the same time as learning. Actually, what this exercise helped me, I wasn't sure how it helped me, I know it did, so I loved learning about the why that exercise helped me and how I then get that across. So like I say, it really does go hand in hand.
Alexa: What are your current goals then as a singing teacher and performer? We're almost into a new year, so it seems to be the time of reflection, so going forwards, what are your goals?
Olly: My goals for students is absolutely to feel that positive mindset shift and that huge confidence change. That's the biggest thing I noticed [00:43:00] after two or three lessons, they go, okay, this is really making sense.
This is feeling easier and I'm ready for some more challenging rep, anything like that. If those, if they say those sorts of things, I'm thinking, yes, I've done my job. So, I'd love to teach more.
Alexa: And your goals as a performer?
Olly: My goals as a performer, as always, to do lovely, interesting jobs that fill me up creatively which is why I think teaching is great because often the jobs that don't fuel you creatively are lovely long contracts, which probably pay more, but the ones that really enjoy us are those, you know, lovely short contracts.
So I just did Hello Dolly, which was 19 weeks long. In all rehearsals, tech, performances. And 19 weeks of the year is not very long, um, but, it was a process, an unforgettable process with an unforgettable [00:44:00] creative team and cast.
Alexa: Yeah. And how was it working with Imelda Staunton?
Olly: It was incredible to watch someone so consistent and so generous to the company was truly amazing.
And I really did just watch and learn.
Alexa: Oli, it's been really great to chat. Where can listeners find out about you and get in touch, maybe even book a lesson? Apparently you want more lessons and you're already teaching 30 hours a week.
Olly: Well, thank you so much for having me. It's been such a pleasure.
I've got an Instagram page solely for my teaching, which is Olly Christopher underscore vocals. And drop me a message there if you want to find out more and that's the best way to book a lesson with me. So check out my Instagram and we'll go from there. Brilliant.
Alexa: Olly and Christopher, thank you so much for your company.
It's been lovely to have you on and good luck for your run in the Christmas Carol.
Olly: Thank you very much. And I'll see you really soon.