The Top Vocal Coaches You Should Know
Top Vocal Coaches
/ 16th january 2023I've featured some of the top vocal coaches who have shared their unique insights and approaches to helping people find and refine their voices. These coaches use a range of methods, from combining voice science and brain science to focusing on emotional intelligence and mental fitness, to guide their students towards vocal excellence.
One coach takes a tough but loving approach, combining vocal training with life coaching to build endurance and emotional capacity. Another coach integrates voice science, brain science, and performance training to create personalized action plans for each client. There's a coach who emphasizes the anatomical and physiological aspects of the voice, allowing students to make their own aesthetic choices.
Another coach believes in a holistic approach, focusing on the body and voice together to help singers overcome vocal challenges. Lastly, a coach with extensive performance experience teaches a 360-degree approach to the physical body and uses techniques to unblock and retune voices.
Do you think you or a coach that you know deserves to be featured as a top vocal coach? If yes, then fill out this form and we will consider your application and get in touch with you for the next steps.
In Brief : Top Vocal Coaches
- Dr. Jose E. Figueroa Jr. - Dr. Jose E. Figueroa Jr. is a renowned Gospel Recording Artist whose coaching style blends tough love with emotional intelligence, guiding students to reach their fullest potential.
- Jessica Doyle-Mekkes - Jessica Doyle-Mekkes, Head of Musical Theatre at East Carolina University, offers a unique coaching approach combining voice science, brain science, and performance training.
- Marie-Catherine Bouchard - Marie-Catherine Bouchard, a certified Estill Master Trainer, teaches students how to understand control their voices across different music styles.
- Laura Talbert - Laura Talbert began voice lessons at the age of 10, and was immediately in love! She went on to train in a conservatory in high school and to get a master’s and bachelor’s degree in voice performance.
- John Norton - John is a talented and highly sought after vocal coach In Europe. With high level training and postgraduate qualifications from UK, USA and Europe he provides ground-up expertise to help singers and vocalists sustainably gain stamina, confidence, resilience and technique resulting in vocal, musical and interpretative excellence.
- Dr. Joshua R. Wentz - Dr. Joshua R. Wentz has had the privilege of performing throughout the US and abroad and is in high demand as a singer, director, and conductor of opera, oratorio and musical theater worldwide.
- Jennifer Greene - Jennifer Greene is a world-renowned vocal coach and professional performer, known for her expertise in training singers of all levels and genres.
- Rashmi Shetty - Jennifer Greene is a world-renowned vocal coach and professional performer, known for her expertise in training singers of all levels and genres.
- Cheryl Porter - If you are a beginning singer and don’t know where to start this is the perfect course for you and if you are an experienced singer or a singer trying to get your voice back in shape, this course works great to brush up on your singing skills and improve your overall technique and performance.
- Chris Johnson - More experienced singers often have strong direction in their stylistic identity but occasionally experience limitations in their range, flexibility or power, or may even be suffering from tiredness and vocal health problems.
- Frédérik Robert - Frédérik Robert is one of Canada’s top vocal coaches. For over 20 years Frédérik has dedicated his work to training and supporting a multitude of artists.
- Tara Simon - Tara Simon is a professional singer, songwriter and celebrity vocal coach. She became widely recognized as a top finalist on the second season of the X Factor.
Dr. Jose E. Figueroa Jr.
Dr. Jose E. Figueroa Jr., Ph.D is a multi-award winning Gospel Recording Artist whose professional musical career began at the tender age of 13. Since then, he has been privileged enough to perform in venues all over the world. Recently, his gift earned him a 2 chair turn on Season 20 of NBC's The Voice, where he finished in the TOP 12. Months after his success on the show, he was scouted by Stellar Award Inductee, Kerry Douglas, and signed to BlackSmoke Music Worldwide. As a gifted artist and entertainer, Jose's music inspires, ignites, and impacts audiences everywhere. With a fresh sound and style, his raw talent and natural singing ability leave his audiences wanting more. From music that will make you want to jump out of your seat and dance to songs that will tug at your hearts strings, Jose's shows have a little something for everyone.
What do you do differently or how is your coaching different from others?
When it comes to my coaching style, I would have to say that I am tough but loving. I make sure that my students reach their fullest potentials. I am strong believer in not only pushing them to their max levels when it comes to singing, but I also make it my business to tackle their emotional intelligence and mental fitness. The entertainment business is not the easiest business to be a part of so I do what's necessary coach my students to vocally, as well as, help to build their endurance, patience, understanding, and their emotional and mental capacities. With me, you get more than just a vocal coach, you also get a life coach. For me, both go hand-in-hand.
What according to you has been the single most important thing that has contributed to your success as a coach?
For me, the single most important thing that has contributed to my success has been my ability to connect with my students. More importantly, though, and this goes beyond just my coaching, but my faith in and relationship with God has been the number one thing that has made me successful overall.
Jessica Doyle-Mekkes
Jessica Doyle-Mekkes is t he Head of Musical Theatre at East Carolina University where she has taught voice and vocal pedagogy since 2017.
Jessica has spent the last 15 years studying the human voice and working as a vocal coach for actors, singers, and public speakers.
An internationally published writer and sought after clinician, her debut book, I’m Speaking: every woman’s guide to finding your voice & using it fearlessly, available now, was recently quoted in Publisher's Weekly as being, "..a bible in standing your ground without trepidation."
Jessica works as a speaker, advisor, and clinician to individuals, groups, NGO’s and businesses small and large teaching women how to harness the power of their voices: in their heads & out of their mouths. Jessica lives in Greenville, NC with her husband Don, their daughters Tallulah and Jolie, and a codependent chihuahua named Sebastian.
What do you do differently or how is your coaching different from others?
My work uniquely combines voice science, brain science, and performance training. My background as a performer plus my research, knowledge, and experience as a vocal coach have allowed me to create a vast and varied tool box so I can meet each client's unique needs and goals. I always start by asking the same three questions: Where are you know? Where do you want to be? How long do you have to get there? Once those parameters are established, I'm able to create an action plan to help my client achieve success be ii in public speaking, acting, or singing.
What according to you has been the single most important thing that has contributed to your success as a coach?
Being a lifelong learner. I am continuously building my toolbox and updating practices that no longer serve my clients. Brain science over the past decade has given new and exciting insights into how humans learn and I utilize that research to make my work more effective and efficient. The reality is, we can prime our brains and bodies to do their best work: to learn things faster, retain them longer, and recall them more quickly. It is the same with the voice. We can take small, actionable steps to ensure our voices sound clear, confident, and consistent regardless of situation.
Marie-Catherine Bouchard
Marie-Catherine Bouchard studied at Laval University in Quebec City where she got a master’s degree in vocal performance. Then, she started voice coaching in her private studio and in many different music schools where she teaches musical theater, jazz-pop singing, voice technique, choral lessons, etc.
In 2017, she got certified as an Estill Master Trainer to improve her vocal coaching skills. She is now working a Ste-Foy’s College as a voice singing teacher.
What do you do differently or how is your coaching different from others?
I teach my students how the voice works anatomically, acoustically and physiologically, so they can make their own esthetic choices. I will never tell a student “You have to sing like this”! My teaching is about voice control and being able to sing whatever the student wants. I give them the knowledge to control voice configuration in order to fit all the different music styles and registers they want to sing.
What according to you has been the single most important thing that has contributed to your success as a coach?
I think the most important thing that has contributed to my voice teaching career is to be receptive to my students. Also, to be well organized, to have good communication and to be passionate about voice pedagogy certainly contributed! I want my students to improve and and I continue studying voice in my
