Review of the 5 Best Singing Teachers in Toronto 2027
When looking for singing teachers in Toronto, the choices can be overwhelming. There are singing teachers everywhere in the city, each selling themself by claiming to be the best vocal coach for opera, or the top singing teacher for musical theater.
How do you find the best vocal coach in Toronto for a beginner? For an aspiring pop artist? For an opera lover?
We have put together a review of the top 5 singing teachers in Toronto based on what their niche is. Who excels at coaching pop singers? What singing teacher is an expert at working with gender diverse voices? Keep reading to find the right voice teacher in Toronto for you.
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Table of Contents
What Makes A Great Singing Teacher
Our overall advice to finding a great vocal coach is to get great advice. Honestly, it is so confusing to try to find one on your own, which is why EXPRESS Voice Studio was created: So that you could speak to a professional singer who would ask you questions about your skills, your goals, your preferred genres of music, your budget- and give you a personalized recommenation.
BUT just incase you would rather read a bit more about your options, we wrote this blog to set you oin the right direction.
In our analysis of what makes a great singing teacher, we consider a few qualifications. Too often we have seen aspiring singers work with a teacher that wasn’t the right fit for them, and their voice and career suffered because of it. Not all amazing singers make good teachers!
Hopefully your teachers will understand that singing is a journey, and they shouldn’t take it personally if you decide to leave to work with someone else. Here are some qualities to look for in your potential vocal coach, whether you are a beginner singer or professional singer looking for vocal coaching. And further down, our pick for the top 5 singing teachers in Toronto in 202.
Do good singers make good voice teachers?
Keep in mind that some people were just born with a natural ability to sing. From a teaching perspective, it is difficult to teach someone how to sing if you never actually had to figure it out yourself! Teachers who were born with the ability to sing are limited to explaining to their students what it feels like in their body: they have not had to overcome tensions, bad technique, and vocal issues and thus they really don’t know how to coach you on overcoming those same problems. While these teachers are not ones we would recommend for a beginner, they can be great for anyone who has some control over their voice and wants to experiment with styles, artistry, and playing with their sound placement.
Look For:
A teacher who has had previous vocal health issues or vocal technique challenges which they have overcome, and thus understand how to coach others through the same challenges.
Why Your Singing Teacher Should be A Performer
Part of what we look for in a coach is their experience in the field we want to be in. If they are an active performer, it means they are likely known within the industry and have connections. Business is about who you know, and the arts are no different. You want a singing teacher that is a full time artist because they know the people you will need to know to get roles, opportunities, and stage time.
Building your network as a singer is critical.
Your teacher is also demonstrating that they have the chops to do what you want to do! Your teacher should be able to demonstrate the techniques they are talking about. If you need to work on stamina- your teacher should also be capable of answering the question, How do you sing on stage without losing your voice?
Look For:
Success acquiring roles, gigs, and singing opportunities in their field.
Active participant in the scene you want to be a part of: Connections in your industry.
Singers Need Alexander Technique Training
We would actually expand that statement to say that singers need one of the following body awareness studies: Body mapping. Alexander Technique, Linklater, or Feldenkrais training. Each of these somatic body movement practices connect the singer with a deep understanding of how to coordinate their body, retrain incorrect coordinations, and release tension.
Never heard the word somatic before? It refers to the connection between your mind and body.
Most singers do not have perfect technique, and depending on the issues they have, they may or may not be risking losing their voice, damaging their vocal chords, or singing in pain. When your teacher has experience in Alexander Technique or another somatic practice, they can help your body stop subconsciously using muscles that are not only not necessary for beautiful singing, but are actually preventing you from singing better!
Great side effects include no more neck pain, better breath control, more vocal power, and being able to practice singing in a way that is not frustrating!
Look For:
A voice coach with training in body coordination or somatic practices.
Top 5 singing teachers in Toronto
In our review of the 5 best singing teachers in Toronto, Ocean comes in as one of the most well rounded. Ocean has received awards for classical voice, worked and studied Musical Theatre career path, studied acting at Guildford School of Acting. They offer singing lessons for adults in Toronto, working with singers of all skill levels in Pop, Jazz, and Musical Theatre. Ocean has made a name for themself for their work with trans/bipoc voices.
With technique experience from Estill to Alexander Technique, Ocean checks our boxes on needing somatic body awareness training and he is one of the few vocal coaches in North America to incorporate techniques found in the Laryngeal Conditioning System, which aims at freeing the voice through balancing acoustics & power, dealing with issues in registration, and allowing singers to produce a healthy mixed belt.
Kelsey Vaz is a Canadian singer-songwriter and vocal coach. She has been singing and writing a range of genres from Pop, Soul, Rhythm & Blues, and Alternative Rock for over 10 years. This singing teacher is a great choice for anyone looking to improve their rnb, vocal improvisation, riffs and runs, and unique style. To take the most advantage of working with this artist, we suggest you have some control over your voice already: Think, “I know how to breath and sing with ease throughout my range.”
Kelsey encourages all of her students to find their passion in music and get comfortable growing their talents. She focuses on vocal techniques, pitch, and tone. Music is a form of expression and the art of storytelling. The goal is to motivate students to perform with emotion and intention in a beautiful articulated way. Kelsey likes to push singers outside of their comfort zone to capture the essence of their music.
Kelsey has performed in major cities such as Toronto, Ottawa, and Rochester. She has released singles that were played on played on CBC RadioOne, Flow 93.5FM, and Hot 89.9FM. She has also performed background vocals for Daniel Caesar, Coleman Hell, and Maurice Moore.
Another voice teacher who can seemingly do it all is Robert Popoli. Robert is a voice and piano instructor, composer, and performer based in Toronto. Work on musical theatre, pop, opera, and rock with Rob or take advantage of his incredible skills as a composer to learn how to write songs.
Rob can teach students how to accompany themselves while singing, and develop their sense of creativity for songwriting. In addition to one-on-one lessons, Robert occasionally offers masterclasses where students can perform for each other and receive feedback from their peers via live performances.
We recommend working with Robert if you are a more advanced singer wanting to increase your vocal range, sing with more power, learn musical theory and song writing or just ensure you are not singing in a way that is harmful to your voice. Learn to sing with a teacher who is highly trained like Rob and building confidence as a performer is only a matter of lessons.
KADEN is an actor, singer, composer, and writer who crosses genres as creator and performer, working theatre, musical theatre, and opera. Kaden is open about his experience learning to sing in all these styles and the vocal struggles he came up against along the way to truly understanding his voice and instrument. We love this- his first hand experience makes him a great teacher for anyone needing to learn basic vocal technique.
While some beginners may wonder if working with a classically trained singer makes sense if they want to sing pop, rnb, jezz etc… the answer is- absolutely this is the teacher for you. Find yourself a singing teacher with a deep understanding of technique, and Kaden is just that person. Kaden works from his home studio in the Junction, Toronto and teaches students online as he travels around the country performing.
Work With Kaden Forseberg
If you thought belting was only used in Musical Theatre, think again! Belting is the style of singing used in r&b, pop, & jazz when the singer gives you that moment of insane power where your jaw drops and you start to think, God I wish I could do that! Toronto vocal coach for belting Nika Samandas is a master at this genre. Her experience working on cruise ships has taught her how to sing a wide variety of songs in different genres with full, powerful voice and how to maintain her stamina, physical health, and control of her voice night after night.
Nika Samandas is available for lessons online or in your home in Toronto if you are in the downtown area.
How To Sing Better in Toronto
There is no other music school in Toronto dedicated to matching students with the right coach. Express Voice Studio only hires full time artists who are active and successful in their field. We prioritize building a roster of talented artists across a variety of genres so that when you call us looking for a teacher, we can give you personalized suggestions based on budget, interests, skill level, and goals.
You may have been feeling overwhelmed by the idea of starting vocal lessons before. You may have stage fright and worry about feeling confident. Our teachers can work with you to build confidence and make you excited by the opportunities that await you!
Each of these teachers uses their teaching styles to craft a personalized voice routine for students. How can you learn to sing better in Toronto? Pick a coach, work hard, and know that each of these options for singing teachers will not lead you astray.
