Beth Aggett Singing Lessons in Amsterdam

Beth Aggett - Singer - Composer

Hello! My name is Beth and I am a vocal coach in Amsterdam with over 10 years experience. I aim to create a fun, engaging and safe space for singers to reach their full potential.

Vocal Technique

Mainly I draw from Complete Vocal Technique and Somatic Voicework (LoVetri Method) in my teaching, which are methods for learning to sing Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) (as opposed to classical music or opera). There is a lot of intimidating terminology in the singing world such as belting, twang, falsetto, head voice, chest voice... don't worry if you are confused! My aim is to help you understand the different capabilities of your instrument in a language you can understand.

Vocal Health

The health and wellbeing of my students is of utmost importance. As a qualified Vocal Health First Aider, I can help you understand how to take care of your voice, for long term vocal health and happiness.

Beginners to Professionals

Have you been told you “can’t” sing?! It simply isn’t true. As a beginner, you will learn how to control your voice, how to sing in tune, and how to sound great! Are you a professional singer with a busy schedule who wants to advance their technique or learn how to prevent injury? You will receive tailor-made exercises and advice for your style and professional demands.

All Ages

It is never too late to start your singing journey! I teach adults, teenagers, and children as young as 4. At this young age the aim is to learn about music through singing and have lots of fun doing it. My Dutch is not perfect, but I teach many Dutch children who get to practise their English too!

Pop, Jazz, Soul, Songwriter

Do you love these styles too? Work on your vocal technique whilst singing songs you love! I welcome songs that my students want to sing but can also help you choose repertoire that suits your voice and ability.

Typical Lesson -Teenagers & Adults

• Warm up: use some easy vocal exercises to find out your existing “default” habits, this way we can make a diagnosis and plan what to work on.
• Exercises: we will do vocal and/or movement exercises that are tailored to help you improve depending on what you need to work on; breathing, nasality, resonance, breathiness, tension, high notes, etc.
• Work on a song! The most important thing is to put these things into practice and work on singing the music we love!

Amsterdam East, West or Online

I teach from my beautiful studio in Amsterdam Oost where we have pianos, recording equipment and microphones for practising with. If you prefer Amsterdam centre/west, I also have access to a gorgeous studio in the Jordaan with great acoustics. Depending on location, I can also come to your house. Online lessons are also possible!

Learn to accompany yourself!

Ever wanted to sing and play at the same time? I can help you learn how to play the chords for your song on either the piano or the guitar.

Harmonising & improvisation

As an experienced choir director and backing vocalist, I live for harmonies! If you want to learn to harmonise like a boss, you’ve come to the right place. Want to scat like Ella Fitzgerald or adlib like Beyoncé? Learning to improvise improves your musicianship and helps develop your own unique style.

Songwriting

As a published songwriter, I have a wealth of experience writing for different contexts and have helped students turn an “idea” into a fully arranged and recorded song. If you want help with lyric writing, or want to learn how to put chords to a melody, we can work on thi

Confidence

Perhaps the no.1 problem with singing is that it’s scary! In order to discover the full potential of the voice, singers need to be brave enough to try new sounds that don’t sound like “them” (they might even be ugly or weird sounds!) But this is hard, and the fear of sounding “bad” can paralyse us. In my studio, all sounds are welcome and we will build confidence together, rather than striving for “perfection.”

About me

I have been singing since I could talk! I grew up in London, UK, in a musical family where I learned about music through singing folk songs with my dad. Later I studied music at Durham University, the Universiteit van Amsterdam, and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, all the while performing, recording and composing. I forged a successfulI career as a session vocalist, working and touring with some of the biggest UK artists. Currently I am the musical director for vocal ensembles Sing International and the New Amsterdam Gospel Group.