Singing From the Start
I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember. As a little girl, I was always singing around the house — it was just part of who I was. At 14, I sang in front of an audience for the first time at my church youth group. We put together a little band that performed on Friday nights, and I quickly became known for my sweet, girly tone and my ability to hit the high notes. If a song went high, they gave it to me.
Opportunities Beyond the Church Walls
Over time, more opportunities came my way. Our church began recording original music and producing albums, which led to tours around the UK and Europe. Our little band became known around the world. I had the chance to work in studios, appear on TV and radio, and experience what it was like to be part of a professional music project — all before adulthood. This continued into my 20s.
Finding My First Voice Teacher
When I was 16, I began weekly voice lessons with a local teacher. She was lovely, encouraging, and helped build my confidence tremendously. I studied classical and musical theatre styles with her, even though my heart leaned more toward the soulful voices of 90s R&B, gospel, and powerhouse legends like Aretha Franklin. At the time, those genres felt out of reach for me — I didn’t believe I could sing like that.
The Discovery of Seth Riggs
When my teacher moved away, I started looking for a new one. Around that time, a friend of mine — Mark, a brilliant singer himself — told me about a voice teacher named Seth Riggs, who had coached none other than Stevie Wonder. I was stunned. Stevie Wonder had a voice teacher?
Curious, I did some digging and discovered Seth had also taught Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Tamia, and even Amy Lee from Evanescence. These were singers with incredible range, power, and tone — nothing like the light, airy sound I was producing in classical lessons. I knew I had to find out what they were doing differently.
My First Life-Changing Lesson
Mark connected me with the only teacher in the north of England who was studying under Seth. The drive was over two hours, and the lessons were £60 an hour — a big leap from the £7.50 I’d been paying. But I was 18, newly qualified to drive, and absolutely determined.
That first lesson changed everything.
In just one hour, my voice transformed more than it had in the previous two years. My tone thickened, my range expanded, and it all felt effortless. I was hooked. I knew then and there that I wanted to learn how to teach this method. I drove over for lessons as often as I could, quite often funded by my very generous Grandma.
Joining the Teacher Training World
At the time, there were only six trainee teachers in the north of the UK. I joined them, and twice a year, one of Seth’s Master Teachers would fly in from the US to train us. The first was Greg Enriquez, who had just finished working with the backing vocalists on a Britney Spears tour. His knowledge, skill, and ear for detail amazed me. Watching him teach lit a fire in me — I wanted to learn everything I could.
Flying to LA to Meet the Master
Less than a year later, I used my savings and booked a flight to LA to spend time at Seth’s studio in Beverly Hills. Seth had a generous open-door policy: if you were serious about learning, you could sit in and observe. I stayed with a friend who was volunteering at a charity and commuted to the studio every day.
It was surreal. Seth was eccentric, charming, and a master at what he did. The walls of his studio were lined with platinum records and photos — Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder. I even got to sit in on Natalie Cole’s lessons and have daily sessions with Seth myself. There I was, a girl from Yorkshire, being taught by the same Singing Teacher who had worked on Thriller.
Meeting My Mentor
One day, I was in the waiting room when Greg walked in. I didn’t realise he came every Wednesday from Vegas to teach in Seth’s studio, train with Seth himself, and observe — just like I was doing. From that point on, he became a mentor and has played a key role in my development as a singer and teacher. I still take regular lessons with him to this day and am apart of several teacher groups lead by Greg.
From Student to Teacher
When I was 19yrs old I began studying for a degree in Musical Theatre. The techniques I was learning had a huge impact on my own singing, and I soon found I was able to help others on my course too. Instead of taking a typical student job, I began teaching singing on Saturdays — and I loved it.
As soon as I graduated, I launched my own vocal studio and started teaching full time. The band carried on for several more years, and during that time I earned the nickname ‘One Take Kate’ in the recording studio! I soon found myself not only singing but also being asked to do vocal production for other artists.
Teacher Training Over the Years
Back home, my teacher training journey continued. These were intimate, hands-on sessions with a small group of dedicated teachers. We observed one another, took regular lessons, and soaked up every possible minute of the Master Teachers’ time.
As my passion grew, I began flying out to the US to visit them directly — staying nearby and spending full days in their studios, watching back-to-back lessons, taking my own, and immersing myself in the craft.
I was part of the original group of Speech Level Singing teachers in the North of England, eventually achieving Level 3 certification — which required seven years of study, exams, and continued assessment. During that time, I also served as an Area Representative, helping facilitate teacher training events in the region.
When Seth Riggs was no longer available to lead the training program, we transitioned into a new organisation — the Institute for Vocal Advancement (IVA) — where I continued to study, teach, and support other teachers as an area rep. I ultimately achieved their highest level of certification after 11 years of study and examination. My final exam involved flying to the USA to teach in front of a panel of Master Teachers — a nerve-wracking but deeply rewarding experience (definitely not for the faint-hearted!).
Teacher Training Over The Years
Back home, my teacher training continued. These were intimate sessions with a small group of dedicated teachers. We observed each other, took lessons, and soaked up every minute of the Master Teachers’ time. I even began flying out to visit them in the US, staying nearby and spending every day in their studios, learning from as many sessions as I could. I was apart of the original group of Speech Level Singing Teachers in the North of England, achieving level 3 (7yrs of study and examining). I became an ‘area representative’ in that time and facilitated the teacher training events. When Seth was no longer available for teacher training we migrated to The Institute for Vocal Advancement (IVA) where I continued to study and be an area representative. I achieved the highest level I could with them (11yrs of study and examine, the final exam being a panel test in the USA, teaching infant of all the Master Teachers (not for the faint hearted).
Over Two Decades of Teaching
That was over 21 years ago. I recently relocated with my family to beautiful Surrey, just outside of London to start a new chapter.
Since then, I’ve worked with hundreds of singers — children, adults, hobbyists, recording artists, West End performers, and everything in between. I love helping people unlock their voice and find freedom in their singing. It never gets old. I get to sing and listen to others sing every day, which makes my job feel more like a passion than work.
Always Learning, Always Teaching
In those early training days, we had a saying: “A good singer never stops learning.” I believe the same goes for teaching — a good singing teacher never stops learning. I still love geeking out about vocal technique and learning new things about the voice every day.
Here’s to the next 21 years!