Maddie 4 Music

30/08/2026

Recommended! So lovely to catch up with owner Yula Andrews in Framlingham today on all things choir!

Free Pop Chorus taster session | Now in East Bergholt & Ipswich West

30/08/2026

Singing Boosts from Maddie4Music

🎶 Want to improve your singing — but don’t want ongoing lessons?

I’m now offering short, focused singing lesson packages designed around something specific you want to achieve.

Rather than committing to ongoing lessons, we work together for a set number of sessions with a clear goal in mind.

For example:

🎤 Audition Prep
Got an audition coming up or want to be ready when it lands? We’ll work on your song choices, technique, interpretation, confidence and performance so you feel properly prepared.

🎶 Song Prep
Want to sing a particular song really well? We’ll work on technique, phrasing, breath, expression and those tricky rhythms.

✨ Performance Prep
Preparing for a concert, wedding, open mic or other event? A short package can help you feel confident, prepared and ready to perform.

🎵 Singing Technique – The Basics for those new to singing
A short course to understand and develop the fundamentals of good singing — breath, support, posture, resonance, vocal control, selling the story and more.

🌱 Find Your Voice
Perhaps you’re returning to singing after illness, lacking confidence, want to extend your range or simply want to understand how to tap into your voice’s potential better. We can create a short, personalised programme around you.

The idea is simple: a clear goal, a finite number of sessions which can be topped up if needed and some real progress — without signing up indefinitely.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, send me a message and let me know what you’d love to work on. 💛

30/08/2026

I enjoyed the Medieval music at Framlingham Castle last year too and understanding how these old instruments work! Pearl and Beard was the talented duo this time

25/08/2026

I have finally had time to download and choose the best photos from my two most recent shoots thanks to Anysomething Photography and Styling Laura and Lemon Feather Photography Cemanthe. I felt it was really worthwhile investing the time and money in creating a range of photography to use for my social media which truly represents who I am and my values, what it is like to sing in my choirs and the experiences you can have if you join me at Maddie 4 Music! What do you think?

22/08/2026

There was something really special about this… ❤️🎶

My hubby Gary and I were looking at my mug this morning and the music printed on it. We could just about work out what it said between us, so we decided to see if we could track down the piece.

We did — and then sat and listened to the movement of the sonata together. 🎵

It was such a lovely little moment. Something that had simply been a pretty piece of music on a mug suddenly came to life.

There was something magical about being able to recognise the notes and sing , work out the name and then actually hear the music we’d been looking at.

It reminded me why I love what music can do for me and my wellbeing so much. ❤️

Sometimes music isn’t just something you listen to — it can be something you discover together.

Can you decipher it?!

19/08/2026

A little bit of Sea Sings! 🌊🎶

I’m out and about in Deal this evening spreading the word about Sea Sings — my free taster on Saturday 22 August at the Forester on the seafront and my
singing sessions bringing together singing, community, connection and a whole lot of fun! 💙

If you’ve been thinking “I’d love to sing, but I’m not sure whether a singing group is for me…” — come and give it a go!

You don’t need to read music (I teach by ear), you don’t need to be an amazing singer and you certainly don’t need to audition. Just bring yourself and a willingness to have a sing! 🎤

I’m particularly excited about creating a friendly, welcoming space where you can meet people, learn something new, build your confidence and enjoy singing together.

🌊 Sea Sings – Sing. Connect. Feel Alive.

Take a look at the video and come and find out what it’s all about!

19/08/2026

🎶 Why I love octave leaps as a vocal exercise

If you’re not a singer or you’ve never had a singing lesson, you might be thinking… what on earth is an octave leap?! 😄

Put simply, an octave is the distance between one note and the same note higher or lower.

For example, sing a middle C (you can find this on a piano or a piano app) and then the next C above it — that’s an octave. 🎵

An octave leap is simply moving directly from that first note to the higher (or lower) note, rather than singing all the notes in between.

It sounds simple — but there’s actually a LOT going on!

When I use octave leaps with singers, there are six things I’m particularly listening for:

🎵 1. Pitch
Can you accurately hear and find that higher note? The aim is to leap to the pitch and land on it (just like a step on a staircase as I showed my student this week) rather than sliding around trying to find it.

🎵 2. Don’t force the upper note
Going higher doesn’t mean getting louder! There can be a temptation to push or increase the volume as the pitch rises. Instead, we’re looking for an easy, supported sound.

🎵 3. Don’t slide!
It’s called an octave leap for a reason! 😄 Move directly from one pitch to the other rather than sliding up to find the note.

🎵 4. Breathe before each leap
Taking a good breath before each repetition gives you the support you need and stops you trying to squeeze the upper note out on your last bit of breath.

🎵 5. Keep the tone smooth
We want to land on that first note smoothly rather than “banging” down onto it. The tone should stay connected and even as we make the leap.

🎵 6. Keep your head position consistent
As we go higher, it’s very easy to lift the eyebrows, tilt the head or move the whole face upwards as though we’re physically reaching for the note.

But the note is higher — your head doesn’t need to be! 😉

Keeping the head position consistent helps us avoid adding unnecessary tension.

And why do them?

Practising octave leaps can help develop:

🎤 Pitch accuracy – hearing and accurately landing on bigger intervals.

🎤 Vocal flexibility – training the voice to move easily between different parts of the range.

🎤 Range – gradually becoming more comfortable exploring the upper and lower parts of the voice.

🎤 Register connection – helping the voice move between registers without feeling like there’s a huge “gear change”.

🎤 Breath control and support – learning to use the breath efficiently rather than pushing for higher notes.

🎤 Confidence – and this is a big one!

I’m seeing this with one of my students at the moment. By regularly working on octave leaps, he has become much more comfortable at the outer edge of his upper range.

And that confidence is now starting to transfer into his singing.

He’s much more confident tackling songs that sit higher for longer — rather than approaching those songs with the feeling of “Can I actually sing this?”

And THAT is one of my favourite things about vocal technique.

The exercise isn’t just about singing the exercise better.

It’s about giving you the freedom and confidence to use your voice in the songs you actually want to sing. ❤️🎶

I have two free spaces for students at the moment - message me if this has piqued your interest!

18/08/2026

🌅 Sea Sings is almost full!

I’m so excited for Friday’s Sunset Sea Sing — and with 14 of our 16 places already booked, there are now just 2 places left! 🎶

After last summer’s magical evening by the sea, so many of you asked me to bring Sea Sings back. It’s wonderful to see such a lovely response.

📅 Friday 21 August
🕕 6.00–7.30pm
📍 Meet outside Route One on the Prom, Deal
💷 £8

And if you miss out on those last two places, don’t worry…

⚓ The very next day – Saturday 22 August – I’m holding a FREE Sea Shanty Group Taster at The Forester!

It’s a slightly different focus, but the same lovely idea of singing together, having fun and meeting people.

And importantly, there’s no commitment to attend every session. The October Sea Shanty sessions will be completely self-contained, so you can come whenever the dates suit you.

🌅 Friday – Sunset Sea Sing
⚓ Saturday – Free Sea Shanty Taster

Come and sing with me! 💙

Message me to book.