Wickham Vocal Studios

How random that I find this post! Two of my friends have gone to lessons with Mr. Wickham and have greatly improved. I do not sing, however I am a music fan. I know he has huge success not only with my friends, but other artists that have been on radio! I randomly saw him a few months ago as I left a class in city with a girl I bought a cd from when I was in Tennessee a few years ago. She was on the radio and having charting success a few years back. I bought her cd in a autograph signing she did in TN! Intrigue or Intrygue or something like that. She was with him coming out of a class so he does train everyone from classic to radio top 40. So random! more

Patrick is an extremely knowledgeable ""voice facilitator."" I think his teaching philosophy can be likened to a sherpa (mountain guide) since, at least in my case, he uses a ""critical thinking"" approach. As his student you are an active learner. This model of teaching and learning contrasts itself with a more elitist ""guru"" style. You won't make progress if you just show up at a lesson, don't practice, and expect him to do all the heavy lifting. His teaching style can also be described as ""eclectic,"" since he models some brief passages directly and uses imagery to get his ideas across. He records all the lessons so that you can practice the exercises he gives you at home and you can examine your work on repertoire through thoughtful listening. If you take an active approach to your education he is a great partner who helps you accomplish your goals. He is an expert in the physiology of the voice and he can isolate specific practice techniques that lead to improvement. I have been studying with Patrick for 3 years by now. I have noticed a great increase in my range and degree of resonance. He is both very smart and friendly. There are a lot of voice teachers in New York City, many of them with impressive professional credits. Although Patrick has performed extensively himself (and continues his performing career concurrently with his career as a voice ""facilitator"") he dedicates most of his time to being a pedagogue. He also has some excellent ideas regarding interpretation of vocal pieces but I see him mostly as a technician because he believes (and I agree) you have to be able to apply your new techniques before you can really interpret freely. That being said I think he is very ""musical."" So I think you are likely to improve under his guidance more than you would under the guidance of a teacher whose career has mostly been as a performer. Just because you can DO doesn't necessarily mean that you can TEACH. I recommend him highly and without reservation\r more

I'm a fan. The guy can sing better than any teacher I've worked with. Every lesson is different and challenging. I'm growing faster than I ever thought possible. Will be auditioning for the Festival this year. My parents can't believe what their hearing! more

The place is really cool--you feel like you are part of a family. They work around your budget and your schedule. Good resources and performance opps. I think i'm developing faster in my career than I would have studying anywhere else. It's college level--prob better. more

I am a voice teacher who has studied with some of the top minds in the field (Ingo Titze, Richard Miller at Oberlin, etc.). I don't claim to have all the answers, but I pride myself on being a ruthless perfectionist in terms of singing training. When I don't have the answer, I send my students to Patrick because I know he will\r \r I came to Patrick for help building my studio because I thought my technique was fairly solid. After hearing me perform at a concert, he suggested I take a single lesson with him to work on a few resonance issues in my middle passaggio. He made a few adjustments to the muscles around my larynx and fixed an issue within 40 minutes that a dozen teachers couldn't tackle in 4 years.\r \r While I still study with other teachers, Patrick is my go-to resource when I need advanced help with the instrument. His program is excellent (not good, excellent), the staff is well-chosen and well-trained, and his knowledge is only matched by his passion and kindness. more

I just walked out of my tenth lesson with Mr. Wickham today and I swear I'm in tears as I write this review. I've had competant teachers in my past and I don't want to knock their training or their methods-they have helped me a lot in my nine years trainign for this Broadway dream. But my voice is so different and I will only sound stupid if I try to explain how. It doesn't hurt to sing anymore, I can't feel anything when I sing-I can't really explain it. The sound and tone are so pure and powerful. My vibrato is spinning now. My headvoice-to-chestvoice transition is flawless. know this sounds crazy, but I am not exaggerating. Ten lessons and I can sing ""Easy to be Hard"" in the original key AND ""O mio babbino caro"" with seemingly equal skill and ease. Mr. Wickham is more than a master, he is a saint! I can't ever thank him enough. more

As a graduate of Carnegie Mellon's Musical Theatre program, I can honestly place the quality and knowledge of the Wickham Studios training at or often above that of the best teachers I have ever studied with. more

What to expect: Serious intense training for professional-minded singers. This teacher doesn’t play around. Exercises, homework, career building and research are part of the package. Lessons recorded and sent to you in an email. They’ll also help you with demos. Not the cheapest place in town, but not most expensive either and worth the investement for better results.\r \r PROS: Complete change in tone, tons of power, mastery of range, perfect vibrato and total control of your sound without thinking about it. Plus confidence in stage presence and your brand as a performer. And lots of performance opportunities.\r \r CONS: Hard work and very intense. Not for everyone! Lessons do run late (up to 15 minutes) so that can be annoying, but Charlie (the administrator) will entertain you in the reception area, make you tea and make you laugh 18x before you go in.\r more

Not gonna lie, this program is hard and will kick your a$$. Mr. Wickham is positive but TOUGH. he will get results. Your high notes and tone will be huge within a short time but you gotta do the work. It pays off huge but no free lunch here. Don't resist it's healthy training and your voice will feel great doing long gigs. more

As an actor who has been on Broadway in two principal roles and several tours, I can say without doubt that the selection of a voice teacher is one of the trickiest challenges a young performer faces. Singing is not just about the physical conditioning of the voice, but about the psychology of unlocking one s soul. There are teachers out there that polish already talented professionals without adding anything substantial to their training. There are teachers out there that break the singer down in an attempt to build them up. There are magical technicians that boast a miracle cure for the voice. I have had all of the above and more and only found frustration. And then I found Patrick Michael Wickham. There is simply no one out there more caring, knowledgable and effective for the human singing voice. He is an absolute MUST-HAVE for anyone who wants to succeed as a professional vocalist. If you study with another teacher, add him to your roster (he works well WITH other teachers). If you have vocal issues you think will never go away, call him immediately. I cannot emphasize enough (and again, I am a very seasoned pro) that this man and this program deliver everything and much more than promised. more

I am a professional recording artist and didn't think I needed training on my vocals but I was getting hoarse during my gigs, so my manager suggested I look for help. Mr. Wick was straight with me since the first session adn told me what I could expect from voice lessons and that it would take time to repair. I was skeptical at first but my range and tone has improved significantly since coming here and I can sing for hours without getting tired. This is the real thing and these people aren't playin. The voice is an instrument and there is a way to train it so that it works. Not many people out there can do that and I'm sure I found the best in NYC straight up! more

I'm a trained singer who began having voice issues that many of the ""top"" teachers in NYC couldn't fix. Within four lessons I was finding an ease and clarity in my voice that I hadn't experienced in years! I'm booking shows constantly now and I give Mr. Wickham credit for restoring my believe in both myself and my career. more

WVS is a great vocal studio. I am a professional singer and I am still learning!!! WVS never fails to challenge me and to bring something new to the table. I love taking lessons here. I cant wait for the WVS 2010 Professional Workshop to begin Feb 16!!!! Pros: Actually learn how the voice works more

I've gone to several private voice instructors, and it was always frustrating for me. The approach to teaching at wickham vocal studios was totally different, and I've seen a big improvement in my confidence singing and my understanding of singing in only a month. Very affordable for the training I'm getting and they have lots of payment options. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a good singing instructor! more