ABOUT THE MAGNIFICENT SINGER
More than singing lessons.
For singers who want more than just a better voice. More style, musicianship, artistic direction and a more interesting future for their singing.
What is a good singer anyway?
Singing is a funny old game. It’s one of the most human of instincts and now a well-studied art. What we consider a ‘good’ singer is highly subjective. It can be a complicated mix of technical control, personal taste, life experience, cultural influences, current trends and a general willingness to open up to sharing.
So where does that leave you in all that? Getting stuck in is often the answer. Work at your technique; sing with others; develop your skills; study other great singers; write music. Most importantly of all, listen to and nurture your creative heart. It’s such an easy thing to neglect when you’re dazzled by those further on in their journey than you but, in truth, that’s the bit that’s truly individually yours. Your instincts are golden. Pay close attention.
The mysteries of singing are many and unravelling them is a fascinating process. Doing it brings fulfilling moments and challenging moments in equal measure — yet deep down every singer knows it’s one of the most meaningful things in life and well worth the journey.
Global fame or private jets may not be your thing (though happy to help test the champagne if it is).
What matters is bringing together what excites you, what you’re better at than you realise and what you want your singing to become — then doing it magnificently.
Your version of magnificent doesn’t come from copying someone else’s route.
It becomes clear when the right pieces come together.
A lot of adult singers get stuck copying other people’s ideas, hiding behind technique, or struggling to turn ability into something compelling.
That might mean finding the confidence to sing in front of other people. Or it might mean creating exceptional work, a performance or project that could only have come from you.
Maybe you can already sing, but not yet in the way you would like.
Maybe the thought of singing in front of people is terrifying.
Or perhaps you’re already doing plenty — performing, writing, recording or building ideas — but know there is another level you have not quite reached.
It is easy to get stuck borrowing other people’s plans, hiding behind technique or struggling to turn ability and ambition into something compelling.
The Magnificent Singer helps you notice what is already there, find what is missing and make the choices that bring your singing to life.
That might mean a more distinctive way of delivering a song. A recording that sounds unmistakably yours. Greater confidence and presence in performance. A live show, creative collaboration or body of work with genuine artistic identity. Or a career shift that genuinely excites you.
Through lessons, programmes, workshops and ideas, we bring together technique, musicality, identity and creative direction.
Not just to help you sing better.
To discover what your singing could become.
The Magnificent Singer helps adult singers develop the confidence, musicality, taste, and direction to create performances, recordings, and projects that genuinely excite them—
We help you stop borrowing other people’s plans, notice what you’re naturally great at, and build around that. We help you make the choices that shape standout song delivery, signature recordings, dynamic performance, and projects that genuinely excite you — and develop the taste and judgement to make those choices well.
Maybe you can already sing — but not yet in the way you would like.
Maybe the thought of singing in front of people is terrifying!
Or maybe you’re not overjoyed about what you are doing with your singing, and wondering what it’s actually for.
Every singer would love to be magnificent, but singing is complicated! It’s easy to get stuck copying other people’s ideas, hiding behind technique, or struggling to turn ability into something compelling.
The Magnificent Singer helps adult singers take advantage of being no-longer 21 to make the choices that shape standout song delivery, signature recordings, dynamic performance, and create projects that genuinely excite you
We help you stop borrowing other people’s plans, notice what you’re naturally great at, and build around that. We help you — and develop the taste and judgement to make those choices well
Through develop the confidence, musicality, taste, and direction to create performances, recordings, and pro
Take advantage of no longer being 21
You have more to draw on than you did twenty years ago.
More music. More experience. Better instincts. Stronger opinions about what you love — and rather less patience for what you don’t.
The task is not to sing as though none of that has happened.
It is to put it to work.
A few things we think are important
1. Your singing choices are just that: yours
As long as you’re not hurting yourself, how you choose to express yourself with your voice is up to you. The ideal is for an audience to find meaning in what you do. And that starts with winning yourself over first.
2. Create well-crafted stuff
Thanks to technology, it’s fairly easy to throw something together that sounds credible on first listen. But it’s more satisfying to create art with depth and quality – whether it’s a simple yet highly meaningful interpretation of a well-known song, or a year-long effort to pull together an E.P.
3. It should all be enjoyable
That doesn’t necessarily mean easy. But the process is where you will spend most of your time. The elation of achieving a goal is gone in a nanosecond. So if you’re not enjoying at least some of the practice, the rehearsing, the writing, it defeats the purpose. Might as well have fun along the way.
How we do singing
✦Magnificent Singer Magnifesto. Six ideas we believe in — and six rather less interesting versions of singing we are happy to leave behind.
Where the Magnificent Singer comes from.
The Magnificent Singer was founded by me, singer-pianist Elizabeth Tillotson.
I’ve been singing ever since I can remember. As a little girl, my choral-mistress mother would take me to rehearsals and I was gathered into the fold. I had a choice: sit in the corner and read, or take a copy of the score and join the sopranos. It was a wonderful way to learn and I was fortunate to come from a background where music was a very normal thing to do. Which I completely took for granted, of course.
Singing didn’t take centre stage for a while though. As a teenager, I reluctantly sawed my way through various cello exams before taking a last-minute swerve onto bass guitar to study jazz at music college.
It took me a very, very long time to move from the classical-world formality of reading music from the page to the creative freedom of groove-based pop, soul, funk, jazz and Latin music. I was — and I say this without any exaggeration for narrative excitement — absolutely terrible for years before progressing to being okay-ish.
Gradually things came together and I now sing and play piano professionally. The combination is the sweet spot for me.
I love the freedom of singing; there’s nothing quite like being able to express yourself in the moment. Equally, I love locking into harmony and groove at the piano, and I’m grateful for the different perspective that came from spending time on other instruments too.
Alongside performing, I’ve spent decades teaching adult singers, leading higher education vocal departments, and helping singers develop stronger technique, greater musical confidence, and a clearer artistic identity.
The Magnificent Singer grew from a belief that singing becomes far more interesting when technique, musicianship, individuality and artistic curiosity all develop together.
Not simply a better voice. More interesting singing.
“I love the freedom of singing. There’s nothing quite like being able to express yourself in the moment".
Teaching
First-class graduate diploma in jazz from Leeds College of Music. Post-graduate certificate in further education from Huddersfield University. Guildhall school of Music post graduate, jazz. Former acting director of BRIT Kids, the BRIT School. Visiting lecturer on the BMus degree at Westminster University. Head of vocals at the London College of Creative Media. Somatic Voicework™ Levels I and II. Former Head of Vocals at the London College of Contemporary Music.
Where could your singing go next?
You do not need to have the whole thing worked out.
Take SING
10 questions to help you work out where you are now, what may be getting in the way and where your singing wants to go next.
Join The Magnifier
Ideas for singing with more style, musicality and possibility.
Explore 1:1 singing
Individual singing work in Central London and online.