Laura is a highly regarded teacher of jazz and popular singing and has a flourishing private practice.
Although specialising in Jazz, Laura has studied with some of the top vocal teachers nationally and internationally, giving her an in-depth understanding of the techniques applicable to many vocal styles. She has experience of working with top laryngologists, speech therapists, osteopaths and physiotherapists all working in the field of vocal health.
She is a vocal tutor on the Popular Music Studies course at Goldsmiths College University of London. She regularly runs vocal clinics and master classes and also runs Jazz vocal workshops at the City Lit. Laura has been featured in an article in the Guardian Arts Section, giving instruction in the art of jazz singing and also in the Sunday Telegraph Lifestyle section, helping someone get over their fear of singing.
To find out more about Laura’s workshops or to study privately with her, please do get in touch.
Testimonials
“Your workshop has pushed my confidence and understanding of my singing aim forward by miles. You are a fantastic and generous teacher. Your focus and constant hard work kept the weekend on it’s tight time scale achieving unexpected progress for all of us. Watching you is magical. The content of your days was ideal for me. I learned not just from the personal guidance you gave to me but also from watching others. Thanks you Laura so much. You were the best birthday present I had.”
Valerie – Singing Student
“The singing lessons I have had with Laura have been transformative. I wanted to sing in a more authentic jazz idiom, and she has helped me to understand my own vocal use, and given me so many wonderful tools and approaches to develop my technique and my confidence in making stylistic and interpretative choices. She is also my go-to coach for nailing any singing styles needed in the course of my theatre work – most recently, 1960s Italian pop! A singing lesson with Laura is an especially joyous hour of my week, and my own singing practice is so much more productive, thanks to her guidance.”
– Joanna Nevin (actor)
“I have loved every lesson with you and feel very lucky to have been taught by you. I was once selectively mute and you have really helped me find my voice. Your teaching style is wonderful, when I get a compliment from you I know you really mean it…….you are the best teacher I have ever had.”
– Cara Seymour (BMus Popular Music)
“Laura Zakian is the most technical and knowledgeable singing teacher I have worked with to date; Her intuitive ability to nourish the individuality in one’s vocal whilst implementing traditional technique to create a physiological sound vocal, is second to none. During my sessions with Laura, she recommended I visit a laryngeal physiotherapist due to several concerns she had with my voice. Upon further investigation, severe muscle stiffness was creating a highly unsafe situation in which my larynx was becoming stuck. This was then treated over a few months with the physio in question and Laura’s guidance. Since then I have been able to reach my vocal goals and therefore my employability has increased ten-fold. To think the countless vocal tutors I have worked with since the age of 5 had never picked up on this issue tells me Laura’s top tier creative and artistic input still sits second to her ability to practice safe vocal teaching.”
– Elle de Chastelain-Delaney (BMus Popular Music alumni)
“Laura is a sheer master at vocal teaching. Having had years of vocal tuition before University, no one compares to her depth in knowledge of vocal training and performance. But she went above this. She was renowned for being a ‘tough’ teacher, but that is only because she saw the capabilities of her students before they could see it themselves.”
– Jen Thompson (BMus Popular Music alumni)
