About Simon
About Simon
The short version
I'm a voice coach and working performer based in Perth. For more than 20 years I've taught singers of every kind — beginners who'd never sung a note in front of another person, gigging musicians whose voices were letting them down, and professionals protecting the instrument they earn with. My obsession is the same in every case: finding the specific thing holding a voice back, and fixing it.
I didn't start out able to sing
That surprises people. But my voice was weak and breathy, and I couldn't sing like the artists I loved. What I had was optimism and a dream of being on stage — so while studying music at WAAPA, I took my first singing lesson. The results startled me. My voice changed within weeks, and I could suddenly connect what the exercises were doing to what I heard great singers do.
Two things came out of that. I became a singer — I've performed on stages and screens in Australia and the UK ever since. And I became fascinated by how the change happened, which turned into my life's work.
Trained by the best in the world
I went to the source. My technique comes from the Speech Level Singing method, and I trained directly under its creator Seth Riggs — vocal coach to Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder — and master teacher Greg Enriquez (Las Vegas), along with leading teachers Jeffrey Skouson and Spencer Welch. I'm certified with Speech Level Singing (Level 2) and the Institute for Vocal Advancement (Level 3).
Then I did something most vocal coaches never do: I trained as a teacher. I hold a music education degree (Bachelor of Education, Music Major, ECU) alongside my Advanced Diploma of Contemporary Music from WAAPA — because knowing how voices work and knowing how people learn are two different skills, and you deserve both in the room.
What lessons with me feel like
Practical, specific, and surprisingly fun. I diagnose what your voice is doing, explain it in plain English, and give you exercises chosen for your voice — not a routine I give everyone. Then we put it straight into songs you actually want to sing. You'll always know what we're working on and why.
My favourite description of teaching comes from my acting coach Rhonda Carlson: it's a game of tennis. If I hit a shot you can't return — an exercise that's too hard, an instruction that doesn't make sense — the game stops. My job is to keep the ball moving, so every lesson moves your voice forward.
Do I Perform?
I'm still a performing musician, which keeps my teaching honest — everything I teach gets road-tested on real stages. And I'm an unapologetic teaching nerd: coaching, learning science, and teaching philosophy are what I read for fun.