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Why I became a singing teacher: Kaya Herstad Carney

Kaya Herstad Carney bio pic

Kaya Herstad Carney (London, UK)

I cannot not sing and I’ve been doing that for all my life. A chronic sufferer of compulsory harmony disorder, and with at least two song ideas in my head at any time – singing teaching came as a natural yet unexpected progression of this. I volunteered in my final year of my degree for New Deal for Unemployed Musicians, and was taken aback about how much I enjoyed helping these guys find their voice. Some were already semi professionals, and many were older than me, and to be perfectly honest – I didn’t feel I had much to teach them. The next year I graduated and they needed someone to cover a session, and again I heard my mouth say yes. Even though it was frightening, I knew it would be rewarding, and a great way to earn a living from singing.

Since then I kept on improving my own voice, and eventually connected with a singing teacher’s network who could help me fill the gap and give me tools to help other people. Being part of someone’s artistic journey can be amazing, it’s like constantly being a proud parent, mentor and fan, and that helps pay your bills!

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