Who Says EVT Works?

“It was nice to be reminded of how important my Estill training has been in guiding me to the point I’m at today. I’ve had more tools, thanks to Jo…”

“I went to college for musical theater without ever taking voice lessons. I found the lessons made singing more difficult and limiting. Many teachers only allowed me to sing in an “opera” state even though I wanted to sing pop. I lost confidence in my voice and singing was less than fun. Estill made sense to me. It’s like I’ve traded my 12 crayon box for a 120 crayon box. I have so many options. Singing is fun again and I gain confidence every time I get up to do it. Studying Estill and practicing Estill is fun too. I love sharing it with students who really want to learn because it’s so rewarding to watch them ‘get it.’ Estill is the only voice training method I use and recommend to others because it is the only one that truly works. It allows the singer to practice healthy vocal techniques, but still keep their artistic style in tact.”

“Thank you so much for your help. This program is such a big help to our Music Program here at Fountainview.”

“I wanted to write and thank you for such a great weekend and such a fascinating course… I was enthralled by the entire concept and approach… You also really gave me something that I needed at that moment and I'm grateful. My season of marathon singing began last weekend and I had a chance to put what I had learned to some very practical use. And it worked beautifully. I'm finding all sorts of new places and colours and choices. And the public reaction was immediate to what I was doing! Yow!”

“As a teacher of singing, I have dreamed about a common language for singers, a technical perspective that acknowledges the athletic nature of what we do and the effort that is clearly a part of the package, and a collaborative environment that ‘builds up’ both teachers and students. I feel that, in order to build a solid program foundation, both teachers and students alike must feel secure in admitting any ‘lack of clarity’ so that they can open up to continual learning. Treating voice training as an ongoing science, in which we are all helping to flesh out details makes everyone partners in the process, and doesn't invalidate and alienate as some approaches do. In fact, this approach truly invites a team approach to learning.”

“Jo Estill's work is pioneering in that she was the first to separate voice quality clearly into source and filter components! Her basic vocal tract shapes associated with sob (yawn), twang, and sing (opera) are fundamental to our current understanding of how the source and the filter interact.”

“Why am I an Estill Voice Training™ practitioner? Obviously, I respect the quality of Jo Estill's research. She has produced a systematic approach to voice training that I have used successfully for the past twenty-two years in my work with undergraduate singers. It is one thing for Jo Estill to have been named one of the most significant voice scientists in the world today. She joins the ranks of many such gifted scientists. However, it is quite another thing to have fine tuned her research in such a way as to offer singers a disciplined approach that meets the demands of the profession today; namely, the ability to sing a variety of voice qualities with confidence, endurance, and artistic sensitivity. My colleagues and I think so highly of Jo Estill's work that we have developed a four-year undergraduate voice curriculum using her published materials. There is no greater "testimony" as to the trust we have in this approach to the training of the singing voice than to offer it to the next generation as a foundation for their professional careers.”

“I owe Jo Estill a debt which can never be repaid.”

“BE (Before Estill) I used to ask my various teachers why I couldn't do certain things and never got a straight or useful answer. The first Estill workshop I attended in Australia was a revelation for me. I grieved for the voice I should have had for at least 12 months. .However, my main purpose now, is to pass on this wonderful work to as many people as I can. I am positive that Estill has answers!”