VOCAL TUTOR
Sophie is an experienced jazz educator renowned for her vocal teaching skills, and is currently one of the most in-demand vocal tutors in Britain. Outwith the covid pandemic she teaches on vocal jazz workshops around Britain and Europe with jazz vocalists Liane Carroll and Sara Colman as well as running regular 4-student intensive vocal workshops with bassist and music educator Tom Lyne from their home in central Scotland. She has numerous private students ranging from professional vocalists to complete beginners and currently teaches voice at Edinburgh University’s Reid School of Music. She regularly mentors professional musicians and music students including from the Royal Conservoire Scotland, and students funded by Creative Scotland or Arts Council of England.
SONGWRITING AND CREATIVE WRITING TUTOR
She also organises and teaches on songwriting and creative writing workshops and recently gained a Masters with Distinction in Creative Writing. In 2021 she completed Lapidus Scotland’s – Crossing Thresholds – a training course trained as a facilitator for facilitators of reading, writing and storytelling for wellbeing
SOPHIE’S INDIVIDUAL SINGING LESSONS
Jazz Repertoire * Phrasing * Interpretation * Improvisation * Vocal Technique * Music Theory for Singers
I also teach: Self-accompaniment * Song-writing * Sight reading * Analytical listening * Music Biography Writing * Developing your online presence and marketing * Mentoring
• Teaching methods devised from jazz vocal techniques
• Work with genres including jazz, pop, soul, folk, rock, r ‘n’ b, electronic, country, acoustic, musical theatre
• Experience your own voice
• Develop your individual self-expression and creativity
• Build confidence in your voice
• Vocal and Breathing techniques
• Ear training
• Improvisation
• Phrasing and musicality
• Song interpretation
• Microphone technique
• Define your vocal range
• How to work with a band
• Practice technique
• Self-accompaniment skills
• Song arrangement skills
• Repertoire, chord charts and song keys
Previous teaching posts include:
Jazz and Contemporary Vocal Tutor at Aberdeen University
Jazz Vocal Tutor at the Mediterranean Jazz Summer School run by Clive Fenner
Jazz Vocal Tutor at University of the Highlands and Islands
Jazz vocal tutor at the City of Edinburgh Music School
Jazz Vocal tutor at the University of Strathclyde on the BA Applied Music Course
Jazz Vocal tutor at the Royal Conservatoire Scotland
Vocal tutor at Newcastle University
Jazz Vocal Tutor on the Fionna Duncan Vocal Jazz Workshops
Songwriting tutor in various secondary and primary schools around Scotland
Workshop leader for various community projects using vocal techniques, improvisation and songwriting
with elderly people, teenagers, special needs children, adults and primary school children
Britains first Jazz Education Development Officer 1990 – 1991 for Jazz South and South West Jazz
Musical Theatre Vocal Tutor at Creative Stage School, Selkirk
Student testimonials from online masterclasses during lockdown:
“With your very positive and encouraging words you have created a safe place for learning/experimenting.”
“Your online masterclasses have provided me with regular practise, a deadline / structure to learn new material for, a window of song in the week, a commitment to music. I loved the expanse of participants from the world over and your love, support, encouragement and generosity.”
“Taking part in these have really inspired me and the online format made it possible for me to do them.”
PRACTISE CDs AVAILABLE – The Study Six Series by Sophie Bancroft
Learn the written melody and practise with a backing track – charts included.
A series of jazz standards with the basic written melody sung by Sophie for learning purposes followed by a seperate backing track with guitar and double bass to practise with (the songs are performed in a midrange key for female voices). The CDs, each containing 6 standards, are accompanied by charts of the arrangement recorded on the backing track.
