When your voice is healthy, it becomes beautiful
Holland Belle Fay
Holland is a vocal coach dedicated to creating health and beauty in singing voices. Her approch is direct and efficent, helping you to meet your goals sooner.
She is classically trained, with a BA from Pepperdine University, and a Masters of Music in Operatic Studies from SUNY Purchase. She has over a decade of teaching experience and more than 20 years of experience as a performing artist. While her background is in opera, Holland sings and teaches modern styles- rock, pop, folk, musical theater, r&b - and has released several albums of original music.
Holland developed her teaching method after experiencing vocal strain and fatigue as she transitioned from opera to modern styles like rock, pop and belting. She refused to believe that forcing the voice was the only way to achieve the power and edge demanded by contemporary music, so she set out to create her own training method for modern singing.
Her approach, a unique combination of classical and modern technique, utilizes the highly effective acoustic amplification techniques used by opera singers. This method enables you to build a voice that is powerful, modern and healthy with minimal physical effort.
“When your voice is healthy, it becomes beautiful”
For more than a decade Holland has used this philosophy to help singers across the United States to find vocal health, beauty and freedom. She works often with professional and entry-level professional singers who are looking to expand their ability, prepare for touring, or recover from vocal fatigue and injury. Holland believes that your vocal health is the key to your success. Health is not just a bi-product of good technique, it is the roadmap that we will use to unlock the unique potential of your voice.
Most vocal issues are caused by a physical misalignment in your vocal mechanism. Misalignment causes inefficient function of your voice, which robs you of your true potential and creates unwanted side effects: tension, fatigue, loss of rage, loss of stamina, uncontrollable weakness/breathiness, or vocal nodules.
Holland uses precise technical exercises to align your voice and free you from the need to push. Whether you are a vocalist who is looking to grow, or a veteran singer with decades of experience under your belt, this method can help you to find new range, power, flexibility and freedom.
What to expect in your lesson
Holland’s teaching style is friendly, focused and efficient.
Every minute of your lesson time is precious, and will be tailored to your individual needs and goals.
Holland’s main focus is on technical exercises. Your lessons will be like a strength training workout for your voice!
A smaller portion of your lesson will be dedicated to working on songs. This will help you to apply your technique directly to the music you are singing.
And most importantly! Holland will show you how to be effective in your home practice so you can progress towards your goals faster.
Many singers hit vocal blocks because they simply do not know how to practice effectively. Holland will show you exactly what to do to make your home practice straightforward, efficient, and productive.
Testimonials
“It is not an exaggeration to say that working with Holland changed my life. I have been writing and performing my own music for many years, but in under one year of lessons, Holland gave me the technical knowledge and confidence to step into my identity as a true vocalist. I went from singing with unpredictable results and fear of injury to working from a solid foundation of technique and holding the tools necessary to deliver replicable, strong, and emotive vocal performances. 10/10 I would recommend working with Holland. Her warm, enthusiastic energy and profound understanding of singing paired with her wide range of experience– from professional operatic to contemporary songwriting– make her a truly exceptional vocal coach.”
-Eva
“Insightful, accomplished, and intuitive, Holland is an incredible instructor who I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone. Under Holland’s tutelage I have been able to achieve major milestones with my voice that I didn’t think possible. Holland provides a safe, professional environment for any student, at any level to expand on their talents. Classically trained but a contemporary artist, she is multi-talented and able to transfer her talents into lessons. Not only have I learned technique from Holland but also artistry, which I am able to incorporate into performances.”
-Jennifer
”Holland has given me the courage to trust myself and given me the space to let go of my past self and to make room for the singer within.”
-Olivia
”Working with Holland in virtual and in person sessions, I became aware of my voice in a new way. Through attuned listening and detailed description of the physiognomy of my vocal chords, jaw placement and tongue compression/shape, Holland coached me into awareness of an upper register in my voice that I was not using. Without these techniques, I often go hoarse after singing. Using the methods we developed, I am able to sing in a sustained way that both feels better and sounds free and open. ”
-Laurent
About Holland
I began training to be an opera singer at nine years old. After completing my masters degree in Operatic Studies, I moved into professional performance. Surprisingly, it was then that I fell in love with modern singing. I moved back to Los Angeles and began performing as a singer-songwriter. Although I had previously done musical theater and other contemporary styles, I knew that my current voice wasn’t modern enough to cut it, so I started experimenting with my technique. I added weight to my voice thinking that sounding darker and heavier was the solution, but quickly found that the modern voice I was trying to create was causing fatigue and pain. And the worst part was, the more I forced myself to sound "loud" and "powerful" the more people seemed to notice me. I felt trapped.
We’ve all heard the stories about famous singers who were forced to have vocal surgery, cancel tours, and even end their careers early. Now that I was in the professional field, I saw it happening all around me. My fellow singers were constantly complaining of losing their voices. They would come off stage exhausted, needing days to recover, and would often become attached to elaborate rituals involving special teas, hot steam, excessive water…all to make the voice cooperate. I saw myself very quickly heading in that same direction. It was an overwhelming message that something wasn’t right. I refused to believe that forcing it was the only way forward.
So I turned to the technique I knew: operatic. Opera singers are trained to create a sound so powerful it can carry over a full orchestra, without a microphone. They do this by using vocal amplification techniques which put the vocal mechanism into a state of top efficiency, making it possible to create immense volume and clarity with very minimal physical effort.
While I had experienced this power as an opera singer, I didn't know if it was possible to achieve it in modern styles, which require a different physical vocal posture. I immediately began developing a training program for my own voice, seeing if I could use the scientific principles of operatic singing to create modern power. I used great modern vocalists of the 20th century- like Aretha Franklin, Freddie Mercury, and Whitney Houston - as my barometer for success.
What I came to discover blew my mind. Not only was it possible to harness incredible power, beauty and edge, it is possible to do so easefully. Suddenly I was singing along with the greats, creating sounds I had only dreamed of. My range expanded, my belt solidified, and I was stronger than ever before. And the best part was, it felt great. There was no need to push, no need to force, all I needed to do was train the voice correctly…and hear the voice flourish.
This technique transformed my voice, and soon, became the bedrock of my teaching practice.
It is my great love and passion to help others singers to connect with their own ease, power and freedom.
-Holland
Listen to the music
Holland Belle’s solo folk album, Bird Song
“The Right Way to Fall” by Holland Belle and “Nightjacket,” from the dream pop album Eternal Phase.
Casual Gloss, an electronic R&B album by Holland Belle and GLOSSSY
Book a session with Holland
Holland is currently available via Zoom, and in-person in Catskill, NY30 min - $75
1 hour - $150