Jono's Story
Music has always been in me.
I've constantly listened to
it, played it, and sung it for
as long as I can remember
Music has always fascinated me. I had my ears glued to speakers and headphones from as young as I can remember, but it’s now an obsession. My first experiences as a professional singer were in a funk/acid-jazz band in Australia. At 18 I found myself in an intense schedule of touring, recording and performing, learning many of my skills on the bandstand.
In the the early days, singing with my first band
Throwing myself into extensive studies of jazz and contemporary music at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in my Australian hometown, Perth, I took advantage of the advanced possibilities that music had for me. I had opportunities as a writer, session singer, choral conductor and eventually a vocal coach. Through this period I put together jazz trios to large ensembles; I sang on every album I could, and fronted bands from funk to soul to pop. Music was something to be devoured!
My move to London pushed me further. I worked very hard to develop my understanding of style, speed, sound, and make myself as employable as I could. I had opportunities to perform backing vocals on stage and in studios with some incredible artists; Michael Buble, Lemar, Jamie Cullum, Paloma Faith, George Ezra and Jocelyn Brown. I also achieved some of my bucket list underground soul passion projects, singing with the Reel People, The Layabouts, Jean Carn and Leon Ware. The lessons I learned were far and above anything I’d experienced before; and I loved it.
However, the road definitely wasn’t easy. Health issues caused a range of difficulties for my voice and even confidence; and I’ve had to develop new technical strategies, as well as emotional resilience. But it’s been worth it and my voice is stronger and has even more value to me.
“Music was something to be devoured!”
All of these experiences have made me into the coach I’ve become today. I’ve worked alongside and learned from some of the best coaches, academics and practitioners in the business. Having coached nearly 1500 clients, my passion is stronger than ever for empowering, equipping and inspiring singers in their wonderful diverse forms.
Whether it be vocal technique, contemporary style, studio vocal production, performance coaching, or artist development, I find no other choice but to be passionately committed to your development and see you reach and surpass your creative goals. Music is after all, awesome!
