Introducing
Singing for Adults
A Group Course for Beginners
Next classes start
29 April – 1 May 2025.
'A great course for everybody who loves singing! It will help you understand the basics of singing technique, boost your confidence and allow you to meet fantastic people. Highly recommended!'
– J. Kaletka
'At first I was hesitant about joining an adult singing class. Now that the class has finished I have no regrets, and my Tuesday nights are noticeably empty! My technique and confidence have improved significantly, and I finally know how to warm up my vocal cords. I'm looking forward to continuing my musical journey with Waltons!'
– M. McKernan
Course Description
Do you love to sing? Have you ever been told that you had a good voice and 'must get it trained'? Would you like to know what actually goes on in singing lessons? Featured on RTÉ Radio One's Morning Ireland programme and one of Waltons New School of Music's most popular courses, Introducing Singing for Adults is designed to take some of the mystery out of singing, improve your confidence in singing before an audience and introduce you to the fundamentals of voice training. Along with a small group of like-minded adults, you will observe and participate in basic singing tuition. You will learn how to choose songs (from a range of musical styles) that suit you and your voice. And you will begin to explore the technical side of singing, discovering the application and use of Focus and Support. (We will also discuss how to work with a voice/singing teacher to achieve your singing goals.) But most of all you will learn – in a relaxed and supportive environment – to sing with and in front of others. For those who want a basic understanding of technique, as well as for those who want to begin a lifetime of study (the great opera singer Luciano Pavarotti took a singing lesson every week for most of his life!), this course is the perfect introduction to the singer's art.
Please note that although Introducing Singing for Adults is an excellent way to build your confidence as a singer, it is not a course for the timid. You will be asked to sing with and in front of others on a weekly basis.
Enrol in this course.
Questions about the course?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
Have you enrolled in this course?
Download our Introductory Handout
for tips on how to get the most from it.
This course covers Stage 1 of the New School's ten-stage system of student progress and assessment, which culminates in a teaching or performing qualification (Stage 10) should the student progress that far. Participants who successfully complete the course can be issued with a certificate of completion of Stage 1. If you are taking the course, please let the school office know if you would like this certificate. See About Our Stage System for more information.
See Summer Singing for Adults
for the summer version of this course.
Introducing Singing for Adults is one of the New School's group courses. We also offer private voice (singing) tuition for students of all ages and skill levels. See Voice (Singing) Tuition for more information.
Introduction to Song Performance
Specifically designed to follow on from the Introducing Singing for Adults course and aimed at singers who would like to progress in a group environment, this continuation course allows participants to explore singing in different music genres, learn additional vocal techniques and develop their group singing skills, including harmonisation. The teacher will set a new genre to explore every three weeks, including:
- Folk / Traditional Music
- Blues / Rock Music
- Songs from Movies
Participants will be expected to choose a song from each theme to practise and perform, with helpful suggestions and advice from their teacher. The aim of this course is to have fun, explore, learn lyrics, embrace storytelling and develop both technique and song interpretation skills.
This course covers Stage 2 of the New School's ten-stage system of student progress and assessment, which culminates in a teaching or performing qualification (Stage 10) should the student progress that far. Participants who successfully complete the course can be issued with a certificate of completion of Stage 1. If you are taking the course, please let the school office know if you would like this certificate. See About Our Stage System for more information.
Enrol in this course.
Questions about the course?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
Ana Dundovic
Hailing from Croatia, Ana started music at an early age, first by joining a children's choir and then by taking singing lessons. Later she developed an interest in rock music and joined her first rock band, touring across Europe at the age of seventeen. She began attending opera singing classes shortly after and received a scholarship to study in the BA Music programme at the University of Arts in Osijek, Croatia. As one of their most promising students, she performed in Italy, Hungary, Montenegro and other countries, with a highlight singing before thousands of people in Venice's Piazza San Marco. She is currently studying at the TU Dublin Conservatoire. Ana had won several singing competitions, both as a soloist and a part of the vocal ensemble. And she has performed in the Croatian National Theatre in Osijek in productions of Nikola Subic Zrinjski, Gianni Schicchi, Nabucco and The Magic Flute. Besides opera, she continues to pursue her rock career with a band called Piano Black. Ana is also a certified yoga and pranayama teacher, and she uses their techniques to help students with performance anxiety. Her professional training and versatility, as well as her extensive experience as a teacher both in Croatia and in Ireland, make her an ideal teacher for students of all ages interested in classical singing, as well as rock, metal, pop and jazz.
Sinéad Flynn
Sinéad received a BMus in Music Performance from the DIT Conservatory of Music and also trained in the Gaiety School of Acting. She has sung and acted in a wide range of theatre, opera and musical theatre productions, as well as on television and film. She has performed in the National Concert Hall, the Gaiety Theatre, the Peacock Theatre, Cork City Hall and Waterfront Hall in Belfast, as well as in Germany and the USA. Sinéad's favourite singing roles include Dido in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni. Her chorus work includes Puccini's Tosca, Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Glucks' Orfeo. And her favourite acting roles include Grusha in Bertolt Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle and the title role in Terence Rattigan's The Winslow Boy. Sinéad has won numerous prizes, including the Gilbert and Sullivan Cup in the Feis Ceoil and the Light Opera Cup and Margaret Dillon Memorial Prize in the Feis Maithiú, Cork. She has written and devised many of her own plays and performances, including The Box of Earthly Delights (the Pearse Centre, Culture Night), Discord (Phizzfest) and 10 x 10 Short Plays (Cork Arts Theatre). In addition to her work teaching voice, musical theatre and the Musical Theatre Workshop with the New School and singing for our Outreach Programme since 2006, Sinéad has also created and directed performances for several community and classroom groups. She has a particular interest in outreach education.
Siobhán Kavanagh
Siobhán is a singing teacher and music facilitator specialising in live performance, building repertoire and adapting to the needs of each student. She has a diverse musical background, having studied jazz, classical singing, opera performance and interdisciplinary vocal techniques. She was awarded the Paul Brady Bursary to study Irish traditional styles of singing, including unaccompanied singing such as séan-nós. She holds a First Class Honours BA in Music and Anthropology from Maynooth University and studied opera performance for an Erasmus year at the renowned University of Oslo in Norway. More recently, she received a First Class Honours MA in Ethnomusicology from the Irish World Academy of Music & Dance at the University of Limerick, where she continued her studies of Irish traditional singing, researched unaccompanied traditional singing circles in Dublin and unravelled some of the history behind traditional songs, as well as exploring Middle Eastern singing techniques. Singing has provided Siobhán with many performance opportunities, and she has toured extensively with live bands on national and international stages. She also works collaboratively with artists, composers, dancers, curators and circus practitioners and has been commissioned to compose songs, music and soundscapes for films, live art performance and music events.
Dav McNamara
Hailing from Sligo, Dav McNamara has long been one of Ireland's leading session singers, with many well-known radio and TV ads to her credit, including campaigns for Guinness, the National Lottery and Dunnes Stores. Her work has covered a wide range of styles and genres, and as well as singing in English she has also sung in French, Spanish, Italian, Irish and even Serbo-Croat! Over her long career, Dav has worked with a number of jazz luminaries both in Ireland and abroad, including the late, great Ray Charles, Jimmy Smith and bassist Paul Langosch (Tony Bennett band). She has also regularly performed in various Dublin venues – including The Globe, J.J. Smyth's and Bewley's Café Theatre – as well as numerous regional venues around the country, and she has appeared and sung a number of times on national television. Dav has taught with the New School since 2001.
Reviews • Testimonials
'Relaxed but progressive atmosphere. Excellent tuition. Professional teacher.'
– K. Ackland
'A great introduction to the basics of singing. You learn how to sing great songs step-by-step, without having to be able to read music.'
– F. Bulcke
'This course is a great introduction and confidence builder. Before you realise it you're singing in front of people and loving it!'
– E. Donnelly
'Professional, friendly and fun. Learned a lot about singing [with a] very enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher.'
– M. Doyle
'I enjoyed the course thoroughly and learned a lot. I would definitely recommend this course and Waltons New School of Music to anybody thinking of taking up singing lessons. The atmosphere is friendly and professional, I personally learned a lot and have decided to sign up for further lessons!'
– M. Dunne
'Very enthusiastic teacher and great breadth of genres taught. Really enjoyable – didn't miss a class!
– P. Dunne
'My teacher is brilliant at explaining, giving hands-on tips and exercises to practice. She knows how to make people feel both more comfortable and braver, and she is always positive and encouraging.
– C. Fabry
'I really enjoyed the course and gained confidence in my singing abilities as well as learning new techniques, and I had fun singing songs I would not normally have considered “suitable” for me.'
– R. Ferguson
'Great fun. Relaxed atmosphere. Learned loads!'
– K. Finn
'Excellent teacher and class environment in which to (re)learn singing!'
– T. Hennessy
'It is a great singing experience. Besides learning the techniques, you gain confidence in yourself. It is also a relaxing time.'
– M. Laboureur
'A great introduction to singing and the different genres of music. The course definitely made me want to pursue further vocal training.'
– R. Lee
'A very enjoyable course. The teacher was very experienced and all participants improved hugely, even shrinking violets!'
– E. Loughrey
'If you love to sing but are not sure how to progress, give the singing course a go. Hugely enjoyable and a great way to progress in a small group. It helps with wobbly nervous voices too! Highly recommended.'
– A. McCabe
'Gave me confidence to try for the high notes in the choir I'm in.'
– B. Mac Ceallaigh
'The course was so much more than I expected. I learned so much and gained confidence within myself. The teacher was an inspiration!'
– C. McGowan
'For me, as an aspect of personal development, the classes were hugely enjoyable and rewarding.'
– E. McGrath
'I enjoyed the course immensely and learned a lot. The teacher was excellent and I liked the whole welcoming set up in Waltons New School of Music.'
– A. Molony
'Excellent tuition. I really enjoyed getting to know different voices and different styles of singing.'
– P. Murray
'It was so enjoyable that I never noticed the time passing and was always surprised when the time was up!'
– N. O’Reilly
'I have been singing 'au natural' for years, but in the class I learned about the importance of breathing correctly when singing, and also posture and other things that helped me feel that I could improve.'
– E. Wynne
Have you taken – or are you taking – this course? We would appreciate it if you could take a few moments to give us your feedback in a brief online questionnaire about it.
2024-2025 Third Term
Class Schedules
CLASS 1
9 weeks, 29 April – 24 June 2025
Tuesdays 7 – 8 pm
Teacher: Dav McNamara
CLASS 2
9 weeks, 30 April – 25 June 2025
Wednesdays 7 – 8 pm
Teacher: Ana Dundovic
CLASS 3
9 weeks, 1 May – 26 June 2025
Thursdays 7 – 8 pm
Teacher: Sinéad Flynn
Introduction to Song Performance
9 weeks, 1 May – 26 June 2025
Thursdays 6 – 7 pm
Teacher: Siobhán Kavanagh
Tuition Fee: €200
Enrolment
Enrolment for this course requires a completed Enrolment Form and full payment of the tuition fee. Places in each class are limited to eight and are available on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the date of enrolment. Many of our group courses fill in advance of their start dates, and early enrolment is recommended.
Purchasing this course as a gift?
Please complete a Gift Certificate Booking Form.
Questions about the course?
or call us on (01) 478 1884.
What happens after the course?
Two weeks before the end of each Introducing course, participants will be given options for continuing their tuition with the New School if they would like to do so. Although an 'improvers' course cannot be scheduled on the same day/time as the Introducing course, it may be possible to arrange one on another day/time if enough course participants would like to continue and the teacher has timetable availability. Alternatively, participants can move on to Introduction to Song Performance (see Continuation Course tab on this page), a course specifically designed to follow on from Singing for Adults. Participants can also continue their tuition with private (one-to-one) lessons or 'partner' lessons with another class member. (See Tuition Options – Private • Partner • Small Group Lessons.) Or they can continue their tuition with another course or ensemble:
- Jazz Vocal Workshop
- Musical Theatre Workshop.
- Sing Your Heart Out Choir
- Sing & Swing Jazz Vocal Ensemble.
We are happy to discuss these options with you.
'You've got a song you're singing from your gut, you want that audience to feel it in their gut. And you've got to make them think that you're one of them sitting out there with them too.'
– Johnny Cash
'When I began singing, it was the first time I was happy in my life. As a baby, I would stop crying when I heard a great singer.'
– Andrea Bocelli