Greg Harrison, vocal coach in Salt Lake City, observing in studio
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Greg Harrison

Vocal Coach · Salt Lake City · Teaching since 2014

I help adults discover how their bodies shape their voices, so they can sound better and use their voices more easily. I teach musicianship, acting, and performance skills by focusing on how the whole body works together, using ideas from neuroscience.

As a coach, I see myself as a detective searching for what helps you feel safe, not as a critic looking for mistakes. Your voice is an honest reflex. It shows you are never as broken as you might think.

Detective, not critic

A lot of vocal advice assumes something is missing from your voice, and the coach needs to add it. In my experience, it's the other way around. Your voice is already there, but protective responses are getting in the way.

Your throat tightens and your breath gets shorter. Your whole body goes into protection mode because your brain sees the audition as a risk. That tightness isn't a flaw in your voice. It's your brain doing its job and keeping your airway safe.

That's where the parking-brake idea comes from. The brake is on for a reason. Your brain put it there. Once we send your brain a new signal, it can release the brake.

That's why I watch and listen before giving advice. Every singer's body shows where the voice feels unsafe in its own way. Maybe your shoulder rises before you breathe, your jaw tightens before a high note, or your head tips back at the same spot every time. These are signals, not judgments. My job is to read the map before making any changes.

Then we test. We try an adjustment, you sing the same phrase, your voice responds within seconds. We keep what worked, set aside what didn't, and try something different. Several rounds of this in a single session build a small set of drills your voice has already approved.

Your voice is the best tool for feedback, and it always tells the truth.

You don't build a voice. You stop hiding one.

Background

I'm a Level 1 Certified Practitioner of Andrew Byrne's Singing Athlete program. That's where the parking-brake idea comes from. It's the best answer I've found for why does the same drill work for one singer and do nothing for the next. Every coach should be able to answer that, and most can't.

When your voice locks up after sixteen bars, that framework lets me figure out within minutes whether what's happening is a breath-support issue, a threat response, or a coordination that hasn't been built yet. Each one needs different drills. While other coaches might run you through the same warm-up regardless, I figure out what's actually happening before recommending anything.

I still perform. Mostly musical theatre at Hale Centre Theatre and other Salt Lake City venues, usually one show a year. Selected credits: Shrek in Shrek, Cogsworth and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (I know, right?), and ensemble in Fiddler on the Roof, Titanic, Sweeney Todd, and Phantom.

What this means for your work with me

If you've worked with a vocal coach before and the advice didn't land, you probably experienced the gap between the right cue and the wrong sequence. "Relax your jaw" and "support more" aren't bad cues. They just get given before anyone checks what your body is actually doing while you sing.

Here's what you can expect from the Vocal Exploration Session, whether or not you decide to keep going:

Common questions

Where do you teach?

In-person at the studio in Millcreek, Salt Lake City, and online over video to students anywhere in the country.

What ages do you teach?

Mostly adults, plus a few teens. Age matters less than fit. The students who get the most from working together are curious, coachable, and willing to experiment. There's no upper age limit; your nervous system keeps learning new things throughout your life.

What kind of singers do you work with?

Mainly musical theatre singers getting ready for auditions, callbacks, and shows. I also work with adult amateur singers, returning singers, and people who want to figure out a specific habit they've been working against. If you're not sure where you fit, that's okay.

What's a Vocal Exploration Session like?

Twenty minutes. Bring a song you know. One phrase is enough. We'll go over your experience and your goals, try out some drills together, and your voice will respond within seconds to each one. By the end you'll have at least one new insight into what's happening in your voice and a feel for my coaching style.

What's the typical commitment?

Most students come for 45 to 60 minute lessons once a week or every other week. We'll talk about pricing and packages at the end of the Vocal Exploration Session, once we both know what you want to work on.

How is this different from regular singing lessons?

Most singing lessons assume something is missing from your voice and the coach is there to add it. The Singing Athlete framework I trained in starts from the opposite assumption: the voice is already there, and a protective response from the nervous system is in the way. Different starting point, different way of working, and a different kind of first session.

Next step

If this sounds like the way you want to work, the first move is a free 20-minute Vocal Exploration Session. Pick a time that works for you.

Book My Free Exploration Session