Ella’s Journey into Voice began 35 years ago with a transformational experience where her voice was miraculously awakened with her first mentor, the inimitable Harriet Buchan in Edinburgh, Scotland. She had found her voice. However she then lost her voice through not understanding the gift, not heeding the call, and has spent the next 3 decades on a journey of inquiry into the healing voice, releasing the voice and vocal expression including improvisation. All this led to her founding and leading groups, from 2001-2018 in vocal improvisation, community choirs, Threshold style choirs and also offering workshops in freeing the voice/ the healing voice. A brain injury 7 years ago put a halt to all of that. Once again she lost her vocal capacity. And had to find it again. It has been a long haul in recovery but her calling wouldn’t leave her alone and now she is resurfacing at last with new, unique, vocal healing offerings.
Here are some of her mentors over the course of 3 and a 1/2 decades:
Harriet Buchan, actress and singer, famous for her role in Taggart, a UK series.
Frankie Armstrong, UK folk singer and natural voice practitioner. Natural Voice Practitioner certification training with Frankie.
Chloe Goodchild, UK and internationally renowned vocal coach.
Jill Purce, world renowned Tibetan overtoning teacher.
Black Coffee Sound Production, UK.
Sibylle Rovier, psychotherapist and find your voice teacher, Findhorn, UK.
Peter Giles, Voice teacher, UK.
Community Choir Leadership Training, Siobhan Robinsong and Dennis Donnelly, Victoria, BC, Canada.
7 years participation in a leaderless group of vocal improvisers, gathering one full weekend per month, Victoria, BC, Canada.
Roy Hart Theatre of the Voice, France.
Rhiannon, BC, Canada.
Edwin Coppard, BC, Canada.
Applied Improvisation Conference Presenter, US.
And more recently, post brain injury:
Hanna Elise Seinen, voice teacher, BC, Canada
Currently: Lachune Boyd, Vocal Coach, Texas, US. Semifinalist for America’s Got Talent, 2023.