Singer opens ‘gym for voice’

The journey from lecturing on chemistry to starting a voice training institute was not easy, says Divya R T.

The 34-year-old singer says Vox Coach, which she founded in April last year, is the only venture in Bengaluru to focus solely on voice training (for music and communication).

Her training was initially meant for professional singers, and she is now sharing its benefits beyond the ambit of singing.

Her enterprise has been running under the guidance of Sridhar Ranganathan, CEO and founder of Shankar Mahadevan Academy.

There aren’t many schools in India that exclusively offer in-depth training in vocal techniques, Divya says. “I’ve tied up with schools to deliver voice coaching and choir training this academic year,” she says. Training involves exercises similar to those at a gym, so it has to do with muscles, Divya explains.

For non-singers

With her education and biochemistry background, she says, she can understand voice science in depth.

“I can assess a voice and work towards removing voice-related roadblocks,” Divya says. Most people have a problem with breath control because they run out of breath before they can finish their lines.

‘Almost Postal’

Divya and a guitarist perform as a band called Almost Postal. They also train students at two international schools. “We cover old school rap and hip hop. I do the lead vocals. The project is like brand building,” she says.

About founder

Trained in Carnatic music, Divya believes vocal exercises and techniques help people understand their bodies better. A resident of Banashankari, Divya taught chemistry at Maharani’s College before she became a voice coach. She lists a variety of influences: pop, rock, progressive rock and metal, R&B, and hip hop, besides Indian music.

Short-term and long-term

On offer are crash courses as also those that stretch to 100 weeks. “It is usually one class a week because students get the space and time to practise and train their muscles,” says Divya. Fees start from Rs 6,000 (for five-day, 45-minutes-a-day crash course). The centre also offers online courses.