Estill Master Trainer Spotlight: Hope McNamara Sear
This Estill Master Trainer spotlight features, Hope McNamara Sear, an Estill Master Trainer based in Oxford, United Kingdom. Hope is a Chorister Singing Teacher for the world renowned Christ Church Cathedral Choir, in Oxford.
Current home (city, country): Oxford, UK
Where did you grow up?: London, Ontario, Canada
Why you do you love Estill Voice Training?: Because it gives me the freedom and confidence to teach in different musical genres and to be able to work in spoken voice as well. My job is never boring! I love being able to really help my students get to know their voices, control their sound and make the changes they want to make. I feel so lucky to be able to teach singing in both the classical and musical theatre worlds because it mirrors my training and I would never have been able to do it so effectively without Estill.
How did you find Estill Voice Training?: I went to the Royal Academy of Music for my postgraduate musical theatre training and Anne Marie Speed (EMCI) was my voice teacher. I was hooked from ‘false vocal folds..!’
Biggest professional challenge: Self-promotion. It doesn’t come naturally to me.
Last book read: The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle and Breath by James Nestor. I highly recommend both.
Person you would most like to have dinner with: The entire cast of Schitt’s Creek please.
Favorite performer: Elaine Stritch. Not only is she a legend but she reminds me of my paternal grandmother.
Hobby(ies): yoga, river swimming, and a tiny bit of ukulele
Favorite quote: “Great artists are people who find the way to be themselves in their art. Any sort of pretension induces mediocrity in art and life alike.” -Dame Margot Fonteyn
People would be surprised to know… When I was a young child I was painfully shy and hardly ever spoke. (Singing was a different story – no problem with volume there!) As I grew up, I fell in love with theatre, but still spoke very quietly. Even when I had roles in musicals during university I couldn’t project my speaking voice. It wasn’t until my postgraduate training (and Estill!) that I was able to change that.
