Charlie Clay

Charlie trained in Musical Theatre at Performance Preparation Academy, gaining a 1st Class BA Hons in Performance in Musical Theatre, as well as completing a Foundation in Musical Theatre at Read College. Since graduating, Charlie made her professional debut in Pantomime in the Midlands, where she is originally from, and has been part of various concerts and workshops for new musicals, both as an actor and as a musical director.

She has lived in London for the last six years and, in 2021, completed the Vocal Balance Teacher Training course. At the end of 2023, she became a Senior Vocal Balance Teacher and a Teacher Training Coordinator. Charlie adores working with her students, offering one-to-one lessons at Blüthner Piano Centre, Baker Street, and in Walthamstow, East London (subject to availability). In addition to her private teaching experience, she has worked in higher education establishments such as LAMDA (one-to-one singing, acting through song, and ensemble singing) and PPA in Guildford (group technical singing, swing projects, one-to-one singing, musicianship, acting through song, and working as an MD on in-house projects). Charlie has also covered at a variety of drama schools, teaches one-to-one online singing with Stagebox on their VBSB singing programme with Vocal Balance, and runs workplace choirs for wellbeing programmes.

Charlie has played the piano since the age of seven and is a skilled accompanist and sight-reader, playing for concerts, workshops with casting directors, and working as an audition pianist. She prides herself on not only being able to equip her students with the Vocal Balance toolkit but also on her wealth of knowledge as a musician and MD.

Charlie is passionate about creating an environment where there is room to explore the voice and absolute permission to fail! It is vital that the student feels they are working as part of a team with their teacher, to work together to achieve as much as they can in their lessons while also having fun! Charlie is continually grateful for the trust that her students place in her, and she will always strive to ensure they feel listened to, supported, and encouraged to step out of their comfort zone—both to develop technically and to grow in confidence as a performer.