Q and A with Teresa Carpio

You were, and still are, a very famous and in-demand singer. What prompted you to get into teaching?

A number of years ago, I had lost my voice. The doctors here were no help at all, and I was fortunate to meet a vocal therapist by the name of Don Lawrence in New York. [Don Lawrence has taught the likes of Billy Joel, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Gun’s N Roses, Steve Tyler, Bon Jovi, Rolling Stones, Marc Anthony, Bono, and Christina Aguilera.]  He showed me some exercises that really helped, and I got my voice back very quickly.

So right away people noticed the effect your teaching had?

Yes. Audiences and everyone else noticed the miraculous transformation in Sandy’s singing! This was something still quite new – people always assumed either you could sing or you couldn’t. They didn’t know you could get better with practice and guidance. After that, I had quite a few artists looking for me: Sammi Cheng Sau-Man, Anthony Wong Yiu Ming, a young Joey Yung was sent by Roman Tam; Remus Choi from “Grasshopper”; Alex To Tak Wai: Elizabeth Lee Mei Fung;  Edmund Leung Hon-Mun, Amanda Lee, Kuk Jo Lam, Gigi Leung Wing-Kei, Stephanie Cheng Yung, Fiona Sit Hoi-Kei, Wong Jo Lam, Anders Nelsson, Twins, Vincy Chan, Sherman Tang, Vangie Tang, Shine, Lisa Wang, Ivan Wang, Theresa Fu and many more.

How did you expand to teach non-artists?

I started meeting people – mostly adults – who wanted to take lessons for no other reason than they loved singing. This idea was so new to me that I took on more students like this, and from then it was a matter of taking younger and younger applicants.

When did you decide to open an actual school?

It was in Toronto. I had been teaching out of a small studio for a while when I decided to run a summer camp. Over 50 people turned up and I thought : I really need a bigger place! Four years later I opened another one in Hong Kong.

What is the main requirement to become one of your students?

You must love singing!