Sandra Smith, BA Hons. lives and works in South Devon, having moved from London in 1992. She teaches singing for Dartington College of Arts and has a busy private practice.

Sandra coached the Devon-based choir, Glorious Chorus, on a regular basis for three years before starting her own choir in April 2008.
Over the three years, her dynamic teaching and artistic vision transformed Glorious Chorus from a good local community choir into one that now plays top international music festivals. Sandra worked extensively in training the choir's vocal, choral, interpretation and performance skills in the full chorus as well as small ensembles that formed from the body of Glorious Chorus' singers.
Sandra also coaches a number of other singing groups throughout Devon and beyond (see choir coaching).

In 2008, she launched the Contemporary Choral Academy to serve the south-west of England with a complete range of singing tuition, choir coaching and workshop training possibilities for individuals and groups including those from the corporate sector. Coinciding with the birth of the Academy, a Youth Training Choir for 11-16 year-olds was established.

Sandra studied classical singing technique for over 10 years with John Greirson and Jennifer Caron (WNO) in London. Sandra has the Advanced Voicecraft training for contemporary singing. She is an Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner (NLP) and has a certificate in counselling. She has a BA Honours degree in Performing Arts.

Putting on the Ritz!
Sandra has enjoyed a full and varied singing career, and looking back, her continued interest and involvement in community arts started with Music in Education workshops and performances, and touring in community theatre, whilst also pursuing a varied professional career fronting a 1930's Big Band at venues such as Claridges, The Savoy and The Ritz, playing at London's society balls as well as singing on the alternative comedy/cabaret circuit in the 80's and appearing on Radio 2! All of it fun, and very useful now, as it gives a wealth of varied experiences to draw from and knowledge to pass on when teaching.

Teaching in London Theatre Schools
Whilst in London Sandra taught at the Mountview Theatre school, the Hertfordshire Theatre School and Middlesex University and had private clients at Central School of Speech and Drama, Arts Educational School and other major drama schools. She also taught independent label rock and pop artists.

Looking after the voice
Establishing her practice in Devon she has gained a reputation for being anatomically and vocally accurate, and she is fervent about people singing wholeheartedly with passion and consistency - and safety. (See safe singing practices.)

Professional singers are regularly referred to her from speech therapy departments to correct inadequate technique that has caused them problems, and to get them out singing again as soon as possible, but safely this time!

Learn interpretation and performance skills
Sandra enjoys teaching both beginners and professional singers how to open up to more colour, more joy and more expression in their singing, both inwardly and outwardly. Her lessons incorporate technical tools as well as interpretation and performance skills.

She is known for her fun, lively teaching style and her compassion for the process of learning to sing, and the courage it takes for all singers to open up to the truth of their sound – new or experienced, it's a big step!