Evaluation

Ms Patricia Forbes taught music as a substitute teacher from October 4th 2010 to March 30th 2011 and again from November 10th 2011 to January 28th 2012 at Hermann Ehlers Secondary School.

Ms Forbes was always very punctual and reliable. She continually reached out to the students and, as a result, was able to motivate them very well. The students enjoyed making music with Ms Forbes.
Due to her competent manner, she was able to motivate even those students who were not very interested in singing to sing.
She was quickly accepted by and integrated with her colleagues and actively took part in the school’s music performances and events.

I would like to express my complete satisfaction with Ms Forbes’ work and wish her all the best for the future.

Best regards,

Ms Pflug
Headmaster / Principal, Hermann-Ehlers-Gymnasium (Berlin-Steglitz/Zehlendorf)

 

Ms Patricia Forbes taught music and English in the Kindergarten "Am Tegeler Fließ", Waidmannluster Damm 7 e, 13507 Berlin from September 1, 2007 to June 30, 2009.

…Ms Forbes offered a wide variety of activities so as to teach both music and English. Through the use of games, dancing and singing, she was able to coach the children in various rhythms and styles of music.
…Ms Forbes, due to her education and top shelf musical and pedagogical abilities,
was able to offer the children training which was developmentally appropriate to their
age group. She has an outstanding ability to recognize and assist in the development
of the individual children's talents. She is also able to take the children's suggestions
and impulses into account during class and willing to depart from her lesson plan. Her enthusiasm and passion for classical music gave the children their first opportunity to become acquainted with this style of music.

Berlin, July 1, 2009
Kindergarten Principal (Tsedal Volkmann)

 

Patricia has shown me within the last 4 years how to sing notes which I thought were far out of my reach and has helped me increase my vocal range by half an octave. She understands extremely well how to impart the joy of singing. My lessons were a lot of fun although an appropriate measure of earnestness was also present. Patricia is very enthusiastic and doesn't lose her patience even when it sometimes takes longer to release that vocal knot - speaking from my own experience. She also displays a high amount of ingenuity when searching for ways to "liberate" the voice. Personally, I have not only developed as a singer but my voice has also gotten stronger in my daily life which has contributed to strengthening my self-esteem.

Diana Jaeger, Nurse

 

I started taking voice lessons with Patricia Forbes in autumn of 2001. She managed to create a comfortable, positive and productive working atmosphere. She concentrated
not only on the voice but also on the breath, the body and its expression. Our work
was goal-oriented from the very beginning as my intention was to audition for various Musical Theatre schools in the spring of 2002. Although I came to Patricia without any previous singing experience, she managed to prepare me well enough so as to ensure
my acceptance at a Musical school in Berlin. At the moment, I’m in my last year and
have a professional engagement lined up following my graduation.

Tobias Roloff, Musical Singer / Dancer

 

 I’ve been singing now for most of my 49 years of life, though I discovered classical
singing only 8 years ago; first as a member of a church choir and later as a member of
the STUDIO CHOIR Berlin. Though I’ve been taking voice lessons for about 4 years,
I found my way to you about 10 months ago as a result of the recommendation of some
of my fellow singers.
I find that not only have I been able to build upon what I already know as a singer, but
that I have made a decisive step forward. I can feel how my sound has developed, my
voice has gained volume effortlessly, my vocal production has become more regular
and my vocal registers have evened out. And it’s good fun – I look forward to
each lesson! 

Wolf-Peter Kraus, Engineer

  

Patricia is a wonderful holistic voice instructor. I value not only her professionalism as
a singing teacher but I admire many other of her qualities: her enthusiasm, her open- heartedness, her vitality, her genuineness, her human warmth which is combined with
a wealth of life experience, a deep sense of spirituality, and an earthy sense of humour.
She has encouraged my development as a singer while at the same time has supported
me psychologically, creating space for my freedom and growth as a whole person.
Thank you, Patricia!

Monika Oboth, Mediator

  

Voice lessons with Patricia Forbes can be described, above all else, as very physical
and sensual singing experiences. She teaches singing not only as a simple learning
of tones and melodies but is also able to show her students what they are capable of
doing with their own voices. She puts a great deal of emphasis on physical sensation
and awareness of one’s own body while singing so as to allow it to be a part of the
entire experience. I have learnt and continue to learn more about my own body and
the resonances found within it which are crucial to singing. Breathing remains the
most important aspect of her teaching and, in terms of the exercises she uses,
is in the foreground. Singing is and always will be one of the most wonderful things
in the world. It continually allows me to experience personal joy and freedom.

Dirk Schmidt, High School Music / Drama Teacher

   

I cannot begin to thank Patricia enough for the patience she has shown me. Of course,
I pay her to teach me but there are certainly enough voice teachers out there who, due
to the fact that my progress is so slow, would have told me long ago to find another hobby. However, singing is more than just a hobby to me. This is why, instead of complaining
about my mistakes, my progress – as slow as it sometimes is – is praised and acknowledged. This means a lot to me. In addition, I’ve learnt a great deal about
my own body and its physical tension through my voice lessons with Patricia.

Kamala Schulz, Social Worker

  

I’ve been taking voice lessons for approximately 4 years with Patricia. As an actress,
I use my singing voice frequently on stage. Before I began lessons with Patricia, I often
felt, despite the strength of my speaking voice, that my singing voice was thin and brittle.
I’ve since improved my physical awareness while singing which has given my voice
more resonance, strength and volume. When one is on stage, it isn’t easy to give up
an old, seemingly familiar manner of singing. Patricia, however, works consistently
and detailed. She begins with a calm, deep breathing technique and moves on to the interpretation of a song. This has lead and continues to lead me toward a deep trust
of my own body. This work makes me aware of the old habits which stood in my way.
Patricia has also taught me to use my emotions well without becoming a slave to them. Although I feel that singing is often full of contradictions, Patricia has guided me
patiently on the “tightrope act” of vocal technique. In addition to my lessons, she has
also attended many of my performances and offered me feedback regarding my
progress as a singing performer. This has been an enormous help to me and my development as a singer and an actress over the years.

Annick Klug, Actress

 

I’ve noticed positive changes in my voice after just 3 months of voice lessons with
Patricia Forbes and continue to discover new vocal resonances. In addition, my posture
and physical awareness reflect more self-confidence now. I finally feel as though I’m on the right path vocally as I’m now able to use my voice with more volume and confidence.

Renate Finckbein, High School Teacher, Mediator and Coach

  

The thing I remember best is what you said to me during our very first voice lesson:“ Just simply open up and trust - you cannot know what the result will be”. Since that time, I have gained a lot of trust both in my voice and in myself. I feel encouraged as a person and a singer to get out there and do it – and I’m loving it!

Anya Lange, Singer

 

I took voice lessons from Patricia for about 2 years. During this time, I didn’t just im-
prove my singing voice; I also experienced something I hadn’t expected from voice
lessons: singing and the detailed musical work associated with my lessons, triggered
small euphoric episodes which meant that I usually left my voice lessons happier than
when I had arrived! Why this happened, I cannot say. Perhaps it had something to do
with the sense of achievement that I experienced while singing or maybe singing
increased the level my physical and spiritual awareness which one doesn’t usually encounter in everyday life. In any case, my voice lessons were an all-round exciting
and pleasant experience.

Thomas Hasel, Writer

  

My speaking voice had become flat and had lost its connection to both my chest and
lower belly as a result of everyday life at the office. I met Patricia coincidentally and she convinced me that this could be remedied by taking voice lessons. It became clear to
me soon after that first lesson that not only would the above mentioned goal be realized
but that I had also discovered my classical singing voice. Until that time, I hadn’t had much to do with classical singing. However, now it takes up a considerable amount of my leisure time. Learning how to sing has meant learning more about who I am. Since I’ve started to sing, my physical, acoustic, and self-awareness has increased considerably.
I am now able to listen to my own voice and the voices of others in a completely new way. The spatial concept of my own body has become more intense and I am now able to identify and release physical tension. I’ve learnt that curiosity and courage to develop
my own interpretation as well as the ability to open myself up emotionally are crucial to singing. Above all, I’ve learnt how important it is to be patient with myself and to enjoy
the small steps forward I continue to make as a singer.

Thomas Mingenbach, Business Consultant