Vocal Coach Content Finds It’s Place On Social Media

YouTube arguably birthed the notion of the social media career which now stands so prominent. Daily vlogging, conventions – even launching singing careers, and we see it all mirrored in the role that TikTok plays today. Music has long been the star of TikTok, all the way back to its first life as Musical.ly, where lip-syncing reigned supreme. With musical theatre performers and rising stars, particularly of the indie persuasion, finding success on TikTok time and time again, surely it makes sense that musical creatives flock to the app as a key tool in today’s artistic and visionary society.

We have lived through the rise of the influencer, from the separation of Youtuber and Instagram model to the renown now given to the title of content creator. Following a period where viral original music not through a Vevo was cringeworthy, we are embracing parody to a whole new level, the challenge culture of YouTube now translates to such TikTok trends as the Hairspray riff and where vocal coaches were once unsung heroes we see a resurgence currently occurring amongst this environment that seems to be naturally cultivating the singing superstars of tomorrow.

Cheryl Porter is a classically trained opera singer who transitioned smoothly into jazz performance then into a career as the World’s Number 1 Global Vocal Coach. Known affectionately to her fans as Mama Cheryl, her achievements as a solo vocalist land her fully amongst the iconic musicians she collaborates with. Of Cheryl Porter the old adage ‘those who can’t do, teach’ does not apply. The Cheryl Porter Method sees a loving and relatable approach to singing, building not only confidence but resounding connection with those who make an appearance in her videos. Casual, modern, playful, joyous. From humble beginnings in a basement in Italy, she has become an inspiration to many with the social media empire to prove it. As of right now, Porter has been involved in bringing various up and coming talent to a new level of recognition.

Last month saw Ellie Banke become the latest such star, lending her exemplary vocal to Cheryl Porter’s Articulation Song, also known as Kentucky Fried Constants. Not only was the exercise incredibly catchy, it also had people across TikTok dissecting the difficulties of what Banke made seem so easy, and the intricate timing and breath of the song soon became the challenge of the moment that had TikTok singers stepping up to the plate, likewise with her rendition of Ed Sheeran’s ‘Dive’.

Not only is Banke reaching new audiences, but she is also reaching a height on level with musical idols, evident in a series of videos which saw her connect with Ed Sheeran, starting with her beautiful performance of ‘Dive’ in her session with Mama Cheryl. Fans banded together at Banke’s back to ensure that the response she received from Sheeran was in fact a promise, leaving no room for anything fleeting, and before we knew it video evidence of their meeting graced TikTok screens in the form of a wonderfully intimate acoustic duet which effectively sees the two take turns blowing each other away with their respective musical gifts – and that is not the only duet they filmed! Now, Banke has officially released ‘Dive (Ellie’s Version)’ and has teased a new upcoming album.

Banke has been releasing original music periodically since 2019, when she graduated and began vocal coaching herself – a side of her life she let shine with a beautiful moment in her video with Porter, in which the student quite literally became the master, and she shifts the Articulation Song from its pedestal, sharing a vocal exercise of her own titled Spirit Sparkle. Banke’s performance style and vocal range is infectious. Showcasing extraordinary control and tone, she demonstrates a wonderful bubbling creativity and personality young vocalists should be lucky to call their inspiration.

Of course, this is not the first time that a vocal warm up exercise of Porter’s has seen a well-deserved talent step into the limelight. Liamani Segura stands a clear example of Porter’s instinct for star potential from the moment she starred in a carpool karaoke style vocal session, and we can even go as far as to say that Banke’s honorary Disney Princess title, as dubbed by Mama Cheryl in their session, could be more premonition than pandering as we look to Segura’s acting debut in Season 3 of High School Musical The Musical The Series on Disney+ as Emmy, first-time auditioner at Camp Shallow Lake turned first-time auditioner at East High.

Liamani Segura is set to play Pink in the next instalment of the Descendants franchise, now officially titled Wicked Wonderland. Pink is sister to Red, the rebellious daughter of the Queen of Hearts originated by, fellow standout HSMTMTS star, Kylie Cantrall in Rise of Red just last year. Moreover, Descendants is not the only thing that Cantrall and Segura have in common. Segura has also begun to follow in the footsteps of her onscreen sibling and release original music. Her two singles, Sunkissed and Hanging By A Thread, show the beginnings of a great songwriting career with a neatly packed cinematic vibe to a classic pop-star sound, through stunning smooth, flexible vocal and a perfect mix of beat and flow.

The popularity of vocal content on social media is becoming ever-more engrained in the TikTok algorithm, to the point of brinking on pop culture phenomenon. When Jodie Langel posted, immersed in the established norm of having a social media following and work-life blend over balance, what she thought to be a run of the mill ‘90 second musical transformation’, she could not have been prepared for what would happen. That fateful day, the “raise your right finger” from ‘I’d Rather Be Me’ of Mean Girls The Musical became, forever and always, first and foremost, even if just for a split second, “raise your Ya Ya Ya”. (Be honest, did you just sing that?)

A renowned Broadway actress and soloist herself, Langel is credited with transforming the vocal of countless young performers, helping them to achieve their dream pitch and tone to sit comfortably in some of the most famously terrifying belts of the musical theatre world as author of MAKING IT ON BROADWAY: ACTORS' TALES OF CLIMBING TO THE TOP, a candid, behind-the-scenes, and sometimes shocking look at Broadway's stars, comprised of Jodie'sinterviews with such notables as Jason Alexander, Antonio Banderas, Brooke Shields, Chita Rivera, Idina Menzel, Ann Miller, and Donna Murphy, and the CEO and founder of the acclaimed educational program "Making It on Broadway".

However, don’t be tricked into believing that this unique kind of stardom only comes from one corner of the world! This is a phenomenon that has crossed the pond! Recent TikTok posts have seen Langel herself visit the West End cast of Mean Girls to recreate the trend that shows no signs of getting old and the reaction from the London cast of the brand-new Disney stage musical Hercules speaks for itself as Porter surprises them in recent rehearsals with an original vocal exercise, featuring some signature Mama Cheryl runs and scales. It’s hard to say what will happen next but possibilities are endless. What is becoming clear is that vocal coaches, like songwriters or producers before them, are stepping confidently out of the ‘niche’ shadow of the wings. Music is to be passionately spoken about, not just listened to, and understood in all its impressive intricacies.