The Working Voice Practice
Owen Butcher
Voice specialist for professional singers
I help professional singers find out what's gone wrong with their voice — and what to do next.
Upcoming Seminar
Join Owen Butcher for an informative session delving into non-pathological voice problems, including Muscle Tension Dysphonia, Globus, Aphonia and more. Designed for both singers and voice practitioners, this session will provide participants with an accessible way to recognise these conditions and provide support/onward referral where appropriate.
The session is recorded, and accessible afterwards if you are unable to attend live.
Details
*Student rate available upon request. You can offset your ticket price against the cost of a first 1-2-1 session with Owen
Friday 26th June
Date
6pm-7pm (UK BST)
Time
£18 per person*
Price
Who I Work With
The singers I work with are usually dealing with one or more of: persistent muscle tension that's getting in the way of free voice production; a voice that hasn't returned to normal after illness or extended rest; fatigue that builds across a run or tour when it used to be manageable; or technique-driven strain that other coaches haven't been able to resolve.
My work sits in functional voice coaching and vocal massage — for voices that aren't doing what they should, even when the underlying anatomy is fine. If you've already seen a laryngologist and been cleared of pathology, or you're reasonably confident the issue isn't medical, that's the territory. If something more clinical might be going on, my first job is to help refer you to the right person before we do anything else.
How I Work
One-to-one sessions for professional and serious singers dealing with technique-driven strain, post-illness recovery, vocal fatigue, or sustained periods of high demand. We start with a proper conversation and a vocal assessment, then build a plan around what your voice actually needs. In-person at my East London studio, or online.
Functional Voice Coaching
Choir Coaching & Masterclasses
Specialist workshop residencies for professional ensembles, conservatoires, and corporate or competitive choirs working at a serious level. I bring the same voice-specialist focus to group work that I bring to one-to-ones — useful especially for ensembles whose singers are pushing hard and need someone who actually knows what to look for. Limited residencies each year — get in touch early.
Vocal Massage
Hands-on work on the muscles around the larynx, jaw, and neck — used to release tension patterns that get in the way of healthy voice use. Available as a standalone treatment or alongside ongoing coaching. Trained in vocal manual therapy by Stephen King at the Voice Care Centre.
Performing
I sing as Tenor 2 with the Grammy-winning vocal group The Swingles, and co-direct the London-based session vocal agency Infinite Vocals. The performing work is what keeps me honest as a coach — I know what a tired voice feels like at 11pm on the third gig of the week, because I've got one.
I also work with professional voice users outside singing — actors, teachers, broadcasters, lawyers, and others who depend on their voice at work — where the underlying functional issues are similar.
Why Me?
I sing for a living. Tenor 2 with Grammy award-winning vocal group The Swingles, plus a working life of touring, recording, and freelance church and session work. So when we're talking about how a voice behaves under real load, that's not theory.
I've also been the singer in trouble. After a period of vocal burnout in my own career and a subsequent diagnosis of primary Muscle Tension Dysphonia (MTD), I went looking for help and found the landscape pretty patchy and confusing for working singers in functional difficulty. That experience has shaped the practitioner I'm now training to be, and it's why this is the work I most want to do.
Current Credentials
Tenor 2, The Swingles
Qualified Vocal Massage Therapist (Voice Care Centre)
Co-director, Infinite Vocals
MA in Vocal Studies, University of York
Member, British Voice Association
Vocal Health First Aider, Vocal Health Education
Vocal Habilitation Professional (currently training), Vocal Health Education
For ENTs, SLTs and Voice Clinicians
If you're looking for a coach to work with a singer post-discharge, alongside therapy, or as part of a voice care team, I take clinical referrals. My scope of practice is documented, my approach is collaborative, and I refer back when concerns arise.
What singers say:
"Owen excellently strikes the balance between being extremely well-researched and being flexible and sensitive to the experiences of the client... I have found his sessions to be game-changing for my singing journey."
Michael Colman, Professional Singer
Ready to chat?
A free 20-minute consultation is the starting point. We'll talk through what's happening with your voice, whether I'm the right person to help, and what next steps look like — whether that's working together, or pointing you somewhere else.