Teaching the world to sing

With more than two decades in the music business behind them, she and husband David Grant are using their new-found celebrity as Fame Academy judges to spread the word about learning to sing.

The pair have been vocal coaches to artists including Will Young, The Spice Girls, Atomic Kitten, S Club and Melanie C. Now they're passing on advice for aspiring pop stars through a book, video and DVD.

"We've been wanting to do something like this for some time," says Carrie. "We've each been in the industry 22 years, and thought we would put pen to paper and pass on some of the information to people."

The couple - married for 15 of the 17-and-a-half years they've been together - coach not only pop stars but, through their company, use vocal coaching on business management courses. The foreign office, banks and the NHS are among clients.

"We teach them singing and how they can deal with management by team building and singing," explains Carrie.

"By the end of the evening they're singing their hearts out. Even people who've been really reluctant at the start end up singing. We can teach anyone to sing - not that everyone wants to be a pop star."

Although ITV's Pop Idol and BBC's Fame Academy have given them public exposure, the pair have been working in the music business for many years. David had 14 hit singles in the UK with Linx and as a solo artist. Carrie, a former dancer, has worked as a TV presenter and session singer.

She began singing as a child when she attended dancing school. "At 17 I did Eurovision, which was quite embarrassing and good experience at the same time. My voice was very thin and poppy, then 15 years later I won a Mobo award," she says.

"You have to make some kind of journey vocally. It's the same as knowing who you are as a person. That's why it's hard when you're a pop star at 15 or 16. What do they know about at that age?."

She and David won the Mobo award as best gospel act in 1998. Around the same time, they were asked to work with Take That, which marked the start of their vocal coaching.

"The guys heard us singing and said, 'how do you do this? how do you do that?'. Then we got a call asking to prepare them vocally for a tour. From that we went on to other bands," says David.

"All the great singers had coaching. It's like footballers. David Beckham is training every day. Anyone who's any good has coaching to become that one per cent or five per cent better.

"We've never advertised or put out for work. More and more people came to us for lessons, and we've built on that."

Carrie adds that the TV shows signalled a change of direction by introducing them to complete novices. "Until then we'd been working with people who'd had a few hits and were playing Wembley. What I've loved about doing Pop Idol and Fame Academy is that the whole thing about developing an artist is amazing," she says.

"The classic case was Alex, who won the second Fame Academy. She had no idea she was a good singer. When we told her she was really talented, she said, 'oh, am I?'."

The nature of pop music, says David, is that when you're spending so much time promoting records, the last thing you think about is any kind of career beyond being a pop star.

"I don't know anyone who doesn't have fears it could all end tomorrow. When it was all dying down, I thought, 'OK, fine'. I was in New York doing work with session singers, and we were able to do things I've never even thought of. I hunted down a vocal coach, but couldn't find anyone over here."

The You Can Sing project is aimed at two types of singers - those interested in learning the technical side, and those wanting a career in music and to know what steps to take to be more ready.

David feels the book appeals on many different levels. "For kids who love singing, it's the kind of way to get the training pop stars get. There's lots of advice for those who want to make a living in the business," he says.

"If you can talk, you can sing. Most people sing and don't realise they are singing until someone tells them to shut up. It's so natural you do it anyway."

The book may be subtitled "an essential guide for aspiring pop stars", but she sees it as their job to discourage people singing just for the sake of becoming famous.

"You have to work on that. It's important that people are famous for something. I have no problem with talent shows like ours. They do release great talent," she says.

As for her new-found fame, she finds it interesting to acquire it at an older age. "If I was 18, I'd think it was going to last forever. At 38, it's lovely. People come and chat in the street, but I'm also aware it's going to end in a few months," she explains.

Sometimes famous people surprise her, notably those who took part in the BBC's Celebrity Fame Academy. She thought they'd never accept being taught by anyone. "But the people who were really successful were really humble about training. They were easier to teach than anyone we've ever taught. They related to their already existing skills," she says.

Carrie prefers not to analyse why she and David work so well together. "We don't know why. It just kind of does. I love working with him," she says.

She was vocal coach for contestants on the first series of Pop Idol and did a lot of work with Darlington's finalist Zoe Birkett. Then judged the two Fame Academy series. David joined her on the panel for the second. They retain an interest in the current Pop Idol as people from their company look after the vocal training for hopefuls.

They've had offers to make records together in the wake of the talent show, but Carrie says: "We're concentrating on teaching the world to sing."

* You Can Sing is published by Carlton Books, £14.99. A You Can Sing video, £12.99, and DVD, £17.99, are also available.