Before I found Petteri, I had probably gone through all the local singing teachers: the community college, Musa-Pekka, the conservatory and others. For some reason, I always walked away with the feeling that we were just trying to struggle forward with my voice, without anyone really being able to tell me what I should do or why my voice kept getting tired all the time.

For a long time, I thought it was completely normal that after singing my voice was hoarse or my throat felt strained. I figured my voice was just like this and often wondered if I was simply stupid for not getting it...

In Petteri’s lessons I realized pretty quickly that singing is not supposed to feel like that! For the first time, I was actually taught how to breathe and use my voice in a way that also feels good. Not just vague “sing more boldly” comments and contradictory feedback, but concrete exercises and clear guidance that genuinely changed things and helped me.

The biggest difference can be heard and FELT in the fact that my voice now has much more power, clarity and stamina. That old uncertain and flimsy voice has become noticeably stronger and more confident. And most importantly, I no longer have to be afraid of running out of breath or my voice breaking while I sing.

With Petteri, it’s clear he has very strong expertise, but also a warmth that really shines through! He genuinely cares about his students and their well-being. In the lessons there is no need to put on a show or perform, but there is space to learn, ask questions and sometimes also fail. Still, almost every time after a lesson it feels like something has moved forward again. To be honest, it’s a bit frustrating that such effective teaching didn’t come along much earlier.

Thank you, Petteri, for the patient, precise and genuinely caring teaching! It has been incredibly relieving to find a teacher with whom singing feels safe and good! Continuing again in the autumn! 🎶 

An amazingly good and professional teacher! Pedagogy permeates the teaching, and in addition, Petteri has a special kind of heartfelt wisdom. The atmosphere in the lessons is warm, interactive, and relaxed. The teaching focuses specifically on singing, and the teacher always has something valuable to offer the student. It is not just about “singing through the songs,” but genuinely pedagogically structured teaching!! Thank you!

It is difficult to choose any single thing (that has worked particularly well in the lessons), because the lessons as a whole have felt extremely effective. The structure of the lessons, from vocal warm-ups and sharing how independent practice has gone, to the actual exercises and finally revisiting what has been learned, works excellently.

Overall, the lessons have been extremely educational, inspiring, safe, encouraging, and suitably challenging. It feels like I have developed in a holistic way both as a singer and as a performer, and the singing lessons have also supported my general well-being.

It always feels safe to come to the lessons, and I feel I have been seen in a very holistic way and with great pedagogical love. I have received a wide range of new tools for breathing, voice use, and performing.

As a teacher, you have listened and identified precisely which methods work for me, and you have offered many different options for practice.

Thank you, Petteri, for doing incredibly valuable work with amazing professionalism ❤️ 

Because of my three-shift work, it has been absolutely perfect that the schedules for the singing lessons have been flexible from week to week. Despite a constantly changing daily routine, it has been easy to fit the lessons into life without any extra stress.

The best thing about the teaching has been that Petteri actually teaches vocal technique properly and in a way that is easy to understand. None of that “yeah yeah, just keep singing” vibe and banging your head against the wall that I’ve experienced before. The teaching is precise and professional, but at the same time really encouraging and, most importantly, fun. It’s immediately clear that Petteri is genuinely dedicated to teaching and truly knows what he’s doing. He hears even the smallest details in the voice and can clearly suggest different exercises and images to work on them.

Petteri is also an incredibly warm and approachable person. Right from the very first lesson, the atmosphere has felt safe and relaxed, even though the work is goal-oriented. Sometimes it has required persistence and a lot of focused practice, but there has always been a feeling of being allowed to learn and develop at a comfortable pace.

There is now much more confidence in singing, and for the first time there is a real understanding of how to use the voice correctly and freely so that the throat isn’t constantly sore. The voice has gained a completely new kind of stamina and lightness, and people around have noticed the difference and commented on it.

What has been especially good is the kind of atmosphere where, as a student, there is trust that even though practicing is sometimes difficult and frustrating, in the end there is always some kind of success.

Success is dug up from somewhere even when the main thought is that it didn’t quite get to where it was aiming yet. Practicing singing is such a d**n demanding thing and a constant wrestling with discomfort, but the best part is that feeling of trust that incompleteness is just being on the journey, and the journey is what matters most when the company is right.

Petteri, as a teacher you are, first of all, really skilled, persistent, and on top of that a real humor wizard. But also a kind of human magician, in whose presence even the most tattered soul gets a little gold in its cracks every time.

And then suddenly the singing or the technique being practiced just flows. The best and especially good thing has been everything.

Thank you for existing. 

I play guitar and saxophone, and I was thinking of taking singing lessons so I could sing backing vocals in bands and, when performing solo, sing convincingly and with confidence in my own abilities. Regardless of my musical background, I have always been very shy about singing, and I have often refused to sing in different situations, even when the threshold to do so would have been very low. I have had many different experiences with instrumental and vocal teachers, so I wanted to make sure I would receive student-oriented, relaxed and understanding instruction. For me, the most important thing was to find the right teacher.

I heard a lot of good feedback about Petteri from acquaintances, so I decided to try his lessons first. I also thought that a male teacher might suit me better because of my voice. Already in the first lesson I got a confident feeling that this guy really knows what he is talking about. Petteri was able to guide me to find sounds and skills that I thought only the “gifted” could achieve, but it turned out that in reality it just requires a lot of work. In addition to Petteri’s relaxed, lovely and pleasant personality, the lessons were clearly structured and goal-oriented. I got just the right amount of homework and made a lot of progress. For every situation, emotion and day-to-day mood, Petteri had some suitable trick, image or exercise that helped move past the challenge and work on it further.

I personally enjoyed the lessons a lot and always looked forward to them, even when I hadn’t done my homework. I received plenty of feedback and we sang a lot in the lessons. The feedback never left me feeling bad; it always felt like progress was being made and that this is something I still want to improve. I absolutely give a thumbs-up to Mansikka’s lessons! I received high-quality, professional instruction and, in addition, a great deal of self-confidence!

I was applying to a choir and it had been about ten years since I last sang in one, so I felt very unsure about how singing would go anywhere other than alone in my own car. I knew Petteri from elsewhere and asked if some kind of prep lesson would be possible, and soon enough we were sitting at the piano.

For me, singing solo is tied up with a lot of nerves and shame, but Petteri managed to create a relaxed and safe atmosphere surprisingly easily. In the lesson we went through vocal warm-ups, scales, and adapted everything to the situation, then worked on the piece I had chosen for the choir entrance audition. Petteri also recorded a version of the song on my phone so I could practise with it. From the lesson I gained confidence and learned how to use my voice, where to place it, and how even the smallest things can have a big impact on how the voice sounds.

Petteri has the ability to explain things in a way that makes them easy to understand and therefore easier to put into practice. What stuck with me from the lesson was the idea of an “inner smile” and that the less I stress about how the singing is going, the better it actually goes. The tools from the lesson were clearly good, because I got into the choir, and now, singing regularly, it has become clear how beneficial singing is for overall well-being. With Petteri, there is a knowledgeable, relaxed and goal-oriented teacher who seems to have an endless passion for learning about singing. Highly recommended.

I was asked to sing a love song at my friends’ wedding. I had never performed solo before, so I decided to gain confidence in the song by taking a singing lesson.

Going to the lesson felt very exciting, but I decided to approach Petteri, knowing he had years of experience and professionalism in vocal coaching. What stayed with me most from the lessons was how well he created a safe atmosphere for learning. Thanks to that, shyness soon turned into bolder voice production, interpretation of the lyrics, and practical tips on vocal technique.

From the singing lesson I gained exactly the confidence and self-assurance I needed to perform the song! Petteri has an honest and encouraging approach that is warmly recommended for singers of absolutely every level.

Expert teaching and effective teaching methods. In addition, a very good and safe atmosphere. Petteri knows how to be appropriately understanding and sensitive, and encourages progress through positive reinforcement while at the same time setting just the right level of demands – this way my development over the school year has been good, and we have marveled at it together. And there has been no shortage of humor either.

Petteri’s singing lessons have been truly meaningful, and it has always been a pleasure to go to class. I have practically always sung, but through Petteri’s teaching I have received genuinely concrete advice on voice use and control, and this has also shown in the kinds of compliments I’ve received from others after singing. These days I sing more confidently even in casual situations and use my voice in a more controlled way.

Petteri has also given excellent advice on how the overall feeling and mood in everyday life affect the wellbeing of one’s own instrument. For example, the breathing and relaxation exercises have remained in use even outside of anything related to singing.

Petteri Mansikka is, in general, an absolutely wonderfully delightful person, and he recognizes and acknowledges people’s diversity and, for example, different starting points. There is always a lot of laughter and joking in the lessons about all sorts of things, but the teaching still doesn’t turn into mere fooling around. :D

Many thanks to Petteri! <3

The course was excellent in every way. Variety came from practicing voice use alongside singing together. The professionalism of the teaching was reflected in how the exercise done at the beginning of the lesson was applied to the song sung on that occasion. In addition, the teacher’s professional toolkit always contained one trick or another for those parts where vocal technique was needed. Another great aspect of the course was the fantastic group. In singing together, it was wonderful to practice with the help of others and to fail and try again in an encouraging atmosphere. The group progressed tremendously during the course – the performance was a wonderful way to end the season. The teacher clearly listened to the students, but also took pedagogical responsibility and guided everyone forward with a confident touch.

I started taking lessons with Petteri for a musical theatre project. I have been singing as a hobby for a long time, but felt I needed help and coaching with my performance pieces. I knew that Petteri himself has strong expertise in singing in this particular genre, both technically and artistically. That is why I chose to study specifically with him.

The singing lessons went very well, and I quickly grasped what Petteri demonstrated and taught me. The atmosphere in the lessons was encouraging and safe, with plenty of fun as well!

In the lessons we refined my performance pieces, and they gained a completely new level of power and resonance compared to how they were before I started with Petteri. The most significant aspects were getting to know and training the mixed voice, which gave my higher notes much more strength and resonance. From the lessons I received great tools for my own practice, as well as more confidence and trust in my own voice.

Petteri is highly recommended for anyone who wants to develop their singing and discover completely new shades and colours in their voice. Before starting the lessons, it would never have occurred to me that my voice could even be capable of such things!

One of the biggest realizations in Petteri’s lessons has been understanding that singing doesn’t have to feel heavy or uncertain. These days my voice has more power, clarity, and stamina, and after practicing I no longer have to wonder whether my voice will last until the next time. Singing simply feels easier and more natural. This has not been a given for me. 

Now in my early forties, I’ve had time to take lessons with many teachers in Joensuu, both at the community college, privately, and at the conservatory. I did receive various tips and instructions, but they often remained quite general. For example, I was told that I should “sing like I speak,” but no one really managed to explain what that actually means for my voice in practice.

The biggest difference in Petteri’s teaching has been that things are made understandable. There’s no need to just try to hit the mark or hope that some piece of advice will work. Petteri often breaks singing down into different building blocks, and we have built skills piece by piece, while at the same time my understanding of how I use my voice has grown.

As individual elements have clicked into place, singing as a whole has also become significantly easier and more confident. The exercises are concrete, and through them I have gradually begun to understand how my own voice works and how it is best used.

I also value the safe atmosphere in the lessons. It is possible to ask questions, experiment, reflect, and make mistakes without fear of failure. Petteri combines strong professionalism, patience, and a genuine interest in the student’s development. If there is anything I regret, it is that I only found this kind of teaching at this stage of life.

Thank you, Petteri, for your patient, precise, and genuinely caring teaching! It has been incredibly relieving to find a teacher with whom singing feels safe and good! Looking forward to continuing in the autumn! 🎶