Güney
"If you want to sound really good, it takes more than just technique. In my vocal coaching sessions, you'll learn how to convey the meaning with emotion so that your song is understood even by people who don't speak the language you're singing in."
At the age of six, Güney sees (Vocal coach and singing teacher) Justin Timberlake sees himself on TV and knows: "That’s exactly what I want to do." To be on stage, to thrill people with his own voice, to earn their applause, and to have a good time. Fully convinced of this, he tells his friends at after-school care about his dream.
As you can probably imagine, he's living that dream today. But let's start from the beginning.
Güney was born into a family that was musical through and through. Turkish disco folklore originated, of all places, in the very village where his parents grew up. They brought this sound with them to Europe, and his cousin, uncle, and the rest of the family helped shape this music scene. Thanks in part to them, wedding parties today move across the dance floors in waves to precisely these catchy tunes.
"The meaning behind the sung words is conveyed through vibrations and emotion. Only then do we understand what the singer truly wants to express. That's what I've learned from traditional Turkish music."
His first-grade report card mentions his love of music: "Güney loves to sing and dance, but he doesn't pay much attention in class."
This was certainly also due to his early musical education. After all, he received it from the age of five to seven. This was followed by private classical guitar lessons until he was 12. He then taught himself guitar chords. Everything revolves around R&B, pop, and neo-soul. The multicultural musical influences of his classmates also shaped his development. At age ten, he began taking saz lessons—the classical Turkish guitar. From the age of 14 onward, he became captivated by music from the ’80s through the 2000s.
James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye provide that extra dose of funk—that is, energy—in his life. Michael Jackson, Aaliyah, and plenty of gospel music have also fully ignited his passion for music. Hip-hop by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Biggie (The Notorious B.I.G.), Eminem, Cool Savas, and Moses Pelham serves as the bridge between the different genres. His first original songs, which he wrote at age 16, are heavily influenced by his musical role models.
There isn't much time to catch his breath at this point. He writes the songs together with his first band. They produce an EP with lyrics in both English and German, which immediately lands them a record deal.
As is so often the case, his creative work is also hindered by the demands of everyday life.
First things first—graduate from high school! That's the plan! For Mom.
Alongside school, music remains his number one passion in life—as natural as eating and drinking. At 18, he qualifies for a Europe-wide talent competition and takes first place. After a brief detour back to Turkish music, he commits himself fully to pop and R&B.
Now his voice is once again taking center stage. Barely a year later, he took second place at the German Rock and Pop Awards with his own interpretation of Philipp Poisel's "Ich will nur.".
At 20, he graduated from high school and studied mathematics and computer science for one semester, but the realities of life were at odds with his aspirations. His parents wanted him to pursue a stable career, if possible—but he longed for what truly set his heart on fire. Less than six months later, he switched to the pop and jazz music program at the Frankfurt Music Workshop (FMV).
Güney pays for his studies by working at a gas station and as a vocal coach at three different institutions. Why was he, of all people, able to teach singing so early on? More on that in a moment.
He majored in voice and minored in piano for accompaniment. His piano instructor was none other than Michael Geldreich, producer for artists such as Marc Forster. Geldreich became his mentor and gave him the opportunity to be present in the studio during top-tier productions starting in 2015. Güney was already producing his own songs, and through this mentorship, he was able to significantly further develop his skill set and workflow.
In 2017, he finished work on his album "Chaos im Kopf" together with producer Dominik Rolke. Keep your eyes and ears open for the release.
In 2018, he successfully completed his studies. Since then, he has been collaborating with many artists, writing songs for them and producing beats.
There’s really hardly anything Güney hasn’t done musically. Musicals, classical singing, music theater, composing and writing music, as well as producing, all the way to teaching and a brief course in speech therapy. He draws on an incredibly rich wealth of experience.
In Aschaffenburg, he laid the foundation for his current work as a vocal coach at the CK Voice Academy. There, he taught music students for over two years, guiding them toward their certification as state-recognized singers. Throughout his career as a successful singer and vocal coach, he has met at least thirty vocal teachers. From each one, he seeks to learn something specific that could help him advance at that particular moment. In the process, he realized just how many mistakes one can make and what distinguishes a singing teacher from a qualified vocal coach. There have been only two consistent vocal coaches in Güney’s career, one of whom is Carl Keaton.
Güney, the chameleon among vocal coaches. And here he is, with a wealth of experience that he’d love to share with you. Adaptability is what sets him apart—both vocally and in the classroom.
"Learning to sing happens in waves. With every step forward, it becomes even more fun because you can use your voice more and more freely."
That's exactly what his teaching is based on. He makes it as simple as possible. Technique is merely a means to an end. And at the heart of it all is the feeling that makes your singing complete.
"Music is music, but your inner compass has to know the destination. That's the only way music will truly sound like you."
You know what he means—do you want to finally experience results like that with your voice firsthand? Discover just how rich and full your voice can sound! Book your free trial lesson with Güney today and enjoy his warm and lively online lessons right in the comfort of your own home!
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