About the BLMA

The Babette Labeij Music Academy was founded on Babette Labeij's vision: talent develops best in a safe, professional, and inspiring environment where personal attention, musicality, and performance come together.

Over the years, the academy has grown into one of the leading vocal academies in the Netherlands. No other vocal academy in the Netherlands has as much experience in guiding and developing talent for television shows and major music productions.

The expertise of Babette Labeij and her team of vocal coaches has been shaped in part by years of working on shows like The voice of Holland, The Voice Kids, The Voice Senior, Idols, X Factor, Holland’s Got Talent, Het Junior Songfestival and De Eindmusical.

From our locations in Amsterdam and Hilversum, we coach children, teenagers, adults, and professional artists every day through singing lessons, performance coaching, and artistic development.

Learn from different vocal coaches
Throughout the season, every vocal group at the Babette Labeij Music Academy receives lessons from various vocal coaches. Each coach brings their own style, experience, and expertise. It is precisely this variety that makes you stronger as a singer and as a group: you gain different insights, learn from multiple perspectives, and continuously discover new aspects of your voice. Furthermore, each vocal coach brings their own musical passion to the vocal arrangements you learn to sing as a group, ranging from jazz and soul to musical theatre and pop.

In the lead-up to our shows, we work with two fixed vocal coaches per group. Together, they focus on preparing the group for the performance so that you step onto the stage with confidence and thorough preparation.

From group lessons to the stage
What makes the BLMA so unique? With us, singing isn't just something you do during lessons. We believe you learn to sing by doing it. That’s why our students work towards our shows every year, where they can truly showcase their development and talent.

During our Spring Shows, we bring the classroom to the stage. The audience gets a glimpse into the group and sees how students sing and perform together at a beautiful location somewhere in Amsterdam. 

Ultimately, all our groups work towards the big BLMA End Shows, celebrating the festive conclusion of the singing season. Every year, we look for a special venue where our students can shine on a professional stage. In previous years, the BLMA End Shows have taken place at venues including Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Melkweg, and DeLaMar Theater.

School Night: your voice, your moment
In addition to our major shows, we organize School Night: an intimate musical evening at our vocal academy in Amsterdam. During this evening, students get the opportunity to share their voice with a small audience.

Accompanied by a backing track, piano, or guitar, various students take the stage. From beginner singers to students with plenty of stage experience: everyone gets the space to showcase their musical talent.

School Night is all about confidence, expression, performance, and daring to stand in front of an audience. 

BLMA and projects
In addition to the academy, we are regularly involved in wonderful projects.
Whether it's a live show, a TV audition, or a one-off spectacle: if there's any place where vocal performance needs to be worked on quickly and effectively, it's within a television or media production. Babette Labeij and her team of experienced vocal coaches know exactly what it takes to make talent shine in a short amount of time.

From the very first audition to the grand finale, our coaches stand alongside the artists. With a sharp ear, a warm heart, and a great deal of experience, they help contestants perform freely, confidently, and musically, even under pressure.