6 Tips on Finding the Best Vocal Teacher
La-La-La-Laaaaaa! La-La-La-Laaaaaa!
Yes. You love to sing. It’s your favorite thing to do.
You sing in the car, in your bedroom and…of course…in the shower…all the time.
You’ve noticed lately that if you sing a lot, your throat hurts; and at times you have trouble hitting high notes.
So…you decide to search YouTube for some vocal tips.
After you learn a bit, you still don’t understand how to correct your specific vocal issues.
Your next bet is to hire a vocal teacher.
Here are a few things to consider in your search
#1 What do you want to accomplish?
It’s important to be clear about this. What’s your end goal? Do you want to sing at your local open mic night? Fix that raspy voice? Record some original songs? During your first lesson, communicate clearly about what you would like to work on. This gives your teacher an opportunity to focus on your needs and goals.
#2 Do you need a vocal teacher or a vocal coach?
A teacher and a coach function differently based on what you would like to accomplish.
Here is the distinction.
A vocal teacher will concentrate on all things mechanical about your voice.
· proper breathing
· upper, middle and lower voices
· vocal transition points
· the tone of your voice
· resonance (how sound resonates in the body)
· vocal health and more
A vocal coach will concentrate on all things mechanical about your voice AND…
· will also focus on the whole student (physical, emotional and mental)
· confidence and empowerment building
· vocal authenticity and stylization
· life/creative/work issues
· dream building and goal planning
· prepares artists for stage, auditions and other music biz concerns
#3 Do they teach out of their home, or at a professional studio?
There are great teacher’s that teach out of their home. However, as the student, you want to feel comfortable with no interruptions during lesson time. My first vocal coach taught out of her home, but there was a separate entrance into her studio, so I always felt comfortable and the lessons felt private.
#4 How long have they been teaching?
This tells you a lot. Anything over four years is good. That means that they love teaching and have acquired lots of experience working with different voices and people. When you start to take lessons, its’ very important that your teacher is tuned into your particular way of making sound. They should be aware of your breath control, where and how you hold tension in your body, your stellar moments and areas where you need correction. Teachers learn from their students and their accumulative experience will work well in your favor.
#5 What is your first impression?
Working with a vocal teacher or coach is a very intimate relationship and an important professional one. You should feel good about your teacher, excited to work with them and eager to absorb their knowledge. Once you start working with a new teacher, give it a lesson or two to create a flow, but if you still feel odd about something, move on. Investment into yourself is a beautiful thing and the money and time you spend is critically important in your creative life.
#6 Do your goals match the teacher’s expertise?
If you are ready to up your game, try to match your goals with a teacher’s training and experience. All good teachers use a set of global fundamentals and basically teach the same thing, although their approach and style might be different. After that, teacher’s often develop a niche or a specialty. For example, if you want to be a theatrical vocalist, then working with a coach who specializes in musical theater is a good idea. If you are a singer-songwriter looking to gig often, find a coach that knows the ins-and-outs of the independent artist landscape.
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If you are interested in vocal lessons or coaching, come and see me for a FREE VOCAL CONSULTATION. Let’s talk about your goals and dreams. I’m all ears!
For returning students, I’ve got a new incentive!
As a THANK YOU for being an awesome student over the years, come see me again for ONE FREE LESSON. Email me directly at livingcrazybrave@gmail.com and let’s schedule a time to meet. Zoom and FaceTime lessons available. I would love to see (and hear) how you are doing.
Keep on Keeping on Crazybravers!
~ Lisa