So, you’ve seen one of the many television shows such as American Idol, The Voice, or The X-Factor, and you have decided that singing is your passion. You would like to someday be on one of these shows, or perhaps touring the world with a band of your own. You go out one evening and sing in a Karaoke venue, and receive less than ego flattering responses from your listeners. What is the next step?
A good next step would be to invest in voice lessons. Many people think singing is a natural gift and that you either have talent or you don’t, but that is just not true. I like to think of talent as being “incipient”- that is, just waiting to bloom but needing development first. Your job is to develop and polish your incipient talent to it’s fullest potential with the right vocal training.
So how do you find the right voice teacher or vocal coach? One thing to be aware of is that many “vocal coaches” actually know very little about the science of vocal production. They can demonstrate style and will try to get you to imitate either themselves or other singers but they have no knowledge about how to correctly train and develop the various elements of the voice. You can try to imitate them, but you will never have a better voice without the right vocal technique- a series of planned exercises and training meant to address your particular vocal issues, rather than a “one size fits all” approach.
If the teacher is chorally oriented and believes in breathy singing and avoidance of the chest register (for females), this type of technique will not benefit you if you are interested in singing contemporary styles of music. It’s only good for the blending necessary in choral singing, and it is not healthy vocal production.
On the other hand, if the teacher ONLY sings in their chest register and only teaches belting, (pushing the chest voice too high), run for the hills! This technique will eventually cause vocal damage. You need to find a teacher who is truly qualified to teach the technique of mix.
Check on credentials. Does the teacher have a music degree? Do they play the piano? How much professional performing has the teacher done? Do they have any CD’s that you can purchase? (They should). If they have never done much performing as a professional singer, the odds of them knowing much about the music business are slight, and the technique they will be teaching you may not help you much. On the other hand, unless they have done extensive study about how to teach mix, they aren’t going to be helpful either.
The old adage “those who can’t do, teach” is absolutely untrue, and those who cannot “do”, in my opinion, should not be teaching either. However, just because someone has had some success as a performer does not mean that they have actually learned how to teach others. Learning to address all kinds of vocal issues rather than telling every student to “do as I do” is part of the art and science of good vocal teaching, and is sometimes a completely different skill set from singing well yourself.
The best teacher will combine professional performing experience with years of studying the art and science of how to build voices correctly, along with a track record of students who sing well, and a successful vocal studio. Listen to the singers who come out of that studio, and judge for yourself. Ask the prospective teacher to provide audio or video samples of their students, and of their own singing.
Finally, check on whether the teacher offers performance opportunities. It’s one thing to vocalize and sing in the teacher’s studio, but there should be regular performances that students can participate in, that are an intermediary step between the vocal studio and the professional world.
I wish you all the best as you reach for your dreams! Tricia Grey, MM
At Sing Like a Star Studios you can learn the vocal technique of the stars. If you don’t live near Atlanta, you can take voice lessons with Skype. Please visit our website at www.singlikeastar.com and click on the GET STARTED tab to register for a professional vocal evaluation and consultation
