Whether you are an adult looking for a teacher to start your pursuit of your dream hobby, a parent looking for the right teacher for your child or teen, or an established vocalist looking for the right coach to take you into the next season of vocal life….this opinion piece will give you food for thought as you seek the right vocal professional to mentor you at this stage in your musical life.
(5-minute read time)
Photo by Sime Basioli on Unsplash
“A teacher has two jobs. Fill young minds with knowledge, yes. But more important, give those minds a compass so that that knowledge doesn’t go to waste.”
Principal Jacobs, from the film Mr Holland’s Opus
For a long time, I have loved this quote from Mr Holland’s Opus. For me, it has come to represent the distinction between two phases of my teaching life. The early phase was drawn solely from my own training and performing experience. Whereas during the last twenty years I am utilising both formal and informal vocal pedagogy studies (the art of the teaching of singing, embracing anatomy, physiology, psychology and more). These studies are serving as a compass, providing knowledge, understanding, and expertise to guide my teaching and coaching.
In Australia, the profession of singing teaching/vocal coaching is unregulated. One does not require qualifications or proof of ability to be engaged in the services that are described below. This puts the onus of choosing a teacher squarely on the shoulders of the learner/client. I hope that these thoughts from my subjective viewpoint will be helpful to you on your journey.
WHAT A PROFESSIONAL OFFERS
It is always useful if the teacher/coach has trekked before you in the journey of vocal development so they can lead you with knowledge, confidence and experience. The age of the teacher might determine how far ahead of you they’ve been…but regardless, ahead is ahead. I am still learning all the time and I still have teachers and coaches myself.
The concept of two travellers alongside one another is useful, and you can ask yourself “what travelling experience and knowledge am I seeking in my teacher as they travel beside me?”
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Professional voice and singing mentors describe themselves in various ways. From my point of view, I would define some of the roles and services on offer in the following ways:
- A singing teacher guides a person to develop the tools and techniques that work together to deliver stylistic and efficient singing. These techniques will encompass physical function and health, cognitive organisation, music theory, and performance work. I would expect a singing teacher to have an excellent grounding in vocal pedagogy, vocal health first aid, and the psychology of performance.
- A vocal coach may be thought to guide someone who has already learned the basic craft of singing and needs deeper work to solve problems, choose repertoire, improve stylistic authenticity, prepare for auditions and gigs, or manage music performance anxiety. I would expect a vocal coach to have a reasonable understanding of vocal pedagogy and vocal health first aid; with an excellent grasp of performance psychology, music industry protocols and repertoire in their genres of speciality.
- A repetiteur supports the learning and rehearsal phase of development, providing real time opportunities for repertoire to be embedded and explored until it reaches performance readiness. I would expect a repetiteur to be less equipped regarding vocal pedagogy, anatomy and health; but well versed in performance psychology, industry culture and repertoire.
- A singing voice specialist will likely have an extensive pedagogical and industry background, with a dedicated speciality in one area. This area could be genre-based (eg pop, jazz, musical theatre or extreme vocals), or it might be person-based (eg gender-affirming voice, vocal rehab, trauma-informed voice care).
- A spoken voice coach specialises in healthy speech for acting, voice over and other professional voice users. I hope they also have excellent voice pedagogy and health training to guide them, as well as depth of knowledge in the voice for acting (screen and stage) industry.
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR
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Beginning singers are best served by having short, weekly lessons rather than less frequent long lessons.
Before you begin your search, take some time to write down what you are looking for in a voice professional.
When I meet someone for a Discovery Call, I ask them what prompted them to reach out to me with an enquiry. I am seeking a conversation around how their voice is currently a part of their life, as well as an insight into their goal outcomes and dreams.
Things to consider:
- Whether you are singing for leisure, amateur engagement, or professional pursuits
- The genres and styles you want to sing
- The amount of personal practice you are prepared/able to do in between lessons
- How comfortable you are in using technology
- Whether you want to include performance or competition opportunities in your training
- The broader health needs you have and how that might be a part of your singing
- Any personal qualities that are important to you
- How far you are prepared to travel
- How frequently you want/can have lessons
- Your financial budget for lessons/training
Then be prepared to have a session with your potential teacher/coach that gives you the opportunity to mutually agree on whether you are a reasonable fit for each other.
SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK
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Thoroughly read the prospective teacher/coach’s website, which will probably answer many of these questions.
- Do you have a Working with Vulnerable People card? (or your local equivalent – a government issued identity card required by institutions caring for children, people with disabilities, the elderly, and similar people who are vulnerable in our community)?
- What are your musical education and performance experiences?
- What vocal pedagogy/professional training have you undertaken?
- Do you belong to any professional music teacher associations or networks?
- What are your policies on practice, payment, cancellation, scheduling?
- Do you offer a trial lesson?
- Does your premises offer accessibility for mobility needs?
- Anything else you can think of!
HOW TO FIND AVAILABLE TEACHERS
Before the COVID19 pandemic, it was unusual to search for a singing teacher or vocal coach outside of your geographical area. However, technology and innovations in teaching delivery have now broadened the possibilities, and online learning is a major option for consideration. This also comes with our modern-day dilemma of having too much choice.
Some would argue that a physical activity like singing can only be developed with a teacher who shares your physical space in real time. Hearing your voice without the red herrings of software and time lags and being able to take in the “whole of you” with greater ease.
Others would argue that the relationship between teacher and student is paramount, and if you find that with someone who is not accessible in your immediate area, then those obstacles can be overcome with creativity and attentiveness.
If you are considering purely online lessons:
- Invest in a quality microphone for the session
- Ensure you have a good internet connection for streaming
- Ask the coach how much online teaching experience they have
- Bear age appropriate considerations in mind
- Be prepared to commit to a term of lessons and give the teacher-student relationship time to find its rhythm and solve tech problems that arise
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Combine word-of-mouth referrals with internet research.
Common search pathways in identifying potential teachers/coaches include:
- Singing teacher and music teacher associations (a list is provided at the end of the blog)
- Facebook groups in your area
- Social groups you belong to
- Conversations with other musicians
IS IT OKAY TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE TEACHER?
Yes, I support the concept of co-teaching, with the following boundaries in mind:
- There should be a good reason for having more than one teacher otherwise it can become confusing if teachers seem to contradict one another
- Communication/collaboration between the teachers is ideal if the student is younger or less experienced
If you have a singing teacher and are also in a choir or musical, you effectively have a joint coaching scenario for that period of time. My tips for this situation are:
- Take note of the specific instructions that the Conductor or Musical Director asks for, especially about the sound/quality/characterisation desired
- Confer with your regular teacher/coach on the healthiest and most efficient way to sustainably produce those instructions
- Remember that terminology is not absolute in the voice industry, so you will need to check what people mean by terms (such as belt, breathy, husky, nasal) to know what is being asked of you.
NB: I support the ethical standards of ANATS, the singing teachers’ association I belong to, which are explicit about discouraging the poaching of students from other teachers. For the sake of the student and the teachers, I aim to be particularly transparent and intentional when co-teaching is required.
X-FACTOR…WHAT MAKES A TEACHER RIGHT FOR YOU?
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Sometimes, it can be hard to put your finger on what you are looking for in a singing teacher/vocal coach, but you’ll know it when you find it. This might be about teaching style, personality, musical interests…all manner of unquantifiable qualities!
Because singing is one of the most personal and vulnerable parts of us to share with the world, I encourage you to trust your instinct about this part of the search.
Don’t feel pressured to make a decision/commitment in your first session. Ask all the questions you need to ask and take the time you need to be sure. Opt for a trial term if that seems right to you before making a longer commitment.
When you’ve found your teacher/coach, be prepared for there to be a teething period as you get used to one another’s communication styles and ways of teaching and learning. Within 2-3 months you should find your rhythm and flow together, if you are seeing them with consistent frequency.
THE EXEMPLARY TEACHER
To conclude, I’d like to quote directly from Elizabeth Blades’ book A Spectrum of Voices: Prominent American voice teachers discuss the teaching of singing (p225-6) with a list of qualities believed to be attributes of an “outstanding voice teacher”.
I am not sure that any of us can claim to live up to this entire list, but speaking for myself, I make it my life’s work to see ongoing development towards this aspiration as my goal.
The exemplary teacher:
Has “good ears”, that is, is sensitive to tonal sound and consistency
Has good eyes to see problems
Has a sense of vision about the voice when it is a ‘diamond in the rough’
Has the ability to analyse sound
Communicate techniques for successful improvements
Is able to articulate clear goals in direct language
Inspires the students and propels them forward
Has a depth of knowledge about the voice, the vocal mechanism, and how it works
Is passionate about music and has high standards regarding music
Is an excellent musician
Has good piano skills
Is honest and truthful but sensitive
Is flexible and open-minded
Teaches creatively
Is able to adjust to the student’s needs and personality
Has a strong desire to help the student
Is curious, keeps learning, keeps listening, and continues to grow
Has a positive, supportive teaching approach
Is patient, kind and generous
Is empathic
Is honest
Has a good sense of humour
Has ‘vocal empathy’
Tries hard and perseveres
Challenges while encouraging the student
Uses variety in teaching, is not harnessed to a ‘method’ and does not teach by rote
Has a fascination with the human voice, with singing, with the history of voice, and with voice teaching
Stays current and informed in the field
Enjoys associating with colleagues and shares knowledge
Has integrity, is ethical
Allows the students to have their own personality and to blossom
Is a role model
Understands the real function of the vocal mechanism and can marry voice technique with emotionally connected expression
Gives a singer the ability to find personal meaning in music and text
Helps students to achieve self-discipline, self-control, deserved self-confidence and self-realisation
Knows his or her own voice
Loves people
Loves the profession of teaching
Prepares the student for the next phase
Knows when to let go
SINGING TEACHER ASSOCIATIONS
Here is a small selection to give you the flavour of how to start your search online:
Australia
- Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing (http://anats.org.au/)
- Australian Voice Association (https://www.australianvoiceassociation.com)
- Music Teachers’ Associations
- QLD (https://www.qmta.org.au)
- WA (https://wamta.au)
- VIC (https://www.vmta.org.au)
- SA (https://mtasa.com.au)
- TAS (https://www.tmta.com.au)
United States
- National Association of Teachers of Singing (https://www.nats.org)
United Kingdom
- Association of Teachers of Singing (https://aotos.org.uk)
New Zealand
- New Zealand Association of Teachers of Singing (https://www.newzats.org.nz)
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SOURCES
Blades, E. L. (2018) A Spectrum of Voices: Prominent American voice teachers discuss the teaching of singing (2nd edition). Rowman & Littlefield, Maryland.
Email conversations with Dianna Nixon (Wild Voices Musical Theatre) and Shelli Hullcombe (previous National President, ANATS).
Personal conversations with Jenni Reeves and Dr Daniel Robinson.