4 Things a Voice Lesson IS NOT.
What a voice lesson is NOT
I’ve written a lot about what a voice lesson is, what it can be, and even what it should be, because I try to present a positive view of most things. But the time has come to talk about what a voice lesson is NOT.
1. A voice lesson is NOT a sing-along or karaoke.
Sing-alongs are for people to enjoy their favorite music with other fans and karaoke is for having fun with friends while drinking heavily (or so I’ve heard…). As fun as both of these activities might be, neither of them does what is a voice lesson’s essential function: to develop your unique voice by building a solid, healthy vocal technique with which you can sing repertoire with ease and personal expression. The only way this can be achieved is working with a professional one on one and experiencing your own voice all by itself.
2. A voice lesson is NOT a passive experience.
A voice lesson is not something you can let wash over you passively, like watching tv or mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. You must actively participate, physically and mentally, in the experience. You must energize your voice, brain, ears, and body in order to learn to sing. The teacher is there to guide you, not do it for you, which we can’t do anyway.
3. A voice lesson is NOT (only) a positive reinforcement of natural talent or already acquired skills
If all you want is to be praised for what you already do well, don’t take voice lessons. Frankly, if you are already a great singer and performer, please don’t waste your time and money: Go out and DO. Truly, not everyone needs voice lessons. But, if you want to get better, further develop skills and gain new ones, grow as an artist and musician, then a voice lesson is for you. A voice lesson should challenge you, expand your mind and heart, and even provoke you at times! There are worlds of musical, theatrical, dramatic, and artistic discoveries awaiting you.
4. A voice teacher is NOT (only) a cheerleader.
I am an extremely positive teacher and love to praise work well done, but that is not where the job description ends. My job is to teach you to do things better, differently, acquire new skills, and sometimes (often) that’s not always fun or easy. Sometimes it’s downright hard and even demoralizing at first. We all want a magic wand- me too! But I don’t have one, so instead there is only hard work, perseverance, and patience. Lots and lots of patience. AND it is ultimately so much fun to acquire new skills and show them off to yourself and an audience.
