In my post from a few weeks ago, I talked about the various places you can look for a good voice teacher. Now that you’ve started your search, you may have found that you don’t know what to look for in a teacher. How do you determine if they’re good? Just as importantly, how do you determine if they’re the right choice for you? Today’s post lists six ways to find the right voice teacher for you, along with a bonus consideration at the end.
1. Ask About Their Teaching Style
Many people will tell you that classical training can teach you to sing any kind of style. This is both true and false. Classical training will certainly give you a good foundation in healthy singing. However, once it comes to the finer nuances of contemporary singing, such as belting, it comes up short.
Many classical teachers also do not feel comfortable teaching contemporary music. This is fine if you want to learn how to sing classical music, but is problematic if you want to sing rock, jazz, or maybe even musical theater. Know that no matter what your musical goals are, a good teacher will find a balance between finding music you want to learn and what is appropriate for your vocal development.
2. Look at Their Credentials
Performance experience is certainly one way to determine a teacher’s credentials. Remember though, those who can do cannot necessarily teach! Many natural talents do not know how to convey what something should sound or feel like. Look for teachers who have many years of experience teaching or have studied voice pedagogy.
3. Listen to Their Students
What do their current students sound like? Where are their current students performing? Try to hear some of their students if you can. Do they all sound the same? This can be an indication that a teacher is a one-trick pony and perhaps not the best. Do you like how their students sound? Then this might be the teacher for you.
4. Look at the Cost
This will vary according to your location and to the length of your lesson (voice lessons are usually either ½ hour or an hour), but you really should not pay more than $100, especially for beginner lessons. An hour lesson will vary from $30-$70 on average. This will depend not only on location and your experience level, but the experience of the teacher as well.
Also, just because you are paying more it does not necessarily mean they will be a better teacher! I personally have never paid my own teachers more than $70 a week.
5. Consider the Initial Lesson
Many teachers will offer a lesson for free or for ½ the price as a way to make sure that it is a good fit for both of you. Personality matters with a teacher! This is also the time to ask a teacher any questions you may have. If a teacher does not offer a sample lesson, this is not necessarily a warning sign, but it may be worth it to keep shopping around.
Update: It has been noted by some that professionals should never be expected to work for free, a sentiment I am inclined to agree with. However, it should be noted that certain markets and areas expect some sort of benefit for initial lessons. It would be wonderful for all teachers if a discussion could form on whether or not you offer any sort of discount for initial lessons, and how you arrived at that policy.
6. Note Their Gender (Maybe)
Honestly, if the teacher is a good teacher, it shouldn’t matter if you study with someone the same gender as you. This is especially true if you’re a beginner. So ultimately, the gender of your teacher is a matter of personal preference. Singing is a highly personal study since it involves our bodies, so some prefer someone of the same gender for this reason. Others may appreciate the viewpoints of another gender or voice type. What it comes down to is, a good teacher is a good teacher, so don’t fret too much about gender.
Bonus: Voice Teachers vs. Voice Coaches
When looking for a voice teacher, many beginner students fall into the “Teacher vs. Coach” trap. Know that there is a difference between a voice teacher and a voice coach. A coach works with you almost exclusively on diction, musical style, and factors pertaining to the music itself. A teacher, however, will work primarily on vocal technique. Most coaches know very little about the technical aspects of singing. Therefore, they are unable to help you develop your singing as a skill. Coaches are a great addition to your musical team, but not if you expect them to teach you how to sing.
What else do you look for in a teacher? What made you decide that your teacher was right for you? If you need help finding a teacher in your area, please feel free to contact me, and I would be happy to help you out!