When people hear that I teach voice lessons professionally, I receive this follow-up comment more than any other question or comment.
“I bet you can’t teach me, I can’t sing!”
The exact phrasing varies, but seriously: This is the single most common response I receive. By a long shot.
First of all, where does this come from? Why do you think this? It seems like this attitude has permeated into the psyche of general population and accepted as law.
More importantly, it is not true. I repeat, this sentence is not true. I, and many others out there, can teach you to sing. You are probably much better than you think you are. Frankly, it doesn’t matter if you can match pitch or have any musical talent or have ever sung outside of your shower before. It does not matter. If you have any interest in learning to sing, and are willing to work at it, you can.
Let me phrase it like this: everyone has to learn how to read. First, you learn the alphabet, then how to combine letters to make words, and then how those words combine to make sentences. Sentences make paragraphs, then essays, and then books. No one is born knowing how to do this, just like no one is born knowing how to read music or how to match pitches or knowing music theory.
Do some people have more natural talent than others? Yes, of course. That is true in any field of study. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it, or get something valuable out of it. You may not become a professional musician, but there are many reasons one might not be a professional that have nothing to do with talent: support, finances, personality, interest. The list could go on and on.
There is endless research supporting the benefits of an arts education at any age or level. I won’t go into detail regarding this research here, but I’m sure a quick Google search would give you limitless information. I will say that I believe studying any art, especially one that you believe you lack talent in (provided that you’re willing to open yourself up to the joy and discovery of it), can provide a wealth of benefits to your spirit. And feeding your spirit will certainly provide great benefits to yourself and others.
Do you believe you cannot learn to sing? What has led you to this belief? After reading this post, are you reconsidering? If you are interested in pursuing further musical education, feel free to contact me for extra resources or help finding the best teacher for your desires and needs.