What follows is a guest post from Jessica Whitton on the topic of finding a qualified vocal instructor.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to contribute a guest post of your own, you can find the submission guidelines here.
With that out of the way, let’s get into the meat of it.
>Who doesn’t love singing their favorite songs under the shower or while they are stuck in traffic? Carpool karaoke is an infamous viral social media trend for a reason. Everyone likes to sing along to their favorite songs on the radio.
Nevertheless, while singing involves natural talent, it is also a skill that can be learned. If you want to learn how to sing, you’ll need to commit to regular study and practice over the long haul.
Musical training can help develop your listening skills, is proven to increase your brain function, and is a must if you want to hone your natural talent. Vocal training is also helpful to a range of professionals such as actors, motivational speakers, and more.
Still, with a range of different vocal coaches available all around, and with new training programs popping up almost each and every day, you must also know how to find a good music instructor. Here are a few tips to help you do just that.
1. Be Honest About Your Expectations and Abilities
Believing you are the greatest singer out there and not being able to take constructive criticism will not help you in the long term. Before finding a teacher, make sure that you are clear about your limitations and honest about your expectations.
Answering the following questions can help you better understand the exact type of vocal teacher you need and what you can expect from yourself and your vocal training sessions:
- What is the biggest driving factor behind your passion?
- Why do you want to train your voice?
- Have you had musical training before? When?
- Are you comfortable singing on stage?
- What do you expect your vocal coach to do for you?
- Do you have a background in music?
- How much time can you commit to practice and study?
- How many resources can you commit?
- Are you able to dedicate yourself to the craft, or do you only want to take it up as a hobby?
2. Find a Teacher That Can Serve Your Needs
Once you’ve answered the aforementioned questions, search for a vocal teacher that meets your criteria. For example, if you can spend more and don’t have much free time on your hands, paying for intensive training sessions might be a better option for you.
If you have more time to dedicate to the craft, you might want to hire someone who charges less, but can spend more time with you.
Regardless, ensure that the teacher meets your criteria and not just the other way around.
3. Research Your Vocal Coach Before Hiring
When researching vocal coaches online, you can do a bit of digging to find out what they’ve been up to with their careers. Preferably, you should find someone who is a trained professional and is active in their ongoing development as a vocalist.
Finding a positive, realistic and honest individual who understands they are not the greatest vocal teacher ever, and that they also have flaws, is a step in the right direction.
Singing requires both the teacher and the pupil to be honest about their skills. What’s more, someone with the right training background is crucial as there is more to vocal training than just singing, including human interaction.
4. Prepare Your Objectives and Share Them with Your Teacher
Make a list of your goals and share them with your teacher. Ask them how they can help you achieve your goals.
For instance, vocal training may take different forms depending on whether you want to be involved in musical theater or if you intend to become the next star on a reality show.
Once you have listed your objectives, share them with the teacher of your choice and don’t be afraid to ask whether they think they are a good match. Even if they do not feel qualified enough in the field you want to develop yourself in, chances are they can recommend you to a colleague that has experience in that area.
5. Try out Multiple Vocal Coaches before Deciding which to go with
Vocal training requires a coherence between both the teacher and the pupil. Even if the vocal coach you have chosen is the best in your area and has multiple certifications, chances are things will not work out in your favor if you are not a good match.
That is why, especially if you are considering going long term with your vocal training, you should try out multiple teachers before settling on one. Tasting a variety of teaching methods before choosing the right one for is crucial, as when you are in sync with your coach, you’ll make more progress and the training process will go smoother.
Singing is a Journey – Enjoy it!
To learn how to sing you have to be prepared to go on a voyage. Vocal training can help you improve your vocal abilities, express yourself through music and more. Anyone can benefit from lessons.
- Top 5 Tips On How To Find A Vocal Coach That’s Right For You - April 20, 2017
