How to Choose the Right Singing Teacher for You
Not every singing lesson is the same.
How you feel about your lessons will depend on a lot of factors, but the biggest one is how you feel about your singing teacher.
Many singing websites will tell you to find singing teachers that have high profiles and have worked with famous vocalists, but really the two most important attributes for a teacher are that you feel comfortable working with them and that they know what they're talking about.
Do you "gel" with them?
The mistake that a lot of people tend to make is that they pay more attention to the qualifications of their teachers rather than how they make them feel in the lesson.
You won't progress very fast if your teacher makes you feel awkward, stupid or hopeless.
You are trusting this person with something extremely valuable - your voice!
Make sure they make you feel comfortable, confident and help you to emphasise the natural talent you have (and don't tell me you don't have any, because everyone does my friend)!
The best singing teachers I know also dive into more than just singing technique in their lessons.
They truly care about their students and will pick up on mindset blocks or negative beliefs that may be holding their students back.
Your teacher should be a constant support in your life, make you feel safe and listened to.
So their singing qualifications don't matter?
To a degree, but they're not the first thing you want to focus on.
I have a Bachelor of Music in Performance Voice and 20 years of training under my belt, but I have met some incredible teachers who don't have a university qualification in music who have learned incredible technique from other wonderful teachers and pass that on to their students.
So much of the juiciest stuff I’ve learned has been through conferences and lessons with other coaches around the world.
You just want to make sure they are able to thoroughly explain how they train their students, what techniques or methods they use and how it can help you.
You want to be confident in their knowledge and their ability as a teacher.
What about style? CAN I see a classical teacher if I want to sing rock for example?
Good question! A great singing teacher should be able to teach you healthy technique while keeping the unique tone of your voice and style intact.
A solid foundation for singing is similar not matter the style, but you'll want to branch off from there.
If you know what style you want to sing or the kind of vocal tone you want, find someone who best understands that style.
Most classical teachers don’t know the intricacies of musical theatre belting and not many rock teachers can guide you through a classical aria.
While I went to university and studied classically, I don't teach that genre as what I do and teach best is contemporary music.
How do I know if my current singing teacher is right for me?
It's often difficult to know whether or not you're working with the right singing teacher for you, but I would ask yourself the following questions to help make that decision:
Do I feel comfortable and confident in my lessons with them?
Do I feel as though they're listening and helping me work through my concerns?
Do they seem to know a lot about singing technique and what I am struggling with vocally?
Am I making progress at every lesson?
