What Makes A Great Singing Teacher?
“Show everyone in the world how beautiful they are inside, because once they know how beautiful they are inside, then there’s nothing they can’t dream”
Honestly, everything Jo Estill says in the video that this quote is taken from makes me want to weep (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLtijBWN8uQ). There are certain singing teachers that exude this kind of attitude and I just love it. It’s so important, when you’re dealing with something as complex as the human voice, to not forget to acknowledge the magic and want others to experience that and create it. For me, that quote should be the underpinning ideology of every singing teacher. Unfortunatelyyyyy (lololol), there are no official prerequisites for a private singing teacher, so anyone can do it. Which, in a lot of ways, is definitely a good thing. Not everyone has the resources to get formal qualifications and it would be a shame for someone who is really passionate and capable to not be able to provide their services because they couldn’t afford a bit of paper, or a few letters after their name. I think teaching singing is something that can attract a few gatekeeper-types and, as discussed before on this blog, people who think their way of doing things is the one and only. I don’t want to put anyone out of a job, I just want singers to know that there is no one way to teach vocals, as well as to feel equipped and empowered enough to be able to decide what and who is best for them.
So, following on from my last post, if you’ve been convinced to try singing lessons, you now need to decide who will teach you. Here are a few things that, in my opinion, make a really good singing teacher/vocal coach and that you should perhaps look out for.
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• Someone you get on with … probably one of the most important points. There’s an argument for the ballbusters, but singing lessons are very vulnerable places to be, so it’s probably best to opt for someone you can have a laugh and feel comfortable with.
• Someone who doesn’t claim there’s one way to do things, unless you genuinely believe there’s one way to do things … I don’t. Everyone’s bodies are all different. If you have a teacher who seems really prescriptive and tied down to one technique, I’d worry that you’re not getting a tailored experience, which can end up being quite harmful.
• Someone who recognises what makes you special: a big part of learning to sing is learning how to accentuate the amazing parts of your voice, not just fixing ‘problem areas’. It’s important for singing teachers to highlight great-sounding things that you do instinctively and want to make the most of them.
• Someone who encourages you to take outside opportunities: your singing teacher should be nothing but delighted to know you’re sharing your voice with as many people as possible.
• Someone who lets you do what you want to do – there should be some give and take here. Singing teachers may suggest exercises and songs that don’t bring you the most joy – you shouldn’t flat out refuse to do them because ultimately, they probably will help – but if you say you want to learn a particular song or try a certain style and they say no, that’s just a massive red flag (I think it’s very rare, but still a point).
• Someone who loves other singers: it’s great to know that your singing teacher enjoys listening to voices and always interesting to find out who they like. You might end up with a new fave! Similarly, try to stay away from singing teachers who bitch endlessly about other vocalists. It’s just not a great vibe.
• Someone who is open: please be wary of anyone who hates certain sounds and won’t allow them. When I was fifteen, a singing teacher told me to not put any ‘H’s in front of words (i.e. don’t be breathy) because it’s not ‘powerful enough’ … oh how I laughed, over a decade later, discovering that my dedication to the glottal onset (very not breathy) was a major player in most of my vocal issues…
• Someone who is willing to sing and to sing without vanity: I don’t subscribe to the idea that if a singing teacher doesn’t have a remarkable voice, they’re no good, but singing is joyful and you want to be spending your time singing with someone who feels that. On a practical level, we can’t directly control most of our singing mechanism; we have to have an idea of what things sound like, in order for our brains to tell our bodies how to recreate them – you’ll need someone who is going to give you demonstrations, rather than just tell you what to do. It’s my belief that the best singing comes from total abandon (as long as you don’t have any physical vocal disorders) and from having fun with your voice. Having someone to encourage that and make ridiculous noises with you, without being too concerned about what they sound like, is one of the most helpful things you can do for your voice.
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Obviously, you’re not going to pick up on all of these things in the first lesson. It can take a little time to get a good idea of someone and whether or not they can help you. Personally, I think there’s value in everything – even if you end up having a teacher who does nothing for you, you now know what doesn’t work – so don’t place too much weight on this decision. You can always find another teacher at any point in your life. Circumstances change, people change; you might work really well with someone for a long time and then find that you hit a peak with them; you might just have to pick whoever’s closest or cheapest right now – it’s all fine. It’s also completely fair to disagree with some, or all, of these points; I don’t know you, you might already know everything great about your voice and are desperate for someone to fix your problem areas! One of the most helpful things you can do is have a good think, pinpoint what you want out of lessons and why you’re having them and then let any prospective singing teachers know that. They might decide themselves that they’re not the one for you. They might be more into performance and repertoire, whilst you want some hard-hitting technique. There are countless singing teachers out there and there will be one (or more!) for you.