Q. What should I, the parent, expect from my child’s voice lesson and how long should they practice?
A. Depending on the age, there are certain parameters and expectations.
Under 5: The student will learn rhythm, sing-a-longs, and movement through programs like Alfred’s Music for Little Mozarts, Mommy and Me, and Music Together. Our goal at this age is to establish a good foundation for later study that is fun and imaginative.
Ages 6 – 8: Children this age have limited strength and control over their ribs. They can learn to sing in head and chest register with limited range and volume. The goal here is to develop healthy vocal habits and a love for the stage, NOT to increase range or strength. 10 – 15 minutes practice every day is plenty.
Ages 8 – 10: These youngsters may begin to develop more range, breath control and volume, but none of these to the extreme. 15 – 20 minutes practice is recommended.
Ages 10 -12: These pre-teens may begin to work for tone clarity. They can begin to balance head and chest registers. Some work may be done to strengthen ribs and abs. Songs should be age appropriate for content and vocal requirements. Parental input is helpful here.
Teens, 13 – 15: Most vocal development can now begin. Head register should be dominant in the beginning with developing a mix of head and chest. These students are ready for some serious voice work once a good healthy foundation has been laid. 1 hour lesson is recommended for this age. *Remind young rockers to protect their ears as well as their voices.
**Some boys whose voices are changing can sing through the change and some can’t. If the change is severe and abrupt postpone singing lessons until the voice stabilizes. (Perhaps this is a good time for instrumental lessons). If the change is gradual developing their mix may ease the transition from treble voice to the male voice.
Young Adults, 16 – 20: The entire vocal instrument can now be developed, bearing in mind the type of music the student wants to sing. With some guidance the student can be responsible for choosing their repertoire.
+21: see the Adult Programs page.
Q. What do you do in a voice lesson?
A. The student will begin with some warm ups then specific technical issues may be addressed that are indicative to that student. Repertoire will be studied and may be used as a means to address problems. Students who already have performance commitments will receive coaching on the material they are presently working on.
Q. How long before the student sees improvements?
A. Small changes are possible within the first month that can include volume or style. Changes in vocal production won’t happen overnight.
Within 3 or 4 Lessons -There is no time to make major adjustments in this time. You may be able to make some register changes, or changes in breathing patterns. These changes will happen if the singer is practicing every day. (Twice a day for 30 minutes each, if possible) Do NOT practice more than 90 minutes overall.
Within 2 Months - If the student is practicing daily and correctly, register changes will be obvious. Other factors such as breathing, range development, flexibility, strength and stamina may also improve significantly.
Within 6 Months - Wrong habits, small misalignments, pitch issues, breathing issues, flexibility and stamina can all be improved. Style and interpretive skills can be developed.
Ongoing lessons insure mastery of the vocal instrument and even very experienced singers continue to check in with their teachers and coaches on a regular basis.
Q. What is the difference between a voice teacher and a voice coach?
A. A voice teacher deals only with the mechanics of singing, a voice coach deals with the study of repertoire, interpretation and performance practices. Vocal instructors combine the two to give our students the benefit of teaching and coaching.
Q. What do you do in a voice lesson?
A. We will begin with some warm ups then specific technical issues may be addressed that are indicative to that student. Repertoire will be studied and may be used as a means to address problems. Students who already have performance commitments will receive coaching on the material they are performing.
Q. Can you teach someone to sing so that they can have a career as a singing star?
A. No, there are too many variables in the music industry to guarantee anyone’s success, and most of them have nothing to do with how well someone sings. However, we can teach you to sing in a healthy way so that wherever life takes you, you can enjoy singing for the rest of your life.
Q. How long does it take someone to learn to sing?
A. There is no single answer to that question. Sometimes improvement is made in minutes, sometimes it takes years. It depends on what prior training and experience the singer has had. It depends on how often they can practice. Generally, you should probably give six months to a year to see marked improvement.
Q. How long should you practice?
A. Fifteen to twenty minutes for a beginner. Thirty to forty-five minutes for a moderately advanced singer and one hour for a full advanced singer. It is the quality of the time that counts. Stop as soon as your voice begins to tire.
Q. Can voice lessons help my speaking voice?
A. Absolutely; the sound is coming from the same instrument. You will learn to project in a healthy manner not risking laryngitis
(text by Judith Wade, Vocologist Certified in Somatic Voicework (TM) The LoVetri Method)
