Challenges facing the Entrepreneur Voice Teacher

How many times have you seen an online video, read a book, or heard a voice instructor say “singing is as easy as 1, 2, 3!”  Yet,  what you discover is that singing, for them, is easy as 1, 2, 3, at least, the kind of singing they are demonstrating.  For the listener, simplicity depends upon their ability to mimic the instruction, and often gets harder with time.
 
What is it about the vocal profession that drives practitioners to make sweeping promises about the ease of learning one of the most complicated tasks the body can perform?    Here are a few possible motivations:

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Necessity:  The voice world is a crowded one, and job security tends to be shaky. The need to promote ones self as the primary authority on singing can be overwhelming, and lead people to make promises they can’t keep.

Gray matter/Desire to help:  Everyone expects immediate progress, and everyone, at some point, gets stuck.  The complexity of the voice, and the general lack of practical knowledge about how it works, leads teachers to create gray matter, that is, fake-it-till-you-make-it filler, when they don’t know what to say.  Filler often becomes gospel in time, even without any basis in fact.

Showing off:  Some people want to show the world how amazing they are, and what better way than with a Youtube series that demonstrates their ability sound like lots of people, or skilled techniques.   Not to take away from their prowess, but to say that those kinds of skills take time, understanding, and patience to master.  The fact that one person can accomplish them does not mean that they are immediately transferable to another.

Trust:  The singer/instructor relationship depends upon a trust bond.  Instructors know this, and strive to create it quickly, often by promising that they know how the voice works implicitly, and forcing that knowledge on singers.  Building trust based on interaction and two-way communication can be much more challenging at first, but lasts longer, and is more fruitful.

What does this mean for the aspiring singer and the voice instructor? 
 

1. The most important lesson to carry with us into any vocal learning environment is that you, the singer, are in charge of your body, and you are the only one with direct knowledge about your body. 

2. The instructor’s approach to learning is very important. Do they constantly tell the singer what to do, or do they involve the singer in a body/mind learning process?  If you spend 30 minutes with an instructor and they have yet to ask you what you’re feeling, or ask you to comment on your experience, that’s a big red flag.  The singer’s experience should be the primary focus.

3. Whenever you learn, ask questions, and seek answers.  Empower yourself with the directly applicable value that science provides us, and compare any new ideas to the science that you know. 

4. Be inquisitive, and be willing to say “I don’t know”.  Be wary of anyone who claims to know everything.

5. Listen for mythological statements.   Know the basics of what makes your voice function, and listen for red flags like “breathe from the diaphragm” or “use the muscles in your pelvic floor” or “all you need to do is raise the soft palate”, etc.

6. Be on the lookout for motivational speeches.  Although life-coaching advice can be just what the doctor ordered, it often has less to do with singing, and more to do with how we approach singing.  Listen for actual singing advice verses “go get ‘em” language.

~David H.