As a performer you should have many tools in your toolbox. These might include, knowing where to go for reasonably priced head shots, attending the occasional brush-up improv class, and something no singer can go without ― choosing the right vocal coach.
There are so many singers out there and any one of them can be a vocal coach, right? Wrong! Singing incorrectly and projecting incorrectly, or even overusing your voice can lead to vocal nodules (often referred to by singers as nodes) and vocal polyps. These problems can lead to a complete loss of voice!
I found my wonderful vocal coach, Tara, through a friend’s recommendation. When I first started working with Tara, she was getting her master’s degree in voice, performance, and singing. She not only knows how to sing, but she also knows about the inner workings of the vocal cords. This knowledge is essential in a vocal coach because telling you to “sing louder” doesn’t always work.
How do you know if your vocal coach is teaching you correctly? That’s a question only you can answer. When you’re done with a session, your voice shouldn’t hurt; a good vocal coach will insist that you warm up before even attempting to sing a song. First, Tara and I select a song to work on. Then, she runs scales with me, making sure to take my voice to where it needs to “rest in the song”. Most times we will even go a few notes higher to make sure I’m fully ready to dive in! Until then, she never lets me sing a note.
Next, you might wonder about cost. There are a few things to consider. A coach with a name (say if you were getting lessons from Terrence Mann) will be more costly than my lessons with Tara. Good questions to ask a potential vocal coach are “Where did you study?” or “What did you study?” Their price will increase based on how qualified the teacher is, what they studied, and even how far they took their studies (bachelor’s degree vs. master’s degree).
As a singer, I beg you, please do your research before starting to sing. If you’re going to pursue this craft, even just for fun, you need the tools to do it safely and correctly.
Happy singing!
