Real Voice

Michael Hutchence: The Singer and The Performer

rosanna — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 02:57:25 +0000

I’ve chosen Michael Hutchence because he is a very well known, if sadly deceased, male performer. As the lead singer of INXS I believe it was Michaels voice and charisma that took what would possibly have been a very good if nothing special band to international stardom. But this is not a fan letter and this post has nothing whatsoever to do with what I do or don’t personally think about Michaels talent and charisma etc. What I want to talk about now is STYLE.And Michael had a ton of it. Basically, if I had to really break it down and totally simplify it, I’d say that Michael was a great example of making the most of what u have and playing to your strengths. I will be addressing this topic in future posts because it IS a complicated subject but just for today I will start to touch on this as best I can. When you have a listen to Michaels singing you’ll notice that he had, in fact, quite a low range. In other words, he didn’t sing too many high notes. Compare him say to Michael Jackson or Bruno Mars. You’ll find that these two really hit some very impressive high notes. Now, u might say, so what? What’s the big deal about that? And THAT’S where it gets interesting. In the industry there is such as thing as a ‘commercial voice’. It’s not some deep dark secret. It’s a well accepted fact that there is a certain ‘sound’ that some singers have (think Pink, Beyonce, Bjork, Sara Blasko, Sia) that is generally pleasing to most people. And those singers have quite a high range meaning that they often sing in the upper registers of their voice. Not exclusively of course but they can all ‘get up there’ and use that to great effect. The REASON for this is because most of the emotion and expression comes to its full effect up in the high registers. Does that mean that a low voice can’t be expressive? No, of course not. Barry White forged a whole career from his low, gravelly voice. Also, Amy Winehouse didn’t do too badly either and her voice was quite low AND expressive. However, more often than not, singers are always trying to extend their range (from your lowest note to your highest) so that they can get the big high notes because often the song will ‘arc’ or ‘climax’ on those hard to get at high notes. So going back to Michael Hutchence. As appealing and distinct as his voice was, he was a great example of a very successful singer who, when you get right down to it, did not have a great voice. Distinct? Yes. You can really pick his voice out of a line-up I reckon. But did he have a great voice? No. Michael just knew not only how to make the most of his voice but more importantly, he knew how to perform. And as a performer he was incredible and electrifying and THAT was his strong suit. And he knew that and he milked it for all it was worth and it was worth a lot. His performance was so strong that the fact that his voice, distinct as it was, was a bit limited never limited HIM. He very simply MADE THE MOST OF WHAT HE HAD. It’s a bit like those makeover shows where they take someone who looks a bit ordinary and doll them up. Come on, we’ve all seen them. They use to be big a few years back. Anyway, afterwards they were almost unrecognisable! Same people. Just styled differently. So by all means work on your voice and don’t accept its ‘limitations’. If you do some real work (preferably with a good teacher) and get some experience (more about that in another post) you will be amazed at what your voice is capable of. I see this on a daily basis with my clients. The techniques that I teach and that are around today are just phenomenal and I know that not only from the things I experience with my clients but also the changes I have witnessed in my own voice. It’s nothing short of stunning. HOWEVER, this post is not about the voice per say, but about personal style and how even a singer with a less than perfect voice can do very well. A little bit of style and confidence goes a long way. Look at Michael as a great example of that. But others come to mind as well. Jim Morrison from The Doors. Mick Jagger. I mean really, think about it, Mick Jagger would be lucky to get into the local choir in all honesty. Yet there he is, and has been, as the lead singer of one of the greatest rock no roll bands of all time. And in rock n roll style and attitude matters almost as much as talent. Now, you DO need some talent. Don’t get me wrong. The artists I’ve mentioned in this post all have talent. They just don’t all have the best VOICES. So work with what you have, get some training because you’ll be chuffed at what’s possible with a good teacher, get some decent threads and work it! The most important thing I can tell you is this. THE AUDIENCE DO NOT KNOW WHAT YOU ARE OR ARE NOT CAPABLE OF. They will give you the benefit of the doubt unless you give them reason not to. . So, put your best foot forward don’t go for some big high note if you can’t do it well. And make sure the song is in the best key for you! So to recap:

Singing is different to performing. You need to be good at both but it’s not necessary for success.

Don’t sing songs that don’t suit you ie Stairway to Heaven is awesome but Robert Plant is a hard act to follow. Michael Hutchence would have known better than to attempt it. It would not have showcased him very well and all it would have done is made the audience think, huh, he’s not that good is he? NOT SMART.

Make sure the key of the song is right for you. You may need a few lessons w a teacher to help you with that.

In the world of rock n roll, style is at least as important as sound.

And if all else fails get a REALLY great pair of skinny black jeans and hope for the best!!

Things I Wish My Guitar Teacher had told me……

rosanna — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 03:10:08 +0000

When I was eleven years of age my mother took me to Classical guitar lessons. This would have been at considerable financial sacrifice and while I couldn’t fully appreciate it then I certainly do now, at the age of 54! My guitar teacher was a good looking nice young guy of about 23 years of age and was quite likely much more interested in his own musical pursuits than teaching kids to play. I don’t hold this against him of course. It wasn’t intentional in any way but because his heart really wasn’t in it as far as teaching goes, he left out a great deal of important information which would have been of great benefit to me. I subsequently learnt what I needed to know mainly by just being involved in the music industry for decades. I think my ex husband (also a musician) taught me most of it!! So in this post I’ll just start out with two tips which I consider to be Really Good To Know.

NOT ALL GUITARS ARE CREATED EQUAL. Yep. Let’s start with that. There are electric guitars, steel string acoustic guitars , nylon string classical guitars and various hybrids. This is not just good to know. It’s essential. I learnt to play on a nylon string classical guitar. It certainly had it’s advantages the main one being that I can finger pick like a classical guitarist. However, being a singer songwriter, it would have been nice to know that what I really needed was a steel string acoustic or even an electric. And that’s what I have now. I have a smallish Martin, A gorgeous Taylor (Jewell Signature) and a Fender Telecaster. I no longer have my original nylon string though these days I deeply regret that and have been considering buying one just lately. So, in a nutshell, classical nylon string guitars are gorgeous BUT they are not ideal for playing chords or any kind of lead breaks and riffs etc. They are made for classical music and if you get one, you’ll probably be going to classical guitar lessons in which case you will most likely learn to read music, finger pick and hold the guitar in a way that is specific to classical guitarists. If you want to write songs, get yourself a nice medium priced acoustic steel string guitar.

DON’T FALL INTO THE ‘I’LL JUST GET A CHEAP ONE NOW AND A BETTER ONE LATER’ TRAP. This is very common and very very wrong. If you get a cheap and nasty guitar it will make it SO much harder for you to learn that you’ll most likely give up before you’ve begun. I’m serious. If you really think about it, it makes no sense whatsoever to spend say, $400.00 (anything less is not worth considering let alone discussing) on a guitar because the likelihood of you giving up the ghost is so high trying to learn to play on something thats almost unplayable that you’ll actually be throwing that $400.00 away. The good news is that you CAN get some pretty decent guitars without having to sell your first born if you look around and get yourself informed. Gibson Guitars makes a cheaper but comparable brand called Epiphone and they are quite good value. You’re much better off spending say $800.00 and getting something good that you’ll enjoy not only learning on but playing for years to come. Ideally your first guitar should be one that you hang onto for many reasons but not the least because it’s a damn good guitar! Most guitar players have at least a couple of guitars but there is just no reason that makes sense why your first one shouldn’t be something you treasure possibly for a lifetime. You’re not buying a pair of jeans. This is an investment. Guitars are beautiful instruments made from organic materials and will in fact improve with age. Save your coins and get the best that you can afford. You will not regret it.

Okay so that’s it for my tips for today. I’ll try to write another post along the same lines soon!

Playing To Your Strengths As A Singer

rosanna — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 22:24:33 +0000

Paul Simon as most of you know is a very gifted singer/songwriter. As the writing half of Simon And Garfunkel he churned out numerous hits such as Mrs Robinson, Bridge Over Troubled Water and countless others too numerous to mention. He also has done equally as well as a solo artist with his hit Graceland often heard on classic hit radio stations. Here’s what you DON’T notice though. He’s really not much of a vocalist. Not really. I mean, he’s a gifted musician/artist all round but his standout quality is his songwriting. Same goes for Billy Joel. As singer, neither of these guys would win prizes yet somehow that hasn’t held them back. Why? Well they both very simply play to their strengths. We can’t all have voices like Steve Tyler or Chris Cornell or Whitney Houston, so why draw attention to the fact that you can’t sing like that? This may seem obvious but after many years as a singing coach I can tell you that the vast majority of people have no idea as to what their particular individual vocal strengths are and this is precisely the sort of thing that a decent teacher can help you with. You never think of Paul Simon as NOT being a good singer because he doesn’t try to do things, vocally, that are beyond him. He was smart enough to have the wonderfully gifted Art Garfunkel to do the heavy lifting in the vocal department and when he went solo he continued to showcase his songwriting skills and managed to create wonderfully accessible songs that are not limited in melody yet still accommodate his pleasant yet unspectacular voice. So, first off you need to find out what your vocal ‘range’ is and start from there. Attempting to sing a Florence and the Machine song in the same way she does it or a Beyonce song with all her big notes and inflections if you don’t have that big voice is only going to draw attention to that fact. In many cases, less is more. Leave spaces, let the music do the work. It’s not how big your voice is or how long you can hold a note. It’s the expression and timing and phrasing. This is where we get into stylistics versus technique. A good teacher will help you to find your own style and sound so that you don’t sound like a bad copy of someone else.

How to Improve Your Songs

rosanna — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 23:37:30 +0000

Notice how I’ve NOT said how to write a song? I believe that this is an ability people are born with and if you have to try in any way or force it, don’t bother. There are seriously so many gifted songwriters in the world you’ll never hear about that it’s really a total waste of your time trying to write songs because these people are already doing it without too much effort and they STILL can’t get a break. There is NO magic potion or pill that will turn you into a John Mayer or Bruce Springsteen or Sia. These people are born with this talent and chances are they have been writing since they were very young. That’s truly how it is and if you ever see any courses promising to tell you how to write a song please don’t buy into it. It really is like teaching somehow how to be tall. In other words, you can ‘t. If however, you can and do already write songs, there are various things you can do to improve them. The first big tip I can give you is to think about the key of the song. Now this may seem obvious but believe me it is often if not always totally overlooked by even very effective songwriters. No matter what key you originally wrote the song in try a few different ones. Again I know this sounds obvious but something as simple as that can make a BIG difference to your overall sound. A great example is The Carpenters. If you think you don’t know who they are you’re probably wrong. Google them and you’ll see that they had numerous big hits in the seventies. They were a brother a sister team. Apparently the story goes that the lead singer of this fantastic duo originally sang everything in a higher key and it was the producer that suggested she sing it in a lower key and voila! The Carpenters found their very unique sound. Now, I’m not sure about the veracity of this comment but either way it’s a great story and it has the ring of truth to it because I see this all the time. I often mentor songwriters and one of the first things I suggest are key changes and more often than not, it’s of great benefit. Not always of course. Often the original key the song is written in is the best one. I’m only suggesting that you give it some thought. It’s all about what key is best suited to your voice for that particular song. Please note that there is NO one specific key that will suit your voice all the time. This is another misconception. I really have no idea where this idea comes from but it’s not true and actually makes no sense. If you want to understand keys and whats best for YOUR voice, then it’s probably best that you seek out a decent singing teacher and do a few lessons. They should be able to set you straight. Obviously I can’t do that in this post but I CAN tell you that the key in which a song is being sung can make or break it. It gets a little complicated of course because often times a song may be driven by a guitar riff and changing the key ruins the effect of that riff e.g. songs like Layla (Eric Clapton) or Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) just to name a couple. These songs wouldn’t work as well if the key was changed and there are many more examples of this. However as a starting point to improving your song, you could do worse than have a really good think about the existing key.

Stop Whining Start Singing!

rosanna — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 07:11:10 +0000

Here’s a simple fact. Singing makes people feel better. Will it solve all your problems? No. But I mean, honestly, what will? Problems and challenges are just a normal part of life and if we wait until ‘everything’s sorted’ before we act on something we have thought of doing (ie singing lessons) it will NEVER happen. Singing lessons are a bit like having a baby or buying a dog. There are plenty of reasons NOT to and really, and it’s never the perfect time. We all have busy lives and endless things that demand our time money and energy. But sometimes we have to do something for ourselves for no reason other than the fact that we want to. Part of being human is participating in activities that bring us great personal fulfilment and if you’ve put off having singing lessons because you’ve convinced yourself ( I say convinced yourself because it really IS all in your own mind) that you’re too ‘shy’ * too busy or can’t afford it then you’re just creating self sabotaging excuses that are only holding YOU back. It’s not that singing teachers don’t want your business. Of course they do. But that has absolutely nothing to do with you, or your wants, needs and dreams. My clients range from the barely able to sing a note to the total pro. Here’s the surprising thing though. The individual talents and abilities and experiences of my various clients have nothing whatsoever to do with their level of enjoyment and accomplishment. I mean, really, what does Beyonce’s talent have to do with you? Not one thing. So why compare yourself to her? Or to Michael Bubble? Adele? Lady Gaga? They sing because they want to. They love it. It just so happens that they’re very good at it and have received recognition through their musical efforts but there’s no reason to think that they enjoy singing anymore than anyone else, individual ability aside. We sing because it brings us joy and comfort. It’s a way for us to express ourselves. Being a member of a large choir is in no way less valid, exciting or satisfying than being the star of a big broadway show. I guarantee you that YOUR experiences are every bit as valid as anyone else’s, singing included. So my advice is to stop making excuses because you’re only holding yourself back. And you only get one life. I’ve found that people who book lessons and cancel them, repeatedly, usually do so because they like the idea of doing them but talk themselves out of it for whatever reason. My question is this. If they’re not interested in having singing lessons, then why book them in the first place? You would not believe the amount of clients that I have that have put off lessons for years and then when they finally do come along they are more often than not very regretful that they didn’t do them sooner. In the words of Molly Meldrum “Do Yourself A Favour” and stop making excuses and start singing! It’s unlikely you’ll regret it.

* see my previous post about shyness

Can I learn to sing like Pink?

rosanna — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 21:38:43 +0000

This is an interesting one and unlike other posts I’ve written, there is no straightforward easy answer. I can however address this fairly common question and hopefully shed a little light for some of you budding singers out there. Now, first off we need to understand and identify THREE very different yet symbiotic issues. Tone versus Technique versus Stylistic. So, in other words in order to truly understand the voice, and to start to grasp some of the techniques that I teach, you need to begin to understand and identify what it is EXACTLY that you mean by this question. I get asked this sort of thing a fair bit, just the names of the artists get changed ie Can I learn to sing like Beyonce? Can I learn to sing like Adele? Cyndi Lauper? Lana Del Ray? Lorde? Ok. So the actual artist is not the relevant thing here. It’s the question. Do you mean can you learn to SOUND like that artist? ie the actual TONE of their voice? Or, can you learn to SING like them? Meaning, can you sing in that STYLE? So when you look at that little list of female vocalists the only thing that they all have in common is that they are all very good. Apart from that, their actual styles are completely different AND so are the actual sound of their voices ie their TONE. So, when I first start with a client I make sure that they understand this, and are able to identify and understand that they can sing a song made popular by Beyonce for example but I there is a big difference between singing a song made popular by a certain artist, or singing a song made popular by a certain artist and imitating that artist. In other words, inevitably and quite understandably, new clients will try to imitate not only the tone of that singer but also the PHRASING and the INFLECTIONS and all the vocal idiosyncrasies. That’s ok. But you need to be aware that your doing that and sometimes that awareness takes quite a bit of time and effort. Especially if that client is new and has been imitating that singer for a long time without really being aware of it. There is nothing wrong whatsoever in doing this by the way. In fact, it can be highly beneficial, but that’s for another post. So in order to really answer that question, CAN I LEARN TO SING LIKE PINK properly you need to truly understand what exactly it is that you’re asking. Do you like Pinks voice as such? Or is it her overall look, approach, style and songs? This is the sort of complex question that I look at with my clients on a daily basis. It depends on many factors for example the actual tone of the clients voice and also, their experience. Professional singers often find it quite easy to imitate other singers. This is partially because they have an inherent ability to imitate as part of their overall vocal/performer talent but also their experience and training plays a bit part. Singing tuition can unlock all that potential and really give someone the confidence to experiment with their sound, technique and style in a safe and comfortable environment. Ideally your teacher should have the kind of persona and general attitude of making you feel completely at ease. After all, singing is an intimate and personal thing and this explains why so many people are a bit reluctant to sing in front of others. A good teacher will pave the way and bridge the gap between being a totally new inexperienced and possibly somewhat terrified performer to someone who may actually even enjoy the process of singing with and for, other people. Take your time and find a teacher that fills that criteria and you may be surprised at what you yourself are capable of doing with your voice and performance. Good luck in your musical adventures!

I am a naturally talented singer. Do I still need singing lessons?

rosanna — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 07:30:35 +0000

I love this question because unlike other questions this has a very simple and straightforward black and white answer. Yes. You do. It really is as simple as that. See here’s the thing. No matter how well you can sing naturally, without SOME kind of professional vocal tuition, you won’t be as good as you can be. Think about it. Celine Dion, one of the best female vocalists ever, trains with her vocal coach most days. Oh yeh. Now that’s a singer that was sensational at the age of 14 and who even without any training whatsoever can probably still run rings around me, you……most of us. So what? That’s not her concern. HER concern is to be in the best vocal shape possible. Hayley Williams, the lead singer of Paramour? Trains with U.S vocal coach and C.E.O of “Singing Success” Brett Manning. I believe he even goes on tour with her. That’s also fairly standard for the bigger earning performers. Does Christina Aguiliera train with a vocal coach. Yes. Beyonce? You betcha. See where I’m going with this? Your ‘natural talent’ nonwithstanding, you will just simply be a better singer with some lessons. You may have a couple of weird little bad habits that you’re not aware of which could easily be taken care of with a decent teacher. Now let’s be clear about this. Singing lessons will not make you talented. Your natural talents and abilities are what you’re born with. There’s no doubt there. But again, thats not really the point. Lessons will improve your stamina, power, range, breath control and in turn, your confidence. Trust me, it works. . Keep in mind though that it’s not like a cooking class ie here’s how you make an omelette. Now go home and do it. Singing lessons are more like Personal Training Fitness sessions. I train with a personal trainer once a week. If I miss a week, I feel it. Singing lessons are more like that. Professional highly paid singers like Mariah Carey or Rihanna can afford of course to have a vocal coach session every day. I won’t lie, again, it’s like having a daily session with a fitness trainer. There’s just NO WAY that if I worked out with my wonderful trainer every day that I wouldn’t be a great shape. However that’s not possible so I settle for once a week. But I have no intention of quitting that once a week session because apart from the benefits of that actual session, it keeps me on track with my fitness all week. Singing lessons are kinda like that. But you do have to do a decent amount of lessons before you get any benefits. Don’t expect results in anything less than ten lessons. If a teacher promises you differently, they’re scamming you. It’s just simply not true. There’s just way too much to do and ideally I tell clients that they should be aiming at a thirty lesson plan done once a week. Find a teacher you like the look and sound of and give it a go.

How to overcome crippling shyness with singing lessons

rosanna — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 23:36:21 +0000

This might sound crazy but I encounter many people who are so shy that even the idea of going to a singing lesson fills them with fear and anxiety. I’m not exactly sure what they think is going to happen in a singing lesson, but there you have it. So first off lets look at that. Ok, I am of the opinion that there is no such thing as ‘shyness’. And this is coming from someone who suffered from this supposed problem for decades. The thing is, I am no longer ‘ shy’. So, then, if it actually exists as a defining personal characteristic then it stands to reason that I have still have this tendency. Well, I do. The ONLY thing that’s really changed is that these days, I just don’t entertain that idea of myself. I’ve come to realise with age and experience that you really can talk yourself in or out of absolutely anything, shyness included and I base that opinion on some fairly solid facts. First off, if it wasn’t within my power to control it, then why am I controlling it? See what I mean? I would go as far as to say that as a child and teenager my shyness was crippling. Yet here I am CONFIDENTLY giving people private singing and guitar lessons and performing as a singer on a regular basis. So how does this all relate to my singing lessons? Well because I’ve had personal experience with overwhelming feelings of shyness I can really sympathise and therefore I can help my clients overcome their own perceived shyness. As I said at the beginning of this post, I am of the opinion that there is no such thing as ‘shyness’ and that’s my starting point with my clients. The actual DOING of singing lessons will go a long way in dealing with lack of confidence etc because you’re committing and following through on something that you find in some way frightening or intimidating. Now, this is quite different to all that unrealistic silly stuff about facing your fear of heights or facing your fear of enclosed spaces. You SHOULD be wary of these things! It makes perfect sense to be at least a little afraid of being trapped inside a small airless space or being up at a great height. These are inherently somewhat dangerous situations because there is a REAL and PHYSICAL risk involved. It’s normal and part of our common sense to be aware of danger in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones. Being afraid of going to a singing lesson is quite different however not only I do come across this quite a bit but I am also convinced that THE VAST MAJORITY of people are actually more afraid of singing in public than any of those other real and present dangers! And, this actually includes going to a singing lesson! I often have people booking and cancelling lessons because they’ve spent too much time worrying about it and thinking about it and working themselves up in a ‘tizz’ over it to the extent that they cancel the lesson. Often these people will contact me again and do the same thing again. I’ve come to recognise these ‘repeat offenders’! I have no idea what they think is going to happen in a singing lesson that’s so frightening and when I ask them, they can’t really answer because in reality, it’s all in their own minds. So, if it’s all in your mind then it stands to reason that you have some control over this. The ONLY way in this case to overcome this sort fear is to face it and just go ahead and do the lesson. Stop making such a big deal about it in your mind. It isn’t. Really, it’s quite a pleasurable experience at worse and a big learning one at best and usually, I’d like to think, both! So until we meet face to face here are a couple of tips and observations in regards to ‘shyness’.

Stop telling yourself you are shy. You’re simply talking yourself into something that has no basis whatsoever. It doesn’t exist. It’s ALL in your mind.

Stop announcing to all and sundry that you’re shy! You’re just cementing this non existent idea in other people’s minds and therefore reinforcing it in your OWN mind.

Get some acting and or singing lessons. A good teacher will really help you with all of this.

How to Pick a Singing Teacher

rosanna — Thu, 29 May 2014 02:50:54 +0000

So you’ve decided that you want singing lessons but how do you pick the right teacher? If you live in Sydney, particularly in the Inner West area you’ll find a plethora of singing teachers. The real question is how do you know if any of them are any good? Ok, so lets look at that. First off, anyone can advertise themselves as a singing teacher. You don’t need any kind of degree etc. I mean, YOU could advertise yourself as a singing teacher! Question is, how can you gauge that? So, if it were me, I’d first off Google them. Happily in todays society we can do that. Once upon a time you would really just have to take a chance and yes ostensibly, you can say that irrespective of anything else, you’re always taking a chance and that is true. However, Googling someone is a start. If you can’t find anything out about that person, then personally, I’d not consider them as a teacher. Now, here’s the thing. There may be ANY number of really great teachers out there that have no website and no online profile whatsoever. Maybe. Sure. But I personally wouldn’t take that chance. I mean, these are complete strangers so unless you find someone through someone else that you know and trust, you need some kind of starting point and for me, I’d start with that. Anyone who considers themselves professional in any way whatsoever, really should have their own website. After all, singing teachers don’t come cheap so if I wanted to find someone to give me private lessons in anything, I would expect them to be properly set up with a website etc. It’s really the minimum you can expect. Now you’ve eliminated the ones who don’t have a site so now, you need to start sifting through the ones that do have one. So, have a look at the site. There should be some info about the teacher and the lessons and also, there should be a photo of some kind. Now I know that there’s this idea out there that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover and some people take that a little too literally. Of course you absolutely cannot know MUCH about a person by looking at their photo but let’s be honest here, you can tell a fair bit. As I said earlier, these people are strangers and you just don’t have that much to go by so you need to make a decision basically on what you read and see online. Does the person look ok? I’ve seen photos of ‘singing teachers’ in various music magazines that have made me think “I wouldn’t touch you with a barge pole let alone leave my children with you”. But maybe that’s just ME! I don’t think so though. If the teacher looks reasonably sane and intelligent then that’s a good start. Check out the site and take it from there. Then of course it comes down to their location etc and the costs. As far as cost is concerned, again, you MIGHT get a great teacher for very little money, but you know, you probably won’t. It doesn’t mean though that the opposite is true. The most expensive teacher is not necessarily the best. There is a standard sort of price that most teachers adhere to and of course that increases over time.

Also a decent teacher won’t try to rope you into expensive packages etc. You should never feel pressure in any way. You yourself know if you like and feel comfortable with a certain teacher and you yourself should be free to decide whether or not to proceed with lessons. Keep in mind though that no matter who you choose, this IS a stranger and for the most part you will be going to their home and it will take a few lessons to really ‘get the ball rolling’ and to feel truly comfortable with them but a good teacher will make you feel fairly comfortable from the get go. That is part of their job and if they don’t do that then they simply don’t have the right sort of personality to be doing that work. This is a big part of the lessons. How comfortable you feel with your teacher. Even if you’re a very shy person, you should feel good with them right from the start and it should be a happy enjoyable experience. I had a client tell me only this week that the one other teacher she tried constantly stopped the lesson to do household chores and on top of that, kept mocking her! Clearly, that’s not a good teacher. So, to summarise here is what to look for in a teacher:

1. An online profile of some kind that allows you to see who they are, what they’ve done, where they work and what they look like.

2. Do you want a male or female teacher? Generally speaking, people looking for teachers for their children prefer female teachers.

3. When you contact them, they should be able to answer all your questions honestly. Teachers that make outlandish promises are just trying to get your business. It’s not magic.

4. If they seem honest, approachable and professional when you contact them, that’s a great start.

5. There should be NO pressure at all on you to buy packages or anything like that. There should be no forcing of anything. And again, beware of teachers making over the top promises.

6. Most private teachers work from home and their homes should be very clean, including the bathroom. It should be all nicely set up and they should have a ‘lesson plan’ for you.

Good luck to you all and I hope this helps.

Why Do I need a singing teacher?

rosanna — Sat, 24 May 2014 01:34:25 +0000

Ok let me be very clear about this. Everyone, no matter how naturally gifted, will improve immensely with the aid of some singing lessons. I don’t say this from the point of view of being a singing teacher. I come from the place of being a singer. It stands to reason that a singing teacher should have some natural singing ability. You can’t really teach people to sing or do anything unless you yourself have mastered it yourself. Makes sense right? So, from the point of view of being a singer I can tell you this. I sang for YEARS without any training. Ostensibly, I could say that ‘it didn’t hold me back’. I mean, I could ALREADY sing, without any lessons, so what would be the point then of having them, right? Wrong. Very very wrong. When I first started teaching, about seven years go, the last thing on my mind was improving MY voice. I mean, the lessons are not about MY voice. They’re about helping other singers to reach their full potential. So, armed with some (very effective) techniques I learnt years of experience in the business I set about the task of starting my own singing teaching business. Fast forward 7 years and I can absolutely testify to this. No matter who you are, or what your ‘starting point’ is, you will benefit from lessons BECAUSE after teaching these methods and techniques over and over again several times a week I started to notice a marked improvement in my own voice! Yes. It was undeniable. I mean I still sounded like me, but just………..better. I felt vocally stronger, could sing with a bit more ease and power and that in turn, made me feel quite a bit more confident. It really hit me one day, I was in the middle of teaching a particular technique and I thought, wow, these techniques actually work really really well !!! I could feel it for myself and needless to say I have noticed incredible improvements in the voices of most if not all of my students no matter how ‘good’ or ‘bad’ they were to begin with. Christina Aguilera is a naturally gifted brilliant vocalist. No argument there. She’s not the only one of course but I’ll use her an example. Irrespective of her natural obvious talent, she trains with her vocal coach every day. Why? Because she wants to be as good as she can be. Simple as that. Now when I was young, there just wasn’t THAT much choice of teachers and or techniques available. I went to a lesson in my twenties and the teacher told me to ‘not stick my chin out’. That was it. It’s just that they didn’t have these new amazing techniques in those days. There’s alot that can be done to improve anyones natural ability and no matter who you are, you’re only going to be better if you learn how to properly use your breath, how to warm up, how to care for your voice, how to sing high notes, how to improve your tone, your power and more. Celine Dion is another great example of a very naturally talented singer who trains daily to keep her golden pipes in pristine shape.

If you’re serious about singing, you need a teacher. Absolutely no doubt about it. And if you put it off and then eventually do have lessons, you’ll kick yourself for not doing it sooner. I see this time and time again. Find a teacher you like then go from there. Just keep in mind though, it can take a bit of time to forge a bond etc. After all you and your teacher are strangers so be prepared to give it a bit of time. Good luck!