The Singer's Audition & Career Handbook is available for pre-order and will be released November 15, 2019. The following is an excerpt from Chapter 3: Technique.
from Chapter 3: Technique
Choosing a Voice Teacher
When I applied to graduate programs in performance, I made the assumption that any voice teacher serving on the faculty of a prestigious music school would be capable of leading me to technical mastery. The reality is that no one teacher, however skilled they may be, will be an ideal fit for every singer. Voice teachers vary dramatically in their methods, specializations, qualifications, temperaments and success rates. They also vary in their accessibility – a voice teacher who is an active performer may only be in residence for part of a semester in which they have a performance contract to fulfill elsewhere.
Whether you are studying privately or within the context of a degree program, selecting a studio teacher is among the most impactful decisions you will make about your vocal development. It is therefore essential that you carefully consider your needs and research prospective teachers’ strengths, qualifications and availability to make sure that they align well.
Here are some criteria I recommend you keep in mind when evaluating prospective voice teachers:
A consistent track record. All singers in the teacher’s studio show measurable progress over time.
A great ear. The teacher has a keen ability to discern whether your vocal production is professionally viable and will project well, as well as a commitment to helping all of their students to meet this standard.
A structured, comprehensive concept of technique. They should also be able to articulate it clearly.
The ability to model excellent singing. They should be able to demonstrate everything they are teaching you.
The ability to assess student strengths and weaknesses. They should be able to articulate their assessments clearly as well as formulate a plan for helping you to improve.
The ability to provide candid feedback. They must remain supportive and encouraging while doing so.
An enthusiasm for listening. They should be good at listening to not only your voice but also to your aspirations and concerns.
Demonstrated curiosity. A great teacher is always open to expanding their knowledge and skills.
For those of you applying to performance degree programs, it is important to note that this list of important qualities differs from the list of qualifications that voice departments tend to seek when hiring faculty members. Job announcements for voice teaching positions usually state a preference for a master’s or doctoral degree, a significant performance career, experience teaching subjects like diction or drama, and/or a publishing record. While these qualifications may enable a teacher to make important contributions to the institution as well as increase their effectiveness in the studio, they do not in themselves guarantee skill at teaching vocal technique.
The contrast between the hiring priorities that voice departments set and the qualities that you need in a studio teacher call to mind the discrepancy between the ad that Mr. and Mrs. Banks place for a nanny at the beginning of Mary Poppins and the version their children create. The parents want a nanny who will keep order in their household and instill a sense of discipline and tradition; the children want a loving caregiver who will keep them entertained. It’s worth noting that it is the children’s version of the job notice that Mary Poppins responds to (despite its never having appeared in the newspaper). What a voice teacher can do for you is of greater concern than what they can do for their voice department. That said, the ideal nanny will possess both sets of qualifications, and a good voice teacher should meet voice department as well as individual student needs.
Academic credentials. A voice teacher with an earned doctorate or master’s degree has themselves succeeded at completing the academic and performance requirements that their own graduate students must meet. They can serve as an effective role model and offer support and advice for any challenges you are likely to face.
Performance career. Successful performers are invaluable members of our academic community because they have not only achieved a high level of artistry but have also accumulated years of first-hand experience navigating an idiosyncratic professional landscape, enabling them to provide you with vital insight and guidance. They are also likely to have an excellent ear and can provide you with feedback as to whether your repertoire choices are appropriate for the weight and color of your voice and whether you are producing a consistently well-projected sound.
Voice type. A voice department comprising teachers of varying voice types offers all its students the opportunity to hear vocal instruments that are similar in function to their own and guarantees the presence of mentors who specialize in their repertoire.
Expertise in subjects outside the studio. A teacher who is also an experienced director or diction teacher has a great deal to contribute to a voice department, and their additional teaching assignments make their skills available to singers beyond their own studio.
Publishing record. A voice teacher who contributes research to peer-reviewed journals and publishes original work is participating in the broader academic life of the musical community and serves as a strong ambassador for their own institution. Music schools can feel very insular at times, so a teacher who maintains active connections with the outside world is also in a position to help you find your place in the broader community after you graduate.
These qualifications may help teachers serve the needs of the voice department effectively, but singers must weigh them alongside the other factors enumerated above when choosing a studio. A veteran performer may have a stellar ear and be able to teach outstanding musicianship and diction, but they may not be skilled at helping you to establish a foundational technique or resolve a specific issue that they themselves have not had to contend with. An earned doctorate may not indicate experience in teaching – my own doctoral curriculum did not involve any classroom or studio teaching. While some students will benefit from working with a teacher of the same voice type, others may need to avoid the temptation to mimic their teacher’s sound.
The ideal voice faculty, in my opinion, is composed of teachers whose individual strengths, backgrounds and methods complement one another’s, characterized by an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust such that they are willing to draw on one another’s expertise. In such a department, all of the voice students benefit from the combined expertise of all of the teachers. I am not encouraging studio-hopping – it is important that you commit to your primary teacher’s methods. But should you demonstrate an issue your teacher is less skilled at addressing than a colleague, it is my hope that your teacher would help you access the assistance you need.
You are likely to have more than one significant teacher over the course of your studies. Despite all good will and effort on both your part and that of your teacher, it may become advisable at some point to consider changing studios, sometimes in the midst of a degree program. If your progress has stalled and a change appears necessary, it is vital that you communicate clearly and respectfully with both your current and future studio teacher to facilitate a smooth transition. Voice departments’ policies regarding studio changes vary, so inform yourself about how the schools you apply to handle them.
Avoid voice teachers who exhibit territorial or controlling behavior towards their students, badmouth their colleagues, and/or attempt to recruit students away from other studios. However successful their methods, such behavior can be harmful for your development as an autonomous artist as well as the culture of the voice department.
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