The Search

This month I am closing my West Coast Vocal Studio and heading to the East Coast. As I prepared to do this,  I wanted to assist my students in the process of selecting a new teacher. I hope the letter below is helpful to some of you!

Hello Dear Singers and Families,

Well it is that time! As we begin to prepare our move and I close my west coast studio, it is now time to refer you to other teachers.

I am copying all of you on this list of teachers, and recommending one for each of you to try first. I have taken into account the following aspects of both you and the teachers I am recommending, including :
1. Personality
2. Skill level
3. Strengths and weaknesses
4. I encourage you to give the teacher I chose for you a try first, and if you are not comfortable, try another.

It is fine to “date” multiple teachers for a few lessons while you determine your new path, but not to be “engaged” to more than one- that is not acceptable private teacher behavior.
1. Be up front that you are shopping for a new teacher, tell them I recommended you if I did, and try them a few times.
2. When you have settled on the teacher you think is the best fit for you, then tell them you have decided.
3. This “dating process” is a two way street. If the teacher feels they cannot help you or your personalities do not fit, they can say “no thanks” as well. Do not take this personally, as it is part of the matching up process! You want your teacher to be at their best, and you want to be at your best, and if your personalities and skills don’t mesh, learning may be a struggle.

As you search for your new teacher do not hesitate to try teachers I may not have knowledge of or recommended, but as you select try to:
1. Be certain that they are educated and have experience in the area you want to work on/improve/excel in. Ask to see their resume, if you can’t find it online, ask where they have performed, directed, taught. What was their favorite experience in these areas? Why? What was their least favorite?
2. Make sure that you feel good around them. If you are not relaxed, it can be hard to learn voice – remember you are your instrument- your body is your flute, and it must be able to relax to produce beautiful sound.
3. Be honest about your practice habits and the teacher’s expectations of same. Discuss this issue.
4. Do not go into anyone’s home or studio who does not come highly recommended to you by someone whose opinion you trust. Take a friend or family member with you the first time. They will be able to help you assess your feelings from that first lesson. How did you sound? What were the highs and lows? Did they catch the area you feel you need to strengthen?

As you process down your “dating” path, assess your goals, and discuss these you’re your prospective new teacher.
1. Discuss your goals
2. Can they help you achieve your goals?
3. Once you trust the teacher, that teacher may help you figure out if you have the right goal, but that should not be debated during this early stage.

This is an exciting and scary process, much like my move across the country, but remember you might be about to meet the teacher who will transform your life! Good luck in your search!

Please let me know how you assist your students when you must part ways for any reason!

On occasion  I have singers come to lessons who have not practiced since I saw them last, but for the most part I find my singers practice- but practice “inefficiently”.  What is “efficient” practice? Efficient practice usually entails setting a goal or goals and accomplishing them.

Here are some simple tips for efficient vocal practice.

1. Set your goal for this practice session. Do I need to build stamina?  Work a difficult leap?  Master some stylistic issue or rhythmic passage?  Am I struggling with a fast Italian passage or run? Once you have identified what you want to accomplish then…..
2. Warm-up
3. Sing through your piece.   Note where you are struggling – whether it be with unsure notes, struggling for notes, lack of ability/prowess/energy on a note or a passage, word, stylistic, rhythm, or interpretation issues.
4. Once through the piece, Jot the trouble sections down – use measure numbers, words, or page numbers to indicate where the trouble spots are.  Hang on to these notes for your next practice session and/or lesson!
5. Begin to break down the piece into the trouble sections- just work those areas individually- for instance a small three measure section- and incorporate the tips you have learned at your lessons (I will suggest some trouble shooting tips in next months blog) to master the trouble spot.  Once you can sing that section successfully, repeat it three times. (I find that is the charm to retrain vocal muscle memory!)  Move on to the next trouble section.
6. Evaluate – Have I accomplished the goal/s I set for this practice session?  Determine this by….
7. Finish this practice session with a final run-through of your piece incorporating your new mastery.  Once you have completed working on the trouble spots – or as many as you can conquer during that session.  Save your notes for your next practice session.

In truth, for most singers, the hours you spend practicing do not count as much as how effectively you practice.

A year ago we downloaded “calengoo” in an attempt to manage my multiple calendars because it could talk to MTH and gather that calendar information, however every time I tried to open the app it had to run a tedious download of information that took 5-7 minutes – not usable for entering quick information or scheduling meetings and events when you are on the go, or for quickly knowing where you needed to be next!

Now, thanks to google cal – I can see my MTH calendar, my daughter’s school calendar (it links directly), several rehearsal schedules for shows I am directing, my performance calendar, my husband’s calendar (can we ever have a date?) and my family’s life calendars. Not only that, but they can all be color coded- yet be in one calendar! The page loads very quickly – I use an Iphone 4 now and I keep it on my home page of apps. You can sort by calendar… (ie: hide my current show calendar) or see them all and then some! I added US holidays and my favorite football teams game schedule from the options listed on the google calendar site!

The combination of MTH’s improved calendar sharing and the Google Cal app has drastically improved my ability to manage my life efficiently when away from my desktop. I highly recommend you give it a try!

When we voice teacher’s hear a singer we immediately begin to process the voice – is the sound effortless, does it move you in some way, is their too much tongue involvement or jaw tension, etc. How often do you put your mind at rest and just listen?

As teachers of voice we spend our time living in the critique mode- seeking out the flaws and embarking upon repairing and reprogramming how those sounds are made to make them more effortless, powerful, efficient, expressive. We live in the “what is wrong” and “how do we fix it” mode.

I challenge you as you embark on your fall teaching to step out of that critique box and into the audience mode. Marvel that even your weakest singers have improved upon something. Hunt for the wabbit! Share that success with the singer! If they are family dependent share that with their families too! Drop them a note or send them an email or stop everything and run out to their car as they pick up their singer and tell them how excited you are about this progress!

When I was in college in an elite music conservatory, a sought after young singer who entered with great confidence, I felt attacked by the continual stripping away and the lack of positive feedback. I lived in a world of critique. How I walked and stood was examined (Alexander Technique). How I phrased every line (private vocal coaches). How I pronounced every vowel (diction class). and of course, how I performed! By the time I hit preparing for my senior recital I was a mess! I had lost my voice for 3 months my junior year due to TMJ and GERD due to stress! I was in classes and rehearsals 8am till 10pm, practicing for 2-3 hours outside of that , studying, and auditing a dance class 5 mornings a week. This was what I thought I wanted and yet I was not having any fun! I needed someone to say to me “Great! You mastered that! Well done!” Instead I lived in this world where things were always wrong. I no longer trusted the audience’s positive feedback, or my friend’s and family’s, or my own opinion. I lived in a world of questioning how I did everything, so I learned to question how I did everything! It took me years to trust myself on stage again. Years.

My goal as a teacher of voice is to help singers find their voices. I teach a classic technique that is based on the wellness of the individual singer. Lets face it – as voice teachers we are part psychologists: if the body isn’t well, the voice ain’t working!

We must build our singer’s confidence. As teachers of voice it is our job to create a well polished, well used, and a well singer. We must look out for the heart and head of our pupils as well as for their instruments because all of these aspects are intertwined in supporting that instrument. If a singer masters an issue you are working on with them take a moment to celebrate that success! I use hugs, high fives, phone calls, email, “woo-hoo’s” and even stickers! I stop everything and celebrate the success.

I am honored to say I run a waiting list for my studio – with more students wanting in continually. I have evaluated why this is the case – I don’t advertise, it is all word of mouth. I do not yet have any singers on Broadway or at the Met or winning Grammy’s. But I do have accomplished, confident, talented, and happy singers and they tell their friends! My singers tell me they love their voice lessons – they come when they are sick, they come when they are tired, they postpone trips and come back early and change other plans to come to their lessons. I am humbled and amazed by it. But I can say that I always celebrate their successes, no matter how small, and for the most unaccomplished singer. And therein I believe lies the key. Singing should be fun! And it is in my power to make it so. I always hunt for the wabbit!

Hunt for the wabbit!

There are set standards to sing opera and oratorio – the voice must be strong enough to be heard in the back of the house and over the orchestra.  Idiosyncrasies and character of the voice must be smoothed over and sanded down for beauty’s sake.  Accurate pitch is a necessity, and freedom from tension an absolute.  Line is a necessity.  Superb breath support and full body engagement and support are key, as is maximum relaxation and minimal involvement of any extraneous tension or small muscle groups.

Theatre, pop and rock have different requirements.   Popular music including country and rock music desire and even promote vocal idiosyncrasies whiled desiring great range and stamina.  Character voices and pop singers take Macy Gray for instance – an R&B singer with such great character to her voice who hardly sings on pitch – need to maintain their “character” and uniqueness.

Subsequently I opt for teaching “classic” technique to all of my singers unsure of the style they decide, to sing to a point.  There comes a “fork-in-the-road” moment when we are beginning the “point of no return” where I stop and reassess their new path.  I talk to my singers about how we can proceed, classical, character, theatre, pop, again ask them what there feelings desires, and dreams are, and then share with them which road I feel is more available to them, if I have an opinion at that point.  We then move forward based on the information gained at that discussion.

I will discuss several students I have had this discussion with next month.  Meanwhile, I believe a prime example of a good mix of “organic with technique” is seen in the vocal prowess of Kristen Chenowith.  She has great flexibility with her classic training yet her ability to also sing country, theatre, and pop sublimely.  Listen to her meld several styles on “This Moment” by John Buccioni – and follow it up with a gander of her singing Leonard Bernstein’s “Glitter and Be Gay” from Candide.  Zowee.

I too invite students to join my studio whom I believe have great talent by writing them a note and inviting them to come sing with, me as my first teacher did for me. I then invite them for a “preview lesson” to see how we gel together, and then we move forward. However, I differ from my first teacher in that I begin by asking each student what they want out of their lessons, and where they want to go with their voice and their music.

Today there are more options than solely classical, and while I teach a technique based on classical principals, there comes a point where you are at a fork in the road and you have the option to go different directions with the voice. At that point I believe it is my duty to have a conversation with the singer and ask where they want to head. Do they want to sing opera or “legit” musical theatre? Do they want to “belt”? Do they want to sing “pop” or “rock” and maintain a unique sound or timbre to there voice? The options are so much greater today for singers. Classical has a standard, musical theatre has two standards, and pop and rock are entirely their own field in which unique is the ticket.

And of course the trained teacher has his/her opinions of what they hear in the singer’s vocal potential and those opinions should be voiced! (Although in my experience we teachers do not hesitate to voice these opinions!)

All of these items should considered when moving forward with a singer’s training. It is important that we serve the singers desires as well as what we see as important as a teacher. If more of this consideration existed throughout education I believe we would have more committed students and more successful classrooms. But that is another article……

How do you bridge this topic in your studio?

Over the years I have had assistants help me with different parts of my business and I have now learned where I am weakest and where it makes sense to “ask for help”.

I am a great teacher. I am not terrific with managing my billing- and I hate it! Music Teacher’s Helper has certainly aided me in this category, but I still dislike managing this side of my business. I have found a wonderful person to assist me with this portion of my business – and it has changed my life! Now she manages the billing, she sends a late billing after the 10th of the month to those who have overlooked their bill, and she is so worth the money I pay her! I also forward any emailed billing questions people have to her and she responds to those for me. I can manage that in the 5 minutes I have between students and my parents receive a much quicker response than when they had to wait for me to be done teaching. Plus I can teach more! Teaching is such a time intensive industry – the more time I can spend with my singers and the less time I can spend on my bookkeeping, the stronger my business has and does become. Plus – she is better at it than I am!

I have had a scheduler since my studio grew to more than 10 students because this area is a struggle for me. I now have a wonderful young woman whose sole job is to organize my student’s lessons. MTH is amazing for this task, but as I have 55 students through my studio every week, and happily, most of them are in and out of shows, competitions, rehearsals, and auditions and this becomes the managing of hundreds of lessons, make-up lessons and other potential changes each month. I also now offer performance groups for some of my students who rehearse every other week in lieu of private lessons that week, adding immensely to the complexity of scheduling. Having a go-to person for all things schedule related is fantastic! Again, she can manage this while I am teaching, and she can also respond to immediate changes needed, cancel for me if I am ill, or respond to a family quickly if an emergency arises. Again, this has strengthened my business.

My newest addition to my studio has been having a person to arrange outside performances. This person manages the details of arranging the performance locales, ASCAP issues, and the communications with my singers and their families. I have wanted to arrange trips to see different productions with my students for several years, and we are now offering that in my studio for the first time, because this wonderful new member of my team is managing this for me. This has allowed me to offer so much more to my students. In the past, I would have an idea that I couldn’t bring to fruition because I lacked the time to manage it. Now I have an individual whose job it is to manage this aspect of the studio for me. And it is wonderful!

The most difficult part of adding something new to your studio is the first step. I have found that having someone there chomping at the bit asking me for information on how I want to proceed causes me to move forward when life or busy or too much might stop me from doing so.

As your studio grows, I encourage you to reach out for “help” to increase your studio’s offerings and presence. In this economy you will be making a difference in more people’s lives, be able to find amazingly qualified people who will bring new ideas to your table and perhaps solve problems for you that you struggled with in the past (mine have!), and enable yourself to invest in your skills, your performance time, your own personal family and life, or to take more students off of your waiting list!

I have been thinking about adding an informative newsletter to my studio offerings for several years. I now have a person lined up to start a quarterly newsletter for my studio, ready to go, just waiting for me to take that next step….

Unlike instrumentalists who sit down to or pick up their instruments to play, we singers are our instruments. If we have a bad day, a string is broken, or the sustain pedal doesn’t work. If we are not well, have allergies, received a bad grade on exam, or were almost in a car accident – all of these experiences affect our instrument. With singers just developing or perfecting their technique, first and foremost their teacher must ensure that all is well with that “instrument”. One would not ask a student to play a perfect piece on their flute with a popped spring, nor would one ask for a pianist to play a perfect piece with the b flat out of tune. So it is with singers.

Often singers are looked at askance as poor musicians – and it is true in my experience that singers are often not asked to learn music theory in depth as instrumentalists must do to play their pieces well and to progress musically. I learned my theory playing piano and gained most of it in college as a voice major where it was taken much more seriously. I have my singer’s studying theory at their own paces, or playing piano, but first and foremost – comes technique.

I find that once a singer has a developing technique, putting them into “stressful” situations – sight reading in front of others – is challenging and drastically affects their instruments. Subsequently I have formed performance groups which I vary with my students private lessons – which act as master classes and introduce stress in moderate amounts – ie: sight reading in front of other singers. At those moments, I have “controlled” stress which I put my singers through to test their technique – and I always choose the technique staying strong over the precision of the piece at those times. This is so often confused with singers! You would not ask a flute player to throw out their embouchure to get through a piece! You must strengthen the singer’s confidence in these small stressful situations – technique first, music second – before the singer’s mind and instrument can begin to trust, relax, and fall back into alignment when stressed. I feel this is an often overlooked step when building technique in a singer.

So, to ease this pianist’s frustration, I explained that I am not teaching my students how to play the piano; I am helping them to build one.

When creating lesson notes each week, I always try to touch on something positive that happened in the lesson. Sometimes that may be as small as “Nice job being on time three weeks in a row!” or as large as “Great improvement! You are on to a new level!” I also have my students keep a “Voice Notebook” that I write in, as well as they write in.

Here are a few of my comments from past lesson notes:

• Great lesson this week! Remember to work on (maintaining your legato on mm 8-15 ) while practicing this week.
• What improvement at your lesson this week! Try incorporating a (lift into your phrase endings, delaying the pitched consonant at the end of the words in the first verse) like we discussed while practicing this week.
• Nice job on ________at your lesson this week. Try practicing more ________ so that you can find more success at your next lesson.
• Way to go remembering your theory book! Remember to finish Lesson 3 and to look for those terms in your new piece when practicing this week.

As Ed Pearlman recommended in his blog on lesson notes, I keep my lesson notes very short and progress-based so that they are read and not ignored as more information to sort through!

As I have matured into a better teacher and have begun to more deeply analyze the experiences I had as a young singer on my path to owning a solid “technique”, I came to a startling realization – I had always thought that breathing was bad!

Over the years as my teachers worked with me on improving my breath support, I became so ensnared in the mental and physical processes of how one should “properly breathe” that I could no longer sing. Having learned from this twisted path which ranged from applying continual outward pressure to the abdomen (and sadly to the larynx) to being hooked up to monitors to watch the muscle patterns that that my abdomen and rib musculature took when I breathed, I now have a “breath support” discussion with my singers at the beginning of their studying with me that I happily rarely find the need to come back to.

We singers are often taught that breathing is bad, How ironic! Breathing is of course a necessity for life. Although this seems self-evident, this is important to proclaim to your singers from the mount on high!

What a singer needs is efficient use of the breath – not an endless supply. I have devised the following exercise to assist with that skill:

1. Statement: Breathing is good and necessary!

2. Discussion: Efficient use of your air is the aim of this exercise. This trains your mind and muscles to see a short phrase of music (use a visual example o a short phrase of music ) and to dump air,  and to see a long phrase of music (use a visual example) and to be more efficient with the air.

3. Hiss like a snake for the following pattern (that the teacher counts out loud) breathing between each count. The trick for longevity on the long pattern is too release less air (my students who are over 100 counts barely whisper out the hiss) on the long phrases, more air is exhaled on the short. If a student gets tense during this exercise have them perform a shallow “squat” when they inhale.

4 4 4 4

8 8

16 ( to grow by 4 counts over time- those with better breath control I leap ahead to 24 or 32)

4 4 4 4

4. Repeat each lesson growing and recording progress on the long section over time.  You can also have your student log this in their Music Teacher’s Helper practice log.

If your singer has a tough time with the longer phrase – I employ a mental trick of speeding up the tempo to build confidence around 60 beats and the next week or in a few weeks I slow it a bit , still expecting them to reach that longer pharase mark, and it usually works.

Happy Singing!