Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is “vocal function”?
A: A very simple definition of “function” is the ability to sing high and low, loud and soft, slow and fast, with the appropriate registration (coordination of head and chest voice) and resonance strategy (shape of your vocal tract), all with maximum freedom and ease. I believe that a voice that does these things well is inherently beautiful. In other words, one doesn’t need to try to make it “sound like” anyone or anything other than what it is when it is functioning at its most optimal level. If one wants to be a singer, they should not imitate a particular singer, but rather train to be able to do what the singers in that genre need to do!
Q: How long and how often should lessons be?
A: This will depend on where you are in your development, and what your goals are. A hundred years ago, classical vocalists might have several medium-length lessons per week. Pavarotti had daily lessons for seven years before he made his debut. For very young singers a half hour weekly may be appropriate, but for age 12 and up, 45 minutes is the minimum. As you advance and start working with repertoire, a full hour is better.
Q: What do you emphasize in your teaching?
A: The first and most important thing I teach is technique. Technique is so important because it affects your ability to sing in a healthy way for the rest of your life, as well as just making everything easier.
Q: What is the definition of “technique”?
A: By technique I mean the “how to” of singing – what your body and mind have to do together to be able to sing in the most healthy, free, and expressive manner for your genre.
Q: What is different about your technical approach?
A: Some of the main goals in the beginning are developing the coordination between the chest and falsetto (or head voice), getting the vocal folds to come together properly, and releasing interfering tensions. These are areas that many singers present as challenges when they first come for instruction. One important aspect of my approach to teaching technique is that you learn through real physical actions based on actual vocal function and sensory feedback, with minimal use of visualizations and vague metaphors. It is important to learn what kinds of concepts we need to have in order to make the sounds we want to make – the mind-body connection.
Q: Do you teach the other stuff besides technique?
A: In addition to establishing a reliable technique, we will work on other skills that are important for singers, including, but not limited to: performing the music in a style-appropriate way, finding the dramatic intent of the lyric, diction, how to physicalize a song, how to practice, timing, expression, groove, and stage presence.
Q: What is the difference between a voice teacher and a voice coach?
A: The terms are often used interchangeably, but traditionally a voice teacher’s main role is to help you with technique, to build your voice. Coaches accompany you and help you with all of the other aspects of performance such as rhythm, text (language and diction), general style and musicianship. I am a voice teacher for jazz, classical, musical theatre, rock, and R&B singers, and in a coaching role I’m most comfortable with musical theatre, classical, Great American Songbook, and some “easy listening” styles. As the term “vocal coach” becomes more common as a replacement for “voice teacher” in the Contemporary Commercial Music scene, it is important for a client to ask whether the professional they are hiring works on vocal technique, repertoire, or both.
Q: I sing R & B and pop songs. Are you going to try to make me study “classical” style?
A: No.
Q: How can I increase my range?
A: Many of the most common vocal problems are caused by a faulty technique, especially noticeable when the singer forces the higher tones. You will never be able to expand your range to its maximum potential until you are using only the muscles that are necessary, and keep the others out of the way. For most singers, this means retraining muscles in the throat, tongue, and jaw areas. It takes careful work with a teacher to sort this out. Fortunately, range problems usually show quick improvement once certain wrong tensions are released.
Q: What is this “mix” I’ve heard about?
A: Due to the anatomy of the muscles of the larynx, there are two basic registers of the voice. The one usually associated with our lowest voice, called “chest voice” is the voice most of us speak with. The lighter register is called “falsetto” or “head voice” and is associated with higher and softer sounds. If you sing from your lowest notes to your highest notes, you may experience a distinct break or crack between your lower register and your higher register. The “mix” refers to the coordination between your chest and head voice that allows there to be a smooth transition, with no breaks. This has other names such as “middle voice” and “balanced registration”. Done properly, it makes a sound that sounds like an extension of the chest voice, pure and strong, without the strain of pushing chest until it becomes strained yelling. A good mix makes going on up into head voice easy and it sounds and feels great. The mix is not another register, it is just a name for the result of coordination between the muscles controlling the lower and upper registers.
Q: Am I too old for voice lessons?
A: Never! Better vocal function is a worthy goal at any age. For examples of people singing well into their 70s and beyond look up Tony Bennett, Magda Oliveiro, Alfredo Kraus, Barbara Cook, Andy Williams, and Leontyne Price.
Q: Can you teach me how to belt?
A: Yes, with several caveats. First, it is important to understand that one voice can’t do everything equally well. True belt is a very chest-dominant way of singing. Sometimes what people really need and want when they say “belt” is an ability to adjust the mix to allow for more or lest chest in the sound. Someone with control over their mix can often perform belt style numbers very effectively without using a full belt that could eliminate the possibility of a transition to a headier mix or head voice, especially for higher and/or softer notes.
Q: Isn’t falsetto the same as head voice?
A: Not in the terminology that I use. Falsetto refers to the more breathy, hollow sound that occurs when the vocal folds (also called “cords”) are not completely together. Head voice refers to a tone above the “break” that has more “ring” or “ping” in the sound due to its being coordinated with the lower register or “chest voice”. Understanding falsetto is important for vocal study but is not used much by itself in performance.
Q: I have been told that I need to use better breath support. What does this mean?
A: When you ask different people what they think “breath support” means, you get very different answers. Because this term has so much goofy baggage with it, I don’t use it. Here are some thoughts about the air supply that is the fuel for our singing. It does not take much air to sing. When a great singer can sing a long phrase on a breath, it is not because they have learned to put more air into their lungs, it is because they use it more slowly. Constantly taking the largest possible breaths can create unnecessary tension. Neither do we want to squeeze out every cubic centimeter of air before taking the next breath, because this encourages a collapsed and tense condition of the torso. All the fancy breathing in the world (and there are some really complicated breathing methods out there!) won’t fix problems in the coordination of the muscles in your larynx that are responsible for changing and sustaining pitches. When the intrinsic muscles of the larynx have been properly trained, there is plenty of breath for phrases. A tall, expanded, alert posture needs to be maintained during the beginning, middle, and end of every breath. This is not hard to do, but sometimes attention needs to be focused on this area for a while until it becomes a good habit. Complicated formulas about different body parts moving in different directions tend to make breathing laborious and take attention away from vocal flaws that need to be resolved directly.
Q: What was the purpose of that exercise?
A: This is a question that comes up during a lesson sometimes. Don’t ever be afraid to ask your teacher for the purpose of an exercise if you are unsure. You’ll learn a lot more when you understand “why”.
Q: Can you help me get ready for American Idol?
A: I can help you to sing your material in a more healthy manner, but in order to compete at a national level, you need to be out gigging and studying the stylings of great artists of your genre, while developing your own style. If you train in order to audition for American Idol, and you are not selected, what then? The answer to that question will determine whether you should be considering voice lessons. Every contestant on those shows has been performing for years before getting to that level. It’s a long-term commitment. I’m happy to work with wherever you are in your development, but I cannot make any predictions or promises about your career.
Q: Is it true that if you can sing classical, you can sing anything?
A: A lot of people say so, but I disagree. Learning how to sing with a free, well-coordinated, powerful voice is a different goal from learning how to sing a particular genre of music. People can certainly learn to sing popular styles in addition to classical, but there are important stylistic differences to learn in each. Crossing between classical and contemporary commercial styles can be especially tricky for women.
Q: Won’t taking lessons train the uniqueness out of my voice?
A: It shouldn’t. A voice that is free and healthy will assert its own unique characteristics and retain an individuality. However, a voice that is injured will probably change a little bit in terms of the sound and audience hears, as it heals, strengthens, and frees up. It can be difficult for the singer to accept the new sound, even though the voice is working better than ever. On the other hand, a voice that is injured or under excessive strain can also change, and not usually for the better, as time goes on. Once a singer has a reliable technique, however, they usually retain the same signature sound for the rest of their career.