This is the first of two articles on finding a teacher. The second
article will be geared for professional performers as well as adult
avocational singers. This one is for
parents of school-age students.
It might surprise you to know that, while there is
government certification for all types of professionals – from doctors,
lawyers, accountants and school teachers to plumbers, electricians and
contractors to physical trainers, acupuncturists, psychologists and manicurists
– there is no certification for music teachers.
Anyone can hang out the proverbial shingle (or website) calling himself
a guitar teacher or piano teacher! There
is no monitoring agency, no oversight whatsoever, for private music teachers.
Yup, anyone with an undergraduate music degree (or less), a
season in the chorus of the local opera company or a few community theatre
productions under his belt can claim to be able to teach your child to
sing. I mean, how hard can it be, right? So how do you find the best teacher for your
child?
The best place to start is with personal
recommendations. Ask other parents, any
musicians you may know, your church’s music director and the school band/chorus
or general music teacher.
Ideally you will want someone with both professional
performing experience themselves AND some pedagogy background (pedagogy = the
art, science, or profession of teaching).
A highly seasoned and acclaimed singer, no matter how many years she may
have spent at the Metropolitan Opera, may have little idea how she does what she
does and little ability to pass useful information on to young singers. By the same token, a young teacher with a
masters or even doctoral degree in vocal performance or vocal pedagogy but who
hasn’t had real world performing experience may not have had good training himself
(or else why isn’t he out doing it?) and have little idea what it takes to
succeed as a performer.
Next, see if you can hear some of their students. Maybe you can attend a recital or sit in on a
lesson or two. Do the students sound
like they are singing well? Do they seem
to be straining? Some teachers publish
success stories of students who have worked with them – performing credits and
competition winnings, etc. But
beware: some teachers claim students who
may have had only a couple of lessons with them; and some teachers may only
accept very talented students in their studios.
Good teachers are interested in upgrading their
knowledge. Are they members of some of
the music teacher or singing teacher associations (National Association for
Music Education (NAfME), Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), National
Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), New York Singing Teachers
Association (NYSTA))? Do they attend
workshops and master classes (or present them)?
Do they associate with other singing teachers and musicians? Annual continuing education credits are
required by law for doctors, lawyers, speech pathologists, etc. and should be
for voice teachers too. There is a ton
of exciting research in voice science and pedagogy being done these days.
Another question to ask is whether the teacher offers
performing opportunities – does he present recitals and/or does he send
students to local competitions or talents shows?
There is a lot of confusion out there about terminology. What’s the difference between a voice teacher
and a vocal coach? Again, these terms
and activities are not defined by any oversight body. But in the professional worlds of opera and
musical theatre, there is a clear distinction.
A voice teacher is one who teaches vocal technique and will usually help
students with repertoire (songs) as well.
A teacher may have any level of piano/accompanying skills, including
next to none. A vocal coach is usually
an excellent pianist who specializes in repertoire and interpretation. They will have musical directing or
conducting experience and, if opera coaches, be well versed in languages and
diction. In the pop music world, however,
the lines are more blurred. So be
specific about what you are looking for.
Just a note on prices.
The best I can tell you is to find out what the going rates are in your
area. There will be a range, with
younger, less experienced teachers charging less and more experienced, name
teachers sometimes much more. I do want
to suggest that you not use price as your sole criterion.
These are guidelines.
Perhaps a teacher you’re interested in or that has been recommended does
not possess all of the above attributes, but he should have some of
them.
By all means, go with your child to the first lesson and
meet the teacher. Some may allow you to
sit in on the first lesson, some may have you wait in an outer area. But you want to meet the teacher and make
sure the teaching studio is minimally a clean and safe environment.
Along with all the above criteria, there is always the human
element. Despite all good intentions and
qualifications, not every teacher is for every student. There has to be a rapport, and the teaching style
has to be a good fit. I will try to
follow up with some advice on what to expect from lessons.
Peace out.
