Frequently Asked Questions about
Voice Lessons at Bravo Studios
How old do I need to be to start voice lessons?
Voice lessons are available for ages 11 - adult. (Children younger than 11 should consider piano lessons, group classes, or piano/voice combo lessons.)
How long do lessons last and how often do we meet?
Voice lessons are normally taught once a week for either a half-hour or an hour long session.
What happens in voice lessons?
Students learn vocal technique, including how to breathe properly to support the voice, how to sing with a free and open tone, and how to focus the sound for maximum resonance. Most of the first half of the lesson is spent doing specific vocal exercises to help the student produce the best sound. The second half of the lesson is spent applying these techniques to songs that teacher and student pick out together.
What are the goals of vocal study?
Studying vocal technique will help you to sing in a way that is beautiful because it seems both effortless and strong. Good technique creates singing that looks easy, feels easy, and sounds easy, and yet is full of energy and excitement. You will be able to sing with a consistent sound through your entire range and be able to transition smoothly from low to high and from high to low. You will learn to sing on pitch reliably with a balanced tone and an even vibrato. You will learn how fear and anxiety create tensions that get in the way of the free tone, and you will begin letting go of those tensions. You will feel more confident about your singing because you will understand how it works and you will have experienced what your voice can do.
How quickly can I expect results?
Every person is different and every voice is different. Some vocal problems are easier to solve than others. I typically begin to see changes in the first couple of months. Some people study for years - it really depends on how far you want to go. An open-minded attitude and a willingness to try new things will help you to progress faster. And then of course there is practice! Singing is a physical skill, not just an intellectual one. It is one thing to understand what is supposed to happen when you sing, it is another thing to get your body to do it. The more you practice, the faster you will make progress.
Do I need to be able to read music?
No, though it always helps! Learning to read music will make you an independent musician. The great thing about private lessons is that we start wherever you are. If you have not yet learned to read lines and spaces and rhythmic notation, that can be a part of your lesson. All school age students will learn to read music and sight-sing. Adult students may choose what they want to focus on.
What kinds of music are appropriate for voice study?
I have found traditional folksongs, many musical theater songs, classical art songs, and some church songs to be effective vehicles for teaching good vocal technique. Good vocal technique is applicable to most styles of singing; however, because some styles of singing involve enormous amounts of throat tension, it is very difficult to create new habits while singing songs in those styles. Karaoke singers and pop/rock singers will make progress faster if they will spend some time singing songs of another style. Once you have learned to sing with a free tone, you can then go back to sing in a rock style with greater ease.
Do I have to sing in a foreign language?
You do not have to learn to sing in a foreign language. However, if you are a college bound student who is considering majoring in music, you will want to! The college voice major will be expected to sing in Italian, French, German, Latin, and Spanish. Sometimes singing in a foreign language is helpful because you it provides a clean slate of vowel sounds with no bad habits. Plus, you get to explore beautiful songs from the rich traditions of classical music. For those students who are classically oriented, I am more than happy to teach you to sing in all the languages above.
I have trouble singing the right notes (or I think I might be tone-deaf.) Can you help me with that?
Actual tone-deafness is exceedingly rare. If you can recognize a tune when someone hums it, or when it is played without words, you are not tone deaf. It is much more common to find people who have trouble matching the correct pitches with their voice. This can be learned. For more on my method to teach pitch matching, click here.