Jean Marie Whaley Voice Performance and Instruction

How to choose a voice teacher

    This is a frequent topic of discussion among singers, that is those who have experience with enough teachers to discuss it.  For those who have not studied singing choosing a teacher can be a daunting prospect.  They don't even know what questions to ask.
    Singers have strong opinions about teachers sometimes showing loyalties only seen in religion, politics, and love affairs.  I occasionally read advice columns - I remember a letter regarding how to end a relationship with a hairdresser so the woman could go to another hairdresser she preferred.  Some people found the letter and the situation somewhat ridiculous, but you could easily substitute "voice teacher" for "hairdresser" and it would be a transcription of conversations I have heard many times. 
    Music programs within colleges and universities are the most tricky.  Students sometimes have no say in who their teacher will be, a teacher is assigned to them by the faculty.  Sometimes this works for the best.  For example, I was assigned to Christopher Arneson's studio upon arriving at Westminster Choir College.  As it turned out, he was the perfect teacher for me at that particular point in my development.  Things don't always work out this way, unfortunately.  I'll tackle the question of what to do if you find yourself in this unenviable situation in another blog post. 
    Getting to choose your voice teacher is a decided advantage of studying privately.  Here are some things to consider:

What are your goals?  If you are unclear on your goals, it might be unwise to study with a teacher who specializes in a particular style.  On the other hand, if you are very sure that you want to concentrate on a particular style, it might be a good idea to find someone very knowledgeable in that area.  If you have had issues with vocal health or vocal injury you definitely want to seek out someone who has training in working with that. 

Ask around.  Ask knowledgeable people you trust for recommendations.  School music teachers, church choir directors, directors of community choruses are all good places to start.  Ask other singers.

Schedule some consultations.  It is always a good idea to take a trial lesson with a few teachers before you make a decision.  At this consultation, tell the teacher about your goals.  At the end of a lesson, a good teacher should be able to tell you what they think your strengths and weaknesses are and give you an idea of how they would work with you.  After your meeting evaluate how comfortable you felt.  Do you feel that the teacher's priorities mesh well with your goals?  Does the teacher have strategies to solve vocal problems you may be facing?

Don't underestimate the importance of personality and communication style.  Teachers strive to be flexible and accommodating of different learning and communication styles, but not every teacher is right for every student.  Your best friend may have done very well with a particular teacher, but that doesn't mean you will.  That isn't necessarily your fault or the teacher's, it just wasn't a good fit.  Go with the best fit possible.  This is more important than how affordable the teacher is, how close the studio is your home, or even scheduling.  Of course these things must be taken into consideration, but please don't make them primary considerations.