Sunday, April 13, 2008

Finding the right vocal coach 寻找合适的歌唱老师

(Forgive me for not posting this in Chinese, as written in English is faster, haha ^^!! But if you really don't understand the contents, feel free to let me know. I will try my best to post a Chinese version later.)

So you want to sing? .. .. Erm .. .. You'll probably headache about where and how to find a good teacher? Well, here are some tips I would like to share with you.

MUSIC QUALIFICATION
It's important to understand your teacher's musical background before you start paying to learn. Ask your prospective teacher where they did their vocal training? Is it a recognized qualification? Of course I am not saying that a degree holder will definitely be a good teacher. But you have to make sure that your teacher really know a great deal about singing and how to pass on the knowledge of singing to you (those who went through a proper vocal training will definitely able to do this). Beware of this point because I knew there are plenty of semi-pro singer, who never had any vocal training, trying to coach singing to earn extra money (sometimes they charged really cheap). They probably don't even understand the mechanism of singing, how are they supposed to teach you sing, right? If you really love your voice, you better don't take the risk just for the sake of you can pay less to learn.

VOCAL TRAINING BACKGROUND
If your interest is singing pop music, you should find a teacher who fit into the style to teach you. You wouldn't go to Rock music corner if you're looking for some Jazz album, right? (I know you're smart!!)

EXPERIENCES & REPUTATION IN VOCAL TEACHING
An experienced teacher will know how to structure the lesson better, and communicate more effectively. And they will be able to cater to different learning styles. By finding out the experiences of the teacher, you can easily notice his/her reputation in the industry (See? You kill two birds in one stone!! So, don't be shy to ask).

EXPERIENCES IN VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Ask your prospective teacher if he/she still doing any performances or gigs? Visit them during their showcase if they do. Does it match what you want to get into or already into? Will they be a good vocal role model for you?

ON GOING TRAINING / MUSIC WORKSHOP
A lot of teachers hardly update themselves after they became a teacher (sad to know this, isn't it?). Singing are sometimes like technology gadgets. We need to keep ourselves updated to the latest findings in vocal research, from time to time. So, I truly encourage you to find a teacher who committed in lifelong learning (either on going training or regularly attend reputable workshops). The more they exposed to, the greater knowledge they will have to share with you.

RATES
Everyone has a different price. Taking up lesson with reputable teacher might be costly sometimes. But of course, I am not saying that an expensive school fee is the guarantee of quality. I do emphasis on the value of money. You should make a judgment on your own to see whether the price you're paying for is reasonable. The market rate for pop vocal singing is currently between RM180 to RM350.

INDIVIDUAL SESSION
If you're taking up a group lesson, make sure the teacher will spend time on every individuals, to monitor their progression. Well, if you can afford it, pay for a private lesson. Yet on and off, I do encourage you to take up a group master class or workshop. You will probably get some new ideas from your mates then.

FACILITIES & SPACES
This is a very important issue. Will the teacher accompany you with instruments while you're singing or you will be using a PA system to sing? Will you able to use the facilities for practices out of your lesson hours? Is there any extra rooms for you to do your practice after class? Especially when you're paying a lot for your lesson, make sure you're entitled to these benefits.

LOCATION
This should be the less considered issue. Ask yourself if you're willing to travel far to attend the lesson? It might become unsustainable in the longer term due to e.g. time wasted, expensive travel expenses, and probably the traffic.

RESULTS
If you did not see any improvements or getting any result after some times, you should probably switch to someone else.

CONTACT & NETWORK
It will be cool if your teacher actively stays in the network. So that you will have more chances to expose your talent to the public. As a teacher, I always feel proud to present my students to the public. Experience shows that my students improve faster when they have a platform to perform regularly.

I hope this post gives you some ideas on finding for a suitable vocal coach. You care always welcome to raise your inquiries here. Good luck!




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