“Bad Voice Teacher” Rant
The Well Canto Newsletter. Volume 26
SINGERS! How do you know if you are studying with a Bad Teacher?
The ‘bad teacher’ topic perpetually irritates me, and more than once I’ve come across an inflammatory post on one of those online voice/teacher forums…you know, those spaces which can be a festival of whingeing, humble-brags, and hocking of wares. Occasionally one is edified or amused by content on these forums, but the type of post to which I refer has a familiar predatory vibe targeting the emotions and pocket books of young, searching, or otherwise vulnerable singers (ick).
The (clearly leading) question posed goes something like, “Singers, did your college voice training leave you unprepared and unable to sing?” Responses tend to devolve into a bashing of college programs, and ‘classical’ technique specifically. I’ve even seen it posited that it is the fact of teaching within an institution that somehow renders a teacher ruinous. It is true that the kind of non-mic singing we tend to shorthand as ‘classical’ requires years of physical training in order to amplify sound with the body (as opposed to a mic/amp). This absolutely takes time and focus, a.k.a. hard work. It’s a long game bereft of quick fixes, will test students' mental fitness, and it doesn’t end after obtaining a degree. This is, by the way, one of the key features that makes the study of singing so gratifying.
Just to be clear, I run a private voice studio and do not teach in an institution of higher learning - aside from occasional periods of subbing for colleagues - so I don’t always know what goes on from day to day in college programs. But even when I was a know-nothing grad student (Mesozoic Era), and I first heard a fellow student proclaim the injustice of having their voice ruined by a certain teacher, I thought, “Weren’t you aware that ruination was taking place?”
Much more common than ruinous teaching is simply ineffective teaching, evinced by a frustrating lack of progress for the student. So, how can a student of singing recognize effective and non-ruinous teaching, as well as the opposite? Does a teacher who throws around the latest ‘voice science’ terminology, or one who drones on and on about their own performances guarantee the results sought?
Alas, dear Singer, no. We must trust our teachers to guide us, because it is a truism that students know less than teachers. However, we can explore some key points as to how a student of singing can avoid being ruined, or nearly as catastrophic, make no progress at all while spending precious years and piles of money.
Key Points
Singing should feel good.
The physical act of singing requires complex coordination in order to feel flowing, easy, and free. This is what you are going for: a feeling of freedom which allows you to ‘effortlessly’ express the music and words in the way your heart and mind conceive. Intonation, dynamics, rhythmic precision, crisp and clear diction, musicality, and the rest are the result of this basic achievement of freedom. If you find yourself pushing or blowing air to make sound, gripping or squeezing the various muscles surrounding the vocal apparatus, or feeling a sensation of grunting, then you aren’t there yet. Pay attention to how you feel after a practice session or lesson. Are you more fatigued or even a bit hoarse? Do your neck and upper back muscles ache? Please communicate this to your teacher and discuss. It is also helpful to sing repertoire that is right for you today. Aspirational rep can be great fun, but take care that your practice is serving you currently. When singing feels good it also feels engaging, satisfying and fun.
A humbling challenge is to sing Caro mio ben every time you practice until it is exquisite. Most people hate this piece because they’ve rarely heard it sung beautifully, including by themselves.
Caro Mio Ben - Luciano Pavarotti
Your sound should have a penetrating quality within an open acoustical space.
Ping, Ring, Core, Squillo, Singer’s Formant, and the Chiaro part of Chiaroscuro all refer to a resonatory phenomenon deliberately developed in traditionally trained singers. (see video above!) Remember, we are talking here about the kind of singing that evolved before microphones were used, or even invented. Ping is what allows a voice to carry over the dense fabric of an orchestra, and to the back of a 3000-seat theatre. Oscuro, Dark, Color, or Open-pharynx, refers to the other half of a balanced voice; a sound that includes upper and lower overtones. Without balanced resonance (as well as body-connection, a.k.a. appoggio) a singer may be tempted to resort to pushing, yelling, screeching or ‘loudness’. Don’t go there. There’s a better way, and your teacher can help.
Progress should be noticeable.
In lessons, if you don’t understand what your teacher is going for, ASK. Most lessons should leave you with a feeling of success. And although a teacher guides and clarifies, the student must do the intensive work in between lessons. This means practicing consistently, deliberately, and joyfully on a near-daily basis. Get specific and granular, and slow down. Develop the needed discipline for a routine that serves and feeds you. Find ways to track your progress: keep notes, self-record and listen back. Also, listen constantly to singers of all eras in order to understand the specific aesthetic of sound you wish to develop. Over time you will notice improvement in skill, ease, and stamina. Finally, bring enthusiasm and hunger for the art of singing with you wherever you go.
The learning environment should feel supportive and emotionally healthy.
A student can expect their teacher to be interested in and encouraging of their unique vocal and musical journey, and to do so within an atmosphere of mutual respect. Afterall, learning and creativity thrive in a positive climate (the inverse is also true). Learn to recognize toxic behaviors like belittling, controlling, dismissing, neglect, and favoritism in the studio. Listen to your gut, but try not to be so easily offended that you live life like a victim. Teachers are humans with their own worries, and they cannot fill the role of parent, shrink, or even friend. This may sound harsh, but having clear boundaries is best for everyone. You can also expect any person in a position of authority to have skills in emotion regulation. Tantrums, neediness, gaslighting, impulsivity, gossiping or other behaviors you’d judge a child for are unacceptable in grown-ass adults. Obviously, ANY lewd, vulgar comments, or sexually aggressive behavior is a five-alarm fire. Ensure your safety, then report up the chain immediately.
What about changing teachers?
If you decide you want to try another voice teacher, you MUST maintain honesty and transparency. First ask yourself if you have really given your all and a decent amount of time to your studies with this particular teacher. Then communicate, communicate, communicate. Have you and your teacher established specific vocal goals? What exactly do you wish to address with another teacher? What policies re: changing teachers are outlined in the student handbook? If a teacher is truly supportive and not proprietary (another toxic behavior) they will likely take pains to see that you get what you need, including consulting their colleagues and working with you and your advisor. The vast majority of competent voice teachers take their job seriously. They want to help students of singing grow within the art form to which they have dedicated their lives. Gone are the days (mostly) of ego-driven rivalry and other pettiness among teachers at respectable voice departments. Besides, as one colleague so aptly put it, “My students come and go, but my colleagues are here for the long term.”
A good rule of thumb in this situation is to act with maturity and integrity. Yes, it is your voice, your life, your education, your money, and you should have what you need to reach your goals. But there is no reason for either you or the teacher to act like a jerk. No reason to bash your teacher behind their back, sneak off to consult another teacher before communicating honestly with yours, or show up to your lessons with resistance, suspicion, and a generally bad attitude. Teachers talk to each other, to conductors, directors, deans, etc. Don’t unwittingly brand yourself as ‘that guy’ that no one wants to work with. Needless to say, the principles of respect and transparency apply to private studio (non-institution) teachers, too.
Keep your advisory circle small.
While it is tempting to draw opinions regarding our singing and study from everyone we know (we singers tend to be quite social as well as wearing our hearts on our sleeves), it’s advisable to avoid that confusion in favor of a few trusted individuals. Your advisory circle should be composed of a few people you trust, and who have your best interest at heart: for instance, your teacher, your coach, possibly your life-partner, maybe your parents, and perhaps a therapist or counselor. Another reason not to consult friends and colleagues and well-wishers is because they have their own journeys and concerns, and probably cannot take on your burdens as well. Learn to identify your best resources in addition to developing self-reliance.
In the end, it’s up to you!
To be a singing artist and an effective performer takes great courage, intellect, curiosity, discipline, honest self-reflection, and work ethic. All of those things come from within. Teachers and coaches and other advisors can guide and share experiences, but none of us are empty vessels to be passively filled. By digging into your process with fervor and openness you are more likely to attain your ever-changing goals, and have a great time doing so.
Singing Students: What questions do you have?
Voice Teachers: What can you add?
May you live in ease and kindness, with a free heart.
Great post! Some students really do need to do away with this sort of “Messiah or bust” type of expectation with their voice teachers and learn to be more realistic about the scope of the working relationship. Teachers can also get better at referring their students to other services, e.g. coaches and mentors, for personal and business development beyond what their studio should provide. We need to do away with the normalized mutual codependency between too many students who treat their voice teachers like surrogate parents and teachers who treat their students like children they don’t want to lose!
Well-said. A lot of singers need to keep their circle of trusted advisors small.