Seeking Voice Teacher!
A Guide to Finding a Singing Teacher!
Hello students and parents!
Last week I blogged about my Top 10 Questions to Ask a Potential Voice Teacher. Today I thought I would give some pointers on how to find those teachers worth interviewing! If you are seeking a voice teacher then this is the guide for you! This helpful tutorial along with my Top 10 Voice Teacher Interview Questions questionnaire, available here in a free printable, will make finding the perfect voice teacher simple. It can be tricky to know where to look for a voice teacher, particularly when it’s the first time taking lessons. We want to find that perfect teacher that fits our needs vocally, professionally, personally, and financially. Not to mention one that that is experienced, educated, and supportive. As a first timer or parent this can seem like a lot of pressure. But don’t worry. I promise you can find the perfect teacher with the right information and a few tools!
Where to Find a Wonderful Voice Teacher
1. First things first… Ask around!
Have any neighbors or friends taken lessons before and do they have a recommendation?
2. Try your Church!
Religious organizations, like a churches or synagogues, can be a great source of leads. If you belong to one, this could be a safe place to ask.
3. Ask at the local school.
Especially if the student is school age, it is worth inquiring at their elementary, middle or high school for a recommended voice teacher. And especially, especially if there is a choir program! The choral teacher is a great resource for local teacher information! Sometimes the choral program even has a website with a teacher directory!
4. Use a national voice teacher membership database for your search.
Helpful national databases may be unfamiliar to people outside the industry but are great resources and index voice teachers who are members. The two best known organizations are NATS, National Association of Teachers of Singing, specifically for voice teachers and MTNA, Music Teachers National Association. In California there is also MTAC, Music Teachers Association of California. Organizations like NATS require all teachers to submit an application for membership, proving qualification, and to abide by a strict code of ethics that would make any student confident.
5. Call up the local University or city college.
Often universities have a musical degree program and many keep a database of either professors or music students that offer private music lessons. The music department may be able to provide you with contact information or at the very least a few leads on whom to call next. While professors will have the most experience and knowledge to share, university students can be a good, affordable option. Some universities even require voice students, particularly graduate level students, to teach a number of private voice lessons as part of the curriculum. Talk about a steal! It is important to note, university students are working toward a degree and may only be available to teach for this finite amount of time whereas a professor or local teacher has a vested interest in staying local, and therefore may be available to teach a student longer.
6. Finally, do a quick search on the internet!
There are many teacher searching options for you! You can always use Google or try Yelp for small studios or schools in your area. If using this, no word-of-mouth route, make sure to do a thorough interview!
Some follow ups
Don’t let the process of finding a good teacher be scary! Make it simple and take advantage of references and tools, like my interview questions! Start by determining what the student needs from a teacher: enrichment, mastery, or fun and go from there.
Also, if a voice teacher has a website it’s a great place to see info about their rates, teaching style, bio, references, teaching philosophy, and more, before even having to pick up the phone. Likewise, it’s a great place to decide if the teacher is tech savvy enough to offer resources you value like online payment or scheduling options. Remember, not all teachers have a website and this doesn’t make them an unqualified teacher, just a little more difficult to assess.
Of course it is always OK to shop around! And if after taking a few lessons the teacher, he or she doesn’t feel like the right fit, it is OK to move on to a different teacher!
Voice Teacher Interview Free Printable
I don’t know about you but I love a good printable! Especially when it means less work for me! As I mentioned above, last week I blogged about the top 10 questions to ask a potential voice teacher. This week I thought I would give you a free printable to go along with it! Hopefully this will save you stress and time not to mention make the process of finding a good voice teacher a bit easier! I have included my top ten questions with room for the answers! Just print one out per teacher and interview away! Feel free to personalize this questionnaire as needed to suit your own search!
I hope you find this post both helpful and encouraging AND I hope to see you back here reading again soon!! Please feel free to contact me with any questions you have, ideas you would like to see posted in the future, and of course to sign up for lessons!
Until next time!
~ Alissa