As a voice actor with over 15 years of professional experience, I have realized that students may have had the experience of spending time and money on voice training or vocal lessons without finding a teacher who can actually make them feel that their performance has truly improved. If you find an inappropriate teacher, they may teach you incorrect techniques, making your voice sound unnatural and overly exaggerated, and your performance still cannot impress the audience or professionals. Therefore, in this article, I would like to share 6 key steps to consider to help you find a professional and suitable vocal teacher.
1.The teacher's actual performance
I think the first thing to consider when choosing a teacher is to watch their actual performance. You can feel whether the teacher's performance is natural, authentic, and sincere with excellent professional skills or not by watching their performance videos and audio. If you think the teacher's vocal performance has many techniques, but his/her performance does not move you, it seems like singing for the sake of singing or hitting high notes for the sake of hitting them, then perhaps this is not the teacher you are looking for. If they cannot impress others, it will be difficult for you to impress others following their methods as well. You need to find a teacher whose actual performance is very moving and enjoyable to you and also to a general audience.
2.Teacher's work experience and industry recognition
Of course, if we like someone's performance, it does not mean that their performance is also recognized by industry professionals. Therefore, we look at whether the teacher has relevant work experience in the industry, such as how many years of experience they have, and which well-known brands they have worked for. If the teacher has performed for world-renowned brands, this indicates that they have more real industry experience, and can give you more guidance that meets the mainstream social standard. If the teacher has won different awards in related fields, especially world-renowned awards, even better. Even if they have not won any awards or have less experience, we can also compare their performance with the original performances of well-known shows to see if they are also up to the same or similar standards, representing the teacher's professional level.
3. Teacher's educational background
In addition, let's take a look at the teacher's educational background in this area to see if they have studied related subjects in school. This can tell you whether the teacher has specialized learning in this field. However, this should only be used as a reference because some people who are not formally educated in this field can still achieve a high level of expertise, while some formally educated individuals may have yet to reach a higher level or know how to teach.
4. Direct interaction with the teacher
Even if you admire a high-level performer, it may not be easy to interact or communicate with them. Therefore, we should try to interact directly with the teacher by scheduling meetings to talk in person and get a sense of their style. Or have a search to see if the teacher has any interview videos/audios online. A relaxed and humorous teacher can make you more comfortable and help you tap into your potential. While a humorous teacher is great, we also want the teacher to be strict in your professional study. On the other hand, if the teacher gives you a feeling of being too harsh or difficult to approach, always making you nervous or afraid of making mistakes, then perhaps this teacher is not suitable for you.
5. Check feedback from other students
Just like how we value other buyers' comments when purchasing something, we should also look at the feedback from other students when searching for a teacher. Nowadays, many online learning platforms and social media allow students to rate and review their teachers. You can easily find comments and ratings for the teacher through these platforms. In addition to checking comments, you can also look for the teacher's class recordings or examples. These resources can help you better understand the teacher's teaching style and methods, as well as their strengths and weaknesses in teaching. Through these methods, you can better understand whether this teacher is suitable for your learning needs and expectations.
6. Reasonable and flexible fees that fit your budget
The most practical issue to consider is the cost of tuition. Different teachers may have different fee structures, and some may offer flexible options based on the student's financial situation. Therefore, it is recommended that students also consider their budget and view tuition as an investment in their future. Of course, better teachers may charge higher fees, but the rewards they can bring may be worth it, or even exceed expectations. Therefore, students should evaluate their expectations in this regard and determine which course content and learning duration are suitable for their budget. These can be discussed with the teacher.
In short, finding a good voice or singing teacher is a responsible decision for your learning. I suggest starting with the above points to avoid going down the wrong path and I hope this article can assist readers to find the ideal teacher for them.
At the same time, building a good teacher-student relationship is also crucial. A positive relationship can promote student learning, and the teacher will also be more interested in the student's progress so that they can provide targeted guidance to help the student master the skills more easily. This requires the student to have a strong sense of commitment and to be sincere in their interactions with the teacher, demonstrating that they are truly practicing and making progress. This can give the teacher more confidence in providing further guidance based on the student's situation.
In summary, finding a good teacher is essential for learning vocal skills and singing. I hope everyone can find a professional and suitable teacher to help make their voice a more captivating "instrument."
Learn with Tony Chen:
With 15+ years of professional voice-over performance experience, bilingual English/Chinese voice actor Tony has honed the ability to effectively grab the listener’s attention and engage with them through his crisp, polished delivery. He has worked on projects for clients from over 10 countries, including Universal Studios Hollywood, Microsoft, Amazon, UFC Fight PASS, PepsiCo, Tiffany & Co, and more. With the unique method of "performing naturally first and then techniques", Tony’s professional voice coaching program quickly transforms your voice/singing performance to the next level."
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