Vocalist.org archive


From:  l.s.mountford@a...
Date:  Thu Jan 10, 2002  7:35 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] finding a new teacher (again)

Lea Ann said:

<< I should trust myself to know when something is not
working for me. >>

Indeed -- if you're constantly fighting feelings of
inadequacy, you don't have much energy left to work on
singing!

<< I have been on the phone all morning talking to
different voice teachers in my area, I found someone who
took voice lessons from my current voice teacher for a
semester and she knew exactly what I meant! She laughed
and said that she knew too well how I felt when I left
my lessons and felt generally talentless and bad about
myself...she said don't worry that has nothing to do
with your talent or lack of talent that's just how she
is. >>

Be kinda careful about talking about your former
teacher. Sometimes it can backfire (she may know
someone who knows someone who could help you or hurt you
in getting "gigs," for example).

<< I will take an hour lesson with the person I talked
to on Saturday, and if she and I don't think we can work
on my technical problems I have a back up plan as
well...I know there is help out there, there are voice
teachers who are serious about helping students. >>

Of course there are! And I think *most* teachers are
serious about helping their students. But some
teachers "click" with certain students, and vice versa.
I "interviewed" 3 teachers here in the Seattle area
before I settled on my teacher here. One wanted me
to "unlearn" everything I'd worked on for the past 5
years (I, too, was a late beginner -- I had my first
voice lesson at age 42), including the things that I
knew were *right* for my voice. My new teacher here
(who has since left the area, so I'm teacherless at the
moment) was willing to help build on the good foundation
laid by my teacher in California, and we got along great!

<< It's encouraging to hear someone say that they can
help me find some vibrato..when all I have been hearing
from my current teacher is "practice more" I practice
for an hour a day every day at very least and usually 2
hours. Practice more isn't getting the job done with
regard to not having any vibrato...I feel no vocal
tension..no tension in the throat either...so I need
some real help here! >>

Hmmmmm ... given the situation with your teacher, it
wouldn't surprise me if there weren't *some* tension
somewhere. Vibrato is one of those things that you
can't "force" -- and some voices have less vibrato than
others (I have a friend in Winnipeg -- my age -- who is
virtually vibratoless; she's quite popular in the early
music scene!).

<< I need to find a teacher who can address these
issues. At least I know there are other teachers in my
area who are ready to help. >>

Just don't totally discount taking lessons from someone
who isn't your same fach. All my teachers (all 3 of
them) have been mezzos. I'm a dramatic soprano. My
first teacher sounds a lot like yours -- she wanted me
to "lighten and brighten" my rather large, dark-sounding
natural voice, and this created all *kinds* of
problems! I absolutely could NOT do a tongue trill
(rollled "RRRRRRRRRRR") to save my life, for example.
After leaving her, I found my second teacher, who opened
things up (literally and figuratively), and I made
immediate dramatic progress. The *only* drawback was in
the area of repertoire. She was naturally more familiar
with the mezzo (particularly lyric mezzo) repertoire,
but she was also willing to *ask* her colleagues for
suggestions for me. She also expected me to do some
work myself, and encouraged me to listen to recordings
of other artists. Often, she'd direct me to listen to a
specific recording of, say, Maria Callas or Renata
Tebaldi. "Listen to how they do the caballetta at the
end of this aria, compare their differences, and tell me
how YOU want to do it." She was an incredible teacher,
and I trusted her totally. Within a month, I could do
tongue trills like I'd been doing them all my life.

The point is -- find a teacher who works well with YOUR
personality, who can help you define YOUR goals, and
then help you work toward them.

Then go have FUN!!

Cheers!

Lana Mountford
Kenmore, WA



emusic.com