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
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