Benefits
- Embrace and learn to “like” your own voice.
- Build confidence and self-esteem.
- Learn to have good vocal health.
- Improve public speaking and communication.
- Develop better listening skills.
- Increase brain function, intelligence and mathematical skills.
Recommended starting age: 6 (younger students welcome after a free evaluation)
Equipment needed:None, although having a keyboard can help
Practice time: 15-20 minutes per day for beginners, increasing over time to at least an hour per day.
Recommended lesson length:
- Age 6-10, 30 minutes
- Above age 10, 60 minutes
Pricing:
- 30 minute private lesson once each week $120 per month
- 60 minute private lesson once each week $226 per month
Voice lessons teach the student proper breathing techniques, projection, control and how to prevent damage to the vocal cords.
With other instruments, a blister on a finger or sore muscle from holding it in place is about the most trouble you can have. Singing incorrectly, however, can actually cause a callus (called a “node”) on the vocal cords. This can make the voice sound constantly gruff and make singing almost impossible. Curing a node requires prolonged silence, or even surgery. That's why voice lessons are so important for singers at all ages and levels.
From age 6-10 we take a more general approach with our voice students, as the younger body is usually not yet ready for physical demands of traditional voice lessons. With the youngest students we will sometimes include a variety of musical activities, including singing, clapping, rhythm sticks and flash cards. Some teachers will even include a little piano playing to help the student with pitch. At age 10 and above, the more rigorous voice training can begin. Once the student has gone through puberty and the voice has changed (both boys and girls), the most intense training can start.
All students learn to read music. Teachers will devise a customized curriculum for each student which will incorporate the style of music that the student wants to learn in addition to teaching music theory, history and other appropriate musical skills.