Voice instructors have a unique and multi-faceted role in the lives of their students. We are given the enormous task of being responsible for our students’ artistic growth, technical development, career planning, as well safeguarding their physical and emotional well-being. One challenge for the vocal teacher is that the voice has been used since infancy for purposes beyond singing. Learning how to sing properly requires students to re-learn how to control these intrinsic and unconscious functions. Unlike any other instrument, the voice is contained within the body and is unique to each individual. Teaching a student how to respond to their “invisible” instrument requires skill, creativity, patience, and the ability to incorporate a variety of styles, methods, and models into lessons. Furthermore, I see it as my responsibility to not only provide students with the concepts they need to sing well, but to teach students how to implement these concepts by teaching the art of practice.
In my teaching I approach the craft of singing firstly as a scientist, and secondly as a poet. In my experience as a student, I have encountered far too many teachers who over-complicate vocal technique through the use of wildly variable metaphors and imagery. However, I have found that students feel more empowered when they begin to understand how their voice is operating on a technical and mechanical level. Isolating technique in this way allows students to diagnose why their voice sounds the way it does and figure out how to consistently achieve the sound that they desire. Secondly, no two students learn in the same way, and thus, I am constantly thinking of multiple ways to articulate different concepts, tailoring lessons through the use of visual, aural and kinesthetic tools. Furthermore, we live in a highly globalized world where students are exposed more than ever to different styles and genres of music. I teach classical technique so that my students form a healthy foundation, one from which they can approach several styles of singing.
Outside of technique, it is important to recognize that singing is a vulnerable process, one that is only intensified by a conservative academic system structured largely around criticism. I know from experience that a singer’s mental and physical well-being directly impacts their performance and growth. In order to boost self-reliance and self-confidence in my students, I offer a holistic approach to lessons, balancing honesty with kindness, and teaching through positive reinforcement. I create a relaxed environment for my students and establish a comfortable rapport with them from the onset, so that they feel encouraged and able to communicate with me freely. Finally, I spend ample time discussing the art of practice and self-analysis with students so that they can actually apply concepts and learn independently. I am not only interested in diagnosing problems within a singer’s technique, but teaching students how to consistently correct these issues, morphing into teachers themselves.
Despite my confidence in my teaching abilities, every student is given the following disclaimer during our first lesson: “I am not the teacher for everyone.” In their quest for success, students often search for a teacher with a pedagogical “magic pill” that will transform their voice overnight. It is my responsibility to quickly dispel the myth that it is possible to achieve radical results in a short period of time. I provide students with the tools they need to change, grow and learn, however what ultimately determines a student’s progress is their ability to take responsibility of their own development. Successful students are those who adapt to feedback, apply new concepts, ask questions, analyze their instrument, think creatively, and develop a strong work ethic and efficient practice habits. It is my purpose as a teacher, to give students all of these tools so that they can find skill, confidence, freedom, and thus joy in singing.
-Danielle Palomares
