Listen
There’s so much noise right now. And though I generally classify myself as a teacher, 90% of my job is listening. The second a new student says “hello", I am logging the health and approximate range and size of their instrument. I’m asking questions about their musical experiences. I’m noting their comfort level. When they sing through their first scales on “ah”, I’m making as many mental notes as possible in order to make the most out of our session. I know that the faster I get acquainted with them, the sooner we can make progress together. Often times a student comes in claiming to have one problem, and as I listen, I begin to realize that the problem they describe is really a symptom of something else. They’re not wrong. I just have a different understanding than they do. It’s this listening skill that makes up half of the equation of a successful voice lesson. Then comes the process of helping them to listen in a new way. They no doubt have been listening to