Are Voice Lessons Worth It?
Music is everywhere. We hear it on the radio, our phones, and we sing it around the house. Some of us even sing in the shower. Because music is so natural to the great majority of individuals, it is so easy to take it for granted. In fact, when Joshua Bell, one of the greatest violinists of our generation, performed during rush hour in the New York City Metro, very few people stopped to listen. The reasons for this are debatable, but my point in telling this tale is to bolster the point that it's so easy to take even the most sublime music for granted - which brings us to our question of the day: "Are Voice Lessons Worth It?"
Why did I have to give you this intro, you might ask? Quite simply, while doing my own research, I found out that this question was being asked quite frequently on Google and it behooved me to speculate first on why the question was even being asked in the first place. I could only imagine that those who pose the question are asking if voice lessons are worth it because they either a) want voice lessons and need to know if they should spend money or b) have an existential crises about the fate of the human voice and its reception. I'm going to go with the former as we continue...
The truth is, most sensible people who are spending money on anything want to know that they are getting value. My preamble takes the belief that the person posing our question is unsure about the value of voice lessons to begin with for the reason that he or she is uneducated about what voice lessons are in the first place. After all, one can make the (false) assumption that because "my daughter has a good voice" or because "my daughter knows how to sing already", there is no need to take the training further. Let's challenge these assumptions:
What do voice lessons teach? On the most basic level, the student of voice will begin a journey that develops range, projection, intonation (singing in tune), note reading, and rhythm. But learning how to sing is so much more than that! When you learn a new language, it's not enough to learn vocabulary. You have to learn how to use your new words! Voice lessons are the same. A good voice teacher will use the techniques listed above to educate you on the traditions of the past, whether they are classical music, musical theater, jazz, pop, rock, etc. You are not just learning how to sing - you are becoming a part of a tradition that spans generations.
In conclusion, the value that you will derive from voice lessons will be inherently linked to your ability to make it possible for you to learn the technique necessary to join this grand tradition, one note at a time. Happy singing!
Daniel C. Broniatowski, D.M.A.
Maestro Musicians Academy
Voice Lessons Online
Specializing in giving every child the tools that
they need to develop strong minds, expressive potential,
and unique goal setting abilities, all in the service of music.