What are good places to get singing lessons?
December 212010
Ok im from Macomb Michiagn and i wanna do singing lessons. I sing good i think, and i want more lessons. If anyone knows about anything in Michigan, with good prices please comment.
Thanks!
Best bet for getting a good referral for a voice teacher is at the music department of high schools and local colleges and universities. Many of the staff may actually give private lessons, but they usually know of people they can refer someone to if they do not. That way you get the names of a person who will have actually been educated on how to teach voice safely and effectively. Not saying that all music stores and chain "academies" are bad, but you need to ask a lot of questions about the training that the teacher has had. You don’t want to get stuck with some person who can’t even read music and is interested in only your money. Generally beware of people who promise the same results for everyone. Nearly everyone can learn to sing on pitch at least, but not everyone can learn to sing in a beautiful, gorgeous voice. We all are born with individual talents, so like the disclaimer on the diet ads–"individual results may vary". Especially be wary of those who name famous celebrities as their students, except maybe that celebrity’s voice is somewhat limited in range and they rely on a lot of autotuning.
And speaking of money. You get what you pay for, but interestingly enough you often don’t get what you pay for. Sometimes people end up paying more by buying multi-dvd sets and or hiring seedy opportunists than they would for an actual qualified teacher. Prices really vary depending on where you live and who you hire. I live in an area where it’s not common to find a voice teachers that charge as little as $20 an hour (mine charge $40and well worth it because of his background and experience) . I’m sure there are others, especially those who work with professional singers, that charge $100 or more. You have to look and ask. Anyone who is vague about their fees is another person you should avoid.
Many voice teachers will charge less for a half-hour lessons vs. a whole hour. Ideally you should go weekly, but maybe you can just start with once or twice a month? Many teachers are very flexible when scheduling.
Please check through the schools–it’s your best and safest bet.