What are voice lessons like?

This is a question that pops up all the time. When you spend eight hours a day teaching voice lessons, you forget that some folks have never even set foot in voice studio. Or performed a vocal exercise. Or, in some cases, sung in front of another human. 

This blog entry is based on my experiences as a voice teacher and a lifelong voice student. Every teacher is unique and some may have a different way of doing things. 

1. Welcome Words!

My old voice studio in Seattle, WA

I start off each lesson with a short conversation with each student. I think this is an important first step for many reasons:
​First, I actually care about how you are. It helps me set the tone for your lesson. If you're jazzed about life, I can be jazzed along with you. If you're having a rough day, I'll adjust accordingly.
​Second, your emotional state directly affects your voice. The limbic system (which is in charge of your emotions) communicates with the larynx - this is why we can aurally gain clues to someone's feelings, just by listening to them. 
​Third: I am listening to your speaking voice for clues on  how your voice is feeling or behaving that day.  Hoarseness, sniffles, cracks, lack of range, etc., all tell a story about you in that moment. 

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       2. Warmup/ Exercises 
This is the part of the lesson where you sing a series of notes, typically in a particular pattern, with some kind of vowels, consonants, words or nonsense combinations. A lot of first time singers always remark how 'silly' it can feel. A good series of warmups should a) help your voice stretch and move to get ready for singing and b) focus on a particular vocal task to help your voice achieve a new or more efficient sound. Warmups may also help with ear training or style development. When I  am teaching, I choose vocal exercises with that particular student in mind. No two lessons are the same. 

        3. Repertoire (singing a song) 

After you've warmed up, you'll typically sing through a chosen song with piano accompaniment or maybe an accompaniment track (YouTube, Spotify, Appcompanist, etc). Some teachers aren't comfortable accompanying their students and others feel very comfortable. I love to accompany my students when possible because I LOVE musical collaborations. Some days you may sing through an entire song and other days just focus on a small section. There are lots of things to work through in each song you bring to your lesson. It's important to note that there is a difference between a voice teacher and a vocal coach. If you are studying with a voice teacher, you may only work on technique (things to help you sing the song more efficiently - vowels, breath, tension release, etc.).  If you are studying with someone who is both a voice teacher AND a coach, you may also work on style and/or character development. Some folks are both a teacher and a coach, others may only be one or the other. 
You may work on the same song for weeks or months. Other times you may switch songs often. This is largely dependent on the teacher. I don't mind if students switch songs week to week, or before we've fully mastered them, UNLESS we are working towards a specific goal. It is really important to me that you like what you're singing. 

        4. ​Cool down  ​

This is not something I do every time with each student. Sometimes it's necessary to bring the voice back to a nice, comfy, neutral spot...especially if we've been doing some really intense singing. You can read about cool down exercises here.

If you'd like to schedule a lesson with Jordyn, please send an email to [email protected]

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