My Teaching Style and Philosophy Overview

I think that it is safe to say that all teachers of singing are a composite of everything that they have ever heard, read or thought about voice and vocal training.  We cannot help but be influenced by former teachers and coaches (both positively and negatively).  One can only hope that, as experienced vocal pedagogues, our teaching skills have evolved to the point that we have ultimately developed our own methodology and a clear technical approach to singing – that we are better informed and more sophisticated in our knowledge than those wonderful souls who had the patience to teach us when we ourselves were aspiring young singers – if for no other reason than the fact that there is now so much more valuable information available.  On the other hand, it is highly probable that little if any of what we are doing is truly original.  One simply utilizes what has worked for us as professional singers, as well as whatever teaching tools we have discovered to produce positive results in our students – with experience, we have learned how best to communicate in the most effective and time efficient manner.  Suffice it to say that what is said here about teachers also holds true for students – they too are a composite of everything that they have heard, read or thought about singing.  Therefore, we teachers must ascertain from the very beginning where our students are coming from – so that we can then adjust and adapt our terminology and tailor our pedagogical style and approach to suit each individual student who enters our studio.  In time, we are able to establish not only mutual respect, communication and trust, but also a common terminology and imagery. Back