Does My Child Need Vocal Training?
One of the questions we get most often from parents is:
“Does my child really need vocal training?”
Short answer? Yes!
Long answer? If your child is a singer who has never had vocal training before, they certainly need it. And if they have had vocal training before…they still probably need it.
Why? Because the industry is full of so-called “experts” and “vocal coaches” that either a) don’t teach your child much of anything (aka the best-case scenario), or b) teach them unhealthy techniques that can damage their vocal health (aka the worst-case scenario). Most of the clients we’ve worked with fall somewhere in-between these two extremes, with a few exceptions who have actually received solid, healthy vocal training.
Good vocal training is important for all vocalists because it teaches you how to sing properly so you protect your instrument for life! A voice isn’t a guitar — you can’t play the hell out of it for a decade then replace it with a new one; we each only get one voice. So healthy, correct vocal technique is important for any vocalist, in any genre, particularly in a child’s younger years as their voice develops. In addition, good vocal training can help relieve vocal tension, increase range, and improve tone (and who doesn’t want those benefits?!)
Don’t get us wrong — there are fantastic vocal coaches out there (our coaches have trained with many of them), but unfortunately they can be hard to weed out among the many under-qualified vocal coaches.
So how can you tell a quality vocal coach/program from a hack? We recommend you…
Get a trusted referral. Is there a singer you know who has an incredible singing voice? The one who never seems to strain to hit the notes? Who has a beautiful tone? Who never complains of vocal fatigue, pain, or hoarseness after a show? Chances are they’ve been trained by someone good — find out who!
Try more than one coach. Don’t sink months of your time and hundreds (or thousands) of dollars into the first vocal coach you try. Have a trial lesson with at least 2 or 3 different coaches to gauge who seems to be the most knowledgable and bring out the best qualities in your voice. Keep in mind that the best vocal coach for you may not be in your town! Many coaches now offer online video lessons, and online training (like Young Artist Academy) can be a very affordable way to develop your child’s voice from wherever you are.
Research their credentials. While there isn’t a universally recognized certification for vocal coaches, there are some good qualifications to lookout for; SLS (Speech Level Singing) certification, a degree in vocal performance, a background in classical voice technique, and experience as a performer are all good qualities to look for.
Pay attention to how your child says their voice feels. Ask them how their voice feels physically during/after a lesson. Does the instructor emphasize the importance of vocal warm-ups and teach them how to do them? Your child’s voice shouldn’t be in pain or feel worn out or hoarse after an average lesson. If so, the coach probably isn’t teaching them proper technique and you may want to try someone else. The adage “No pain, no gain” does NOT apply to vocal training!
Gauge the results. A vocal coach who is worth your time and money should be able to help you hear a marked improvement in your child’s voice within the first handful of lessons. If your child has been going to a coach regularly for months, been practicing often and haven’t had any improvement, it’s probably time to seek new training.
Having vocal training is important, but having good vocal training is even more so. Hopefully this guide helps you steer clear of shady “coaches” and find the perfect training option for you and your child!
If you want to learn more about good vocal technique, check out our website www.youngartistacademy.net for more information on vocal training, online courses, and join the waitlist for our upcoming Artist Academy to receive a FREE download of our Professional Vocal Warm Ups!