With the popularity of shows like American Idol and America’s Got Talent, voice teachers are getting more calls about voice lessons. What information do you need to know when talking to a potential teacher?
The very first thing a teacher should ask you is how old is the person who is wanting to take voice lessons. Every teacher has a different age range and there are good reasons for that. Some teachers focus more on a pop style of music. These vocal teacher tend to take students at a younger age. Vocal instructors who focus more on classical training or who have a classical background like to wait until students are a little older and more physically mature to begin lessons.
As a teacher who was classically trained, I see it as my job to preserve and protect young voices. Learning to sing with proper technique will extend the range and the strength of the voice. I break my students into 2 distinct groups. Those who have gone through puberty and those who have not. Why does this make any difference? For a female singer, the changes that puberty brings allows the muscles to knit together and offers more support for singing. Up to that point, a teacher is offering coaching and hopefully preserving the voice. For male singers, the onset of puberty bring on that wonderful squeaky-squawky sound. The teacher and student will not know the students vocal assignment and range until after the process is complete.
So there isn’t an exact answer as to what is a good age to begin voice lessons. Always ask if you can schedule a trial lesson with a potential teacher. You only have one voice, so take care of it. Find a teacher who is right for the vocal style that you are wanting to sing.