Looking for a Vocal Coach in Los Angeles?

What are you really looking for when you look for a vocal coach Los Angeles? John Davies Vocal Coach Los Angeles

Hey, John Davies here trying to shed a little light on a tricky subject.

You’re probably thinking that a vocal coach is a singing teacher, right? Well, it isn’t quite that simple. The term has a very specific meaning in classical singing. So you need to be a bit careful what you’re searching for on Google.

Let’s say I’m looking for a ‘vocal coach Los Angeles’. The fact is that I’m not looking for a singing teacher. Let me explain. Let’s say that I have to perform an operatic role or a large role in something like Handel’s Messiah or the Verdi Requiem.

I’ve performed these often and even recorded them. But I still need a vocal coach. And the vocal coach is usually the rehearsal pianist in a major opera company or a symphony society. Here’s what happens.

What does a Vocal Coach Do?

I get the role and the conductor has already decided how he wants the work to sound. That’s what conductors do. They don’t just keep time. They play a symphony orchestra and they interpret music of the symphony in the same way as a guitarist interprets a song.

When you play a song on your guitar, you put your own spin on it, or you have a specific way that you think the song should sound. Well, that’s what opera and symphony conductors do. They decide how they want their performance of the Verdi Requiem to sound.

They then have multiple sessions with the company rehearsal pianist so that the pianist can play the work exactly how the conductor wants it. And THEN, the pianist get busy coaching the soloists so that they can perform their part exactly how the conductor wants to hear it. And that process is called vocal coaching.

“It’ll be Alright on the Night”

Even though I’ve done multiple seasons of the Requiem, and have recorded it with a fabulous cast of world renowned singers, what then? The company still requires me to put in many hours with the vocal coach. That number, by the way, will often be greater than eighty hours!

Yes, believe it! We don’t just walk out and say “It’ll be alright on the night.” Trust me, if you don’t prepare for very long hours, it definitely will NOT be alright on the night.

Googling ‘Vocal Coach Los Angeles’

So when you’re looking for a vocal coach Los Angeles, you’re probably not looking for what I just described. It’s more likely that you’re looking for someone to train your voice so you can sing really well. How do you go about that?

You might think that looking at a site like the National Association of Teachers of singing might be a good place to start. A national association normally seems to have a certain credibility…because it’s called NATIONAL.

Well, anywhere else, that’s quite likely, because if you’re a NATIONAL thing, it means that you have been approved by the government and you’re somehow official. Like I said…that’s anywhere else. What about America?

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. There’s no law stopping people from setting up a national association, and in America, a national association basically creates a membership network which reaches beyond cities, counties and states. It’s a nationwide thing, and members pay to belong…provided they meet certain requirements, for example, a level of professional training.

Requirements for Singing Teachers and Vocal Coaches

Yes, there are specific requirements for the singing teachers’ association, but the tragedy is that you don’t have to provide supporting documents to back up your claim of training. And that really sucks.

It’s an honor system and people seeking membership check a box that says something about making a false claim. So, if you go to the national association what are you going to get? Not much, if you ask me. I was a member for quite some years, but my paid membership did nothing to help YOU.

Seriously!

Years ago when I received my first copy of the book from them that lists all the singing teachers, the first thing I noticed was that they didn’t list our qualifications. So I called them and asked why not…given that people looking for singing teachers, or maybe a vocal coach Los Angeles would want to know about someone’s qualifications right up front.

The answer I got was astounding. The guy said that if they listed everyone’s qualifications, it would be prejudicial against people whose qualifications weren’t very good, or, even worse against people who didn’t have qualifications at all.

Fail, guys. Right there.

Finding a Legitimate Vocal Coach Los Angeles

There is an alternative to the singing teachers association, and it’s pretty good. It’s the Music Teachers National Association. You might try finding a vocal coach or singing teacher there.

The reason I’m mentioning them is because they’ve been around since 1876. Yep, you heard right. 1876. And an association that’s that old is probably going to be pretty good. They have a very uncomplicated search engine, too. So if you’re looking for a vocal coach Los Angeles, just fill in your zip code and select voice and how far you’re willing to travel, and up will come your choices.

The main things to check on are the qualifications that your prospective teacher has and their professional career. If you see a name that you think looks like a good fit for you, just reach out and ask them about their qualifications and their concerts and recordings.

And it’s not a bad idea to find somebody who’ll actually give you an introductory lesson or an initial consultation for free. That’s usually a good sign that you’re headed in the right direction.

Further Reading

Anyway, y’all, I hope this sheds a little light on the subject.

How does vocal coaching differ from singing lessons? Read all about it here and here.

Want to see some more videos? Here you go! Bye now.

The post Looking for a Vocal Coach in Los Angeles? (PODCAST) appeared first on Singing Lessons, Vocal Lessons, Vocal Coaching, Singing Teacher John Davies In Los Angeles.

Get the future of podcasts.