If I follow all the video tutorials and exercises – what do I need a vocal teacher for?
Books, DVD’s, tutorials, etc. can supply you with tons of information. Many of them are controversial at certain points. One could simply conclude that a few of them are wrong, but personally I think it’s more a matter of how the author of a book/DVD/… perceives voice and the sensation of producing a tone, hence the totally different approaches and descriptions of singing. BUT even if you found a book or a bunch of videos that both suit your style and describe in a way that you can transfer the exercises into your singing it is important to find a good vocal coach who analyses your singing and can put you back on track. The main problem with just listening to CD, Video,… is that you try to imitate the examples given and may achieve a result that SOUNDS similar, but the way you produce that voice/sound may be completely wrong or unhealthy – how could you know? Depending on your ability to self-reflect vocal lessons don’t necessarily have to be one a once-per-week-basis, but from time to time.
Can’t you show a trick to obtain the maximum singing results with minimal effort?
There simply is no “trick” to improve dramatically fast. Every vocal teacher who promises the ultimate technique and amazing results in a few weeks is simply interested in your money. Your voice grows and you learn how to be sensitive for all the little things that altogether create the tone you want. If you wanted to be a bodybuilder – you wouldn’t consider someone serious that promises you to gain 10kg of pure muscle in just 4 weeks, would you?
Can you teach me how to sound like XY?
Yes and No! Distinguish to SING like s.o. from to SOUND like s.o. You can learn to sing with the same technique and style like someone else, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you sound exactly alike. In terms of finding your identity as a singer I personally think that even shouldn’t be your aim to copy someone else.
Do you consider it okay to show all the vocal tips and secrets publicly?
First of all – there’s no such thing like a secret in producing tones with your voice. It’s all physical and everything can be explained. I hope I am able to de-mystify a few quite abstract terms of singing. If you talk about the tips that PROs share in the interviews – all of them gave their explicit consent to the interview and to the terms of publication (on youtube or just on this website, allow comments or not,…).
