It takes bravery to walk into your first voice lesson. While learning to sing is fulfilling and lessons can be empowering, sometimes the initial learning process can feel frightening. If you’re feeling nervous about starting voice lessons, try not to let that deter you from following your dreams! Eventually, the nerves begin to fade away and the real voice inside will begin to shine through.
If you are thinking about taking singing lessons, but feel apprehensive about taking the first step, consider below some of the most common concerns that voice teachers hear from prospective students.
I have no idea how voice lessons work!
Something important to realize about learning to sing is that the voice is an instrument. In fact, it was the first instrument! One of the most difficult aspects of singing is the fact that we are not able to touch or see our voices. This instrument is played with our minds and sensory feedback from our bodies. This is what we learn in voice lessons: how to get better at controlling the various parts of our instrument (breath, larynx, and resonant space) while delivering a moving performance! Tricky for sure, exciting when you get used to it!
I’m afraid of singing in front of others!
If you feel nervous singing in front of others, don’t worry! That’s totally normal and means you are human. I remember the first time I was on stage in choir. The level of nerves pumping through my body caused me to tremble and I half expected myself to either pass out or forget all the words. End result: nothing bad happened! I was showered with compliments, and now singing is my career.
I don’t expect every person to react the same way I did. The truth is, it can be very scary opening up and revealing to others the music in your soul. The important thing to remember is we are our own worst critic. Nine times out of ten the audience is rooting for you. They are excited and honored to hear you express yourself (many of them admire the bravery it takes to be on stage in the first place)!
What if my singing voice sounds terrible?
We all have to start somewhere! I guarantee that you are not as terrible as you think! Every person comes in with a variety of struggles that we are trying to shed (if we didn’t, then we wouldn’t need lessons in the first place). For singers, this can vary from increasing our range, volume, pitch accuracy, tone color, or emotional intensity.
Voice teachers are equipped to handle any of these issues and confront them every day with their students. Vocalists of all levels continuously work on aspects of these issues. This means that voice teachers and coaches are working on their own voices and experiencing the same vulnerability as their students. This means that voice lessons are the safest environment to sing in. We never stop learning (and yes, all voices crack sometimes, it’s normal)!
Hopefully this advice helped you feel somewhat less nervous about starting voice lessons. Remember, these are things that even the most accomplished singers have encountered! The result is a deeper understanding of the potential of your voice, being able to increase your overall singing range, express yourself artistically and emotionally in the form of song, and desensitization of public speaking and performing, among many, many others!
If you have any other questions holding you back from your first lesson, always feel free to contact us and ask one of our instructors. We hope to hear from you soon!