Djarts FAQ

News

^ back to top ^

“Doesn’t contemporary singing damage people’s voice?”
Unfortunately there have been many examples of poor singing in many contemporary genres. However, you can learn effective, safe, healthy contemporary techniques to ensure the voice performs with both a legitimate contemporary sound and vocal stamina that avoids damage.

“Why don’t you teach classical singers as well, isn’t it the same sort of thing?”
Djarts teaches contemporary technique for contemporary singers. Classical technique is best applied and taught by classical singing teaches who understand the demands of classical repertoire. There is a distinct difference between the two disciplines and it is advisable for all singers to clearly nominate their chosen field, classical or contemporary, to ensure they train their voice correctly. If you are a contemporary singer, you need contemporary training. Read this article for more information...

“How long will it take me to achieve results?”
Most people acknowledge that it takes years to develop competency on an instrument such as the piano and guitar. It is no different when learning to sing. Vocal development is a life-long journey, with different stages of life demanding various applications of technique. Ultimately vocal development is unique to the individual; nevertheless a long-term view is always advised.

“There are heaps of professional singers who have never had voice lessons, why should I?”

Yes, there are some examples in the industry of singers who pride themselves on never having had voice lessons; but there are also many examples of singers who have had extensive training as well. So which road to choose? Well that is really up to you and what your goals are. Unfortunately, for the many cases of successful ‘untrained’ singers there are also many singers who have dropped out of the industry due to vocal damage; to generalise, vocal damage for singers results almost exclusively from incorrect singing technique over time, we refer to this as sustained vocal abuse. Singing lessons are all about establishing great technique so that you can achieve whatever singing goals you may have.

“My friend is a singer and they can give me some lessons on the cheap?”

Singing teaching in Australia is an unregulated industry, which means that anyone can ‘set-up-shop’ as a singing teacher, there is no minimum standard as such for entering the profession. The danger with an unregulated industry is that it is really difficult to work out who really knows what they are doing and who doesn’t; and when that means messing with the human voice (the second most fragile organ in the human body) it is important to know what you are doing and why. And yes, many singers teach on the side to help pay the bills. The danger with this is that because they sound great themselves they should be able to help you sound better as well; but that is kind of like saying that because someone is a great driver you trust them to service your car… it doesn’t really work like that.

“I’m shopping around for a contemporary singing teacher, what should I be looking for?”

This is a really important question for an unregulated industry like singing teaching; here are some questions to ask and things to think about:

Are they a member of MTAQ (Queensland) or ANATS? These are professional associations which set some minimum standards for members, establish a code of ethics and support continued professional development for teachers. If a teacher is not a member of these then ask them, why not? If they are not eligible or haven’t heard of them, then it is probably best to move to the next on your list.

Have they completed pedagogy studies or an equivalent? Qualifications in contemporary singing are important but qualifications in the teaching of contemporary technique are a must. Remember that you are looking for a singing teacher, not just someone who has learnt to sing; and someone with a few years experience out of uni or a new graduate under the supervision of a principal coach is always preferable.

Do they utilise contemporary technique? Singing contemporary material as a part of singing lesson doesn’t guarantee that the technique you are learning is actually contemporary in nature. Ask questions about their understanding of contemporary technique, for instance can they explain what ‘twang’ is and why it is important.

Are they a working professional themselves? Many singing teachers work part-time as a singer and part-time as a teacher; this real world professional engagement is really important – you can’t take someone somewhere that you haven’t gone yourself, and being able to draw on that personal experience provides a depth and passion to teaching as well as an assurance that the technique they are teaching really does work.

Do they have a professional network and resources to support your holistic development? Do they have a professional referral team for voice problems? If so, then it is more likely that they will know a voice problem when they hear or see it. Do they provide resources and support products, like backing track libraries, information and knowledge of voice care products? These sort of things are important and should receive a big tick on your list.

Finally, looks can be deceiving… as with any type of business, a swanky website or smart shopfront doesn’t necessarily mean they are a better teacher than another. Get underneath the surface and ask some of these questions; if you can’t get a good answer, then move on.

FAQ ~ a worthwhile read...

Everyone Can Sing

‘

Contemporary Singing Lessons

ABN: 20 194 810 709

| Best Viewed in IE 5.0+

Daniel Kay is a fan of

Djarts Voice Studio