When Good Intentions Go Awry: A View on Teaching Voice

Diana Cole is a Boston-area voice teacher.

Stand up straight! Breathe from the diaphragm! Expand the rib cage! Keep those shoulders relaxed!  If singers are preoccupied with instructions of “what to do,” how aware can they be of what is actually “happening?” 

I propose that too much effort on trying to follow commands leaves less room to register vocal feelings. For example, students may be reminded repeatedly to keep the shoulders down and relaxed during singing. “Am I doing it correctly?” they ask the teacher, oblivious to the persistent lift of the shoulders.

At times, they are even convinced that the shoulders are down even though the teacher observes that the opposite is happening. That is because they are trying so very hard. What if a teacher without criticisms or instructions guides the student to observe any movement or feeling in the shoulders during inhalation or singing? The student can can discover the lift or tension for himself or herself. Having registered this sensation, they are ready to compare how singing feels without engaging this habit. 

The teacher can suggest ways to do this through movement, imagery, looking in the mirror, etc. Then, I believe, not only will the student choose the better way enthusiastically, but the “learning” will be lasting. If they revert to the old habit, they are more likely to recognize the tension and know how to release it. 

This guiding rather than telling may seem time-consuming to a teacher. Yes, it can be! The teacher may need to break through a singer’s resistance to even recognizing bodily feelings. Sometimes the tensions are so familiar that the singer initially perceives them as more comfortable than the alternative: this can challenge the inventive powers of any teacher! But one cannot tell a student that he is feeling uncomfortable if he is not.

Gradually, by comparison, ease and efficiency will win out. And the singer’s self-discovery is worth it. The eventual learning and vocal improvement is truly owned by the student. The guidance of the teacher is essential but the vocal breakthrough belongs to the student. 

Diana Cole is a Mezzo Soprano performing and teaching in the Boston Area. She was one of the co-founders of Vocal Arts Collaborative. In her private studio, she offers innovative workshops and recitals. Read a recent interview with Diana.