Vocal Science™: Singing Lessons With A Twist? What is it? And who may be in need of those Lessons?

Quite often, I am getting inquires from people who are indicating that they are interested just in regular singing lessons. So, I quote them the price for just singing lessons, not suspecting that they are already having some kind of a voice problem.

Usually, they never admit it over the phone or the e-mail, unless they definitely have been already diagnosed, and the hoarse sound of their speaking voice, is very pronounced. However, luckily, some singers with the vocal problems do not have their speaking voice affected. 

Therefore, when I get them on the phone, sometimes, I cannot even pinpoint that they have any voice issues, as their speaking voice sounds completely normal. Then, they finally arrive to my studio and, after the first 5 minutes, I realize that they have actually enrolled in the wrong course – vocal lessons, (instead of a non-surgical voice repair course)!

In reality, they needed a voice repair, and big time, in some of the cases. Their vocal technique is completely wrong, as some of them, breathing with their stomachs’ out, (looking like pregnant ballerinas and dancers. LOL), throwing the sound down to their necks, shoulders and chest while, concurrently, dropping their jaws down to their knees.

Not a very pretty picture. Hah!

They are scooping the sound from underneath of their vocal anatomy, while gripping their neck really tight. And thus, setting the stage for, minimum to say, a muscle tension dysphonia, or some nasty growth on their vocal cords and on their vocal anatomy overall. We are talking now about nodes,nodules, polyps, cysts and even lesions, to name a few.

Meanwhile, right off the bat, they are expecting regular singing lessons! I could compare it to a runner who, unfortunately, acquired a really bad injury on his leg, and who would think that after he applies some analgesic cream on a sore spot, he will be able to run marathons with no problems, not really fixing his actual problem first.

Go figure!

So now, the challenge is to explain my so called, “singing students”, that first, they need to do the real voice repair, coupled with the natural herbal and, sometimes, added homeopathic treatment.

They need to learn how not to kill their singing voice with the wrong application of their speaking voice and concurrently heal the flora of their throats. And lastly, now, they need to learn how to sing without the abuse of their vocal anatomy and their health in general. Statistically speaking, lately, 98% of my singing clients do need a voice repair in various degrees and stages. 

So, singing lessons with a twist, you may wonder?

Indeed…