Welcome to Season Three of Living A Vocal Life! It’s good to be back.
In this season of the podcast, I’ll be talking with vocalists who are engaged in the all-important task of teaching the next generation of singers. Some teach in addition to performing. Others focus almost exclusively on their teaching studios.
But in this episode, I’d like to share some of my thoughts about the value of teaching and how I became a voice teacher. Plus, I have some exciting news to share! So stay tuned for that at the end of this short, solo episode.
So let’s talk about teaching.
After college, my younger brother taught English in Taiwan for a year. He had a terrific time and came back with some fantastic stories. But the thing that made the biggest impression on him and me was that his students treated him with tremendous respect — even though he was just a young man right out of college. I learned that in Taiwan, teachers are revered on the same level as doctors, lawyers, and others in the so-called higher professions.
Sadly, here in the U.S., we have a different way of thinking about teaching. We even have a saying that summarizes our attitude; those who can’t do, teach. As a result, the vital work of educating is undervalued in almost every sphere of our society. Teachers are paid poorly and aren’t given the respect they deserve.
I never thought I would become a teacher. But then, years ago, the band I was in, Nu Shooz, was dropped from our record label. We’d had miraculous chart success with songs like I Can’t Wait and Point of No Return, but I had no other skills besides music. Before our record deal, I’d done all kinds of things to make money, but going back to waiting tables or cleaning houses, seemed like a pretty big step backward. I needed to find a new way to make a living.
I spent months trying on different options in my mind. But many required more schooling, and I only had two years of college. So should I go back and finish my undergraduate degree? And, if I did, what would I get it in? Should I pivot entirely and become a naturopathic physician? Or should I skip the schooling and do something purely entrepreneurial? I even imagined opening a spice and tea shop and living above it.
Ultimately, none of these paths felt right. I could finish my music performance degree, but would it help me make a living? Or would I end up working at clubs that barely paid to pay off my school debt?
As for becoming a naturopath, my passion for becoming a doctor wasn’t strong enough to see me through years of study and the expense of getting a degree.
And the spice shop? Well, let’s just say I realized that even though I definitely have an entrepreneurial streak, making a living selling tea and spices wouldn’t be the best use of my talents or skills.
So, after months of flailing about looking for a new direction, I finally asked my voice teacher, Tom Blaylock, if he would teach me how to teach. Tom saved my vocal career when I developed nodules ten years earlier, singing in front of a large, loud horn band. He’d taught me about vocal anatomy and physiology and how to use my instrument correctly so I could sing night after night without injury. I’d learned so much since I began studying with him that I figured teaching would come naturally to me.
Ha! There was so much more to learn about vocal function and physiology if I was going to teach it. I felt so lacking in knowledge or skill. I even had a recurring nightmare that I was in an operating theater, scalpel raised, about to slice open a human being in front of me when I realized I’d never been to medical school and had no idea what the hell I was doing. (Performance anxiety, anyone?)
As a recovering perfectionist, this was fertile ground for learning to let go and lean into not knowing everything. Over the next 20 years, I learned more about singing from teaching than from any performing I’d previously done.
And I had so many wonderful students — from those who needed help preparing for American Idol competitions to parents who wanted to sing on family trips in the car without their kids putting their hands over their ears. Every student was a gift and gave me another opportunity to learn.
But here’s the thing. My failure as a recording artist was shot through with shame. In our culture, if you’re an artist or a musician, you’re either famous, or you’re a failure. And if you’re famous, that means you’re wealthy.
I had a grammy nomination, a gold record, and seven years on a major label, but I was definitely not wealthy. As for fame — our songs were well-known, but Nu Shooz wasn’t a household name. Sometimes people recognized me at the grocery store, but along with the “I love your song” comment, often came advice on how to do better. Or criticism about our videos while I was picking out produce.
So I didn’t want to be known as a teacher. I never mentioned teaching on my website. And, even though I knew better, I had internalized that old saying that those who can’t do, teach.
But now, after decades of teaching, I know the opposite is true. Those who sing or play an instrument well can’t necessarily teach. Teaching voice involves deep listening to more than just the notes or a student’s vocal technique. A good teacher must know how to communicate concepts, figure out a student’s learning style, and ask questions that facilitate deeper learning and foster curiosity. They also need to discern what a student wants to know and what they need to learn that they might not be aware of. Then they combine the two so that the student is compelled to stick with practicing and eventually become an artist. It took me years to learn these skills.
So, in this podcast season, I want to celebrate the singers who teach, lift them up, and support their valuable work.
I’m also working on a special episode about motherhood and creativity, where I interview a wide variety of singers about how they balance (or don’t!) the demands of a singing career and parenthood.
These are the three questions I’m asking:
- How do you get your creative work done?
- What are your patterns? (Patterns could be about a schedule, but can also relate to physical energy and emotional life. Those are important, too.)
- And lastly, how do you treat yourself when you can’t get to your work?
The answers to these questions that singers are sharing with me are so insightful. I can’t wait to share them with you.
And if you’re a singer who’s experienced the push-pull of parenting and a singing career, I’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch and let me know how you would answer those questions. You can email me at valerie@livingavocallife.com or head to the contact page on my website, livingavocallife.com.
And now for the big news!
First, my new website. After months of work, it’s up and running with a sweeping redesign and feel.
And it has a brand-new section for the course I’ve been working on for the last few years, Becoming A Singer.
The big news? I’m making Becoming A Singer available for free.
No hidden costs, no bait-and-switch, and no upsell. Really.
The course is a distillation of my experience and life’s work as an accomplished singer — offered as a gift to you.
When I first started in music, I would have loved to have had access to a course like this.
But I would never have been able to afford it. So now, after a lifetime as a singer and teacher, it’s time to give back — to make the information, tools, and experience I’ve gathered available to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. I guess it’s a legacy project — my way of giving back to the music community that’s given me so much.
So, who’s this course for, and what is it about?
I created Becoming A Singer for the aspiring career vocalist. But, whether you’re taking your first steps on your musical journey, have been singing and performing for a while and need a refresh, or are a curious, lifelong learner, the course has something for anyone who loves to sing.
There are 6 Modules, dozens of videos, discovery/worksheets, and more that encompass everything a singer needs to know before stepping onto a stage. Mindsets. Skillsets. Your relationships with your instrument, the songs you sing, your bandmates, and your audience. These topics and more have been scripted, videotaped, edited, and lovingly placed in an online home on my new website.
By the end of the course, you’ll be prepared to step out on stage with confidence and a sense of purpose, ready to share your authentic voice with the world.
Becoming A Singer is a work in progress. Modules 5 and 6 are still in development. But there’s plenty of content in Modules One thru Four to keep you busy until new course content arrives.
You can find Becoming A Singer on my website, livingavocallife.com. If you love to sing, please take a look. And, if you find value in the course, please share it with someone who might find it helpful too.
Next week I’ll be back with the first interview of this new season. My guest is N’Kenge, a phenomenal vocalist. Motown founder Barry Gordy described her as “the most versatile artist I know.” And he’s right. She’s one of the few singers I’ve heard that can seamlessly switch styles. From classical to pop, Broadway to R&B, she never sings with a stylistic accent and always sounds authentic. I think you’re going to love her voice and our conversation.
Please join us!
