Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?

Subject: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Janie
Date: 24 Nov 02 - 10:54 PM

I opened my birthday card from my sister today to learn that she has given me 5 hours of voice lessons with Jane Peppler. Now, this is quite thrilling, but also quite intimidating, as I am mostly a shower singer. I don't really even know what voice lessons are. Other than learning not to blow out my vocal chords as quickly, I don't know what I want other than to sing better and with more control. I don't have the voice for, or the interest in classical voice. My voice is quite low, 2nd tenorish. The instructor is noted for her "more or less traditional" music (she used to be affiliated with "Sing Out" magazine.)

What do you do in a voice lesson, and what can you expect to accomplish with 5 hours? I assume that is ten lessons with lots of practicing in between.

All guidance, opinions, insights welcomed.

Janie

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 24 Nov 02 - 11:22 PM

Not knowing what kind of teacher she is, it is hard to say what 5 hours of lessons with her will do for you or what it will be like. If she is a good teacher, she will listen to you and then give you a starting point from what you are capable of now to build to what your potential is. Don't be afraid of what you think is "classical"!!! Truly, no one will "turn you into an opera singer" even if they teach you good bel canto technique. Those exercises and repertoire that help develop the range, tone, and quality of your voice are good for your singing no matter what type of music you choose to do in the future. Even if she hands you an aria in Italian or French to learn, go for it just for the experience of using your voice in a way that will help make it stronger. Don't think it will ruin you for folk music. It won't.

Alice

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: pluck & bow
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 12:22 AM

Lucky You!
You can accomplish alot in five hours! The teacher will help you find your voice, find the key you CAN sing in, give you exercises to relax your vocal chords and strengthen them.....you're gonna have a blast!!!!

One suggestion, bring a tape recorder so when (and if) you do scales you can use at at home later to warm-up and practice with. ALso, go into the lesson with some ideas of a few songs YOU would like to learn to sing well. Example: I WIll by the Beatles, great tune, listen to Allison Kraus sing it, or whatever your own taste is. Have fun:)

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 12:25 AM

Definitely tape record your lessons.! Yes, it will change your life.

Alice

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 12:28 AM

Another note, let her help you find your own voice. Don't go into it with a goal of imitating your favorite singers. Let your teacher guide you to to building up your own voice that is uniquely you.


ALcie

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 06:33 AM

what a wonderful sister!!!!!
As to what you do in the lessons - I don't know about other teachers but here's the approach my teacher took:
First she asked me to sing something I knew (anything) - so she could see how I was using my voice at the time. Then she asked me to do some exercises designed to show her what the potential was. Never mind that they sounded aweful to me - they were telling her what she needed to know (eg making siren noises up and down showed her what notes I could reach - she could sort out the quality later).
Then she taught me some warm up exercises.
For the following weeks we did 1st half hour on warm ups and the various exercises which are designed to improve the voice - then the 2nd half hour was spent working on a song chosen by the teacher. They were not songs I would have chosen or liked (mostly show tunes) - but they were chosen according to what I was then capable of and according to what she wanted to teach me next so I had to trust her on that. We'd spend around 4 weeks on each song & then move on.

Recently she asked me to look back at the past lessons I had recorded , and to comment on progress to date. I could hear a huge difference between then & now - and I can appreciate the stages we have gone through, and how Tania has tackled things in a deliberate order rather than trying to cure everything at once.

As to what you can achieve in 5 hours - well, everyone says that even a few lessons can make a big difference. Not that much when compared to what a lot of lessons can do though........ You'll probably find you want to carry on, in which case you're at the start of something really fascinating and exciting. Presumably what she teaches you will be different if she thinks she's only got 5 hours with you than what she would do if she thinks its an ongoing quest - so maybe none of what I've said above applies in that case.

Anyways - have a great time!!! And let us know how it goes. And remember that its really important to concentrate on the positives, not to be tentative, and to forgive yourself any mistakes (those are the three things I've found hardest!).


Kris

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 10:14 AM

Excellent summary, Kris.

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 11:43 AM

You may have already found this info about your teacher on the net, but for what it's worth, here is her web page at Duke U
http://www.duke.edu/~jpeppler/
Here is a page on her group
http://www.mappamundi.com/jane.html


Alice

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 11:49 AM

Janie, here are some sound clips of your teacher, Jane Peppler, singing with her group Mappamundi. I think you are going to have a BLAST stuyding with this woman!

http://www.mappamundi.com/skylark/default.html
scroll down page

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Janie
Date: 25 Nov 02 - 06:47 PM

Thank all of you for your wonderful encouragement and information. And thank you for the websites, Alice. It was actually a recent thread that you posted to a number of times, combined with a very short stop-in at Lisa Null's voice clinic at the Getaway that prompted me to comment to my sister that someday I'd like to try some voice lessons. Thanks for your inspiration. I'm really very excited about this whole thing. Will keep you posted when I start lessons after the first of the year.

Janie

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: C-flat
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 01:29 PM

My partner began singing lessons recently (also a birthday gift) and is really enjoying them.
She has never sang before and has no ambition to perform in public, but felt that it might help her to feel more comfortable to join in with informal sing-songs that sometimes occur when friends visit.
She also feels that it will help her with public speaking, as she has to do a little of this in her work, and that the breathing exercises and voice projection will improve her delivery.
Her teacher asked her to bring in a couple of songs she likes and we're working on a couple of things to do as a duet at home.
If you get half as much out of your lessons as my partner has, it will be well worth it!

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Morticia
Date: 26 Nov 02 - 03:00 PM

Janie, you know I think you have a great voice already but I bet you enjoy this....keep me posted too, I'd love to know how you got on.

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Janie
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 09:58 PM

I finally had time to schedule my first voice lesson. Wow! Double wow! It is amazing how much I learned....and how much I have to learn. Lots of practice ahead. I think my teacher is probably really good--she did a great job conveying what she wanted me to do, and what I should be listening and watching for.

Although it makes perfect sense I had not realized how much body awareness is involved. It was very good to get some real feedback about my voice--and surprising. I have always thought my voice boomed--she tells me I need to learn to project, and that my voice is breathy! I think it sounds boomy to me because it is so low. I was also surprised at the range I was able to span with her instruction on technique. I'm going to wait to schedule the next lesson until I have practiced what she showed me enough to do it fairly consistently.

Anybody have a recommendation for a decent and not real expense tape recorder that would be good for me to use?

Nneenneenneennnah:)

Janie

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 06 Feb 03 - 11:18 PM

Any portable tape recorder would be fine to take to lessons. Congratulations on starting on one of the great adventures of your life. As I've written in other "threads on the singing voice", learning vocal technique is physical just as much as athletic training is physical. So many muscles to learn how to develop and control, exercises to do that develop your abilities, a teacher who leads and gives you feedback on your progress... A new world of singing awaits you!

Alice

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: pattyClink
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 02:30 PM

You can buy small recorders still but their day is dying fast. I got one a couple years back, but just don't think it's worthwhile investing $40 in dead technology. Coulda charged a minidisc recorder, paid it off gradually, and gotten something I could use for REAL recordings and playbacks from a computer, mp3 player, etc. Just a thought. Have fun with your new experiences!

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Beccy
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 02:33 PM

green with envy out here in NY state...

Enjoy every minute and Alice (I think) had a fabulous point about letting her help you find your most comfortable voice. A lot of people spend their entire life trying to sound like someone else (oh what I'd give to sound like Alison Krauss or Iris Dement...)

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Janie
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 05:59 PM

To those of you with jobs and families---how do you get the time and place to practice scales, etc. so that you don't disturb your family. We live in a small bungalow and everybody hears everything as if we were all in the same room. I live only 3 blocks from the clinic so I don't have commute time to use. If I go outside, I will entertain the entire block. BUT....where there's a will, there's a way, and I will appreciate any comments that may help me find that way Ideas? Inspirations? Funny stories? Anything to get the creative juices going!!!

Thanks,

Janie

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 06:44 PM

Lucky you! Wish I had a sister. Keep us posted. This is a gift I plan to give myself when I can afford it.

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 06:47 PM

I practiced at first mostly in the shower and in the car because I didn't like the way I sounded. I'm lucky to have alot of space and privacy. You could always take a drive just for yourself and practice alone in the car. My voice went through alot of changes in getting used to using real vocal technique, but it was strengthening all the time, even though it didn't sound that great at first. I remember asking my teacher how could she stand to listen to me!

Alice

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Tinker
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 07:27 PM

Janie, I used the basement during laundry time at home and the car while chauffering kids. The extra half hour arival time before kids sporting games begin is a great time block too. After a few weeks I decided I didn't care if they heard me and practiced while doing dishes. I told the kids it was my homework...Maybe this will get me motivated to at least restart my practice tapes. I can't fit in lessons right now.

I just picked up a small cassette recorder at radio shack. You don't need a fancy recorder to practice.

Kathy

Subject: RE: Voice Lessons for Birthday. Now what?
From: Alice
Date: 07 Feb 03 - 07:32 PM

I found a $5 tape recorder at a store going out of business. Even a thrift shop tape recorder is good enough to tape lessons.