Personal Philosophy of Teaching
I was first introduced to voice lessons at the young age of seven years old. Since then, I have been blessed with special voice teachers, each with their own unique gifts who brought me closer to mastering vocal technique, but more importantly, grew my passion for singing. The act of singing is one of the most vulnerable pursuits. It draws out our most deep, unsaid emotions. It can be healing, powerful, and spiritual. Without my teachers ushering me into this deep connection with my voice, I would have never discovered the overwhelming joy it brings me. It is my ambition to be a mentor for young singers today and to open up doors for those singers to experience all of the joy and opportunity singing can provide.
Singing is for everyone. Everyone may not have a career in music, but it plays a part in everyone’s life, whether we realize it or not. I believe that everyone has room for vocal growth and that voice lessons can be beneficial for a wide variety of reasons. They can lead to a lifelong hobby and artistic outlet, a time of personal growth and increased emotional vulnerability, or a career in music. No matter one’s musical journey, everyone has something to learn from voice lessons, and I aspire to help my students discover what that is.
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I believe that it is the responsibility of every voice teacher to provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for the student. I want to create an open atmosphere with my students and allow them to be uniquely themselves. As mentioned, singing is vulnerable, and to achieve optimal growth, the teacher must create an environment of mutual trust and respect. I strive to be compassionate, but push the student out of their comfort zone. The student cannot grow vocally unless the student is open to trying new things in their lesson. They cannot be afraid to let out a bad note. How can one achieve complete vocal freedom and be capable of singing fully uninhibited from tension if they are constantly controlling their sound in fear of judgment? I strive to encourage students to embrace even the “bad” note because learning will occur even within them if we evaluate what went vocally wrong, and what we can do to set the student up for success in their next attempt.
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Since one cannot hear themselves the way the world hears them while singing, my method of teaching is predominately sensational. I find it useful to ask the students about their physical sensations when singing, such as “what did you feel different in your breath?” or “where did you feel the resonance on that note?” Since our sensations are largely subjective, I like to learn what the student feels internally, and how they would verbalize the sensation they feel when they progress towards vocal freedom. Even the greatest singers describe different physical sensations, but all good singers sing without muscular tension and have resonance throughout their range.
Not all students have the same background, learning abilities, or home life, and my goal is to make music accessible to all students. It is my responsibility as a teacher to discover and be understanding of what each student needs in terms of their learning style and be conscious of systematic inequities amongst different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups. It is also my responsibility as a mentor to broaden the students’ repertoire beyond the classical canon, exposing them to a wide variety of music composed by marginalized groups. Doing so raises a generation of professional musicians who make both classical and non-classical music accessible to all.
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Singing is deeply meaningful to me and the decision to take voice lessons as a child has impacted every part of my life. I aim to be the best teacher I can be for my students, presenting them with the wide array of possibilities that music can bring to them. I am passionate about teaching because it is an opportunity for me to share my joy. Teaching music is just as much of a learning experience for me as it is for my student, and I grow as a person, teacher, and singer when I help other people learn about their voices.