the Price of Voice Lessons

This is the price of a half-hour lesson with a vocal coach in New York City. The lessons are for an adult - this teacher does not take children as students unless they are already performing professionally. This is a Broadway voice coach, meaning he works strictly with singers who perform in musical theater. He does not teach classical music or vocalises. These lessons are more geared to someone who has already learned all of the basics of singing like breathing, tone, pitch, etc. These particular lessons focus on song styling and expanding the singer's range. The lessons are for 30-minutes, but the teacher will spend some of his own time if you provide him with MP3 recordings so he can listen to some of your work and critque it at your next lesson. The lesson consists of a very brief warmup and the remainder is spent working on one to two songs focusing on style, character, and projection.

When you are taking lessons at this level, the teacher expects that you are working every day on your music and he will not take on students who are not serious about their work. My lessons usually run closer to 45 minutes - the teacher respects the fact that I travel three hours round trip for my lessons, so he gives me a little extra time to reward my committment. This is a very expensive day for me - in addition to my lesson, I also have to pay for railroad transportation and the subway. This level of expertise, however, is only available to me in the city. This man has worked with some of the greatest Broadway stars and composers, and I appreciate his knowledge of technique and willingness to share it. Prsonally, I think it is a bargain. I have already added some notes to my vocal range.

Do not insult your music teacher by not practicing between lessons. A good quality teacher will have students waiting for them to have an opening and they are unlikely to tolerate you showing up to lessons unprepared. Check with the music department at your local college or university for a recommendation for a voice teacher. Most teachers focus on classical music -- really the ideal way to learn voice and breath control as well as diction. Don't be afraid to speak up, though, if there is another style of music you are pursuing.