Saturday, March 22, 2008

Shopping? or auditions?

Not sure which you'd call this, but I've just begun the hunt for another voice teacher. Not that I've had any problems with my current one, but as she readily admits, after 5-7 years you start repeating yourself, and we've been working together more like 8 years or so. I had a lesson Thursday with someone who'd probably work well, but I want to try at least 1 or 2 more. Even if they all suit, it could come down to whose schedule works best with mine, or whose lessons are more affordable. I've heard of folks spending upwards of $100 per hour for a lesson! That might be a deductible expense for a professional singer, but it's too much for a hobbyist like me.

And while I have a better idea than I did several years ago of what to look for, I'm still not completely sure what kinds of questions to ask or what to look for (beyond a pet-free, smoke-free studio). It doesn't help that I don't know where I want to go vocally, either. I've pretty much figured out that I don't aspire to opera, and I think I'd like to learn to belt, but do I really want to learn a Broadway style? If I'd rather sing Cole Porter, Gershwin, that kinda thing, who can teach me a cabaret style? (Mary Morton's Wooing the Lorelei is just the sort of thing I'd like to be able to "sell"!) And how much technique do I still need to master before I can start that kind of fine-tuning? Tune in next week for the next installment in the continuing saga...

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