Vocal damage, help me?
Long story short: I’ve been worried about vocal damage for a couple weeks now. I was singing, and after I would sing my throat would hurt. So of course I stopped. I told my parents and they said they wanted me to ask my vocal coach before they took me to see a doctor which I think is honestly ridiculous. But I told my coach and she seemed really concerned that I was feeling pain. She told me she couldn’t give me a full answer but said I probably have nothing to worry about right now, and to be careful with how I sing. I still wanna get checked anyways but my parents are gone right now so I can’t talk to them about it yet.~ I do need an opinion though. Today I was practicing my singing. Nothing was working out for me. My soft palate wasn’t open enough and I couldn’t seem to get it open correctly. Eventually after 10 minutes i noticed my voice was cracking so I stopped trying to be safe. I know cracks don’t do any damage but it’s still scary. So now I’m drinking water and my throat hurts like a 1/10 pain. Yesterday I was playfully singing with my brother over loud music, and talking over loud music but I wasn’t thinking. That was my mistake and I don’t know if what’s happening today is caused my that. I’ve been clearing my throat a lot today, which also freaks me out a lot. Should I go get checked? And how do I tell my parents a second time I need to get checked? I feel like they will say, “You’re teacher said you’re fine” and not understand me.
Where To Find A Vocal Coach Who Will Train Me?
I'm a 16 year old boy who had some issues early on in life(No need for specific details, I just had a brain tumor) and now my voice isn't changing... Do you think this is a plus for finding a good vocal coach or a negative..? I'm not a terrible singer but my Choir teacher says I 'Scoop' into notes and that I have a very 'bright' tone, but that's a negative in choir.. I actually like it better than singing with my mouth like this :O lol Um, yeah, so where would I even begin to start looking for a vocal coach and what do you think of my voice situation? Do you think I should even train my voice? Music really is my passion. I sing all the time and can play 6 instruments. I want to get serious with this and actually do something with it. Please help :) My vocal range is F#2 - A5 Is that good?
What do you think of this vocal coach?
Okay. I know you're gonna say offline lessons are the only way etc. etc. but say you can't get offline lessons right now but you're going to be singing anyway (I mean you can't really say someone must not sing at all unless they have lessons even though they enjoy it. Can you?) This seems like the best to me and he seems like he gives good offline lessons too.. https://www.youtube.com/user/NewYorkVocalCoaching/videos His name is Justin Stoney I found this on their website: Justin has taught as a master teacher of Pop/Rock/R&B and Musical Theatre for NYSTA Comparative Vocal Pedagogy program, has been featured by the Learning Annex as a guest teacher, and has given master classes throughout the country. A born teacher, Justin has enthusiastically worked with a vast array of students - from beginning singers to celebrity clients, Broadway singers and recording stars. Justin has worked with literally thousands of singers in New York and holds a strong reputation internationally, with private students from over 40 countries. Finally, Mr. Stoney has trained not only singers, but also other voice teachers from all over the world through the New York Vocal Coaching Voice Teacher Training & Certification. Justin holds a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from the University of Michigan. He has also studied classical vocal technique with veterans of the Metropolitan Opera, musical theatre vocal technique with veterans of Broadway, and contemporary vocal technique with
How can you ask a celeb to be your vocal coach?
It depends if you know one personally or not. I used to have one (a famous 60's singer) that lived next door to me, but that was pure luck and being born into the right household. If you don't know them personally, the way to go is offer the right price. I was in music school and when I had to do lessons, the average music school educated coach would get 50-75 dollars an hour. Offer more than that and see how you do. Money talks in the music world
Where can I find a vocal coach who is affordable?
I think it’s fantastic that you’re reaching out for help with this issue and that you realize it’s time to seek help to get to the next level. If you’re straining your voice, you’ll definitely want to seek the help of a vocal professional who can correct some of the habits you’ve formed through improper use of your voice. Not knowing your background, I’d say to seek out vocal professionals in your area, possibly your school, or a local music academy in the area. Then, I would take to google to look for vocal coaches both in your area, as well as in other locations. The beauty of the internet is that you don’t necessarily need to be in the same location as the teacher to have lessons. This can reduce the cost of your lesson since he/she won’t have to travel, but you will have to discuss logistics with the coach, of course. I’ve had acting and vocal lessons via skype when I needed to, and it’s really a godsend.On the other hand, finding someone online can be tricky, because you’ll want to know his/her qualifications and make sure he/she is a trustworthy professional. You can oftentimes find that information through ratings, student testimonials, their websites, etc. Always do your research. Figure out what works best for you.In terms of your budget, understand that you can find affordable coaches, but “affordable” lessons are usually around $50/hr. If you try to go really cheap, you might be skimping on quality. Don’t cheat yourself out of quality instruction. Try to work it out where it will benefit all parties.
Would taking singing classes/ vocal coaching help with general speaking ability to help express emotion?
Yes! American Sign Language (ASL) is a very expressive language, relying on Sign, facial expression of emotion, and a bit of acting too :)Here is the Wikipedia link to information about American Sign Language.All of this 'whole' communication is accomplished without voicing thought. Think of Sign as text, and your visual expression as tone. You will see after your first or second class whether it works as you would like it to. As an aside, when my beloved mom was hooked up to a ventilator, in the last days of her struggle with lung cancer, she wanted to communicate -- but she couldn't write because of IVs in her arms... Had she been able to sign or even fingerspell, she would have been happier.
Is getting a vocal coach worth it?
Of course lessons are worth it! In fact, THE ONLY SAFE way to learn the correct singing techniques & to improve properly IS to take OFFLINE face-to-face singing lessons with a fully trained vocal teacher (in case you do not have a teacher yet)! The teacher HAS TO BE in the same room with you, so that he/she could give you proper feedback. Please do NOT rely on any dodgy web tutorials because that way you can misunderstand things VERY EASILY and develop bad habits, hoarseness, vocal nodules and other nasties IN NO TIME, and even though you would sound good! It is always much wiser to invest a little bit of your money/time to face-to-face lessons rather than wasting the same amount of money (or even more!) to frequent ear-nose-throat specialist visits due to aforementioned problems, so please reconsider this. If you can't afford vocal lessons, then joining a choir is the only SAFE alternative option. And believe me, but even MANY of those who have music as their hobby DO take lessons as well! Always remember to warm up your voice properly, but please know your limits and don't overdo your voice! Remember the diaphragmatic support, do not strain your throat too much! Also, remember good body posture! Avoid fizzy drinks (burp danger), dairy products (mucus risk), caffeinated products (coffee & tea included, they dry up your throat) and spicy food (irritation risk)! You can consume these things, but NEVER before singing! Do NOT shout, yell, scream nor otherwise abuse your voice AT ANY TIME! Also, please respect your vocal range; if your teacher says you are, say, more of an alto (baritone if you are male), then you ARE more of an alto (baritone). DO NOT try to imitate anyone famous, that will usually give you just bad habits and even damage your throat. You are YOU and your voice is unique, so please learn to cherish that. The world does NOT need copycats. Do NOT sing, whisper, shout, yell nor scream if having a sore throat/cold/flu, Also, do speak as little as you can if you have flu/cold/sore throat! Remember to drink at least 2 litres of room-temperature still water every day, not just during singing days! Smoking is a big no-no, as is inhaling secondhand smoke. Also, avoid staying in dusty and/or moldy environment.
Wats the difference between a vocal coach nd a voice teacher?
I have done both of these things for over 30 years. essentially, a voice teacher will teach you vocal technique,and assist you with any lapses in your education. We teach skills as well such as music reading, solfege, sight-singing, terminology, etc. But the crux of each session is the vocalization that expands your capabilities, and reveals areas that need assistance. A vocal coach work on literature and language. You might we learning a role for an opera, and need assistance with pacing, phrasing, and all those strange quirks of singing in a variety of languages. Some coaches also work on your acting - I never did, since I leave that to others with far more expertise. Although it is very helpful for your vocal teacher to have good piano skills, it is mandatory for a vocal coach. We are often playing from vocal scores, and then must lead and assist the singer if they get off track. If we hear vocal problems, sometimes we can fix them - or just bring them to the singer's attention - but this is not a voice lesson.