"Are you ready?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Well, um. I'm not very good and um, I'm a little nervous."
It was happening. My first voice lesson at Green Brooms Music Academy in South Pasadena. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. Sure, I had wanted to take lessons for years but, goodness, now it was actually happening! What if I was awful? What if the teacher said I should leave? Oh man, what have I done?!
As the late Billy Mays of OxiClean might have said, "these irrational thoughts may have been floating in Lindsay's head before her lesson, but they don't have to be floating in YOURS!" Mind you, he would be yelling the entire time. But it's true! There's nothing to be worried about.
Voice is arguably one of the most personal instruments. I mean, your body is the instrument, after all. So the idea of taking voice lessons and sharing your instrument with a stranger can be, understandably, quite nerve-wracking. But I can assure you our teachers only get pure pleasure out of hearing new students sing. Everyone has a unique voice and talent to bring to the table and really, they just want to help you bring that out in the healthiest way possible.
So! What to expect at your first singing lesson:
First, your teacher will probably have you sing a song (or at least part of the song) to get a feel for how comfortable you are with your voice. Don't worry, this could be as simple as "Mary Had A Little Lamb." Or the new soul-shattering Beyoncé ballad you just fell in love with.
After that your teacher will ask you about your concerns, past experience and goals. No goal is too small or big. Hey, I practice just to sound better for the soap bar in my shower. (He said he can hear great improvements, by the way)
And after a brief discussion with your music instructor, you will then work on voice exercises to play with your voice. Our teachers have racked up thousands of exercises to help with such things as tone, breath, quality, strength and movement. You'll make some strange noises and push yourself in ways you may not have before. But in the end, these silly exercises will greatly and positively effect how you sing.
After your first voice lesson, your teacher will leave you with exercises to do at home, a song or two to practice, and a game plan for bringing out your best voice.
What more can I say? Voice lessons are great fun and we encourage you to come try one out at Green Brooms in South Pasadena!