(BTW- I myself, will continue to learn, read, research, develop, take workshops and classes for the rest of my life. We are never above learning anything new.)

Which Teaching Methods does Kathy use?

I believe that there are so many different approaches to teaching voice because there is no standard. That is a lengthy discussion which is best had elsewhere.

When I teach voice, I use mostly my own “method”. That means I use partial things from a variety of other methods, or systems of teaching voice, along with exercises, games and handouts that I created. I draw from information from all forms of media, and my own personal experience as a singer. I would work differently with someone who is very soft-spoken and shy than I would with someone who is a high-energy extrovert. There are different kinds of learners and I take that into account.

I never plagiarize anything from other singing teachers. I might take a seed of an idea I learned and tweak it, just as you would a classic food recipe. If I learn something related to singing from a science book, I will incorporate that. If I use a scale from another method such as the Seth Riggs SLS method, Frank Sinatra method, the Alan Greene workbook, or the Bel Canto method, I am sure to tell the student where that exercise came from and that they can pull on those resources. (The source is always quoted on their printed handout). I frequently tell my students about other singing courses!

If a student is doing something incorrect during singing, I can imitate it in my own voice, identify where the error is occurring during the process, and then show the student how to approach singing that one thing with more correct technique or more economical way.

shape the song. The vocal nuance or the boldness you choose will come into play. I think there is an actor in each of us and we can adopt characters for our songs. How you connect with your audience whether live on stage, or from a recording booth - will matter in the end.

The main goal of lessons is not to CHANGE the inherent way your voice sounds. My goal is to take the unique sound of your voice and add to it; enhance it. We work towards uncovering and empowering the artist within you. We develop the voice you have and build upon that with a spirit of joy. You will discover new sounds.

You can’t force your voice to grow or do things it can’t possibly do until you have trained to do it.
(And yes, there is a difference between belting and yelling!)

To me, singing is both science and art at the same time.

I never try to change someone’s natural sound. We only enhance it, help it flourish, take a holistic vocal evolutionary path and keep adding new musical layers.

At the end of every lesson, I hope that these 4 questions will be answered "yes" :

• Did your voice get some good exercise / workout ?
• Did you learn something interesting and new ?
• Do you understand the assignment for next time; are there any questions ?
• Do you feel motivated to sing and practice ?

I research. I test. In truth, science is still learning about human behaviour and how the brain works, which is paramount to the mind-body connection not only when it comes to singing or playing an instrument, but is related to learning and executing ANY physical skill. Science is still learning about the voice.

What Makes a Great Singing Teacher?

Let us pose this question to anyone who teaches a skill. For example:

Internet Misinformation About Singing Methods

There is so much misinformation on the internet, it’s hard to believe what’s true and what’s not! Just because something is in writing doesn’t mean that it is entirely accurate and absolute.

There are literally hundreds of people out there calling themselves singing teachers, vocal coaches, starting schools and calling themselves experts. Should a singing teacher have academic credentials only? A degree? Stage experience only? What credentials does someone need to be a valid singing teacher? Suppose someone has performed on Broadway stages for years but has never been in a hit musical, is not famous, and they decide to teach singing. Does that mean they won’t be a good singing teacher? Maybe – maybe not. Don’t be fooled by fame. Fame can be a result of luck and good networking skills. It’s rare that anyone becomes famous by accident, including singing teachers. They have usually sought their station. That’s not good, bad, right, or wrong – just fact. A few times, a parent has asked me if I have taught anyone famous. Would that make a difference to the quality of my teaching? Not necessarily. Keep an open mind is all I’m saying and try not to think in absolutes.

There are singing methods out there with certified coaches who are fanatical with the notion that they have the ONLY and the BEST method of teaching singing on the planet. Some attach to celebrity endorsement. Well there can be many, many amazing and valid approaches to working with people on their voices. I think that some popular methods are far too technical and the student gets hung up on the mechanics of singing. Some methods recommend things like warming up with very high quiet tones, or never talk about vocal mechanics, and assorted approaches.

Here’s something that made my eyes pop wide open. I saw video of a “celebrity” voice coach working with a famous rap superstar that I found to be very disturbing. He had his female rap star actually moving her jaw sideways, quickly sweeping it back and forth, fast and hard, as a part of the vocal warm-up! You can almost guarantee TMJ medical issues from that. In fact, it could possibly warrant litigation. This NY singing coach was charging an astronomical hourly fee into three figures (but included back massage).

I like to base things in fact. I have kept a log of "internet untruths" about singing.
Here is just one of many, and more benign than most:

There is a website I saw which has the word ‘musician’ and ‘university’ in the name of the site. Under singing, it says, "Singing is easy. Anyone can do it. But what most singers do not know is that your voice is just like an instrument."

I don’t think that’s true.
No, singing is not easy for everyone. Some people are very challenged with vocally interpreting and recreating sound as they hear it (* research the word amusia), and require different amounts of, and approaches to- ear training for accurate pitch placement. Some people are in poor physical condition and have a hard time understanding breathing, believe it or not. Some people were raised in a culture where silence was encouraged and they are ashamed to use their voice in a singing fashion. And so forth.

The human voice is the only musical instrument located within the body. It is prejudiced with emotion. A piano is not. A violin has no emotion. A guitar has no emotion. It’s the players of these instruments who can bring emotional interpretation to sound production. But our voice is within our body; the player and the instrument are one.

Furthermore, I can see all other instruments as I play them. But you cannot see your voice as you play it. You feel it. You operate this instrument of voice as your brain sends neuromuscular impulses to your voice and various other muscles and systems in the body. For fascinating information on this, I encourage you to investigate The Alexander Technique for Singers. (FYI, it’s a little technical.)

I don’t mean to scare or intimidate anyone. Connect with the person you want to work with. See if they make sense to you. Use your instincts and common sense when it comes to information at large. If something sounds astonishing or weird, perhaps try searching university and academic websites which are usually loaded with true and verified information.

Each singing teacher has their own style when it comes to how they teach.

Some really 'crack the whip' like Bill Vincent did when I studied with him in the 1980’s. No fooling around, he took care of business, and he was a busy guy (God rest his soul.) Some like to chit chat warmly for a few minutes at first. Some make eye contact, some don’t. Some will drive the lesson 100% and some will make it more of an interactive process. Sometimes, your vocal coach will become a lifelong friend. One student said her previous vocal coach would sing himself through their almost their whole lessons! Another student’s mother complained that her daughter had been working only on breathing for two months.

I don’t like compromising my own rules but here is an exception:
I once had an inquiry from a young lady who wanted singing lessons. She got to the point right away on the phone. She said, “I am a model, and a music producer wants me to go into the studio and record his new songs next month so I have to learn to sing. I want to take 3 lessons every week for the next 4 weeks. How much?”

That is a nearly impossible request to fulfill for someone who has never sung before.
Singing in a studio is something you can’t “cram” for, like an exam. Two things came to my mind:

ONE - Some people do have exceptional genius and natural talent for singing so it really does happen quickly for them, but only after singing for many years, and singing with good technique or by instinct.

TWO - On the other hand, some people are challenged with pitch placement or lack of confidence when it comes to singing and it is a longer journey, but always therapeutic and positive in the long –run as improved vocal technique spreads out to improve many other facets of our lives.

After our conversation, she agreed that she only wanted to be able to do some simple, good oohs and aahs over some techno house and world beat club dance mixes, so it was something she could learn to do relatively quickly. After consideration and on that basis, I agreed to work with her.

If you are really interested in learning about singing and take it seriously, then the person who teaches you is important. It’s not about spending a few dollars less or more, nor is it about traveling a little further away in our vast metropolis of over 5 million people. The GTA is a very big place and there will always be travel time.

Your vocal coach is a mentor who will be correcting you, giving advice, showing you new exercises, training you to discover new vocal sounds, challenging you, encouraging you, and many other things. Therefore, it’s important that you not only feel comfortable with them, but that you are both on the same page when it comes to defining - and working towards - your own musical goals. Eventually, you will want to develop your own unique style. It’s an interactive journey.

Many people think that singing is just about fun, fun, fun. Of course we have laughs during our sessions. But it’s not like going to a party, and you won’t be Christina Aguilera or Josh Groban overnight. But just because you know how to use your voice to talk doesn’t mean that you know all about it for singing.

Your singing teacher should have a good idea of the ability of their student: to know when to increase the vocal workload just enough, to do the arpeggios a little faster, or when to bring the volume up little louder. A good teacher will never step far beyond the student’s level of competence. Understandably, if someone does the same exercises at the same volume and tempo with the same vowels for 20 years, the progress would be less than optimal. The secret is knowing when to push the limits and how much to push, always being mindful of maintaining healthy vocal technique.

A singing teacher should:

• Understand how to critique your voice without discouraging you or hurting your feelings
• Motivate you to practice on your own
• Make sure you understand everything that is covered in lessons
• Keep track of where you are in your progress as well as other students
• Keep focused during your lesson and always know what is coming next
• Not push too much or too little
• Not spend much time singing for the student other than to give examples
• To know when to explain why you are doing certain exercises, or just to do them

Once you have mastered the vocal basics, then I say study any kind of singing that you can imagine enjoying. But always be true to your roots and keep your sites aligned. The goal is to grow musically. It’s a life-long process if you want it to be, and we’re all a magical, musical work in progress.