One of the most common questions I get from people who find out what it is I do for a living, is “can you make anyone a good singer?” That is a fair question. To which I have a couple of replies. The first and most practically relevant – I can make anyone the best singer they can be. That is a simplistic and large boast that does not take into account the importance of a students’ motivation and the expectation of a positive student/teacher fit. That aside, it does sum up the reality of the process of leading a singer in the project of self discovery whose inevitable aim is the maximizing of innate talent and physiology.
Every student who enters my studio has room to grow and learn. The beginner who is passing the threshold of adolescence and just beginning to wield their fusing larynx has much to learn and explore – laying the foundation for a lifetime of healthy vocal production. The advancing college student is discovering how to navigate the continuous growth and physical development that must be balanced with advancing repertoire. The pop singer who is blowing up on TikTok needs to stay ready for yet another marathon studio session. The advancing pro will have to balance the needs of a rigorous performance schedule while tending to developing personal commitments. Even the retiree works to maintain vocal strength and elasticity, so they can contribute mightily to their local community choir. Through all phases and stages of life, appreciating the gifts one has and working to maximize on that potential, is life-giving. As a vocal pedagogue, I help people discover their personal potential by introducing them to the physiological miracle that is their voice while giving them practical strategies for exploring and maximizing their talents.
This singular pedagogical focus leads me to my inevitable second response to the aforementioned leading question. “What is a good singer?” A random scroll through the FM dial will lead you to a myriad of answers. There is no singular agreeable definition to that question. It inevitably ends up with the subjective answer – a good singer is one that sounds good to you (and I would add, manages her voice with enough care as to sustain a lasting career). Every listener will have his own list of “the best singers,” and we all feel justified in our inclusions. We may even be able to come up with some perfunctory qualifications that landed our singers on this list. Aside from what might be a very rudimentary universal requirement like matching pitch, the fact of the matter remains – quality singing is in the ear of the beholder. When faced with the question of building a good singer, the foundation must begin and end in the same place – with the individual. We are all uniquely and beautifully made. The life best lived is that which strives to maximize on its gifts and talents. We will all have different physiologies, intellects and abilities and there will be limits (even the most talented among us can point to those who are better).
A good singer is one who recognizes her own unique gifts, develops a musical vocabulary and style that suits her gifts and her artistry, and relentlessly pursues her vocal growth while safeguarding her vocal health. Some good singers may see the fruits of their labors in the paycheck from a local church or Opera House. Others will be rewarded with handsome college scholarships. Still others may see their Spotify plays soar. Many will be rewarded with the pleasure of securing a solo in that chorus concert or a role in that community theatre production. All of these are worthy goals reached by good singers. I am proud to say that I have worked with thousands of good singers in my long career and am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet the amazing humans behind the voices. In the end, it is the embracing of those unique gifts and their individual humanity that makes each and every one of them “a good singer”.
The short answer to the original inquiry is simply “yes.”