How You Teach Is So Important

When I was on a recent episode of Sing, Coach, Conduct with Megan Farison, one of the topics we talked about was teaching styles. We were both fairly open about our experiences and we agreed that teaching is such an intricate art.

Throughout my vocal education, I dealt with a lot of favoritism. I noticed my classmates getting opportunities time and time again to represent the vocal music program. I wanted to be a part of that, as I had so much passion for my school and my program and I thought it would be great to include a Bass in the lineup to even out all the Baritones and Tenors. Despite me expressing interest to the people in charge and them saying yes, I still got shafted for the Baritones and Tenors who kept excelling.

This honestly made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. It made me feel bad about being a Bass, despite everyone always praising my low notes and saying that’s what sets me apart. It just felt like a bunch of empty compliments and promises.

I often tried to exercise myself and test my limits to see if I could stand a chance. I wanted what they had, so I felt like I needed to do something differently. I practiced high notes all day and night, and some of those Baritones and Tenors even came into my practice rooms. They usually kept reminding me that I was a Bass and that I wasn’t built for Tenor or high Baritone songs. Even though they were correct, that didn’t make me feel any better.

One of my classmates, a Baritone, actually came in and worked with me on some of those high notes that were comfortable in my range, like that dreaded high F. He was close enough to my voice type that I really listened to his advice. I even wanted to sit in on one of his lessons to see what else I could learn. I also felt it would be a good idea because, as an aspiring voice teacher, I wanted to learn about different voice types.

Unfortunately, our teacher at the time shut that down and had a private talk with me. They not only felt a need to remind me that I’m a Bass, but they also took offense to me learning from my peers and not solely from the teacher. They made me feel like what I was doing was wrong and that I wasn’t cut out for the opportunities or careers my classmates were pursuing. Not only that, I started feeling like I was stuck in a box while all of my peers could explore freely outside of their boxes.

I started resenting all of them and distancing myself, which was unhealthy in retrospect. But I couldn’t help it. It was a lonely time. So when I graduated and got a voice teaching job, I vowed that I would never make any of my students feel like that. Teaching is so intricate because you have the future of the world in the palm of your hands. No matter what their ages are, you have to take great care and make sure they are getting everything they need. Everyone deserves a chance to shine.

I often substituted for various students while their instructors were away. I asked them what they worked on with their teachers and either stuck with that or encouraged them to try a new concept. My teachers often put other teachers’ styles down. It’s more important for students to see teachers building bridges rather than burning them. It creates a less competitive atmosphere and encourages collaboration. No matter who they’re learning from, the objective is to open the students’ minds so that they can think for themselves. It’s never personal. They’re not trying to disobey you.

They’re also coming in already knowing the relationship. There’s no need to impose that dominance of, “I’m the teacher. You need to listen to me.” They know this. They just want to learn and be better at their craft. We owe it to them to create that open space for questions, self-expression, and new ideas.

This month is Mental Health Awareness month. If you are feeling lonely or like you’re not good enough, please talk to somebody. As someone who used to internalize, it’s not always the best thing to keep those burdens to yourself. My line is always open as well for anyone who needs it. You ARE good enough. You are NOT alone. You WILL be okay.

I also want to encourage everyone to check out Megan Farison as well. Our episode of her podcast, Sing, Coach, Conduct, is available to listen to on Apple and Spotify (Episode 35). Also, don’t forget to buy her book, Dissonance, A Memoir. It’s truly an amazing read. Unbelievably captivating.

Thank you all for reading this week! Until next time. :)