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This is an interview with vocal coach Jaime Vendera

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Read as Jaime Vendera talks about his career as a Vocal Coach. Find him at www.jaimevendera.com and on his Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview.
What do you do for a living?
Actually, I do many jobs that originally evolved from my passion, which is singing. In 2000, I decided to write my first book, which was about vocal technique. Since releasing Raise Your Voice, I've written and produced dozens of books, both non-fiction through venderapublishing.com and fiction through 711press.com, with my co-producer, Daniel Middleton. When not writing, or singing, I teach voice and have taught many famous rock singers from bands such as Dream Theater, Thriving Ivory, Kevin Rudolf and more. But my real fun is the television shows I've appeared on demonstrating my amazing ability to shatter glass, as seen on shows like Dr. Oz and MythBusters.
How would you describe what you do?
Considering I cover a wide variety with teaching, publishing and performing, I'd have to describe my daily job as intense discipline. I have to work out my voice every day with my own vocal exercises to stay on top of my game for my students and set aside writing time for writing my personal releases, as well as producing the fiction titles. However, my schedule is frequently thrown off when I must travel to China or Australia for example for a TV show or live vocal workshop.
What does your work entail?
Life as a vocal coach in and of itself is as demanding as any other teaching job, requiring you to keep track of assignments given to your students, etc. to become a successful vocal coach, you must look at yourself as a name brand, even if you become a school choir director. It's best to brand yourself through multiple streams. I, for example, not only write singing books, I've also developed an app for singers, The Vendera Digital Vocal Coach, as well as produced many singing videos and audio programs to teach vocal effects such as adding grit and how to scream.
What's a typical work week like?
Hectic, hectic, hectic...but fun. Each day consists of scheduling students for singing lessons as well as several hours dedicated to writing books and editing fiction novels, as well as working with other partners who handle various products in development. On top of that, I am frequently scheduled for tv shows. This year alone, I've filmed in China and the US, as well as for Japan and Europe.
How did you get started?
I studied voice at the Musician's Institute in Hollywood California. But that wasn't enough for me, so I bugged every rock star I met to share their singing secrets and compiled a book on the best materials, which eventually turned into Raise Your Voice. In 1996, a friend of mine asked me to show him how to sing in the high register because he wanted to sing along with Dream Theater music. I'd never taught voice so I thought about what helped me and I remembered my favorite singer, Jim Gillette, used to slide from low to high on one note. I tried that with my friend and he gained five notes in his upper range that very day. I began using this method to teach others and it worked exceptionally well. What's ironic, is years later, Jim Gillette taught me to shatter glass, and James Labrie of Dream Theater is now my student.
What do you like about what you do?
Please tell me, what's not to like. I dare you to point it out, haha. I make my own hours, I do what I love, I get to travel the world and I work with some of my favorite singers.
What do you dislike?
The only thing I dislike is the long 13+ hour flights when I have to perform in other countries.
How do you make money/or how are you compensated?
Vocal coaches are compensated per voice lesson, but their annual income can be greatly improved if they develop their own product line. Just like a piano teacher, you can make a decent living teaching out of your home, but you can also conduct workshops to make more money as well as attract more students.
How much money do Vocal Coaches make?
Honestly, vocal coaching is probably a job which you start on the low end of the totem pole. You have to develop a reputation and clientele and that takes time. When I started, my hourly rate was $20.00 per hour. Now I charge $100.00 per 45-minute session or $100.00 per hour on Skype. Speaking of Skype, you now literally have millions of singers at your fingertips. With Skype, I've taught students in real time via the Internet and webcam. I have students from all over the world. In fact, I wrote a booklet called Online Teaching Secrets Revealed, which is published on Kindle, to show others how I do what I do.
How much money did/do you make starting out?
It varies. Like I said, I started at $20.00 per hour. Many coaches charge $400.00 an hour based on their notoriety. I refuse to charge that much. It also depends on your demographic. Living in a small town means small rates. A bigger city is much better. However, you may also have to rent a space to teach, which eats into your income. But, you can write it off on your taxes.
What education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?
It depends on your goals. Do you wish to be a vocal coach or do you want to be the music teacher at a local school or college? If teacher is your goal, you'll need to head to college. If vocal coach is your ideal situation, you can study with various coaches and materials, start small, maybe even offering a handful of free lessons to develop your teaching routine before setting up shop.
What is most challenging about what you do?
Getting my lazy students to work harder, haha. In the end, your reputation is on the line and you're only perceived as good as your worst student. So you must find ways to encourage the lazy one. I once forbid a student from more lessons with me because he'd only practiced three times in four weeks. He begged to come back, so I made a deal. He had to practice thirty days in a row before I'd schedule him. I told him I'd know if he didn't. Long story short, he did it, we did more lessons, and he got a scholarship to college for his wonderful voice.
What is most rewarding?
Most rewarding thing to me is the fact that I've had hundreds of people email or call me telling me how I saved their voice, how they recovered from vocal loss and how I've inspired them to be more than they can be. 😉
What advice would you offer someone considering this career?
Get in it for the passion, not the money. if money is your goal, get ready to work 24/7 and develop your own product line.
How much time off do you get/take?
I'm a workaholic so I take no time off. However with the Internet, I can go on vacation, take a week off from teaching and write on my laptop. In the end, as your own boss, you set the schedule.
What is a common misconception people have about what you do?
That I'm a millionaire because I perform on TV, haha. Not true.
What are your goals/dreams for the future?
Save as many voices as I can, write as many books as I can and shatter as many glasses as I can. 😉
What else would you like people to know about your job/career?
I'm pretty sure I summed it all up...Oh yeah, I get to go back stage at almost every concert I attend. That's rock-n-roll. 😉

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vocal coach salary & job information; how to become a vocal coach

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Interview with Vocal Coach Jaime Vendera - Job Shadow

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2 Read as Jaime Vendera talks about his career as a Vocal Coach. Find him at www.jaimevendera.com and on his Twitter feed in the sidebar of this interview. What do you do for a living? Actually, I do many jobs that originally evolved from my passion, which is singing.

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This is the book based off of the Broadway musical  #stagemusical #socialdifficulties #youngcharacters

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This is an interview with Liz Caplan

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Meet Liz Caplan, the Vocal Coach Behind the Tony Award-Winning Stars of Tony Awards Hedwig, Aladdin and Les Miz

Broadway go-to vocal coach and teacher Liz Caplan was among the first industry professionals to take part in Playbill.com's Booking It! feature, which offers in-depth insights, need-to-know tips and essential tricks of the trade. Want to rock like Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig or discover the magic behind the voice of Aladdin's James Monroe Iglehart? Read our interview with Caplan below.

During the June 8 Tony Awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall, Harris (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) and Iglehart (Aladdin) both took a moment during their acceptance speeches to thank veteran Broadway vocal coach Caplan for keeping them in top vocal health. Caplan's vocal essentials, which help the stars maintain their voices eight performances a week, has also led numerous artists to the podium on Tony Awards night.

Caplan has been a vocal coach in New York City for over 30 years and lectures around the world. She is the vocal supervisor of the Broadway and touring productions of the Tony-winning musicals and The Book of Mormon, as well as American Idiot, Rock of Ages and Jason Robert Brown's 13. She is also the vocal consultant on such productions as Motown the Musical, Disney's Aladdin, The Last Goodbye, In the Heights and Next to Normal, as well as the "White House Salute to Burt Bacharach." This season she serves as the vocal supervisor on Hedwig and the Angry Inch starring Neil Patrick Harris.

Her students range from Tony Award-winning Broadway actors Nikki M. James ( Book of Mormon), Steve Kazee ( Once) and Patina Miller (), to stars of the recording industry, including Sara Bareilles, James Blunt, Natasha Bedingfield, Eric Hutchinson, Empire of the Sun, Lily Allen, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Darkness, among others.

Caplan provided coaching on camera and played piano for Carey Mulligan in the 2011 Steve McQueen film "Shame"; and was vocal coach for the Golden Globe-winning film adaptation of Les Misérables, in support of Amanda Seyfried and others. She is also the vocal coach for Stephen Colbert of the "Colbert Report." A frequent commentator for CNN and Reuters, her affiliations include The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, The Drama League, and National Association of Teachers of Singing, where she has been a speaker, panelist and workshop facilitator. She is also on the faculty of the Voice Foundation in Philadelphia and is a member of the New York Singing Teachers' Association, as well as a member of the Voice and Speech Therapists Association.

Besides these immune boosting supplements and remedies, one can vocalize slowly and gently in order to get muscles supple. If the sinuses are congested, I have specific vocal exercises that bulldoze through them in order to feel oxygen moving through the sinus passages. This is to ensure the singer does not succumb to using compensatory muscles (which create excess laryngeal pressure) in lieu of nasal resonance.

It's important to keep the sinuses and throat moisturized. I recommend having either Ayr or Ocean Saline mists standing by for sinuses and Entertainer's Secret Throat Relief for the larynx. These sprays (homeopathic and over the counter) will also keep any bacteria from getting deeper into the upper respiratory cavities.

Singing every note one is capable of vocalizing goes against every tenet of "old school" training. When voice majors leave university training having only worked within their tessitura, they will find themselves challenged when asked to sing in a different register with an unfamiliar timbre. This becomes problematic when the singer tries to push to compensate for lack of muscle support in untrained areas of the voice. Vocal damage could ensue.

I have always liked to work the voice's middle registers first in order to strengthen the part of the voice that people often refer to as the "hole" in their instrument. This hole happens when you bear down too heavily in an unfamiliar and untrained register. One ends up with a lower register that's super beefy, an upper register that sounds somewhat breathy, and then a non-existent middle register. Once the middle voice has some suppleness, strength and volume, it becomes easier to distribute that same timbre below and above the middle. Because there is finally balance amongst the registers, belting per se might never be necessary. And don't we all desire a seamless instrument?

Training the voice and keeping it healthy is much like training for the Olympics. One must train constantly, and not just last minute. I think at one time or another we have taken a short cut and "crammed" vocalizing in when you haven't been on top of doing so. You realize quickly how the muscles are smarter than you, and are not so willing to perform on command. So ongoing vocal work is so much more fulfilling when the part for which you are perfect finally comes around and you are prepared. Other common mistakes are realizing that food allergies, alcohol and smoking might not agree with your voice and help your cause. I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud, but if your voice does not respond after a night of wine with friends or sitting around a hookah, you might want to time those magic moments more thoughtfully. I can truly state with certainty that the people with whom I work who have reached performance milestones (Tony Awards, Grammy Awards) are generally quite disciplined about what chemical, no matter how organic, enters their bodies when they have auditions and production schedules ahead of them.

Other musical mistakes would be singing the wrong piece of music for your voice and type. Imagine yourself being on the other side of the table. What would you want to hear yourself sing based on your vocal capabilities and physical type? Being realistic about what's in your wheelhouse is important. You want to come to an audition ready to inhabit a character with solid choices, tell a story and be your most-relaxed self. We all truly want you to have a positive experience.

The Broadway musical landscape is so varied today. What are some of the best ways for singers to be prepared to compete in an industry that includes musicals like Rock of Ages, South Pacific, Sweeney Todd and Legally Blonde?
Caplan: Listening to all genres of music is so important. Traditional music theatre productions will always be around. They represent the infrastructure/cellular makeup of our musical education. But with the record industry existing only peripherally today, signing only tremendously money-making acts, Broadway is being pleasantly infiltrated with rock and pop writers whom we've grown up listening to, as well as writers on the charts right now. It's our job as teachers, coaches, performers to be aware of all sonic brands. Then we must make sure our instruments can handle the vocal demands being put on our muscles.

I would teach significantly different exercises for rock and pop shows to help the vocal muscles meet the demands than I would for traditional musicals. The larynx will be lower but flexible in the anchored position for rock and pop material. The breath has to be grounded and the base of the tongue has to be tamed. Liz Caplan Vocal Studios have apps that have specific exercises for all vocal genres and addresses issues that might come up on a regular basis.

How do you feel about riffing/vocal embellishments during an audition? Is it more impressive to show off your vocal tricks or your control/simplicity?
Caplan: I believe that simplicity is always best. Let the casting director hear who you really are in a stripped down "unplugged" performance. If the singer/actor has a clear emotional connection to the song and a riff or vocal embellishment is going to enhance the emotion, but not take away from the core piece and it's done with vocal dexterity, then riff away. Embellishments should be used only because you have more to say emotionally and have to let it go. However, if one is singing a Sondheim or Jason Robert Brown piece, I would highly recommend sticking to the score as indicated. There are composers who take offense to people re-interpreting their score. If they wanted more notes, they would have written more notes.

There are exceptions here. I find that when coaching a student on a song and we hit a wall, I have them speak the lyrics, find out what they mean in this moment. We discuss why the composer might have put these words with this melody and then discover how we can make it the students' own; it does usually mitigate the initial vocal crisis. The way to work is what is best with that particular student in that particular moment.

How do you advise singers on finding new material for his/her book? Where should they begin?
Caplan: The building of a book should be a realistic view of the singers' capabilities to date. It should contain music of all genres. Today this means Motown songs, Sting songs, Sara Bareilles songs, Alannis Morrisette songs, Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, Stephen Schwartz, traditional music theatre pieces from all eras, standards; and inside of all of the above, the most riveting songs that you absolutely love to sing (in the right key) because that will resonate so deeply and clearly for whomever you are auditioning. It's best to be over prepared with music of all genres (ballads, uptempos and comic pieces), as you never know what production might be on the horizon.

Songs should be chosen because you feel as though you had written them yourself. The lyrics should feel like you'd speak them. The songs that get people work are the ones that they can inhabit fully with their spirit and their personality.

Speaking of a performer's book, how wide-ranging should a singer go? Is it preferred to have a bigger or smaller selection of songs?
Caplan: I think it's better to not offer a large selection of music for a single audition. It's too overwhelming for both the actor and the casting director. An actor can have a large main book with all their music alphabetically organized, or in some cases, organized by style, uptempo, ballad, etc. It's advisable to carry a smaller book for each specific audition. Contained in the audition book should be a maximum of three to four pieces appropriate for this particular audition. You choose the first one. If you are so lucky to have piqued more interest from the room, the casting director might ask what else you might have for them. That's when you can offer up your other selections. They can decide what they might need to hear to complete their idea of what they think/hope you can do. Do you find certain songs to be overdone? If so, are they still okay to use in your audition if you sing and perform them well?
Caplan: I'm in a position now as teacher and coach where the calibre of students with whom I'm lucky to work usually get material from the shows for which they are auditioning. The "too done" songs have not been a week to week concern of mine. But my opinion has always been that if you know a song is overdone, in that you've heard it outside audition doors a great deal, avoid it. There are massive amounts of material available. You could certainly find an alternate piece that might even say more than your original choice and elevate your audition experience.

How are you feeling?
Have you been eating well? A decent amount of protein?
How have you been sleeping?
What's going on with your muscles? Any strain in your head or neck from working out?
How has your digestion been?
Are you moving your bowels regularly? (Believe it or not, constipation has blocked/prevented many a high note from freely coming out)

Then one must find what combination of all of the above works for them. Diet, exercise, sleep, hydration are all important factors in staying at the top of your game. I suggest that you find an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor who can support you when you need help. I have my favorites in New York, but most actors ask their closest friends whom they trust.

Part of this business is networking and socializing. How does one maintain proper vocal health, while out and about? Any tips?
Caplan: I do realize that being social is a big part of networking in order to make one's connections in the business. But vocal health has to take precedence over the great party or bar you were invited to - especially the night before a big audition. I'm a firm believer in moderation. If you find you have to show up somewhere (that is going to be loud) for political reasons, then make an appearance. Make sure you are breathing deeply. Loud restaurants and bars tend to make our ears accumulate more wax simply from the noise decibels. As a result, we tend to push down on our larynx and vocal cords to a potentially dangerous degree. And head and neck muscles lock up from loud noise or pressure in a room.

Say something important, stay for 45 minutes max, and then go home, drink hot tea, take a bath, bring your energy back to center. Do some gentle neck rolls and don't forget to breathe. A state of chaos does not generally support a successful career in any aspect of show business. How often should a performer attend voice lessons? What do you recommend for performers on a tight budget?
Caplan: Depending upon finances, immediate tasks at hand, and how quickly an actor wants to move forward, I recommend lessons once a week. Lessons can be recorded so easily now that once you take one lesson, you can repeat it every single day. If finances are an issue at the moment (I am always hopeful that this status will not be permanent), you can study as often as you are able. If that's twice a month, once every three weeks - as long as you are working with a teacher/coach whose language gels with your own understanding - you will still have an opportunity to excel. Again, my studios have apps in the Apple store that contain wonderful information on vocal health as well as vocal exercises for all genres.

You can also ask if the teacher of your choice, if [they are] too cost prohibitive, has associates or people who teach the same technique. I have associates who are licensed to teach my technique. They are highly trained by me and can offer lessons at a more affordable rate. This is generally done by referral.

The relationship with your voice teacher/coach is sacred. Singing is so personal, so exposed. It's important to feel a sense of trust, both with your voice and your personage with your chosen teacher. You want to find a teacher who has excellent qualifications and an equally stellar reputation. Always ask around the community.

If an actor is fortunate enough to find a great teacher/mentor early in his or her career, the rewards are fruitful and so fulfilling. I've had the pleasure of nurturing careers for decades. It continues to be a thrill when a student gets a callback, books a job and ultimately wins a Tony Award.

Take care of yourselves. Take it seriously. Be sure to enjoy the process.

I will look forward to hearing about your callback, you nailing the audition and your Tony Award!

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This feature originally ran in February 2014 on Playbill.com.

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Learn more about Liz Caplan at Lizcaplanvocalstudios.com.

(Adam Hetrick is the editor in chief of Playbill.com. His work appears in the news, feature and video sections of Playbill.com, as well as in the pages of Playbill magazine. Follow him on Twitter @PlaybillAdamH).

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Meet Liz Caplan, the Vocal Coach Behind the Tony Award-Winning Stars of Hedwig, Aladdin and Les Miz | Playbill

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Broadway go-to vocal coach and teacher Liz Caplan was among the first industry professionals to take part in Playbill.com's Booking It! feature, which offers in-depth insights, need-to-know tips and essential tricks of the trade. Want to rock like Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig or discover the magic behind the voice of Aladdin's James Monroe Iglehart?

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#dearevanhansen #thegreatestshowman #hedwigandtheangryinch

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Special Features How Broadway's Most In-Demand Vocal Coach Kept Ben Platt, Neil Patrick Harris, and More Healthy

Industry leader Liz Caplan reveals her secret methodologies to keeping Broadway's biggest talents at the top of their games.

There is a reason Tony winner Ben Platt could sing the role of Evan Hansen eight shows a week for over a year and still sound fresh; and why Hugh Jackman could change to a pop sound for his Golden Globe-nominated performance in The Greatest Showman after singing musical theatre for 20 years; and why Tony winner Neil Patrick Harris could rock out and tongue a stranger in the audience seven performances a week in Hedwig and the Angry Inch and still stay healthy. Their reason-as they have each said-has a name: Liz Caplan.

Industry folk know: When it comes to the most demanding roles on Broadway, you don't go to anyone but Liz. That's why she counts Stephen Colbert, John Mulaney, Ana Gasteyer, Judith Light, Nikki M James, and the three men above among her dozens of clients, and why 14 Broadway productions in the last ten years have contracted her as official vocal supervisor.

The secret to her methodology lies in a holistic approach to the body.

In Caplan's world, singing should always feel good (After Jackman's first lesson, Caplan happily recalls, 'He said, 'That was fun") and her approach aims to eliminate the manifestation of fear as tension in the body. Essentially, if a singer is "locked up" in their hips, chest, etc., they might compensate by pushing their voice, causing strain and fatigue that leads to laryngitis or vocal damage.

"I don't just hear people's voices, I watch their bodies when they're singing," says Caplan, according to whom singing goes far beyond diaphragmatic breathing and lifting the soft palate. "I'm literally working with knees releasing, tailbone tucked under, hip flexors engaging to connect the legs into the hips or the hips into the trunk, and making sure that there's blood oxygen [pumping from head to toe], and then, on top of that, spinal fluid moving." (The way Platt lifts his leg every time he sings the "ing" of "WavING through a window" is no accident; it releases his hip flexor to healthfully hit that note.)

Caplan's X factor lies in her innate sensitivity and intuition. She can tell when you're under-hydrated because she sees you locked up in your kidneys; she can tell when your pectoral muscle is knotted. Her ability to observe and catch minute details in musculature and alignment allows her to help ease the voice's workload.

The vocal coach built the foundation of her philosophy 40 years ago, when she moved to New York and began coaching Broadway ensemblists as a side gig. Gradually expanding her roster over decades, Caplan felt the ante up in 2008 when Jason Robert Brown and Tom Kitt called her in to solve a crisis on their new musical 13. The kids were constantly losing their voices-not to mention the boys' voices were changing. The Broadway-bound production needed a rescue, and Caplan provided one.

Caplan has maintained her status as Broadway's vocal fixer by doing things her way. After exposure to other voice teachers during her undergrad at Florida State University and their cold, uncustomized regimens, she decided to ground her practice in providing a positive environment.

"All it was about was keeping everyone healthy with my techniques," she says. And so much of singing with Caplan is not actually singing. In any given lesson, she may use Alexander technique, Linklater method, yogic breathing, and even color therapy glasses. "Each color, each chakra energy center corresponds to a pitch," she explains. "At times when I feel like somebody is locked up somewhere, a note is not coming out, I go, 'Put on the [green] glasses or put on the blue glasses' because blue is the throat chakra and green is the heart chakra. They're looking through the green and it starts opening up that area. That's the Reader's Digest version."

Books about anatomy sit next to books about crystals. She encourages her students to supplement their voice lessons with chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, Pilates teachers, you name it because "the body supports breath; the breath supports sound."

Maintaining the body also accounts for the stamina of Caplan's students. "Everyone in theatre is in fight or flight mode all the time," she says, because theatre is built on high stakes and emotional turmoil. "It's that adrenal fatigue leading to adrenal failure that makes everybody feel like that's a crawl to their stage door by the seventh or eighth show of the week. What I keep trying to do is give them physical tools as well as vocal tools to stay on top of their voices."

Caplan's work centers on getting her students to be attuned to themselves as a whole. "The thing that makes most artists crazy about themselves is the thing that makes audiences fall in love with them, which is they're deeply sensitive," Caplan says. "You're hyper-aware of your body and your health and what your heart is sensing. But so much of performing is sense exchange" be it with your scene partner or with the audience. That emotionalism is what resonates. But it doesn't work if you're holding tension. By the Caplan method: Freer bodies means freer singing means freer emotion-and that's what elevates these performers into the upper echelon.

And while her methods sound unconventional, they clearly work. Posters line her walls with scribbled notes of eternal gratitude from theatre's biggest stars. But Caplan's joy emanates from the success of her students-knowing she helped them find what was already there.
Make like Ben Platt and watch the video above to learn the Liz Caplan warm-up. To learn more about Liz Caplan Vocal Studios or start learning the method via her app visit lizcaplan.com.

How Broadway's Most In-Demand Vocal Coach Kept Ben Platt, Neil Patrick Harris, and More Healthy
Ruthie Fierberg is the Senior Features Editor of Playbill covering all things theatre and co-hosting the Opening Night Red Carpet livestreams on Playbill's Facebook. Follow her on Twitter @RuthiesATrain, on Instagram @ruthiefierceberg, or via her website.

How Broadway's Most In-Demand Vocal Coach Kept Ben Platt, Neil Patrick Harris, and More Healthy

20 PHOTOS

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How Broadway's Most In-Demand Vocal Coach Kept Ben Platt, Neil Patrick Harris, and More Healthy | Playbill

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Special Features How Broadway's Most In-Demand Vocal Coach Kept Ben Platt, Neil Patrick Harris, and More Healthy Industry leader Liz Caplan reveals her secret methodologies to keeping Broadway's biggest talents at the top of their games.

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#writer #musicaldirector #vocal coach #pianist

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J. Oconer Navarro is an award-winning writer, musical director, arranger, pianist, and vocal coach based in NYC. Awards and recognition for his works: 2014 commission from The Music Theatre Company (Chicago), 2011 National Asian Artists Project "Discover: New Musicals" ...

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Although I could’t find the job outlook, specifically for vocal coaches, here is a website with a section about the job outlook for singing teachers.

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Colleges, high schools and music studios rely on singing teachers to plan vocal lessons, assess the vocal talents of students and help them improve their singing skills. Singing teachers also schedule rehearsals to prepare students for musicals, plays and singing auditions. If you want to become a singing teacher, you ...

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This website explains the differences between vocal coaches and voice teachers, but has a good definition of a vocal coach.  #helpspeople #pianist #notvocaltechnique

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Many people use the terms "vocal coach" and "voice teacher" interchangeably. But if they mean the same thing, why have two terms? Is there really a difference?

Well, the short answer is yes (particularly in the opera world!).

A voice teacher is...
...usually a singer who knows the voice from all perspectives but focuses on proper technique and how to apply that technique to the repertoire. They explain how the voice functions, which sounds are healthy, and how to achieve those sounds in a free and easy manner with proper support, proper registration, and proper resonance. They build the voice, correcting any technical deficiencies or imperfections and teach the students how to apply a good technique to all styles/genres of singing without damaging the voice.

Voice teachers will give specific exercises to students to address their specific needs:
Does the voice need more chest voice or more head voice and if so, how do I achieve it? Is the voice nasal? How do I correct it? Does the voice need more volume? How do I build it? How do I extend my range? How do I get a legato or smooth line? How do I make sure my vocal registers are seamlessly blended from chest voice to head voice and back, making the voice even from top to bottom without a break.
A voice teacher addresses all of these issues and more! They also show students how to apply a healthy technique to songs and style the song for the particular talents and limitations of each student.
READ: A Breathing Exercise Every Singer Should Do
A vocal coach is...
...usually a pianist who knows the repertoire and helps students choose songs that are right for their age, type, and technical abilities. They'll teach students the songs, work on diction and phrasing, and, as pianists, make cuts, and individual arrangements tailored to each student's strengths. A good vocal coach won't interfere with vocal technique and if he notices any issues, he'll explain to the singer what the issues are and ask the singer to discuss it with his voice teacher.

Choosing the right voice teacher and the right vocal coach is of the utmost importance not only to your success as a singer but also your health: a voice teacher who teaches a faulty technique can actually ruin a voice.

I've had students with exemplary technique go to college and call me a year later with vocal damage. Though in most cases it can be repaired, the psychological damage to the singer is devastating.

Similarly, a vocal coach may suggest repertoire that's wrong for a particular singer, forcing him or her to try to belt too high or work on a song that's too advanced for him or her at the moment, given their technical abilities.

Are there areas of overlap in terms of what a voice teacher and vocal coach do? Yes! Are the lines blurred occasionally? Perhaps.

There may be coaches who think they're voice teachers but don't work on technique. Conversely, like a coach, a voice teacher will also give repertoire and work on phrasing, diction, and the song delivery, but always with an eye toward healthy singing!

And a top notch vocal coach will understand what healthy singing is and will never let a singer hurt the voice. They'll suggest songs that support the singer in a manner conducive to the singer's best interests and development as an artist. They will support the voice teacher's efforts in the development of the student.

It takes a village to develop great performers and a great, collaborative team is crucial!
Badiene Magaziner, a highly sought out international voice teacher, is currently on the faculty of the Juilliard School, from which she holds a master of music degree in voice. Her students, both children and adults, have appeared in numerous Broadway shows including "Dear Evan Hansen," "Miss Saigon," "School of Rock," "Kinky Boots," "Fun Home," "Matilda," "Fiddler on the Roof," "An American in Paris," "King and I," "Les Miserables," "A Christmas Story," "Billy Elliot," "Mary Poppins," and "RENT." They have also been featured Off-Broadway, on "America's Got Talent" (winner, Bianca Ryan), "X-Factor," and "American Idol." Although Badiene's career was in opera and Broadway, she has become one of the foremost experts in teaching pop, rock, R&B, jazz, and gospel, as well as opera and musical theater, and is recommended by New York's top agents, managers and casting directors for her ability to immediately identify a problem and provide a healthy solution that works.
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The views expressed in this article are solely that of the individual(s) providing them,
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Backstage or its staff.

Badiene Magaziner

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auditions | casting calls | open casting calls | casting call | open casting call

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Vocal Coach vs. Voice Teacher: What's the Difference?

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Many people use the terms "vocal coach" and "voice teacher" interchangeably. But if they mean the same thing, why have two terms? Is there really a difference? Well, the short answer is yes (particularly in the opera world!). A voice teacher is...

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This is a quick video explaining what vocal coaches do.

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Liz Caplan On What a Vocal Coach/Voice Teacher Does

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On the low end of the payscale, vocal coaches get paid about $9.96 hourly.  Although on the flip side they can get paid up to $22.71 an hour.  The avarage hourly pay for a vocal coach is $13.20.

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The average hourly pay for a Voice Coach is $13.20. Visit PayScale to research voice coach hourly pay by city, experience, skill, employer and more.