Virtual Voice Coach

"Do I Really Need Voice Lessons?"

I am constantly reading this question on blogs regarding the importance of taking or NOT taking voice lessons. The answer, of course, depends on who’s blog you are on as the answers go from;"Yes voice lessons are important." to "No,voice lessons are a waste of time and money."

Here is My Answer to That Always Perplexing Question. . .

I was giving a workshop on Voice Survival at the National Speakers Association Conference in Hollywood, California, when one of my fellow presenters approached me in the hallway. “Joni, can you help me?” she asked in a raspy voice, “My speech is in two hours and I don’t know what to do. . . I have to speak in front of eight hundred professional speakers and my voice is completely gone.” She stared at me hopefully, waiting for my answer.

Stop right there and hold that thought while I backtrack ten years to the time when I had just finished writing my first book on voice technique, The 3-Dimensional Voice: A Fast and Easy Method of Voice Improvement.

Having spent the weekend in an inspiring motivational seminar with Mark Victor Hanson (who endorsed my book) and Jack Canfield, the authors of all those Chicken Soup for the Soul books, I was flying high with enthusiasm and untapped potential. I was ready to establish myself as "THE" voice expert—not just another voice teacher.

My Story. . .

Over the years I had attended many workshops and conferences, sometimes as the presenter/speaker and sometimes as an attendee and at most of the events—following my presentation on voice techniques,—singers, speakers and business professionals often approach me looking for answers to what seemed to be their never-ending voice problems.

As my reputation as a voice expert grew, I also received telephone calls and e-mails at all hours of the day and night from people searching for answers to those success-robbing voice dilemmas that seemed to pop up at the worst possible times. The problems, which ranged from chronic vocal fatigue to total voice loss, often occurred for no apparent reason. But, of course, there is always a reason.

In my years of teaching voice, I’ve worked with teachers, lawyers, politicians, speakers, singers, business executives, media professionals, american Idol contestants, and even stay-at-home moms, all experiencing voice problems caused by straining their voices as they tried to be heard above life’s boisterous noise and chatter.

My Own Voice Gone Missing

I understood their frustrations, because I too had lost my voice at a pivotal time in my life, and that catastrophe almost ended my singing and acting career just as it was about to take off. I was twenty years old, singing in Las Vegas with the world by the tail, when my voice problems began. I had just been booked as an opening act for Elvis (the real one!), and I had wonderful opportunities flying at me from all directions and a secret fear—that I could not trust my voice to be there when I needed it most!

This fear kept me from acting on any of them, and like most people with voice problems I just kept pushing my poor, abused voice by tightening, forcing, and strangling it into submission. In my ignorance, I actually believed that I could make my voice perform by pushing it harder and forcing it to be louder. The frustrating result of all that pushing was, when I pushed it too hard, my voice would wisely say, “Enough is enough, Joni,” and completely shut down. It would simply thumb its nose at me and take a mini-vacation while I canceled gig after gig and missed opportunity after opportunity because I had no voice.

Like Aristotle searching for the meaning of life, I went from voice teacher to voice teacher searching for the perfect voice method to solve my problems. Nothing was working and I was inconsolably turning down those once-in-a-lifetime possibilities, while watching my career sink like the Titanic. Then, to top it all off, a leading throat specialist dispassionately told me, “Forget about singing Joni, your voice is shot. Go find another career.” Fortunately, I did not take his advice.

A Bright Light at the End of My Dark "Voice" Tunnel

It wasn’t until I became a voice teacher eighteen years ago that I realized this problem was not mine alone. I knew there had to be an answer, not only for me, but for everyone whose livelihoods depended on strong voices that would last for more than a few hours, even when they were overworked and tired.

I spent the next eighteen years watching the answers unfold before me, student by student and lesson by lesson. Each person became a link in a chain of events that, I’m happy to say, completely resolved my voice problems as well as those of my clients.

YES! My tenacious search for answers paid off because today my voice is stronger than ever, soooooo here (at last)  is my answer!

Knowing that your voice will be there when you need it most eliminates fear and builds the self-trust so essential for a singer, speaker or business executive to be successful. In my years of teaching, I have seen shy, soft-spoken students perform minor miracles once they learned how to use their voices properly. Sharing this important information is the reason I teach voice, write books and speak to anyone who will listen on the importance of using good voice technique!

Well, that’s MY story. So to answer the nay-sayers and the skeptics who tell you voice lessons are a waste of time here is my opinion.

When it comes to voice lessons, One Size Does Not Fit All. If you sing pop style, classical training is not for you. If your goal is to sing at the Met, pop training is not for you. Country is not the same style as R&B and American Idol auditions are not the same as your musical theater auditions. In other words singing styles are as unique as playing any style on any instrument.

The good news is, when YOU know how to play YOUR vocal instrument correctly, style is just that. . . style. Vocal lessons are supposed to teach YOU HOW to play YOUR vocal instrument so YOU can decide what style of singing YOU choose.

Can you sing more than one style. . .of course, just like a piano is not limited to playing Salsa, once you learn how to play your vocal instrument you can sing many styles also. The key words here are, “. . .learn to play your instrument.”, and that takes the guidance of a good voice coach because you can NOT hear your voice like others hear your voice.

FACT: Because of the resonating chambers in your head, you are hearing 65% more sound in your head than we are hearing coming out of your mouth. If you don’t believe that, record your voice and see if that voice sounds the same as the one you are hearing in your head. Singing or speaking, a well trained set of "3rd party ears" can teach you how to hear your voice and correct any voice problems you may not even be aware of.

CONCLUSION: Good voice training can be a blessing because your voice can make or break your career, period!

Thanks for letting me vent!  Joni

P.s. I’d love to have your comments and responses to this post. . .