Overview – I'm 26 years old & have been singing since i was little. I've been in choir & theater in high school. As an adult, I've been in the praise team at church & for the past 3 years, my husband and I have been the worship leaders at church. I've been told by many that I have a great voice (I hate to sound conceited, but I think I do, as well). I've also won some local singing competitions.
Question – I was approached by someone in our congregation about giving vocal lessons to her 17 year-old daughter. I've thought about doing that before, but I didn't know that I was qualified.
I know some music theory, and I do know how to read & play music (on the piano) & sing all different genres of music. I would like to step out into this & possibly make a little extra money, but I've never had any "formal" vocal training myself, so I'm not sure how to go about it.
SO, how would you go about giving lessons?
How much would you charge (or how much would you, personally, pay) for someone with my background? (I live in NW Indiana)
Is there any online sources that could help me *teach* vocal lessons? (I've done a few searches and haven't found much)
(a side note- the person approached me & I told her that I didn't think I was qualified & she didn't care – her daughter wanted to work with me because she loves my voice & my style)
With all kindness and respect for the bond yu have with this girl – no website is going to do this for you. As you suspect, you are not qualified. You have no idea what potential problems this child will present, or how to fix them. There are MANY people – myself included – who are multi-degreed, CERTIFIED teachers – with many years of experience. The kindest thing you can do for these folks is to FIND them such a teacher.
I know that you are trying to do the right thing – and these people love you, and want YOU – but please find a tender way yo explain to them that this is best for the CHILD. This girl can sing with you in church, and you will be a big fan, and follow her progress – but you cannot be her teacher. Just continue to "make a joyful noise"!!
Added –
the person who said "if you don' think you need a certified teacher, then you don't" – I hope she never is looking for a surgeon. Why not have some handy with power tools take out that kidney? Or let's have someone who is just *a good listener* help you with your psychological problems. How about someone who watches Court TV – they can handle your home foreclosure proceedings! There is a reason why there are licenses and certifications in various fields. And as someone who taught choral music for 27 years – I and is now a competition judge – I would *love* to hear a recoding of her Dad's home-made choir. Or maybe not . ..
Yes, you can do someone considerable damage if you teach them incorrectly. A chorus – hey, you don't like the way they sound, it is not personal – you quit. But private lessons can seriously physically injure someone, if improperly done. If you can't w see HOW that might be – they all the more reason to NOT do this. My husband and I are both experts in Repetition Trauma Injuries and Cumulative Stress Disorders for professional classical musicians – what we see in beyond sad, and career-ending. That which you love more than life is taken away from you, because of pain, or inability to perform. This happens in enough of the population who are actively performing, that it is significant. For anyone to say "I never got hurt, so it must be all in your imagination!" is naive beyond belief. Certified, degreed people are everywhere. A good teacher is worth every dollar, and a poor teacher, at best, is a waste of every penny. I did not get to be Top Answerer in this forum by giving people BAD advice – I sincerely care about doing the right thing by the people I write to. Good luck. Call a PRO.