Elaina Robbins, Singer and Voice Teacher
So, you want to improve your singing. Maybe you’re a high school student and have been cast in the school musical or show choir. Maybe you’re an adult who wants to audition for the local community theatre, start a band, or join a local choir. Maybe you’re already singing professionally and want to increase your vocal stamina and abilities. The obvious answer to all of this is usually voice lessons. But how much are vocal lessons, really? It’s a great question in this economy. In this article, I’ll break down the two most important components of what determines how much vocal lessons are. We’ll go over some average prices, and I’ll show you how to make sure you end up with a competent voice teacher. I’ll also tell you about a very cost-effective alternative to voice lessons that can help you learn to sing for as little as $2 per week (for real). How Much Are Vocal Lessons? Let’s start with the big question. In general, at the time of writing, lessons range from $30 to upwards of $200 per hour. Average pricing is $60 to $70 per hour. The price of voice lessons depends largely on the teacher and the location. Let’s talk about the location factor first, since that’s pretty cut and dry. You’ll find the highest prices in large cities like New York and Los Angeles, where the cost of living is highest. Lessons in more rural areas, conversely, will likely be nowhere near as expensive. But, if you live in a major city, you’re not necessarily stuck with a major bill. if you’re open to virtual options, you can sign up for some of the best online singing lessons for a fraction of the cost of in-person lessons in your city. For example, I charge $55 per hour because I live in a low-cost area. The other big factor in pricing is the teacher themselves. This is a more nuanced topic, so I’ll put it on ice for a second. How Much Are Vocal Lessons with a Good Teacher? The top prices for voice lessons are charged by eminent teachers with connections with major production houses or academic institutions and star-studded rosters of highly successful professional students. The bottom prices are offered by teachers who are just starting out. I charged somewhere close to $30 an hour when I was working on my degrees, for instance. There are many excellent teachers who don’t charge top rates and probably many overpriced teachers who don’t have much to offer as well. However, one way to ensure you get the most bang for your buck is to pay attention to the credentials of your intended instructor. This can be trickier than you may think. The Licensing Quandary: Vetting Voice Teachers Unlike professionals like therapists, aestheticians, or lawyers, there is no required license to teach voice. Anyone can teach voice, and I mean anyone. Unfortunately, this means there are quite a few unqualified teachers floating around out there, especially online. How much are vocal lessons with these types of teachers? I’m guessing on the lower side. So, if you’re a price-conscious person, do your research and look for these criteria to avoid unqualified voice teachers. Academic Credentials: Does the person have a degree or degrees? In what field? Where are their degrees from? Performance Credentials: Does the instructor have substantial experience? Better yet, do they have experience in the genres you sing in? Are they still actively performing? Can you find recent videos of their singing or go see them live? Affiliated Institutions: Does the instructor teach at a local high school or university, for instance? Teaching Experience: How long as the voice teacher been at it? Do they have areas of specific expertise? Do they have reviews? Try Before You Buy Additionally, different teachers work well with different students, just like you have to shop around for the right therapist or doctor. I recommend you sign up for a trial lesson with any new teacher. During the lesson, look for the following:
How Much Are Vocal Lessons Over Time? This is the other big factor. Voice lessons are not a one-and-done kind of deal. Some people take a few voice lessons to work on a specific song or role, but this, in my opinion, is ill-advised. What you really want is a solid technical foundation you can rely on to help you sing any piece, not just help with one single piece. The cheapest possible scenario—that of hiring a teacher temporarily to help you prepare for a show—would likely require three to four lessons minimum and would therefore cost anywhere from $120 to $800. To make real technical progress, however, you need to take lessons for much longer. Think of singing like a sport. If you want to get really good at tennis, for example, you can’t just sign up for three or four lessons and consider yourself an expert. You need, not only those lessons, but a regular practice schedule and specific goals. So, with that in mind, let’s say you take weekly voice lessons for two years. This is not at all unusual; many people take voice lessons for much longer. If you went with the cheapest possible teacher, you’d pay $3,120. The average price of $65 lands at $6,760. That top-tier teacher would cost you $20,800! Yikes! Learn to Sing for Less with the Best Online Singing Courses
The enormous price tag of voice lessons is one reason I set out to create one of the best online singing courses I could. While teaching voice lessons, I realized I was covering the same information over and over with different students. It’s true that every singer is different, but ultimately, we’re all built the same way and have the same vocal body parts. By tackling these body parts one at a time and approaching singing as a habit-building exercise, you can gain a full understanding of the voice and learn the technical skills you need to sing freely, easily, and healthfully for a fraction of the price of normal lessons. My most expensive option is the Superstar Package. It includes 13 half-hour online lessons and 15 personalized video evaluations, costs just $650 when purchased in a one-time sum at the time of writing. The course is designed to take a minimum of a year to complete, but you can easily spend much longer developing anatomical habits for the many body parts covered in the course. However, assuming you complete the course in a year, let’s break down that pricing. Rather than paying an average of $65 per week, with my online singing course, you’d be paying $12.50 per week. You still get plenty of guidance via video submissions and a monthly lesson, and I promise you won’t be learning less than you would with traditional lessons. In fact, I designed my course to help you make quantifiable changes in a way that is highly unusual in traditional lessons. If finances are tight, my Bard package, which is completely self-guided, costs only $99! That’s $1.90 per week! I guarantee you won’t get a better deal than that. And, if you need some real-time guidance, you can contact me about purchasing a few a-la-carte lessons or video evaluations. How Much Are Vocal Lessons, and Is It Worth It? I definitely believe voice lessons are worth the cost. Good voice lessons can help you expand your range, eliminate nasality, gain vocal power and stamina, and much more. However, if you’re worried about the price of vocal lessons, online singing courses coupled with some input from a real teacher can accomplish a lot too. So get out there, look at the options, and feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to sign up!
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