Marcus Richards
Due to the state of professional music and music education in the United States, many people view musical expertise as an unattainable goal. We’ve lost the roots of amateur music-making – as a venue for friends and family to unite around shared songs and tunes.
However, many adults realize that they wish they had studied music at a younger age or continued the lessons they started when they were children.
The good news is that it’s never too late to pursue musical excellence. Whether you want to take singing lessons in NYC or play jazz keyboard in a band, you can always pick up a new skill and reach an advanced level. You’ll experience benefits in your social life, have higher self confidence, and discover a worthwhile and enriching hobby. Keep reading to learn more amateur voice lessons and why you should consider them.
Yes: Singing Lessons Are Worth It For Adults
Adult amateurs who pursue formal voice lessons learn the fundamentals of music, enjoy popular and classical styles more, and gain a better ability to speak in public, among other benefits. You don’t even need to perform or join an ensemble to reap the rewards of voice lessons – the intrinsic value is good enough.
Improve Your Vocal Health While Singing and Speaking Ability
From Broadway stars to civic choir members, voice lesson students learn to sing in a healthy and beautiful way. One of the fundamental tenets of voice lessons is the ability to breathe correctly. This is harder than you think, and you must learn to breathe deeply from your diaphragm (rather than shallow “chest breathing”) if you want to have a beautiful tone. And if we’re being honest, a beautiful sound is the most important part of singing.
Additionally, singing or speaking with poor technique can lead to low projection, vocal nodes, and hoarseness. Folks who have to “try harder” to produce volume rather than simply use better sound production techniques often have significant vocal issues. Your public speaking and singing will improve infinitely if you have good technique. Furthermore, you’ll never find the extremities of your range unless you have good technique. If you’re frustrated by the fact that you can’t sing higher or lower, you need lessons!
Enjoy Higher Self Esteem
First of all, adult amateurs who take lessons achieve mastery in an artistic skill. Simply knowing that you have mastery of a form of music-making will help you be more confident in social and business settings. Secondly, voice lessons require you to sing in front of a professional (and in front of an audience if you so choose). This takes guts to do, and you will learn to express yourself in a more open manner through 1) learn to sing well, and 2) achieving mastery in a niche skill or hobby.
Meaningful Social Opportunities
Singing is an inherently social activity, and there are many opportunities for singers to collaborate with other musicians. Scores of local bands are always looking for vocalists, and civic choirs, a capella groups, and more are looking for members throughout the year. Take the Houston Masterworks Chorus, for instance. If you are taking singing lessons in Houston, you can audition for the chorus, enjoy monthly rehearsals of great pieces of music, and find yourself in a community of interesting people who love the same thing as you. It’s a great way to make friends, and believe it or not, adult amateur singers are not all nerds. You’ll meet lawyers, software engineers, small business owners, and more during the course of a semester.
Enrich Your Life With a New Hobby
In your singing lessons, you’ll learn music theory, the basics of vocal repertoire, and the art of vocal production. In short, you’ll have a better grasp of what music is challenging and what’s easy, and you’ll understand the music you listen to. Whether you like to listen to John Denver, the Beatles, or Mendelson choir music, you’ll know what’s happening and appreciate the vocal demands on the singers. Furthermore, you’ll be able to speak knowledgeably with other musicians – it’s an overwhelmingly positive experience.
In summary, the price you pay for private voice lessons (usually not more than $200-$300 per month for regular meetings with an expert) will more than pay itself off with the various social and musical benefits. You can always start with a trial month and see how you like it
