Hi everyone,
I'd like some advice about my teacher. I've only been singing with her for less than a month, but in 3 weeks I feel NO progress at all. I feel that she keeps telling me to do the same thing over and over and I still don't get it. With my previous teacher (who moved away so I can't study with her anymore) I felt *some* progress every week, and I always knew that I could do a certain exercise or something during the week that would strengthen what I learned during the lesson. My voice improved weekly. But with this new teacher -- nothing.
I don't want to run away from her if it's just my ego being hurt. How can I know if it's my ego or her inability to explain to me the right technique?
Thanks for ANY advice!!!!

Vanessa

I am a student like you, with a few years taking lessons and having met a few teachers.

My advice is not to stay with a teacher who does not support you or is insisting on a single point, blocking any advance.

You will get frustrated and lose interest.

I do not think it's a question of hurted ego, but even if it was, you need your ego in good condition to perform in arts.

So take care of it!. (No exaggerations, of course..)

Thank you so much for that!!
You're right -- I've been losing interest in going to the lessons, and that has never, ever happened with my first teacher. Plus, this teacher tells me that since I sing "wrong", that I shouldn't sing by myself during the week, and that's SO discouraging for me. I love singing even if I'm doing it wrong...

Your teacher method, as I understand it, could be soomewhat peculiar; if you sing "wrong", it seems to me not much probable that you will improve or correct the technique by singing alone at home.

But it could be that she is giving you exercises to work at home and that is a different thing.

You can improve your singing at home practising what she tells you to do (assuming it is correct), perhaps recording your performance for yourself and listening to what you have made wrong could help... (we are always surprised when doing that).

Anyway and methods apart, the most important thing is to trust the teacher and not feel discouraged by her. It should be all the contrary, when the teacher-student relationship is correct.

My suggestion: look for another teacher, without stopping the lessons for a while. If you can, take a sample class with a new teacher when you find one. And then decide.

I am in a similar process, only that I stopped my lessons before finding a new teacher and I miss the classes a lot!.