The Start Of Something New

You pull up in the car, check the house number and wait as the clock counts down to your allotted lesson time, you look at your child, they look back at you and you both feel that same trepidation - `How is this going to go?`. After all, you are about to bare your soul to a complete stranger, the shower singing and the karaoke seem a blissful memory and a sense of worry kicks in. Getting ready for your first singing lesson can be a scary thing for parents and pupils, but worry not& here are four tips for meeting a new teacher and getting through your first lesson.

1) Go in knowing every noise that comes out from your mouth over the next hour is fantastic and completely ok! From squeaks to huskiness - your teacher wants to hear it all and never feel embarrassed if something strange comes out, they certainly aren`t judging you. In your first lesson your teacher will want to get to know your voice over anything else, they may ask you to sing high, low and everything in between. As you try these new things you may find sounds come out you weren`t expected, if something funny happens, just laugh, you`re teacher will laugh with you not at you.

2) Go with the flow. Your teacher will explain how important it is to warm up and they will introduce you to some brand new vocal exercises, some of these might feel silly but try them, they are a great way to have fun whilst getting your voice ready to sing.

3) Be ready for friendly advice. Singing is such a personal thing that the first time somebody gives you advice or constructive criticism it can feel strange. Just remember that if a teacher comments on your singing that doesn`t mean you sound bad, they are just helping you sound and feel even better.

4) Have fun. As you relax and get to know your new teacher, don`t forget to have fun. A good teacher will never make their pupil feel scared about coming to lessons and once settled coming to singing lessons should be a relaxing and fun experience.