<p>I was wondering how many people, who are auditioning for colleges, have had a significant amount of vocal training or instrumental training, or how many don't have lessons or have not had a lot of lessons?</p>
<p>On a side note, does anyone know a decent priced teacher around the Baldwin Park area that teaches classical voice lessons? I have been having some problems training my head voice, and my choir director is way too busy to really help me. Any tips/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. </p>
<p>@tinysinger: ohh i see, which college did you audition to? and which did you attend?</p>
<p>thats a good point… haha I didn’t put a state</p>
<p>I meant in California, Around the San Gabriel Valley, LA County, which includes cities such as Arcadia, El Monte, Baldwin park, West Covina, and such. Haha thanks.</p>
<p>Another source of vocal teachers is the National Association of Teachers of Singing, or NATS. Google this and you should find a site that allows you to search in a geographical area.</p>
<p>D has been taking private lessons since 7th grade. MT at first and then moved to 95% classical by mid-10th grade. We originally located her teacher by attending various performances of “teen-aged” singers, finding ones we like, asking who their teacher was. Turned out that several of our favorite singers had the same teacher. She also taught at the college level, so we felt like we were getting someone who could continue with us through high school. D is in audition season now with multiple conservatories.</p>
<p>I’m not aware of any student that my d auditioned with last year who hadn’t had a private teacher. While I’ve never heard of it being required, I think it’s safe to say that private lessons are expected at major music schools.</p>
<p>My d started lessons in 6th grade at the suggestion of her children’s chorus director. When I asked the music director in her middle school for a suggestion of a teacher, the lady asked for the job herself. Since my d idolized her, we thought she’d be a good choice and hired her.</p>
<p>By about midway through her junior year in high school, her relationship with that teacher, who had become her h.s. choir director in the meantime, began to run out of steam. She was not progressing and found her lessons repetitive. The problems were beginning to affect her confidence. </p>
<p>We asked a very successful singer from another school who we’d known from community theater who her teacher was. D took a test lesson with that lady and things clicked. My d immediately found new life as a singer. The spark and the fun was back for her. She wound up being accepted at all five schools where she auditioned last year. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can’t imagine her finding the success she has so far without private lessons.</p>
<p>BTW, life at school was a little frosty after we fired her first teacher, but they got over it by the start of senior year.</p>
<p>My D began as a flutist and then added voice when she started 9th grade-many voice teachers will not take students before they are 14(the same for the pre-college programs at the top conservatories). Although admittance to a VP program, as opposed to instrumental majors, will take raw talent into consideration,like the others here, I would consider a private teacher a necessity; if you are having trouble finding someone reputable to work with, contact the head of the VP program at a university or LAC within driving distance of you and ask for a recommendation. Also, try to take piano and if you play another instrument, keep at it if at all possible- it will make you a much better musician. You’d be amazed at how many singers can’t read music!</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies guys, it helped very much.</p>
<p>I have been playing the violin since fifth grade, and I have been playing the piano for about a year, but I think I am quite proficient in it. I run sectionals for the choir and stuff. Well anyway, I auditioned for Redlands School of Music and Chapman University’s Conservatory of Music in Vocal Performance. I was able to finally get some private lessons in the summer, but had to stop around the middle of first semester this year because of price, and I felt like me and my teacher weren’t really connecting. So I am looking for a new teacher.</p>
<p>On a side note, I did get into the School of Music at University of Redlands, so that’s a possibility for college, I still haven’t heard from Chapman yet… but so far, I like what I have heard from Redlands and the area and stuff. I am going to go visit there soon to really see how it is, as well as do an overnight stay. I am quite amazed that I got into the School of Music after so little professional training, so it makes me doubt myself and the school a little bit, so I don’t know. </p>
<p>I agree with Mezzo’sMama, I believe the School of Music considered raw talent into consideration because from where I am now compared to last year… oh boyy that’s a huge change, and that’s due to the vocal lessons, so I’m striving to get those. Haha, I think I am kind of ranting here, soo I’ll stop here now Haha?</p>
<p>Well I still have about a year and a half until I start applying for colleges, but I know that voice lessons has helped me.</p>
<p>I take lessons from a girl who had a wonderful VP education at Royal College of Music. She’s been my teacher since I was 11, and some people prefer to switch teachers after a few years, but I feel differently about my teacher. I feel that there’s still so much she has yet to teach me, and I always leave the lesson every week feeling like a stronger singer, and even a stronger person. </p>
<p>There are many singers out there who have had no vocal training prior to their careers, like Barbra Streisand for example. Having voice lessons isn’t a gurantee to success, but it will help prepare you in many ways.</p>
<p>Soph, as long as you feel as you do about your current teacher, there is no need to move to another.You are lucky to have such a strong relationship with her and she may very well be just the person to prepare you for college auditions. Many people feel that about 4 years is about right to have reached the time where you need a fresh viewpoint, hence the reason why most students select a different school for graduate study after they finish undergrad work. There are exceptions and a lot of grad or AD students stay with their teacher well into their professional careers (Dame Kiri te Kanawa, Fredeica von Stade, Patricia Racette, Beth Clayton, to name a few).
side note:The thought of Ms. Streisand attempting opera makes me more than a little uncomfortable…!</p>