Hiatuses and Habits, Hand-in-Hand
Hi, readers. If you're still there. It's been a while, I know. An overseas trip, planning a big studio recital, summer vacation plans, and Rising Stars Camp have all conspired to put blogging on the back burner these past couple months.
But now that summer has calmed down a bit, don't worry - I'll be back to blogging regularly, giving you the singing and performing advice you love!
Today's post deals with a situation that is all-too-familiar to the committed voice student. Scenario:
You have been taking voice lessons regularly for some time. You decide to audition for your school's show and get a role. A week later you get a rehearsal schedule that, starting the next day/week is going to keep you busy 3-4 days a week after school. You realize that the show rehearsal schedule is going to conflict with your voice lessons. So you tell your teacher that, starting next week, you regretfully have to take the next month (or two) off from lessons.
In this post, I'm going to explain why taking time off from lessons during your show is a bad idea.
It's important to keep in mind that whenever you take a hiatus from lessons, for pretty much any reason, you lose a lot of time and thus a lot of opportunity for progress. Not only do you lose the weeks/months that you take off, but you'll also probably lose a few weeks' real progress when you return as you work to regain whatever technique/stamina you might've lost. And believe me, unless you are a top-level professional with rock-solid technique, you will lose something. Or have to undo something. Even if you are practicing somewhat regularly during your hiatus, it's very easy for bad habits to worm their way into your singing unnoticed if they're not being checked by a reliable teacher.
(This dog has some bad habits, amirite? Don't be like this dog.)
That last sentence (the one about bad habits, not the one about the dog) is especially true if you're forgoing your voice lessons in favor of your demanding show schedule. If you've done a show before, you know your voice gets used a lot. You're asked to sing the same passages over and over and over again, often while doing something else at the same time (dancing/staging/handling props/etc.). Your brain is multi-tasking too much to think about singing with good technique, and so it becomes very easy to fall back on old (read: bad) vocal habits, or let new (read: also bad) habits creep in. And the longer you keep singing with bad habits, the longer they will take to undo, especially if you aren't taking lessons.
It is so important to have regular check-ups with your teacher while you are doing a lot of heavy-duty singing. Voice lessons will help to keep your technique in line, which will help to minimize vocal fatigue, overuse, and/or abuse. Your teacher will also be able to tell you if he or she hears any strange habits creeping into your singing, which can help to prevent a potential vocal problem from happening, or at least catch it before any lasting damage is done.
Furthermore, your teacher will be able to help you work on any solos you might have. There will be a noticeable difference to you (in comfort level) and the audience (in what they hear/see at the performance) if you work with your teacher to polish your songs.
(This girl is killing it! Probably because she worked on her songs with her teacher. Be like this girl.)
And when the inevitable vocal fatigue catches up with you, you can consult your teacher for vocal rest and conservation strategies. This will be vitally important as you approach tech week and the show itself. Even if your voice is too tired to sing in your lesson, you should still go, because there is plenty of non-vocal work your teacher can do with you.
Now, I know show schedules can be very demanding. There are only so many hours in a day and so many days in a week, and there may be some weeks where it's just not possible to attend your lesson. And as long as you notify your teacher and abide by his or her cancellation policies, then that's fine. The last thing your teacher wants to do is overtax you in any way. What's important is that you continue to communicate with your teacher and see him/her at least somewhat regularly throughout your rehearsal process. It's up to you, your teacher, and your parents to figure out the right balance, but it's vital that there be some continuity.
So if you find yourself amidst a busy show schedule this fall, don't put lessons on the back burner. Keep your study going - you will make much more consistent progress and have a much healthier voice because of it. So keep practicing, and keep those lessons going!
