[Vocals and First-Year Students] 12. What Makes a Good Trainer

*This content was translated by AI.

"Will I get better if I take singing lessons?"

I recently received this question from a department head of a practical music program. I answered with some surprise, "Of course, you'll improve if you take lessons. If you don't improve after taking lessons, then one of the two parties must have a problem—possibly both." I said this with a smile and moved on, but the question lingered in my mind on the way back.

Thinking about it, it was a strange question. Almost no one asks, "Will your piano skills improve if you take piano lessons?" It feels as obvious as asking, "Will you feel full if you eat?" So why do vocal lessons often invite such questions? Is it because singing is an area where one cannot be certain that lessons will necessarily lead to improvement? That question naturally prompted me to reconsider singing and the role of a trainer.

People are very interested in singing. Many want to learn it. That is why I tend not to mention that my profession is a vocal trainer when meeting someone for the first time. I receive too much attention. Singing is an area that everyone admires yet is simultaneously difficult to approach easily.

I believe the role of a vocal trainer is to help students see and organize aspects they cannot easily perceive from their own first-person perspective, by viewing them from a third-person perspective. Students may have some idea of their goals, but in actual lessons, this is often not the case. There are moments when determining what fits them best is more important than what they want to do. It is necessary to continuously understand the student's needs and talents.

Many students want to learn R&B. One student, after listening to songs, showed almost no R&B-specific groove in their voice. Instead, they were skilled and charming in classical vocalization and musical expressions. I recommended they try musical theater first. Although surprised by this unexpected suggestion, after consulting with their parents, they eventually enrolled in a musical theater department.

A trainee at an entertainment company had a voice, diction speed, and articulation that were unusually charming. While the trainee wanted to become a vocalist capable of hitting high notes, I wanted to expand their charm in a different way. I had them try rapping, and they delivered a stage performance that was surprisingly impressive, exceeding expectations.

Sometimes, proposing such bold directional changes is part of a trainer's role. This may not be an easy decision for a trainer. In some cases, continuing the lessons might be more advantageous. Nevertheless, I believe finding a direction that better suits the student is an important responsibility of the trainer.

In sports, the roles of coach and trainer are distinguished, but within the general term "vocal trainer," both roles often coexist in one person. While training vocal technique is necessary, sometimes determining direction is also required. Therefore, a trainer must observe students from multiple angles and, at times, be able to propose bold repositioning.

There is a saying that if an elephant's trunk enters, the body follows. When one attractive point is properly expressed, other strengths often follow naturally like pumpkin vines. Setting direction may come before developing skills. A good trainer is one who first discovers possibilities that better suit the student. We are the people who fulfill that role.

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*This content was translated by AI.