: On Gemma and her successor, also includes karaoke report from 21/6 as it's relevant
Last lesson with Gemma was Thursday. Like too many others, it was delayed, and the lack of control there is something I certainly won't miss.
It was an odd final lesson; 30 minutes long, possibly a majority of it devoted to warm-up exercises of some capacity rather than actually singing songs. This I can't object to, as they seem to be useful for specific and - heck - quantifiable improvement, and it's been a staple of the last few lessons.
This was then followed by running through three songs I'd done before - You Raise Me Up (didn't go so well; Gemma had transposed it down a minor third but then became confused as the piano part was still staring at her in the higher key), I Can See Clearly Now (which did, the odd tuning issue aside) and - this was a clever touch - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (which she'd tried on me in January, but I burst into tears halfway through singing it; this time, it went rather well).
She ended the lesson by pointing out she'd be there for karaoke at the student union pub that evening. Which she was. I chose to sing A Moment Like This again... it does rather suit me. Except through Gemma's perspective. Gemma was there. But so too was EJ, who had earlier sung a song that Gemma had already taught me... in a completely different arrangement that threw her completely. (At least two minutes of muddling followed, then one minute of decent singing, then an ending in which she was able to show off her range.) She reassured me that I'd be fine. She was very near the stage. Gemma was virtually behind it near a pool table.
The performance went well. Gemma seemed disinterested, EJ was watching me carefully from the second verse. The ending was fine, no problems at all across the break... I left the stage to an alarmingly loud reception, went straight to EJ who said I did well, went to Gemma... who didn't even notice me. In that euphoric state, I saw that as entirely telling.
So how to analyse Gemma? Well, firstly, she's been an extremely good person to know. At times our lessons almost resembled music therapy, particularly in January, and I can't see anyone else filling that role nearly as well. Additionally, her focus on diction has probably had a non-trivial effect on my confidence in general, for I can now converse with people much more easily without my speaking voice being the 'barrier to communication' (Gemma's words, not mine) it was this time last year. Still don't like it much, mind.
So, some huge positives. But the other side of the balance sheet is far from empty. Gemma has sometimes appeared dogmatic in her insistence that I have a low voice and should focus entirely on that part of my range. While she may be right, and focusing on one's strengths is by no means illogical, I would personally rather work on my weaknesses and limitations, if only for one reason; reducing the constraints upon my songwriting. The telling fact here; my lowest note as of October 31 2006 was F2, and that this came out in my second lesson and not the first was probably me not even realising I had that note before Gemma made me sing it. My lowest note right now?F2, unless I'm very much mistaken...I am very much mistaken! [/obMurrayWalker] E2 just came out! (The other end of my range remains as it was - not surprising really, Gemma's hardly had me go anywhere near my break let alone above it.)
Furthermore - and this might not be unrelated to the first point - Gemma has rarely taught males, and was fast running out of music for me to learn some time ago. Perhaps that's the origin of the increased focus on technical exercises, a connection I'd not made until just now.
Summary? This was, I think, precisely the right time to change teachers, even though the timing was entirely out of my hands. Gemma's approach had just started to become constricting as much as it was enabling, and I believe that she has taken me to a point where a new approach can be at least considered and trialled.
The hoped-for next teacher is a male singer-songwriter, and that would probably be ideal, for he will understand my perspective and no doubt have more music that suits me. Failing that - and he's suggested he is willing but not necessarily able - a search for a new teacher will begin in October, and I may well be seeking an awful lot of advice and possibly having trial lessons with several teachers.![[info]](http://www.iziblog.net/img/userinfo.gif)
miss_bluesky (Oh.), who has had more experience than most with bad singing teachers, will no doubt be my first port of call.
Last lesson with Gemma was Thursday. Like too many others, it was delayed, and the lack of control there is something I certainly won't miss.
It was an odd final lesson; 30 minutes long, possibly a majority of it devoted to warm-up exercises of some capacity rather than actually singing songs. This I can't object to, as they seem to be useful for specific and - heck - quantifiable improvement, and it's been a staple of the last few lessons.
This was then followed by running through three songs I'd done before - You Raise Me Up (didn't go so well; Gemma had transposed it down a minor third but then became confused as the piano part was still staring at her in the higher key), I Can See Clearly Now (which did, the odd tuning issue aside) and - this was a clever touch - I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (which she'd tried on me in January, but I burst into tears halfway through singing it; this time, it went rather well).
She ended the lesson by pointing out she'd be there for karaoke at the student union pub that evening. Which she was. I chose to sing A Moment Like This again... it does rather suit me. Except through Gemma's perspective. Gemma was there. But so too was EJ, who had earlier sung a song that Gemma had already taught me... in a completely different arrangement that threw her completely. (At least two minutes of muddling followed, then one minute of decent singing, then an ending in which she was able to show off her range.) She reassured me that I'd be fine. She was very near the stage. Gemma was virtually behind it near a pool table.
The performance went well. Gemma seemed disinterested, EJ was watching me carefully from the second verse. The ending was fine, no problems at all across the break... I left the stage to an alarmingly loud reception, went straight to EJ who said I did well, went to Gemma... who didn't even notice me. In that euphoric state, I saw that as entirely telling.
So how to analyse Gemma? Well, firstly, she's been an extremely good person to know. At times our lessons almost resembled music therapy, particularly in January, and I can't see anyone else filling that role nearly as well. Additionally, her focus on diction has probably had a non-trivial effect on my confidence in general, for I can now converse with people much more easily without my speaking voice being the 'barrier to communication' (Gemma's words, not mine) it was this time last year. Still don't like it much, mind.
So, some huge positives. But the other side of the balance sheet is far from empty. Gemma has sometimes appeared dogmatic in her insistence that I have a low voice and should focus entirely on that part of my range. While she may be right, and focusing on one's strengths is by no means illogical, I would personally rather work on my weaknesses and limitations, if only for one reason; reducing the constraints upon my songwriting. The telling fact here; my lowest note as of October 31 2006 was F2, and that this came out in my second lesson and not the first was probably me not even realising I had that note before Gemma made me sing it. My lowest note right now?
Furthermore - and this might not be unrelated to the first point - Gemma has rarely taught males, and was fast running out of music for me to learn some time ago. Perhaps that's the origin of the increased focus on technical exercises, a connection I'd not made until just now.
Summary? This was, I think, precisely the right time to change teachers, even though the timing was entirely out of my hands. Gemma's approach had just started to become constricting as much as it was enabling, and I believe that she has taken me to a point where a new approach can be at least considered and trialled.
The hoped-for next teacher is a male singer-songwriter, and that would probably be ideal, for he will understand my perspective and no doubt have more music that suits me. Failing that - and he's suggested he is willing but not necessarily able - a search for a new teacher will begin in October, and I may well be seeking an awful lot of advice and possibly having trial lessons with several teachers.
miss_bluesky (Oh.), who has had more experience than most with bad singing teachers, will no doubt be my first port of call.