Brighton Academy is an Overland Park school that provides small classes and a Christ-centered, college preparatory environment. Students range from primary grades to senior high school, and they can choose elective, core, and fine arts classes. Fine arts classes include private voice lessons, musical theater dance, jazz dance, band, ballet, acting, and rejoice choir. The small classes have a 10:1 student to teacher ratio on average.
Commercial Actors Studio is a Kansas City business that has been training people for over 21 years. Classes include improvisation, on-camera classes, private coaching, and voice-over instruction. Owner Dan Compo has been in close to 1,000 TV and radio commercials since 2010. He acts and does voice-over work in corporate videos, commercial videos, commercials, and films. Students remark on the quality of the program, the feedback, and the atmosphere.
Darin Parker Music is an Olathe business that has been serving students for over 22 years. Services are private music lessons and piano tuning. Music lessons are in piano and voice lessons, and individual 30-minute and 60-minute lessons are available, and weekly 30-minute and 60-minute lessons paid monthly. Darin is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the New York Singing Teachers Association, and the American Choral Director’s Association. Students appreciate Darin’s skill, positivity, and patience.
Dynamic Voice Studio is a Kansas City business that provides private singing lessons. Certified vocal coach Suzanne Blanch provides lessons for beginners to professionals of all ages, in styles such as country, jazz, pop, gospel, rock, musical theater, and country. Suzanne also offers Skype lessons to intermediate to advanced students. Students’ lessons include how to improve pitch and tone, eliminate vocal breaks, increase vocal power and range, and improve breath control. Four-week packages are available with either 45-minute or 60-minute lessons. Students remark on Suzanne’s patience and skill.
Full Voice is a Lee’s Summit business that has been serving clients for over 23 years. The business provides public speaking and vocal communication training. Vocal training programs include functional English, customer service, personal mastery, basic vocal communications, leadership techniques, conflict resolution, athlete’s communication management, and coach’s communication skill management. Full Voice’s other services include image consulting, singing entertainer, panel moderator, spokesperson, actor, and half-day or full-day communication workshop or seminar. Founder Garrett Gardner is a Certified Management Consultant and he trains executives, educators, entertainers, professionals, clergy, coaches, athletes, and sports agents. Clients appreciate his experience, professionalism, talent, and insight.
Home Music Teachers Inc. is a Prairie Village music school that has been serving Missouri and Kansas for over three years. The teachers provide lessons at the studio or at students’ homes. Lessons are available in voice, guitar, piano, viola, and violin. Private and group lessons are available, and individual lessons are 30 or 45 minutes long. Group lessons are at least 45 minutes long. Teachers provide lessons in Shawnee, Olathe, Overland Park, Mission Hills, Leawood, Prairie Village, Kansas City, and Lees Summit.
Kansas City School of Music is a Lenexa music school that provides lessons at two different locations. The school provides instruction in voice, flute, bass, piano, cello, percussion, flute, and bass. Kansas City School of Music offers master teachers, lessons for children, and many performance opportunities at festivals, formal recitals every month, and competitions. Students appreciate the teachers and their responsiveness.
KC Rock Band & Guitar School of Music is a Kansas City school that has been serving students for over two years. Lessons are available in voice, guitar, saxophone, clarinet, flute, bass guitar, ukulele, and rock band. Styles taught include jazz, classical, rock, blues, country, R&B, and pop. Owner Matt Crandall has his Bachelor’s in Music Education and he is certified to teach K-12 vocal music and instrumental. He has over 10 years of teaching experience. Owner Laura Lee Crandall has a degree in Percussion Performance and has more than a decade of performing and teaching experience. Students appreciate the teachers’ talent, knowledge, and professionalism.
McIntire Studios is a Kansas City studio that provides group and individual music lessons to students of all ages, beginner through advanced levels. The studio offers composition, piano, and voice lessons. Piano and voice students have recitals twice a year. McIntire Studios also allows students the option of creating their own program by combining classes they want. Michelle Allen McIntire has been teaching piano and voice for over 26 years and David D. McIntire teaches at a college, composes, and runs a small music label.
Miller Marley School of Dance & Voice is an Overland Park school that has been teaching students for over 53 years. Classes include voice, jazz, tap, musical theater, pre-ballet, ballet and pointe, hip hop, tumbling, modern dance, Broadway jazz, lyrical jazz, and adult theater jazz and tap. The classes are for intermediate to pre-professional students, children to college age. Shirley Marley owns and operates Miller Marley School of Dance & Voice and has received Shawnee Mission Theater in the Park’s Demmi Award for Outstanding Choreography three times.
Piano Academy of Kansas City is a Lenexa business that provides music lessons for students of all ages. Programs include voice classes, acting classes, private piano lessons, group lessons for children and adults, beginner jazz piano, and children’s choir. Piano Academy of Kansas City also offers a program for children three to five years of age and their parents which is available in group lessons and one-on-one lessons. Piano Academy of Kansas City is affiliated with the Kansas City Music Teachers Association, the Music Teachers National Association, and the Kansas Music Teachers Association.
Shining Light Music is a Lee’s Summit family-owned music store that offers private music lessons. Lessons are available in guitar, cello, saxophone, French horn, piano, trombone, viola, flute, drums, trumpet, violin, voice, and more. Music programs are also available. Shining Light Music sells a variety of products including music equipment, instruments, accessories, and printed music. The business also offers repair services for string and band instruments and pianos as well as instrument rentals. Students appreciate the quality of the instructors and their patience.
Singing lessons teach individuals of all ages and skill levels how to express their voices musically. Vocal coaches typically provide one-one-one lessons and small group sessions, and chorale directors work with large groups of singers of varying vocal ranges. Voice lessons help seasoned singers build their ranges and strengthen their voices, and they provide beginning singers with the basic tools needed to carry tunes and work up through the vocal scales.
Singing lessons help new and seasoned singers and performers expand their vocal ranges, learn new singing methods, and build overall confidence when performing in front of audiences. Taking lessons from a professional coach also helps students learn proper enunciation, tone, and singing techniques to prevent vocal strain.
In voice lessons, students learn how to sing a variety of genres in multiple vocal ranges. Vocal coaches help singers build confidence in their voices and the art of performing. Coursework can vary, but singing lessons generally include practicing scales, learning vocal exercises, and rehearsing and performing complete songs.
While the subject matter of singing lessons can vary, in general, a singing lesson consists of a student meeting with a teacher and performing vocal exercises based on the teacher's assessment of the student's voice. During a singing lesson, a student may also practice performance pieces under the guidance of the teacher or coach.
During voice lessons, students typically start the session with their coach with vocal warm-ups such as scales, lip trills where the lips are pursed while sound comes out, and speaking exercises to open up the voice. If a student has a song they need to rehearse, they may work on it with their coach during some point of the session.
On average, most children are considered mature enough to take vocal lessons around age 7. However, children as young as toddlers can take music and voice lessons. Children's voice lessons often focus on simple vocal exercises and techniques, and vocal coaches also help children prepare for auditions where singing is required.
Adults of all ages can take singing lessons. Singing lesson options for adults include private, one-on-one coaching for auditions and performances, beginning singing lessons to learn common vocal techniques, singing lessons offered at community colleges, singing workshops, and chorale instruction.
You are never too old to take voice lessons. Whether taking singing lessons for pleasure or to pursue a musical career, there are always steps that can be taken to learn to sing, improve your vocal techniques, and learn to read music. Additionally, many music coaches offer courses that are exclusively for seniors.
Voice lessons can help singers of all skill levels improve their voices within their specific abilities. However, there are some cases where students are unable to follow a tune because they naturally cannot hear themselves sing. Approximately 4% of the population is considered tone-deaf, which can be problematic and challenging for singers who are considered below average or "bad."
It is true that not everyone can carry a tune, which is sometimes referred to as tone-deaf. However, singing lessons can benefit students of all skill levels, whether the result is an understanding of music theory and a deeper appreciation for music or a standing ovation at a live performance.
Many vocal coaches offer online lessons for convenience and to reach students who may not be local to their areas. During an online voice lesson, students meet with instructors over platforms such as Skype or Zoom. They work virtually on everything from basic scales and vocal exercises to performance rehearsals, and payments can also be processed virtually for added convenience.
There are ways to develop your voice without singing lessons that include practicing vocal scales, following online tutorials, and performing at open mics. However, professional voice teachers are extremely beneficial to those wanting to build their voices, as they are highly trained and educated. They can help you develop your voice without straining it, and they can provide the specific tools needed to expand your vocal range correctly.
Taking singing lessons is a good idea if you are interested in becoming a professional singer or if you simply wish to strengthen your voice and improve your vocal range. If you are an experienced or professional singer, lessons can help with building endurance to hit challenging or high notes, as well as keep you in practice between singing gigs. Singing lessons also help people with stage fright build confidence.
The amount of singing lessons you need depends on what you specifically wish to achieve. For example, if you are auditioning for a musical and you're required to perform a full song, you may wish to take a few lessons prior to the audition to ensure you have the song down. If you're interested in strengthening your voice and improving your range, you may consider signing up for weekly ongoing lessons.
On average, vocal coaches charge in 15-minute, 30-minute, and 60-minute increments, with costs that range between $10 to $300 or more per session. Many music schools offer scholarships that provide a certain number of lessons at no charge or discounted rates, and students may also be able to sign up for vocal lessons through community colleges.
Some professional singers have extensive vocal training in their backgrounds. Current available information states that Ed Sheeran is believed to be a self-taught singer. Freddie Mercury took several years of piano lessons, but by all accounts was a self-taught vocalist. It is not known if Christina Aguilera took singing lessons, but she started singing at a very young age. Billie Eilish began singing in choir when she was 8, and she took instrumental music lessons.
