I may regret posting this as it may seem somewhat harsh. It's not really a rant since I am quite calm. I just think that some students don't think before they open their mouths. Here is a list, in no particular order, of things you should not say to your voice teacher and why.
1. "It's been a long time since I've sung this."
If that song was part of your assignment for this week, the last time you sang that song should have been as part of your warm-up before you walked into the lesson. If your lesson is during the school day and you can't warm up before, the last time you sang the song should have been at your practice session yesterday.
2. "I think I have strep, but my mom won't take me to the Dr."
First, if you think you have strep and you are not on antibiotics, I don't want you anywhere near me. Second, a sore throat does not necessarily equal strep, but if the sore throat is accompanied by fever and/or lots of pus pockets on your swollen tonsils, you absolutely must see a doctor. Untreated strep can cause other health problems (including heart problems).
3. "I couldn't practice because I had laryngitis."
No, you couldn't SING because you had laryngitis. Practicing isn't just singing. You can learn a lot of music and work a lot of technique without phonating. Unless you are so sick that you are non-functional, you practice.
4. "I need to find a song to learn and sing for an audition on Saturday."
The only time you should be learning a song right before an audition is when they request a specific song. The rest of the time, you should be choosing songs from your repertoire list of things that you know well and have already polished. Show the directors the best of what you have to offer. If you don't have an appropriate song in your repertoire, maybe you shouldn't be auditioning for that part yet.
5. "You didn't go over this part with me yet."
The fact that I didn't play it for you does not excuse you from learning the melody. You have solfege skills. You have a recording of the melodic line (or should ask for one.) You have YouTube. Use them. Don't wait for me to spoon-feed you the melody. With foreign languages that you have not studied, I will walk you through it it first time, but there is no excuse for not knowing your notes and rhythms when you have the skills and resources to take care of that yourself.
6. "You didn't tell me."
To be honest, this only bugs me when I've said it in your lesson, emailed it in lesson notes, posted it on the bulletin board and given you a piece if paper containing the information. Please, just say, "I forgot." I love personal responsibility.
7. "I need to cancel or change my lesson because today is the only day my whole family is free to (fill in fun activity that teacher doesn't get to do because she is committed to being at school for lessons.)"
First, your whole family is not free that day. YOU have committed to be at a voice lesson for 30-60 minutes of that day. Second, if your family had planned ahead a little and had given me more notice, it would have helped me to help you.
8. "I need to cancel because I have a dentist appointment."
Why did you schedule a dentist appointment during your lesson time?
9. "I can't pay you when tuition is due because we went (or are going) to Mexico (or Florida or NYC or Europe) on vacation so money is really tight right now."
And voice lessons aren't very important to you, so I'll put someone in your time that values what happens here. Also, someday I would really like to go to Mexico myself, but I can't afford it.
10. "My music is in my locker. Do I need to go get it?"
If your accompanist or I have a copy of the music, you are 100% percent memorized, and you can remember perfectly every little detail of the things we work on without marking your music, then no, you don't need to bring your music. Basically, that means everyone should bring all the songs they are working on to every lesson.
Too harsh???
-- Posted from my iPhone
