The one question that wins out as the most frequently asked question of all is "How long will these lessons take before I can sing well?" My answer is always the same: "I have absolutely no idea." It really depends on many factors such as, the student's inherent talent, How well they practice, how deeply set their current vocal habits are, etc.
The only thing a voice teacher can offer a student is the ability to assist a student in training themselves to operate the vocal mechanism as efficiently as possible. Inherent talent cannot be taught, but skill can. Anyone can improve and get better. What matters is that the student trains with a qualified teacher, that they practice every day, and that they practice mindfully. Also, I always recommend that a student who is serious about dumping bad singing habits fast abstain from singing along to the radio, CDs and MP3s. Remember, what we are training here is habits. If you practice your vocal exercises for 20 minutes a day and sing poorly along to the radio for 4 hours a day, which set of habits will win out?
All art-forms take great amounts of skill, training and practice to approach a level of mastery that rises above mediocrity. A good singer is both an artist and an athlete. They spend a good deal of time training and singing scales, practicing phrasing, analyzing lyrics and finding a balance between a solid vocal line, phrasing and emotional distillation of the pieces of music that they interpret. Singing is an art, a skill and a physical discipline. Just like any artist or athlete, a good singer never stops training.
In popular music, there is room for many different types of voices. Traditional "vocal talent" is not necessarily a prerequisite for success. Barbara Streisand and Anthony Kiedis are each artists of high calibre. They are very different types of singers; yet each of them must be in good vocal shape to perform well. Hayley Williams and Josh Groban each have demanding performing schedules regardless of the vast difference in the styles of their singing. Each has trained hard and continues to train.
The answer to the question, "How long will it take," is that it takes forever. Art has no end. There are no perfect singers. All excellent singers keep improving and keep training. And that's a good thing!
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