“I’d like to take singing lessons, but I’ve had a look around and the people I’d like to study with are quite expensive. Why are singing lessons so expensive?”
This is a great question, because it helps to highlight the importance of particular teachers.
The short answer to the question is:
Because you get what you pay for.
The long answer:
Let’s do some basic mental maths. Let’s start thinking of some costs for the following, then we’ll make sense of it all. Think about the following:
- A good teacher will have spent THOUSANDS of hours on their teaching, their own voice, their musical understanding, their communications skills and ability to educate people in their specific disciplines. This may be in the form of a university/college degree, or post-graduate certifications, but either way, good teachers will have put in thousands of hours to develop and hone the skills they are providing to a given client. Even if you only assign a value of a few pounds/dollars per hour to the dedicated hard work they’ve put in (which is still unfair), this VERY quickly adds up.
- A progressive and progressing teacher will STILL be studying, getting regular private lessons, attending events to continue their professional development, meeting other teachers, seeking out mentors for themselves to increase their knowledge and ability. This all costs a vast quantity of money. I don’t know about other coaches, but the amount I personally expend on professional development per year is not far off what some spend per year at university for their fees.
- A well-equipped teacher will have access to relevant teaching materials, recording equipment to at least record your lesson, a high quality piano/keyboard to teach from, online support and downloadable information to help you learn in and out of the studio, as well as various other bits of equipment and studio gear to help provide their services.
- Any business (like a singing teacher) needs premises, which costs money to hire/own, and will generate utility bills, upkeep, repair, appropriate decor to suit the environment they want their singers to be able to grow and develop in. The better business, the nicer the premises, and the greater the cost.
The skinny…
When you go in for a singing lesson, you are getting access to ALL of the above, on tap. As such, the cost of different teachers generally reflects the skill level and expenditure associated with operating at their specific skill level – i.e. if a teacher is cheap, just by maths alone, you can more or less guarantee they are not doing all of the above to a high standard. All of the above listed areas need to be paid for by the teacher in order to deliver that level of service to those who wish to study with them.
What do YOU value?
Ultimately it comes down to whether you value or desire the level of service that a given teacher is operating at. If you’re just looking for someone to play piano whilst you bang out a tune, then maybe a dirt-cheap teacher will do you fine… but don’t expect dramatic improvements in your voice. Referring to the short answer, you ultimately get what you pay for.
However, if you are genuinely looking to noticeably improve your voice, you should seek out the most qualified person of repute that you can find and try and initial session. Yes, the coach you may specifically wish to work with might be expensive, but remember this: it’s far more expensive and less productive to regularly go to someone cheaper but who isn’t developing you as quickly/at all, than it would be to visit some more expensive less often, but who delivers bigger results faster.
Final Thoughts
Whatever your reasons for getting singing lessons, you need to decide what it is you’re looking for in a coach. Don’t think about the price, think about what you want to get out of it, and bear the above in mind when picking your first coach. And remember, if you don’t get on with them, or think it’s not worth the money (whether you started with a cheap or expensive singing teacher for lessons), you can always try somewhere else! My recommendation would be to start with the best in your area, or whoever it is you want to specifically work with, and taste and see what their goods are like.
Best of luck with finding the right coach for you!