I get this question a lot! So, let’s get to the fundamentals of what creates a good singer (not just voice!), as far as the person goes. The short answer is YES. I believe anyone who has the desire and motivation, discipline, and tools (from excellent teachers) to become a good singer, can. (This may exclude persons with disabilities, unfortunately, but not always!) The second half of the answer is that the timeline for everyone is different.

If you have the desire and motivation, then you have the will to sing! Just like any student that is forced to play/practice, they won’t come to the instrument/voice with potential to improve if it is forced on them. The heart and emotion are part of this as well, which the audience will always perceive. So, the will must be there! 

Discipline is something that is also not forced. It must be driven by motivation, desire, the will. However, I find that discipline must come from our own self-fulfillment, and not the desire for approval from others. If a student is only doing something for someone else, then their discipline is lacking and will not be enjoyable for them, which inhibits their desire. Good discipline is self-motivated, self-fulfilling, and always brought on completely by one’s self.  

Teachers, listen up!

Tools are multi-faceted and a good voice teacher must be able to teach them all. Vocal technique is only ONE of many requirements for a good singer. The other essentials are ear training, rhythm, music fundamentals (and/or theory), emotional connection, and the development of different learning strategies or styles.  

Learning strategies boil down to Visual, Auditory (by ear), and Kinesthetic (by feel). Good singing requires ALL to be somewhat developed. Using different strategies are an aspect of pedagogy (HOW you teach something.) A good teacher finds out which of these styles a student learns by most efficiently, and calls on that way more often than not, while ALSO further developing the student’s other ways of learning styles. Allowing the voice and musical development to anchor to these strategies helps complete the singer package.

What creates a different timeline for everyone? Research has been done on how early childhood exposure to sound in regard to pitch and rhythm makes a difference in our overall musicianship as we grow up (in addition to how well children do in school!) So, if this development has been neglected, then an adult will have to add this to part of their training. It’s doable, but it needs a teacher that can develop the sense of pitch and rhythm, using different learning styles. Many teachers do not know how to do this, they only have certain tools. So they fumble around with students that have desire, motivation, discipline, but can not help them complete the picture. In these cases, a student may need to find a different teacher, or go to multiple teachers for different things. The amount of discipline affects the timeline as well. How often is the student practicing? Are they enjoying their practice? Is it self motivated? Do they add their other musical training aspects to their vocal training? 

Just like any instrument, be it piano, guitar, cello, or drums, it takes decades to MASTER it. The voice is no different. We invest in the instrument, but we are also investing in OURSELVES! Happy, healthy singing to you!