How Do You Know If You Need A Vocal Coach: 7 Signs It Might Be Time To STOP Trying To Figure Out How To Sing On Your Own.

If you’ve been considering lessons for weeks, months, or years then this blog post is perfect for you. Maybe you’ve been singing since you were little or just started and you’re wondering…

“If I took voice lessons would it actually make a difference or could I keep doing this on my own?”

Have you found yourself scrolling through google and typing in “voice lessons near me” or “vocal coaches near me” but you back yourself out the last second because you suddenly start to think… “I don’t know if I’m good enough for that.” or “I probably need to get better before I can start vocal lessons.”

If that’s you, you’re not alone.

One of the biggest misconceptions I hear as a vocal coach is that singing lessons are only for advanced or professional singers, Broadway performers, or people with “natural talent.”

The truth?

Most of my students aren’t trying to win a Grammy’s.

They’re adults and teenagers who love to sing, and want to perfect their craft!

They’re worship leaders preparing to lead their congregations in song or sing their solos with conviction.

They’re mom’s who have had a lifelong goal to learn to sing well!

They’re performers auditioning for community and pro theatre.

All of my clients at one point or another have spent anywhere from weeks to years saying, “Maybe someday,” and they are finally giving theirselves permission to take their voice seriously even if they don’t pursue a career in it or take their voice on tour. They’re doing it because they want to learn to do it right, and they’re doing it for them!

So how do you know if you actually need a vocal coach?

Here are seven signs it might be time.

1. You Love Singing, But You Don’t Know What to Practice

You sing through songs over and over again but have no clue how to fix the tough spots, or what to do so you just push through and try again.

You watch youtube videos of vocal coaches that say the same thing repeatedly but when you apply it it doesn’t work.

You try random warm ups and vocal exercises you found online because “Maybe it’ll help!”

And when someone asks you why you’re practicing a certain way, you realize you don’t know the best way to practice for yourself. You aren’t lacking motivation or direction.

A vocal coach helps you identify what your voice specifically needs so you can stop guessing and start growing intentionally.

2. You Feel Like You’ve Hit a Plateau

Maybe you’ve improved on your own. However, lately it feels like your progression has come to a halt! You’ve hit a vocal block. There’s no more progression but there’s 100% frustration.

The same notes feel difficult.

The same habits keep showing up.

The same hiccups continue to follow you from song to song.

Often, it takes an outside perspective to identify the small adjustments that unlock your next level of growth.

3. You Freeze When Other People Listen

You sound great alone until someone else walks into the room! Suddenly your breathing changes or maybe your confidence disappears. You begin to second guess EVERYTHING, which only makes your frustrations grow bigger.

Here’s something important:

This isn’t a sign that you’re incapable of ever singing and accomplishing your goals to sing! It’s a sign that performance itself is a skill that deserves attention and outside help.

Singing isn’t only about producing sound. It’s also about learning to trust yourself when people are listening and a vocal coach can help you with that!

4. You’re Preparing for Something That Matters

An audition, a recital, wedding, church solos, open mic nights, a recording session, a choir event! Whatever it is… the stake suddenly get higher and the idea of having an audience can really start to weigh on you.

Or Maybe you’re not so worried about the event but for some reason you keep hitting those same blocks and you NEED to have ease and confidence with the upcoming event you’re singing for.

Having guidance can make all the difference!

instead of hoping for the best, you can walk into those moments knowing you’ve prepared intentionally and had someone else to hear and help you every step along the way.

5. You Keep Thinking, “Maybe I’m Just Not Good Enough”

I hear this far too much. People assume that if singing isn’t effortless that they simply do not have what it takes and I am here to tell you that’s just not true. Singing is a sport! It involves your entire body. You have to come to understand your voice and how it connects to different parts of you and that can take time.

Vocal ability is NOT something you are born with. It may come naturally for some people but they still encounter blocks and must work through them just as anyone else. Your voice is something that can and must be developed with care.

You don’t need to earn the right to take lessons! If you take lessons you should do it because you want to grow or because you want to do something just for you!

Singing lessons and vocal coaching is made for the singers who chase the taste of growth.

6. You Want Honest Feedback, Enough With Sugar Coating!

Friends and family mean well. Sometimes they tell you everything sounds amazing while other times they’re overly critical.

Neither is particularly helpful and a good vocal coach (like myself) will give you something different:

Objective feedback.

Not to tear you down, but to help you understand what you’re doing well and what adjustments are required help you move forward.

7. You Want Someone in Your Corner: But Not Anybody!

This might be the biggest reason of all. Sometimes you don’t just need information, you need real encouragement! Someone that will celebrate your wins and remind you that progress isn’t alway linear. I frequently am reminding my vocal students that you’re headed somewhere good… even on the days your voice is struggling and you’re struggling to hear and see the progress.

The right vocal coach isn’t there to turn you into someone else! We’re here to help you become more fully yourself.

So… Do You Need a Vocal Coach?

Maybe.

And maybe the better question is this:

Do you want to keep trying to figure everything out on your own?

There’s nothing wrong with teaching yourself. However, it’s easier to build negative vocal tendancies that don’t benefit your voice without knowing it, and it’s easier to be stuck in the frustration when you hit a block or feel overwhelmed when you’re self-taught.

If you’re curious about what could be possible with the right support, coaching could be exactly what you need. You don’t have to be the best singer in the room or the most fearless, and you certainly do not have to wait until you’re “ready.”! You just need to be willing to begin.

The Next Step: Sign Up For A Trial Lesson

If you’ve recognized yourself in several of these signs, I’d love to help.

Whether you’re an adult beginner, advanced and stuck, preparing for auditions, building confidence as a performer, or simply reconnecting with the joy of singing and completing your goals, you don’t have to navigate singing alone.

Your voice matters, it has purpose and beauty in every way!!! Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop waiting for permission to use it.

Sign up for your free phone call to discuss if vocal lessons are right for you www.mikahwonders.com/services or shoot a direct text message to me at 385-484-8266

I can’t wait to help you on your vocal journey!