Online Voice Lessons Using Skype: Frequently Asked Questions

The faster your Internet connection, the better the quality. If you are a Verizon FiOS customer, you don't have to worry about your Internet connection at all. Cable and DSL customers should be fine, but make sure that no other Internet streaming such as Netflix or other large file downloads are taking place during your Skype call. 512 Kb/s (up and down stream) is about the minimum speed for a decent Skype session.

If you want to see how fast your Internet connection is, go to www.SpeedTest.net and click on the "Begin Test" button. A sample download and upload will take place and you will be given your average speed for uploading and downloading. Adobe Flash is required for that site.

If you have a Mac with built-in iSight, you just need to download Skype for free.

If you have a Windows PC or laptop, you may already have a built-in webcam and microphone. If so, you just need to download Skype for free.

If you are using a computer and do not have a web cam or microphone, visit the Resources page of this site for a selection of recommended equipment.

If you want to make sure your computer can handle Skype, here are the system requirements:

Windows
Version	Windows XP Windows Vista Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit versions supported)
Processor	At least 1GHz
RAM	At least 256 MB
Additional Software	DirectX v9.0 or above
Mac
Version	Mac OS X v10.5 "Leopard" Mac OS X v10.6 "Snow Leopard" (32-bit and 64-bit versions supported)
Processor	1GHz Intel processor (Core 2 duo)
RAM	At least 1GB
Additional Software	The latest version of QuickTime.

The voice teacher (aka: singing teacher or vocal instructor) is the person who teaches you how to sing. A singing teacher will guide the voice through a series of vocal exercises and songs (repertoire) with the focus on vocal technique, rhythm, sight-singing, language, interpretation and expression. Most voice teachers have had training as a singer and/or taken vocal pedagogy courses.  

The vocal coach (aka: voice coach, collaborative pianist or accompanist) is the person who is not only your accompanist, but also will help you with your diction, interpretation and performance preparation. The vocal coach will expect a singer to arrive with notes learned, language translated, and an idea about how the song should be presented. During your coaching, they will give suggestions on what they hear and help the singer put it all together. Most vocal coaches are accompanists who have training in diction and repertoire.

Choosing the right singing teacher is crucial to your success as a singer. A good voice teacher should have the following qualities:

1) Teacher Credentials: A teacher should be either university trained or has taken extensive vocal pedagogy classes. A good place to find teacher is professional organizations like National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) or Music Teacher’s Association of California (MTAC)

2) Knows How to Teach: A teacher who is good at teaching will not only be knowledgeable about singing, but will also be able to give you clear constructive criticism, will challenge you and give you the tools to be able to correct yourself. Be aware when studying with teachers that teach many different instruments. Are they equally qualified and experienced at all those instruments? There is a big difference between a teacher that specializes in piano or guitar, but also happens to sing, versus a teacher that specializes in just voice. Just because a teacher has a music degree, does not necessarily mean they are qualified to teach every instrument.

3) Good Rapport: Your learning success will depend on the rapport between teacher and student.

4) Style: Most teachers teach classical technique, but some will specialize in applying that technique to music theatre, jazz and popular styles.

5) Performance experience: A teacher who has performed will have unique insight and guide you through your performances.

I teach classical, music theatre, popular and jazz.

Yes! I teach beginning to advanced singers!

Yes! Ages 8 and up are welcome!

Most often, students take voice once a week. Some of my serious voice students are taking lessons twice a week.

I recommend ½ hour for beginning students and 1 hour for more advanced students.

Yes! Just schedule a private ½ hour lesson with me for $30.

We'll do some vocal exercises so I can evaluate your vocal range and quality. I'll explain some technical concepts and ask you about if you have had any previous training and experience. We may go through a song you know, or I may suggest one for you to work on depending on your situation and your goals. I will go over my studio policies, calendar, materials and books you will need for voice lessons.

We'll start every lesson with exercises to develop and strengthen your technique. Exercises will be tailored individually will address the fundamentals of good singing: breath support and control, legato singing, pure vowels, vocal agility, and relaxation. Then, we will focus on repertoire, still employing the awareness of the technique and your expression.

Practice at home is essential; it reinforces and solidifies what is taught at each lesson. Practice time should consist of at least 15 minutes of warm-ups and the rest can be used to practice their songs. Students are expected to practice at least 3 days a week, not including the lesson day. Remember: sometimes students will enjoy practicing and other times it will be a chore. Consistency is the key to progress. As Robert Cutietta said, "Musical children are not born, they are raised."

I find that some students are gifted with a well-placed natural voice, while others will have many problems. As a result, some students will progress quickly, while other will take many months of careful study before much progress is evident.

Yes! Just tell your Educational Facilitator at your charter school that you would like to request me as your teacher. We will need to fill out some paperwork and wait for approval. Then, you can request a Purchase Order and we can begin lessons! Note: I will only become a vendor with charter schools in the state of California.

Yes, if you are willing to travel out to Temecula, California. These events must be done in person.

The user name and password will give you access to your own online account through my studio website, www.TemeculaVoice.com.

Once you register online and create a username and password, I will activate your account. There is a separate account for parent and student each with your own username and password. The student account has all features except the Online Payments section.

Parent/Adult account has the following features:

• Online Payments: 1) make online payments using Pay Pal 2) set up a recurring payment using Pay Pal 3) monthly invoices
• File Area to view and download documents such as "Studio Policies", "Studio Calendar", "Swap List", etc.
• Live Calendar: 1) lesson schedule 2) lesson history 3) online cancellation
• Automatic E-mails to remind you of your scheduled lessons
• Studio Announcements
• Online Practice Log
• Repertoire Tracker

There are a few options for paying online:

1. Pay from the link in the invoice e-mailed to you.

2. Pay using the "Pay Now" button from the payment page.

3. "Music Lesson Recurring Payments" (Monthly Payments Only)

The day you set up “Music Lesson Recurring Payments” is the day it will automatically withdraw your tuition from your credit card or bank account each month!



1) Go to www.TemeculaVoice.com and login with parent user and password you created on my website. If you forgot yours, I have your user name on file.
2) On the home page, click on “Pay Now” (located in the right hand corner under “Account Info”).
3) There, you will see “Single Payment” or setup a “Recurring Payment”.
4) Fill out “Recurring Payment” box. ♫ Please enter the correct amount listed on the table below.
5) Click “Pay” (which will take you to Pay Pal).
6) Login to Pay Pal. You can create a Pay Pal account here if you don’t have one.