Milena wrote:
>What would
>be signs that my teacher is bad, when it seems to me that all the teachers
>at our school are very good (I attend the University of Michigan)? Am I
>naive? Or even if my teacher isn't bad, how do I know she is the best
>for me? I have always felt comfortable with her and feel I am always
>making progress, but there is always a questioning of, "am I really doing
>enough? Could I be doing better?
This is a tricky situation. My first piece of advice (and you're not going
to like it!) is to try to find another living arrangement. I don't know
your roommates' motivations for saying the things they are saying, but
regardless of whether they mean well, the result is that you are being
undermined. This is a separate issue from your voice teacher concerns but
in my opinion, you may not be able to get a clear head about your voice
issues while you are still living with people who are causing you to
question yourself so much. (Yes, I know housing is tough in Ann Arbor; I
went to school there too!)
As for the voice teacher issue, you do have the right to ask your teacher
what's going on with your high range. It *might* be a matter of concern if
in fact you feel like you've *lost* access to those notes. On the other
hand, maybe you simply are a mezzo. Try to look at the bigger picture of
your voice's development over time. Have you always had difficulty with
the high range, or is it something that used to be easy for you and is now
developing as a problem?
See if you can talk to some of your teacher's former students.
(Discreetly!) Ask them how they enjoyed working with her. Ask them what
they regarded as her strengths and weaknesses. If you can, try to get a
chance to hear them sing and see what you think for yourself. If there are
people in your studio who have been working with her for longer than you,
that might also be a good place to start. Don't repeat the negative things
your roommates have been saying; just ask questions in a neutral tone and
listen very carefully to the answers. (No doubt, they will want to be very
discreet with you in the way they answer too! No sensible person wants to
participate in gossip; it too easily backfires.)
Among your colleagues in opera workshop and such, listen carefully to their
singing and try to determine whether their teachers might be able to offer
you something that your teacher isn't. Approach the opera workshop
teacher, or someone else who hears you on a regular basis, and ask how he
or she thinks you are developing vocally.
Ultimately you have to listen to your own instincts. No teacher is
perfect. The best you can do is make steady, healthy progress.
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