Alexander R Adams
Bass-Baritone, Voice Actor, Teacher


frequently asked questions about voice lessons


Do you teach beginners?

Many of my students are beginners, at least as far as not having taken formal lessons before. Even if you haven't sang a note before and don't know anything about music, I would be happy to teach you.

Do you teach children?

I do not reccomend one-on-one voice lessons until at least middle school. Learning to sing takes a lot of focus and discipline, as well as being able to think abstractly and visualize what is going on inside the body. Also, the voice goes through a lot of changes during puberty, especially for boys, meaning that once the voice changes much of the muscle memory that was built up will need to be retrained, which can be frustrating. Singing can still be fun and educational for children, but I would suggest starting with lessons in piano first, as well as taking group general music classes for younger children.

Am I too old to learn to sing?


What if I don't sing classical/opera/etc.

You don't need to. We can work on whatever style of music you would like at your lessons. Classical music just happens to be the genre that I perform professionally in. You won't accidentally turn into an opera singer, either. We will make sure that your singing is appropriate for the style of music.

How many lessons does it take to improve?

Several weeks of incremental progress. For beginners, the first few lessons might be a little scary as they use their voice in a way they're not used to. For others, it's possible they might learn something at their first lesson that helps a problem they've been struggling with. Either way, singing is a skill like any other: it requires practice and persistence to become great.

Why do I need a piano/keyboard for an in-home lesson?

The piano is an important tool for any singer. All the vocal warm-ups and exercises we will work on are with the piano because it helps to develop your ear. Without a piano or some sort of pitch reference you may be going way off the rails pitch-wise and not notice!

I think I damaged my voice.  Can you help me?

I can help you find a local ENT or otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor). While I maybe know a thing or two about some vocal pathologies, I am nowhere near qualified to give medical advice. If you worry you might have vocal damage, see a doctor. Remember, your instrument was free, but you only get one of them!

Why do you record my lessons?

Listening to yourself sing from outside of your own head is essential to developing your tone and pitch control. What you hear in your head is not always what is heard in the room. Also, taking the time to go over and review, even just skimming through and listening to the highlights, will allow you to absorb much more information than when you were busy focusing on your singing during the lesson.