Behind the Scenes: An Inside Look at Online Voice Lessons That Support Your Whole Self

Often when people imagine a voice lesson, they picture rote scales, breathing exercises, and stuffy songs picked by the teacher. And online voice lessons – you must be staring at the screen the whole time, right?

Wrong! I founded Susan Davies Voice Studio as a way to throw prescriptive voice lessons out the window, replacing them with thoughtfully and creatively planned lessons personalized for each individual student. My process isn’t just about building vocal skills; it’s about nurturing and empowering the whole person behind the sound.

Here’s a look behind the scenes at how I design online voice lessons that help singers grow in confidence, connection, and ease.

Online Voice Lessons Start With YOU, Not a Formula

The most important part of any voice lesson – online or otherwise – is to begin with the person. No matter what age a student is or how experienced a singer they are, I prioritize getting to know the student over pushing any singing agenda of my own.

This process plays out over the entire time a student and I are working together (which can be many years). In the first couple lessons, I’ll learn a bit about their musical history, level of training, what they love about their voice, what they find challenging about singing, and anything else they want to share that might affect our work together. I love learning what other activities a student enjoys, what song they have stuck in their head, and what brought them to voice lessons in the first place!

Getting to know each student as a person not only creates a culture of care in the studio, but is also fundamental to building vocal skills that feel natural and integrate deeply into their lives. 

We all carry conscious and subconscious beliefs that influence how we use and perceive our voices. When I treat students like the whole people they are, I can support them as they unlock their fullest potential. If I were to start by pushing scales and “proper technique” (whatever that is!) onto a student, I’d miss out on the bigger picture.

Whole-body singing is based on the premise that our life experiences all play a role in shaping the sound that comes out of our mouths. When I get to know a person and learn what they want from their voice, we can start to co-create a plan that gets them to their goals. And that’s the whole point.

Building Vocal Technique That Feels Natural

As a voice teacher and coach, my goal is to give students many options so that they can decide what works best for them. This makes voice lessons exploratory, curiosity-driven, and fun!

One of the best parts of online voice lessons – besides working with a teacher who’s a perfect fit for you, no matter where you live – is that you get to be incredibly creative. You’re taking lessons where you’re probably most likely to practice, so we can start to use your environment in creative ways that keep your singing going throughout the week between lessons.

For many people, this means utilizing everyday objects you have on hand. A soccer ball? Great! A stretchy band from physical therapy? Awesome! A pillow? Spectacular. 

These tools promote multi-sensory learning. If you want to understand breath support, for example, we can use movement, props, pictures, pitch patterns, song excerpts, visualizations, and more to help you build a felt understanding of breath that gets you the vocal results you want.

I’m NOT going to sit on my side of the screen and tell you exactly what to do. Every body is different, every voice is different, every person learns differently. This is why I’m not interested in prescriptive teaching.

I’m much more interested in your experience of singing, so we’ll be in constant conversation as we explore. I have oodles of ideas, tools, strategies, modifications, and knowledge of voices and learning that I bring to lessons, but YOU are the ultimate authority on your instrument.

Here I am, working on shoulder mobility & lower body connection to access vocal ease & power.

I also use a strengths-based approach to help you build vocal technique that feels natural. This means honing in on what’s working for you already and where. What feels good about your singing? We want more of that!

This doesn’t mean ignoring the aspects of your singing that feel troublesome, but it does mean that we don’t dwell on them or judge ourselves for the things we don’t like. We use those troublesome areas as data points, not as the final say over your abilities, potential, or “goodness” as a singer.

Shame will never be a motivator for long-lasting learning or creative self-expression.

Full stop.

Student-Led Learning: Inviting in Partnership and Ownership

Voice lessons are a reciprocal and relational process. This means that you are involved in every aspect of your singing journey at SDVS, from song selection to vocal technique.

This might make you wonder why someone would take voice lessons. Why would you pay someone to NOT tell you what to do?

Think of the voice teacher as a guide, not a guru. 

In a student-led learning model, the teacher acts as a guide, working in partnership with the student towards the student’s goals and desired outcomes.

This is in contrast with the master-apprentice model, typically found in traditional schools of voice teaching, where the teacher is considered the guru or expert with all the answers.

In the voice studio, student-led teaching looks like:

• Offering options

• Supporting autonomy

• Selecting repertoire together

• Co-creating learning outcomes

• Asking for the student’s thoughts & opinions

• Checking in with the student’s understanding & experience

• Supporting students in the pursuit of THEIR goals

Here’s an example:

I encourage students to lead most song choices. While I can certainly recommend lots of songs that I think would sound great in your voice, it’s much more important for you to sing songs you care about and connect with.

Therefore, when students ask for song recommendations, I give them a short list of options that I think will highlight their strengths and challenge them to move toward their goals. The student then listens to the songs and decides which they want to work on first.

Student-led learning matters because it:

• Supports autonomy

• Develops student agency

• Builds on student strengths

• Draws out intrinsic motivation

• Fosters self-awareness, critical thinking & creativity

• Empowers students to advocate for themselves

• Offers deep & lasting learning

Here’s another example:

A student might come to voice lessons hoping to work on breathing. There are so many schools of thought on the “proper” way to breathe for singing, but at SDVS, we believe that the best way to breathe for singing is the way that works for the singer.

Since every body is different, there’s no one-size-fits-all way to breathe. One student might benefit from feeling the movement of the ribcage or abdomen, while another student might find it more effective to work with emotions and body language. A third student may find power in their breath by looking to the ground force reactions created by their feet.

There are as many ways to breathe for singing as there are singers! The more options and agency we can bring into the Zoom room, the more a singer will be able to respond effectively to the real-life demands of singing – whether it’s in the shower or on the stage.

Adapting In Real-Time

I’m a big note-taker, and I have a digital notebook dedicated to each of my students. While I always review these notes before the next lesson and create a loose plan about where the upcoming lesson might take us, it’s critical that I stay present and responsive to the student in real-time and make adjustments to the lesson plan accordingly.

Here’s an example:

I have a teen student who’s been working on breath management. We’ve approached the skill in a number of ways, and she’s been making great progress.

I had a plan for us to explore the connection between emotions and breath in her next lesson, particularly since one of this student’s long-term goals is becoming more confident acting through song. However, this student came into her lesson asking to work on the notes and rhythms of a very challenging new song, and she also let me know that auditions for her school musical were coming up in the next couple of weeks.

Time to pivot! 

Meeting the moment as it is (and not as we wish it to be) encourages both student and teacher to be creative. More importantly, it allows me to equip students with the actual, practical skills that will best serve their voices, artistry, and real-life experiences.

Keeping Online Voice Lessons Fresh

Singing lessons should be engaging, challenging, and fun – working on the songs you love and moving toward the goals you want. If you’re mindlessly singing scales up and down, over and over, it might be time for a voice lesson refresh.

If you’re ready to break out of the box and try out creative voice lessons designed for your actual life, go ahead and email susan@susandaviesvoice.com or check out our website at www.susandaviesvoice.com. Whole-body singing and fun, creative online voice lessons are our bread and butter, and we’d love to support you!