Several people have asked me over the years about the psychology of teaching voice. This is probably a topic for a book all its own, but I can weave some pieces into this blog.
The most unique aspect of teaching voice is the close link between voice and mind. Just a thought of speaking can trigger a response from our larynx. Songs stuck in our mind produce vocal fold changes, even if we never make a sound. Emotions affect how the voice sounds, both positively and adversely. Think about what happens when you become angry - how does your voice change; when you are happy...
A student has to understand that the coordination between mind and voice is mostly at a sub-conscious level and that just understanding something differently will have it's effect, without trying to apply the new information directly. This is why, for years, the singing teacher tradition has included imagery as a teaching tool. Then, for the past 40 years, vocal pedagogy has swung to the side of physiology, with anatomical data being of primary importance. We have been discovering that this approach can lead to singers' trying to consiously manipulate their voices, often with disastrous results. So where is the balance? The teacher is more effective with their use of imagery to get a concept across if they themselves are well-versed in the actual anatomy/physiology of what needs to happen and sometimes an anatomical discussion is important because the student has a real misperception that needs to be corrected. Singers learn to sing by feel (kinesthetic sense) and listening and they guide the process by thinking. More on this later...
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