FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Answered by Irina Fields.

Q: Can I learn how to sing later in life? Or do you have to start taking singing lessons as a child or a teenager?

A: You can learn how to sing at any age. The process is the same whether you are four years old or 104. To sing professionally, you must learn the science of singing. It will allow you to have pitch control, maximize vocal range, have a beautiful vocal tone, and more.

Q: Do you offer virtual or online singing lessons?

A: Yes. Most voice lessons are given via Zoom or FaceTime right now. The rate of improvement is the same with virtual lessons as with in-person lessons.

Q: Do you offer singing lessons for children and toddlers? If so, starting at what age do you accept children?

A: Children can start taking singing lessons with me at 3.5 years old. Usually, four years old is the best age to start lessons. Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey began taking singing lessons around that age. The vocal technique at “Beautiful Voice” gives comparable results. For example, all the female students I teach can sing whistle notes. It's just a matter of time and training.

Q: I'm terrible at singing, will voice lessons with you help?

A: Yes. In short, you need training. Some people naturally gravitate towards the right things to do to sing well. Others need to learn what to do. For example, specific things a singer does with the body can cause pitch issues.

Q: I think I'm tone-deaf, but I still want to learn how to sing. Is there hope?

A: I get these types of questions a lot. Only 1 in 10,000 people are tone-deaf. The rest of the population can learn how to sing professionally, given the correct information. None of the students who asked me this question turned out to be tone-deaf.

Q: How often should I take voice lessons?

A: Singing lessons should be taken once a week. Lessons every other week don’t work. Those who desire to improve their singing ability fast can take multiple singing lessons in a week.

Q: For how long do I need to be taking singing lessons?

A: Every student who applies what I demonstrate in the lessons will hear a noticeable improvement in the voice immediately in every voice lesson. These lessons can be 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or 1 hour long. There is about twice as much improvement per lesson with the 1-hour singing lessons versus 30-minute lessons. The more voice lessons one takes, the more progress will accumulate. A lot of students start with 1-hour voice lessons once a week. Once they reach the level that they are happy with, some cut down to 30-minute lessons once a week. Students who are career singers usually take one or two voice lessons per week of 1 hour.

Q: How many months or years of voice lessons with you will it take for me to become "decent" at singing?

A: It depends on your starting point, how quickly you pick up new information, your desired level of proficiency at singing, and other variables. Are you looking to be good enough to sing at karaoke and not embarrass yourself? Or are you looking to become good enough to book singing jobs in NYC? Or do you want to be good enough to record covers on YouTube? All three require different levels of proficiency. For example, you might book a job in NYC after one year of weekly singing lessons. However, you may still require more voice lessons to sing well in a recording studio. How long you would need to take singing lessons also depends on the difficulty level of the songs you want to sing. I've had some male students who learned how to sing on Jim Morrison and Freddy Mercury in 6 to 9 months.

Q: After I've reached my desired level of singing ability, would I stop taking singing lessons? Or would I continue taking lessons for maintenance?

A: It's best to continue taking singing lessons so that you maintain your level and grow further. At that point, you could do 30-minute lessons once a week. I've had some students who would get so good at singing after taking lessons for a few months. Then they would stop lessons and come back years later after losing the level they had previously reached. Most students would be halfway between where they first started and where they ended up when they stopped voice lessons. Thus, it’s best to take weekly lessons for maintenance.

Q: Do I need a vocal coach, a voice coach, a singing teacher, or a voice teacher? What is the difference?

A: All four names are synonymous. There are teachers work with students more on performance rather than technique. Some industry professionals refer to those teachers as vocal coaches or voice coaches. Some teachers work with students more on vocal technique. These teachers are often referred to as singing teachers or voice teachers. At “Beautiful Voice,” in every lesson, students get both types of training. They work on proper technique and performance skills.

Q: Are these general singing lessons, or do you teach specific genres?

A: I teach all genres: Pop, Rock, R&B, Musical Theatre, Opera, Jazz, and other styles. The basic technique is the same, while each genre's phrasing and style vary.

Q: What goes on in singing lessons with you? Do students sing scales?

A: In voice lessons with me, students work on specific songs and sing voice-building exercises. Students can pick songs that they wish to learn. They can be songs that students need to sing for auditions, showcases, weddings, etc. Alternatively, I recommend songs that would be good for vocal development. During the voice-building part of the lesson, students sing exercises that improve the overall voice. These exercises are very powerful. Those students who execute them correctly normally hear an immediate improvement in their voice.

Q: I sing out of tune. Is there hope for me? Will voice lessons with you help?

Yes. There are rules for pitch control. This means that a finite number of things can cause one to go out of tune. Every time someone is pitchy, there is a reason for it. Every pitch issue can be fixed.

Q: Do you do singing lessons in preparation for auditions, also known as audition prep?

A: Yes. If you have a song that you need to learn for an audition, it's best to schedule a 1-hour lesson. In that lesson, I will break down the song and show you what needs to be fixed and how to fix it. I will often give custom voice-building exercises if the high notes need improvement.

Q: I have taken singing lessons with other voice teachers, but there has been little or no improvement in my voice. Is there hope for me?

A: Yes. There are many vocal techniques out there. Each technique produces very different results. The Bel Canto technique alone has 4 main branches. Each one of these branches produces very different results. The other techniques, apart from Bel Canto, such as Beverly Peck Johnson's Technique (aka the Juilliard Technique), Speech Level Singing Technique, and other vocal techniques, produce their results. I know all major vocal techniques and dozens of others. I have tried them on my voice. The singing technique I teach is the most effective for fast and professional results.

Q: Bel Canto is an opera technique. Will voice lessons with you make me sound classical? I want to learn contemporary styles.

A: You will not sound classical when singing contemporary styles on my singing technique. Singers such as Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Freddy Mercury, and Jim Morrison are good examples of singers of the Bel Canto technique. The phrasing and stylistic elements vary from genre to genre.

Q: I want to learn how to sing Musical Theatre. Would singing lessons with you be a good fit?

A: Yes. This technique is excellent for Musical Theatre as it gives you the ability to sing with power, belt out high notes, dance while you sing, and more. The biggest Broadway stars all use this technique. Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz is an excellent example of a Bel Canto singer applying the technique to Musical Theatre.

Q: My voice goes hoarse often. Will singing lessons with you help me with hoarseness?

A: Yes. The vocal technique I teach is the only technique out there with the complete set of practices to avoid hoarseness. Hoarseness is caused by vocal abuse. My singing technique allows one to avoid any and all kinds of vocal abuse.

Q: I have vocal nodules, vocal cysts, or vocal polyps. My doctor told me to find a vocal coach that can help me avoid vocal disorders in the future. Will voice lessons with you help me do that?

A. Yes. Many ENTs refer patients to me with nodules, cysts, polyps, or any combination of these disorders. If you have nodules, I can show you how to allow them to dissolve naturally without getting surgery.

Q: I sound fine when I sing in the room, but when I went to a recording studio, the producer told me that my vocals were out of tune. Will singing lessons with you help me learn how to record studio vocals?

A: Yes. I teach my students how to record studio vocals, sing in tune in the studio, have a unique vocal tone, and more.

Q: I learned how to play multiple or a single instrument on my own without lessons. Singing seems like it would be the same thing, but it's not. I can't seem to figure out how to stay in tune. Why is that? Will singing lessons with you help me learn how to sing on a professional level?

A: Yes. Singing is primarily internal. It's not obvious to an untrained observer what a professional singer does while singing. Playing instruments is external. One can visually see what an instrumentalist is doing to perform well. This is one of the reasons why it's more challenging for most to teach themselves how to sing than to play an instrument.

Q: I want to learn how to sing and dance simultaneously, the way musical theatre actors do it. Will voice lessons with you help me accomplish that?

A. Yes. This is the only technique out there that allows you to dance while maintaining pitch control. It also allows you not to be out of breath and sing with a beautiful tone while dancing.

Q: I am a natural singer who never took singing lessons. One of my issues is being out of breath on stage. Can you help?

A: Yes. This issue can be easily fixed using the singing technique that I teach.

Q. I lose my voice often and suffer from frequent hoarseness. Will singing lessons with you help me fix these issues?

A: Yes. There are a lot of reasons why this can happen. The most common is speaking and singing with glottal strokes, also known as glottal fries, vocal fries, glottal attacks, and vocal attacks. I teach my students how to never lose their voice or go hoarse.

Q: My high notes are weak or don't sound good. Do I have a small vocal range? Will voice lessons with you help?

A: I get this question often from singers who use other techniques or never took voice lessons. I teach a system that always works for everyone who applies it correctly. There are ways to expand your vocal range, making your high notes fuller, stronger, and more beautiful.

Q: My tone sounds terrible. Is that just my voice? Can it be improved by taking singing lessons?

A: Yes, in voice lessons with me I teach how to create a beautiful vocal tone. Creating a beautiful tone is a science. Some people do it naturally, and others need to be shown what to do.

Q: Is it true that stress "kills" your voice? I find it that when I have performances on days when I'm stressed, I don't do as well as opposed to on the days when I'm not.

A: Stress can affect your voice in a way that you may not want to sing. Or if you sing, you may not sound as well. The vocal technique that I teach provides for a negligible effect of stress on the singing voice. Here is how it works:

If you have practiced a specific song in a stress-free environment, you have formed a muscle memory based on that. Then when you perform that song in public, that muscle memory will kick in. If you are stressed that day, it will have a negligible impact on your performance.

We have locations in Central, South, and North New Jersey.

VOICE LESSONS IN ESSEX COUNTY, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY:

68 Essex St, Millburn, NJ 07041. This location is frequented by students from Short Hills, South Orange, and Summit. We are 5 minutes away from Short Hills, 6 minutes away from South Orange, and 5 minutes away from Summit. We are minutes away from Maplewood, Union and Irvington.

830 Morris Tpke, Short Hills, NJ 07078.

Chatham, NJ. Summit, NJ. Millburn, NJ. Westfield, NJ. Livingston, NJ.

340 E Northfield Rd, Livingston, NJ 07039.

West Orange, NJ. Bloomfield, NJ, Montclair, NJ, Belleville, NJ, City of Orange, NJ. Nutley, NJ. Maplewood, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN UNION COUNTY, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY:

111 Quimby St, Westfield, NJ 07090. A high number of students come to this location from Scotch Plains. Scotch Plains is about 5 minutes away. The other option for students from Scotch Plains is our Edison location. Our Westfield location is a close commute for residents of Cranford, Roselle, Clark, Rahway, Mountain Side, Plainfield, and Colonia. Another option for residents of Scotch Plains, Short Hills, and Summit is our Livingston location.

Union Township, NJ 07083. Linden, NJ 07036, Rahway, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN SOMERSET COUNTY, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY:

Franklin Township, NJ. Bridgewater, NJ 08807. Hillsborough, NJ, 08844. Bernards, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN HUNTERDON COUNTY, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY:

Raritan, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY:

18 Lake Ave, East Brunswick, NJ 08816. This location is very close to South Brunswick. It’s about 10 to 15 minutes away. The other option for South Brunswick residents would be our Princeton location. Our East Brunswick location is just 8 minutes away from Highland Park and 12 minutes away from Old Bridge. The East Brunswick location is often frequented by students from Helmetta, Spotswood, Marlboro, and Jamesburg. Students from Milltown, Sayreville, Parlin, Madison Park, and New Brunswick find East Brunswick and Piscataway locations convenient.

100 Metroplex Dr, Edison, NJ 08817. 671 Hoes Ln, Piscataway, NJ 08854. 1000 Woodbridge Center Dr, Woodbridge, NJ 07095. Monroe, NJ, or Monroe Township, North Brunswick, NJ.

94 Church St, New Brunswick, 08901. This location is very close to Rutger’s University and New Brunswick Train Station.

VOICE LESSONS IN MERCER COUNTRY, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY:

1000 Herrontown Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540. Many students from Montgomery and South Brunswick commute to our Princeton location. We are about 8 minutes away from Montgomery and 10 to 15 minutes away from South Brunswick. Our Princeton location is also frequented by students from Plainsboro Township, West Windsor, Rocky Hill, Mt Rose, and Rosedale. The other option for these students would be our East Brunswick or Monroe locations.

Hamilton, NJ, Ewing, NJ, Lawrence Township, NJ, East Windsor, NJ, West Windsor, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN MONMOUTH COUNTY, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY:

59 Newman Springs Rd, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702, Monmouth County. Our Shrewsbury location is on the border with Red Bank. One side of Springs Road is Shrewsbury, and the other side is Red Bank. Our Shrewsbury location would be a close commute for those coming from West Long Branch, Tinton Falls, Eatontown, Fair Haven, Ocean Port, and Lincroft.

Howell, NJ. Freehold, NJ. Middletown, NJ. Marlboro, NJ. Manalapan, NJ. Neptune, NJ. Ocean Township, NJ. Wall Township, NJ. Long Branch, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN BURLINGTON COUNTY, CENTRAL NEW JERSEY:

750 NJ-73 Evesham, NJ 08053. Mount Laurel, NJ. Willingboro, NJ. Pemberton, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN PASSAIC COUNTY, NORTHERN NEW JERSEY:

1157 Main Ave, Clifton, NJ 07011. Wayne, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN MORRIS COUNTY, NORTHERN NEW JERSEY:

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, Mount Olive, NJ. Randolph, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN SUSSEX COUNTY, NORTHERN NEW JERSEY:

VOICE LESSONS IN HUDSON COUNTY, NORTHERN NEW JERSEY:

51 Newark Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. 665 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07306. 654 Avenue, Bayonne, NJ 07002, North Bergen, NJ 07047, Kearny, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN BERGEN COUNTY, NORTHERN NEW JERSEY:

12-27 Burbank St, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. This location is near Glen Rock, Franklin Lakes, and Ridgewood. It’s 5 minutes from Glen Rock, 8 minutes from Ridgewood, and 10 minutes from Franklin Lakes. Our Fair Lawn studio is a few minutes away from Elmwood Park, Paterson, and Paramus. Another option for these students would be our Teaneck location. It is 15 minutes from Franklin Lakes, 10 minutes from Glen Rock, and 12 minutes from Ridgewood.

1556 Center Ave, Fort Lee, NJ 07024. This location is 5 minutes away from Englewood Cliffs. Students who live in Hackensack are 5 minutes away from our Fort Lee and Teaneck locations. Alternatively, they can go to the Fair Lawn location. It’s about 8 minutes away. Our Fort Lee location is minutes away from Palisades Park, Cliffside Park, Ridgefield, Leonia, and Edgewater. Our Fort Lee location, it’s about 7 minutes from Palisades Park, about 6 minutes from Cliffside Park and Ridgefield, and 5 minutes from Leonia and Edgewater.

310 Cedar Ln, Teaneck, NJ 07666. A lot of students come to this location from Tenafly. It’s roughly a 10-minute drive. The other option for Tenafly students is our Fort Lee location.

Englewood, NJ. Bergenfield, NJ. Paramus, NJ. Mahwah, NJ. Cliffside Park, NJ.

VOICE LESSONS IN OCEAN COUNTY, SOUTH NEW JERSEY:

1223 Coast Ave, Manahawkin, NJ 08816. This would be an easy commute for anyone in Long Beach Island, Stafford Township, Eagleswood Township, and Barnegat Township.

10 Allen St, Toms River, NJ 08753. 2290 W County Line Rd, Jackson, NJ, 08527. 699 Cross St, Lakewood, NJ 08701. Brick, NJ. Manchester, NJ, Berkeley, NJ, Lacey, NJ.

VIRTUAL PRIVATE LESSONS VIA ZOOM, FACETIME, AND MORE:

Due to the ongoing pandemic, most private singing lessons are currently given via Zoom, FaceTime, and other apps. Please refer to the sections below for more information.

PRIVATE VOICE LESSONS IN NEW JERSEY:

Private singing lessons are usually 30-mins, 45-mins, or 1 hour long. To schedule private voice lessons, please text your name and your availability on specific dates to (646)334-3456.

Those students who apply the technique correctly hear a noticeable improvement in their voice in the first 1-hour lesson. For this reason, it’s recommended that new students start with a 1-hour lesson. In a 30-minute lesson, there is usually not enough time to learn enough that one would hear a noticeable improvement. After the first 1-hour lesson, those students who apply the technique hear an obvious improvement with a 30-mins lesson once a week. There is about twice as much improvement with 1-hour weekly lessons as opposed to 30-mins.

Right now, my students are taking lessons via FaceTime or Zoom due to the pandemic. The level of improvement in virtual lessons is exactly the same as with in-person lessons.

Singing is not a talent. It’s a science and a skill. Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey learned the same vocal technique taught at “Beautiful Voice” starting at age 4. This technique is the main reason behind their vocal ability. In contrast, other singers who use various other techniques may end up with inferior results. There is a brief overview of major vocal techniques at the beginning of the first lesson. Only one technique is the most effective in achieving professional results. This is the vocal technique taught at “Beautiful Voice.”

In voice lessons at “Beautiful Voice” you will learn how to sing in tune (pitch control), develop a vibrato, create a beautiful tone, belt out high notes, build a big strong voice, create color and highlight in the voice, and more. Some of the best examples of singers using this vocal technique are Ariana Grande, Kelly Clarkson, Whitney Houston (in her prime), Mariah Carey (in her prime), Leona Lewis (in her prime), Freddie Mercury, Jim Morrison, and Luciano Pavarotti.

In private lessons, students work on specific songs of their choice or teacher’s recommendation. These songs can be in any genre. The vocal coach will break them down step-by-step and show how to sing them on a professional level. These are results-driven voice lessons. Normally there is a noticeable improvement in a student’s voice in every voice lesson.

Advanced students, in their private lessons, learn how to record studio vocals. They learn how to perform successfully on stage and how to work with professional studio/stage equipment.

Also, in private lessons, students sing old-school Bel Canto exercises that improve the quality of their voice. These exercises activate vocal resonances and have various other benefits. The use of vocal resonation gives the singer:

color (in the voice)
highlight (in the voice)
depth
fuller voice
richer sound
a unique vocal tone

In addition, these exercises also give the singer:

a vibrato
vocal agility
belting ability
noticeably stronger high notes. (Most students will hear a noticeable improvement in their high notes in the first lesson.)

If the above-mentioned voice-building exercises were executed properly, one should hear a noticeable improvement in the voice after the first 1-hour private singing lesson.

For professional singers and those who aspire to become such, it's best to take 1-hour voice lessons once a week. For hobby singers and children under seven years old it’s best to take 30-minute lessons.

VOCAL THERAPY SINGING LESSONS:

If you are looking to take voice lessons as vocal therapy for vocal cord nodules, vocal cord cysts, vocal cord polyps, and general vocal abuse, “Beautiful Voice” is the right place. These lessons can be taken via Zoom or FaceTime as well.

GROUP VOICE LESSONS:

Voice-Building Group Singing Lessons are $30 and last 1 hour and 15 mins. Group singing lessons will resume when it’s safe to take off masks in a group setting.

In Voice-Building Group Lessons, students sing old-school Bel Canto exercises that improve the overall quality of the voice. These exercises give the singer the same benefits as described above.

There are usually 6-8 students in each group lesson. Each student receives individual attention.

Please note Voice Building Group Lessons are not “open enrollment.” These are group lessons for those who have reached a certain level using our version of the Bel Canto technique.