I have put together this FAQ in order to address the most popular questions that I have received regarding my website. I have listed them in order of frequency. I hope that my answers will give you a greater sense of my ideas.

Can you help me find a voice teacher in __? (fill in the blank)

As much as I would like to, I cannot recommend voice teachers outside of my geographical area (Washington State). However, I realize that this is important to many of you, which is why I wrote the article, "How to Find a Voice Teacher". You can read this article here. You can also check the teacher's search engine at Musicstaff .com or use the form on my music links page. There are also new teacher listings at Classical Singer and NATS on-line.

I think that the best time to start voice lessons for the average student is after puberty.  That would be 12, 13 or 14 for girls and 14, 15 or 16 for boys. A child younger than that would be well served by singing in choirs, either at church or school and studying an instrument, ideally piano. Learning to read music is a very important skill for any serious singer and instrumental study makes it easier. I am always thrilled when I get a new student who comes from this background because I know they are well prepared for the rigors of voice training.

There are, however, exceptions to this rule. I have found that there are very talented young people, often as young as 8, who are ready for voice lessons. These are usually kids who can't keep from singing and performing. They must sing. These students will end up picking up bad habits if not given training. If they are already performing and they have the focus and drive to sing, they may be ready for lessons.

If your voice teacher is a member of NATS, you can participate in the various NATS singing competitions. Another excellent source of competition information is The Classical Singer Magazine. Visit their website at http://www.classicalsinger.com for more information. You can also do a search at Stonalink Creations. You will need to register in order to search the database but it is free.

I wish I could but I am unable to help you write your research paper. I have put this site together in order to help people learn more about singing. You also have the whole wide web to help you. Try using your keywords on Google. Good luck.