Voice Lessons Vancouver

Learn, play, and grow with voice lessons for kids, teens, and adults at Pleasant Mountain Music.

About Voice

• Ideal for: literally anyone with a song in their heart
• Great because: it’s a flexible instrument, and you take it with you wherever you go! Singing can be a solo project, the front face of a band, give depth through backup vocals and harmonies, fill out the choir or ensemble cast, or to get your unique lyrics out into the world.
• Lesson options: In person at our Granville Street studio or through remote/online lessons
• Common styles: All styles of music have singing in them. From opera to heavy metal, from traditional hymns to hiphop, we can help you find your sound.
• Space/noise needs: Singing does have a minimum volume level which might surprise the uninitiated: while singing quietly is part of the process, learning to sing loudly is comparable in someways to controlled shouting. This is why some folks won’t keep a microphone and speaker at home because just the voice, by itself, can be loud enough for the neighbours to notice. Having said that, there are definitely lots of options to make singing practice at home very manageable, and our teachers help make recommendations. That way you’ll have more options to practice your favourite belting songs other than “only in the shower” or “only when the neighbours move out”

Singing in the Rain – Especially in Vancouver

Getting Started & Instrument Costs

There are no instrument costs to get started with singing! All you need is your voice. If you do decide to invest in a little bit of gear, there are some basic tools such as a microphone, cable, and speaker, or if you want to get fancy a 4-channel sound board, that may come in handy to practice with.

How Lessons Work: Learn / Love / Live to Play

Learn to Play – Solid foundations

Most people fall into the Learn to Play stream at some point in their music journey. Our Learn to Play stream, focuses on building reliable, healthy, life-long technique and musicianship. You’ll work on:

• Technique – quality warm-ups, air support and breath work, mapping your vocal range, expanding your vocal range, making use of resonance chambers, developing power and dynamics, and exploring your own unique singing voice.
• Reading notation – While it’s not obligatory to read sheet music for singing, it can come in extremely handy. Learning to read notation (sheet music) is gradually introduced to students who would benefit from it, and sight-singing is also a skill we train as needed
• Repertoire – from show-stopping musical theatre tunes, to extreme screams and growls, from lilting folk tunes, to rock and roll power ballads there is an endless supply of genres and styles to work on as a singer: this gives incredible variety to the music you learn. Having said that, it’s totally normal to have a preferred genre and just stick to learning songs from that style too
• Exams, Festivals, and Performance Opportunities – Kiwanis music festival is the biggest and generally the most popular festival to participate in as a vocal student. There are a ton of categories to pick from across a wide variety of skill levels and age ranges. All Kiwanis classes are adjudicated which means participants will receive thoughtful feedback on their performance. We also partner with local organizations and musicians to provide our students with ample open-mic night gig opportunities, plus exam training is available for Live to Play students.

This stream is great for students who like structure, clear milestones, or who want to pursue exams, school musicals, or post-secondary programs.

Love to Play – Play for joy

In our Love to Play stream, we design lessons around what you actually want to sing. That means you are in the captains seat, with your co-pilot (our teachers) give you the directions on how to best sail to your desired vocal destination. The Love to Play experience can include:

• Learning one (or many) favourite songs or styles
• Playing along with backing tracks or feeling confident to jam with friends
• Prepping for your annual ‘we’re getting the band back together’ session
• Providing you basic theory, as needed, to support your goals
• Offering you low-pressure performance opportunities (only if you want them)

Our Love to Play experience is perfect for students who want music as a creative outlet without the pressure of exams, regular live/public performances, or competitions. Many adults find this is the best stream to reacquaint themselves with their voice after a long break, or as their first time learning an instrument.

Live to Play – Preparing for the professional path

For students ready to take things to the next level, our Live to Play stream helps you move from “pretty good” to “gig-ready”. Live to Play students are expected to regularly practice their skill and to perform publicly several times throughout the year. The Live to Play experience can include:

• Advanced technique and repertoire
• Audition preparation
• Performance preparation
• Songwriting, arranging, or improvisation (as relevant)
• Studio and session-recording skills (including actual studio experience)
• Career guidance on next steps including: auditions, gigging/touring band life, musical theatre careers, recording jobs, post-secondary studies, teaching voice, and more.

Hear It in the Wild: Stars & Songs

Artists who put singing in the spotlight

• Elvis Presley – Elvis was one of the first superstars of the TV era, making himself a household name with some iconic late night appearances.
• Ella Fitzgerald – Also known as the “First lady of Song” and “the Queen of Jazz” is a shining example of impeccable diction, purity of tone and her inimitable improvisatory skills.
• Celine Dion – A powerhouse singer from Canada, Celine’s voice transcends language and genre.
• Lady Gaga – A more recent example, Lady Gaga went from playing at piano bars to being an avant-garde pop vocal superstar.

Songs where voice really shines

• “Somebody to Love” – Queen – Freddie Mercury lays down one of the greatest singing performances ever captured on tape. And the rest of the band does some amazing harmonies as well.
• “For the Longest Time” – Billy Joel – Don’t let the video fool you, Billy did all of the vocal parts in this doo wop revival. A great demonstration of the range one person can have in a song.
• “Pisces” – Jinjer – Tatiana from Jinjer switches effortlessly from sweet clean vocals to the most intense false chord growl. If this video blows your mind, Kelsey can teach you how to do it.
• “Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters – One of the biggest vocal hits in recent years. Although they are playing a fictional kpop band, the singers of this song are very real human people, and really are fantastic singers.

These are fun reference points you can explore at home, and great inspiration for setting lesson goals.

Meet Your Singing Instructors

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