How can you effectively network with a less experienced vocal coach?

If a vocal coach has a "never before seen" method..it's marketing. There can be a lot of ego attached to vocal coaching. IMHO, any vocal coach who is worth their salt, not only isn't afraid of collaboration, they seek it out. If you're a newer coach, seek out a mentor. Attend a Voice Foundation or National Association of Teachers of Singing conference. Many at the national level offer paired mentorship as part of the conference. When I started, I actually reached out to a more established coach via his website. I ended up working with him for a year, as a student, and then apprenticing under him as a vocal coach. There isn't a linear path into this work, so you have to be proactive.

Approach with Respect: Treat the less experienced vocal coach with respect. Acknowledge their expertise and enthusiasm for the field, and show genuine interest in learning from their experiences. Share Your Expertise: If you have more experience in certain areas, offer to share your knowledge. This could include insights into teaching techniques, business aspects of coaching, or any other relevant expertise you may have.

The first step from my innovative perspective is to mark everything that is in common and offer the steps to see in a different light when all the good they have to offer find a plateau. Since my practice has become recognised as a step forward I have taken multiple steps backwards to put the first blocks of the bridge connecting the dots of good practices and different styles of teaching, so that instead of a jump into the unknown it is more a converging into what before was not clear and that this addition in knowledge simplifies and clarifies. It is central to me to dignify all the paths as important, and make the field a mosaic of diverse skills and capacities and not a pyramid of levels.

Open your doors and offer your knowledge to your less experienced peers. You may never know what you may also learn from them. Views and approaches of vocal technique change throughout the years and is quite impossible to always be up to date. When I started as a vocal coach, my main worry was if my knowledge was enough to pass on. What helped my way into the educator I am today was to seek help and dialogue from more experienced colleagues. If I was stuck with the progress of a student, I would seek out help and/or advice from my mentors while also observing their classes with various students with different voices and styles of music. This opened my view of vocal technique in different bodies with their own sound.

Honour, respect, and kindness . Like you treat any human being. It is important to let others have their space and guard your own as well.

Yes, but it's impossible to learn to be a vocal coach, or a better vocal coach, by reading a book or listening to a podcast. You can learn new research, or things to try, but if you want to improve as a coach you have to work with actual clients. I'd also highly recommend attending a masterclass or conference and watching a more advanced coach work with singers/speakers in real time. If you're not ready for a paying client base, recruit some friends to try your new skills out on.

Offer Collaboration Opportunities: Propose collaborative projects or activities that can benefit both of you. This might include joint workshops, co-hosting events, or even creating content together. Collaboration can be a great way to leverage each other's strengths. Provide Constructive Feedback: If you observe areas where the vocal coach could improve, offer constructive feedback in a supportive manner. Be sure to highlight their strengths as well, and frame the feedback as a way to help them grow in their practice.

Good Karma Support – yes, offer support and value to them, but also try to not overvalue your technique or business style. The best way to work with another vocal coach is to give and receive feedback to try to grow from each other's experience. A culture of being willing to learn without seeing yourself as superior, just because you may have been in the game longer, is key.

My biggest suggestion is to go LIVE.Books are helpful.But you can only become seasoned when you go LIVE where you learn in the public arena. Vocal caoching is not only about singing it really is about communication.Do we understand the needs of the client.Then you can make a better choice where you would like to begin your coaching courses.

Collaboration in this industry is key as is being open to new ideas, techniques, and research. It's equally important, while being open to new things, to not "drink the koolaide" which is SO easy to do. Many guru's or master teachers will present their pedagogy as the "only" way to teach. When attending their event, it's really easy to get swept up in the excitement and believe that this is true. I know, I've been there. The reality is, while many of these pedagogies have so many wonderful tools, there isn't one "right" way to be a vocal coach. Every voice is different, every body and mind are different, and while there are certain techniques that will work broadly, having an extensive toolbox is imperative.

Networking and collaboration are key components of the music industry regardless of your status. The music industry (especially classical music) is a small and very connected world. Focus on making genuine connections with people. Try to understand how their skill set can compliment yours, and vice versa. Be curious about other people. There is always something we can learn from other people even if we find ourselves further along on our journey. The most tools and skills you can add to your box, the more valuable you are to your clients.

Stay Connected: Regularly check in with the vocal coach, either in person, via email, or through social media. Offer updates on your own progress and achievements, and ask for their input or advice when appropriate. Be Patient and Supportive: Recognize that everyone is on their own journey, and growth takes time. Be patient and supportive of the less experienced vocal coach's development. Celebrate their successes and offer encouragement during challenging times.

I have personally been fortunate in the past to sit in the classes of some very experienced coaches. This has immensely helped me. I was able to see what I studied being put in practicals. I was able to witness the results of these practicals. Very impactful! I will greatly advise for every vocal coach at every level to have a vocal coach and mentor!

Absolutely. I'm very open to allowing newer coaches to sit under me and watch me work. I have had several clients who were interested in becoming vocal coaches and allowed them (with client's permission) to sit in on other coachings. Something to remember, is you have to be proactive. You have to ask. Don't expect anyone to make this offer to you. When you ask, be polite, be respectful, and be specific in your goals.

While I think working on projects together is a great way of growing together, it's still always essential to have someone responsible for the project. Two cooks could also sink a kitchen, in my opinion. I had the experience with someone who was so unwilling to give up the reigns on a project I did have a tad bit more practical experience with that collaboration for the both of us, and the outcome for the participants would have been subpar, I chose to end the collaboration on said project. But, I also invited them back to lead a project they had recently done, to show them how a learning culture between professionals can flourish.

Always be respectful, as mentor and mentee. Be respectful of time, be respectful of the client, be respectful of someone's experience and the value they bring. As with any other mentor/mentee relationship. Realize that an advanced coach is where they are because they've put in countless hours working and studying, and that success doesn't happen overnight. When someone makes this incredibly nuanced thing look easy, know that it's because it took years of work to make it look easy. Be respectful of that.

I definitely agree here.Always be respectful with mentoring.It´s not only the client, your self repect is here to be seen, acknowledged and noticed.

Know that I am more than happy to recommend you, have my name on your resume, and help you start your career. I am also more than happy not to recommend you, ask you to take my name off your resume, and caution others about working with you. The world of voice (coaching, singing, acting, etc..) is incredibly small. The distance between a vocal coach and a casting director is so short, most of us either know each other directly or are a friend-of-a-friend. We make calls. We ask for recommendations. And we listen to our trusted colleagues. Do good work, but also - be good to work with.

Utilize Social Media: Connect with the vocal coach on professional social media platforms. Engage with their content, share relevant information, and participate in discussions. This can help strengthen your connection and provide ongoing opportunities for collaboration. Attend Industry Events Together: If possible, attend industry conferences, workshops, or networking events together. This not only gives you both exposure to new ideas and contacts but also allows you to strengthen your professional relationship in a broader context.

Being well-connected in the industry is always a bonus. Building up a network of coaches with different areas of expertise can only be fruitful for you. Also consider instigating learning sessions, and fostering opportunities for exchanging ideas, experiences, and more.

I feel that mentoring is a responsible task. If I choose to mentor I will invest more in this shared relationship.The contact will be how often it´s needed to keep the other on a good path with the up and downs. It´s a professional relationship for growing, not fanbasing.

As an A&R for Tungsten Music Group, I play the Devil's advocate by always questioning on how to improve what I hear, so I would advise any artist, not just vocal coaches to: Embrace criticism to constantly improve your craft instead of feeding on the ego-satisfying, and reassuring compliment, and your steps towards success will become leaps!

Everyone can learn something from someone else. If you’re trying to build your professional network, it’s important to remember that it is not a competition. Good networking benefits everyone if it’s done correctly. I may have clients who could benefit from a session with a colleague, or who may need to move from me as I may not be able to reach them anymore. Proper networking allows me to give them options so that their growth is not hindered.

Many times learning to sing is not just vocal production, technique and voice development, it's more than that, it's being with the student and being attentive to their needs, giving them confidence and support and making their dreams come true. So I decided that making dreams come true is more fun than just being another voice development teacher

Working with the voice and human beings has never been more important than now. To consider all the ways we can grow our networks with more of a Holistic approach would be phenomenal.Blessings Jocelyn B.Smith