Frequently Asked Questions

The NYVC Voice Teacher Training & Certification was created by Justin Stoney, the founder of New York Vocal Coaching and one of the leading teaching talents in today’s vocal community. It is designed for aspiring and experienced voice teachers seeking to perfect their teaching craft. This course equips voice teachers with all the tools they need for a successful, professional vocal studio. Trainees gain a deep understanding of vocal pedagogy as it applies to singers of all levels, backgrounds, and musical styles. Trainees also have the opportunity to observe, study, and practice applying vocal technique in practical ways. Participants develop a diagnostic ear and learn to identify and address a variety of vocal technique issues. Participants also obtain a very detailed and nuanced understanding of their own vocal technique.

Unlike several other voice teacher certifications, the NYVC Voice Teacher Training is not a “method”. Instead, a great multitude of methods, techniques, and ideas from the world of vocal science and vocal pedagogy are explored. Teachers gain a comprehensive understanding of vocal pedagogy and learn a wide variety of technical, physical, and psychological strategies that have been used historically and in today’s modern vocal studios. No sound that a singer can make is considered “invalid”. Instead, participants learn exactly how sounds from all vocal styles are produced and how to teach them successfully and healthfully. Teachers graduate with vast teaching resources and endless possibilities.

Participants in the NYVC Voice Teacher Training are encouraged to view voice teaching as a craft and art form all its own. From this perspective, teachers learn to trust their teaching instincts and “teach to the individual” rather than follow a system of methodical rules. The unique gifts and talents of every participant are cultivated and developed. The result is voice teachers who emerge with confidence in the accuracy of their information, trust of their diagnostic ears, creativity in their teaching strategies, and unrestricted in their potential to help any singer improve. In short, this training develops true artists in the craft of voice teaching.

The NYVC Voice Teacher Training and Certification consists of 6 sections: Lecture, Observation, Teaching, Listening, Mentorship, and Personal Study.

LECTURE

In the Lecture portion, you will receive comprehensive instruction on all aspects of the voice, vocal technique, and vocal pedagogy. This includes Breathing, Anatomy, Laryngeal Studies, Vocal Registration, Vocal Science, Acoustics, Resonance, Posture & Alignment, Diagnostics, Vocal Exercise Design™, Vocal Styles, Phonetics, Singer Psychology, and much more. You will gain a complete understanding of the human voice, practical application of this knowledge to voice students, and will have the opportunity to address any and all questions throughout the course. You will emerge with every tool you need for masterful pedagogy and confidence in your teaching. 

OBSERVATION

In the Observation portion, you will observe vocal technique concepts applied to students taught live by Mr. Stoney. These observation sessions are performed in an interactive masterclass setting during the weekly class time. The observations allow you to witness how vocal pedagogical concepts can be applied skillfully and practically to help singers make fast and tangible improvements to a wide variety of vocal issues. New York Vocal Coaching’s students represent a vast array of styles, levels, backgrounds, ages, nationalities, and interests - allowing for a rich educational experience in diagnostic and practical vocal pedagogy.

TEACHING

The Teaching portion of the course is a practicum that gives you hands-on teaching experience or strengthens the knowledge and experience you already have. During the training you will commit to teaching a student at least once every two weeks and write a reflection on the experience. For new teachers, you will find one person or multiple people who would like to learn more about singing and can meet with you regularly. For teachers who already have a roster, you can simply choose one of your lessons to reflect on. These sessions are your opportunity to practice the information presented in class and receive guidance as you build your confidence and your craft. Your ability to apply the information from class will progress throughout the semester - culminating with your one-on-one Teaching session with Mr. Stoney. Throughout the course, homework assignments and frequent live Q&As provide the opportunity to seek guidance and mentorship from Justin Stoney on the work you're doing with your student.

LISTENING

The Listening portion helps you to train your ears and learn to identify a wide variety of vocal qualities. Analyzing clips from many different artists and styles, you will receive guidance throughout the semester as you explore numerous examples for each vocal quality. Listening assignments mirror the Lecture component of the course, providing a deeper understanding of technical and stylistic topics. This prepares you to have greater confidence in assessing and collaborating with students of all styles.

MENTORSHIP

The Mentorship component of the course is a holistic experience which includes the time with Justin during the lectures, Q&As, Singer Analysis sessions, homework correspondence, as well as Listening homework correspondence with Andy King, and your Personal Study sessions. This opportunity goes beyond lecture content to dive deep into your questions, experiences, and current teaching strategies. You have ongoing opportunities to share your thoughts and receive feedback and guidance to ensure that you are understanding, growing, and adapting to what you're learning in the course.

PERSONAL STUDY

The Personal Study sessions include a one-on-one Voice Lesson, a Teaching session, and a Business Consultation - all with Mr. Stoney. The Voice Lesson gives you the opportunity to apply concepts covered in the Voice Teacher Training to your own singing. The Teaching session is a practicum observed by Justin in which you showcase how you've learned to deliver successful voice lessons. You will receive feedback and guidance to ensure that you are confident to create vocal exercises, trust your diagnostic ear, and practically apply concepts from the course. Finally, the Business Consultation allows you to explore your unique professional goals and develop actionable steps to begin and grow your business as a Voice Teacher.

For generations, aspiring voice teachers have been largely in the dark when it comes to receiving practical training in voice teaching. Graduates of university vocal pedagogy programs have a solid grasp of anatomical and scientific information, but often feel that they lack practical application in the vocal studio - particularly when it comes to the needs of contemporary singers. On the other hand, many practicing voice teachers may have wonderful instincts on how to help singers, but don't have a deep understanding of how to achieve certain results or why their methods work in the first place.

Although it seems strange, it’s most often the case that voice teachers have little or no actual training in practical voice teaching or vocal pedagogy. While there are many great voice teachers with formal pedagogical training, the unfortunate reality is that those who tend to have the greatest success have done the necessary research, experimented in the studio, and built their teaching craft totally on their own.

Mr. Stoney compiled and streamlined an extremely broad range of vocal pedagogy resources, vocal methods and approaches, vocal technique books and articles, and traditional vocal ideas. He coupled this with his own 15,000+ hours of work in the vocal studio with thousands of singers from all styles and from 60+ countries. This gave Mr. Stoney the inspiration to pave the way for other voice teachers and to create the NYVC Voice Teacher Training. The Voice Teacher Training condenses this vast body of research and experience into a course that makes extremely advanced vocal ideas simple and accessible for others. Voice teachers no longer need to spend years hunting for answers, guessing, or trying to apply a method. The training and mentorship that so many aspiring voice teachers have longed for is now being made available at New York Vocal Coaching.

The NYVC Voice Teacher Training most often consists of aspiring and experienced Voice Teachers. However, participants regularly come from various fields or experiences relating or not relating to Voice Teaching, such as:

• Performers who are looking to begin teaching alongside or in place of their performing
• Graduates of universities with music or voice degrees who feel they lack understanding of how vocal technique and pedagogy can be applied practically to the varied needs of singers
• Teachers who are familiar with how vocal technique applies to some styles (i.e. classical and opera), but not to others (i.e. contemporary music)
• Music Directors who possess musical or conducting prowess, but who lack understanding of vocal pedagogy
• Speech Language Pathologists who have a thorough background in anatomy and vocal science, but desire a stronger understanding of the needs of singers
• Singers who would like to deepen their craft by understanding their vocal technique on the level that experienced voice technicians do

While these are the most common participants in the NYVC Voice Teacher Training, graduates have also included people beyond those categories. We welcome anyone who is seeking to improve their knowledge of vocal technique & anatomy, voice teaching, and vocal pedagogy.

We are open to accepting anyone who is passionate about studying the craft of voice teaching. However, most participants have at least a few years of private vocal studies or some sort of voice-related degree or experience (such as a university degree in music, theatre, speech, speech pathology, or voice, or significant experience as a professional musician). There have been exceptions to this. However, to get the most out of the course, it is helpful for participants to have some experience related to voice. If you’re unsure about whether your experience is enough, please reach out!

The course also involves some basic music theory and application of Vocal Exercise DesignTM that requires a small degree of familiarity with either music theory or a musical instrument, preferably the piano. It is not a requirement for participants to have any specific piano qualifications to suceedin the course. However, we do recommend that participants seek to develop at least basic piano skills for their future success as voice teachers. Piano training for voice teachers is offered by New York Vocal Coaching and can be easily added as a supplement to the course if desired. There is also an Overview of Music Theory class taught by Andy King during the semester.

The 50-Hour Voice Teacher Training is offered to small groups of voice teachers. Studying in a small group allows participants to work as a team, challenge one another, benefit from many interactive scenarios, and develop a network of voice teachers from around the globe.

Along with the group setting, participants receive personal correspondence with Mr. Stoney to discuss their quiz work and reflections throughout the semester.

At the end of the course, the Personal Study portion is completed privately with Mr. Stoney.

Due to the popularity of the program and to ensure that substantial personal attention and mentoring is possible, we limit the number of participants in each semester.

Unlike several other voice teacher certifications, the NYVC Voice Teacher Training is not a “method”. Instead, a multitude of methods, techniques, and ideas from the world of vocal science and vocal pedagogy are explored. Teachers gain a comprehensive understanding of vocal pedagogy and learn a wide variety of technical, physical, and psychological strategies that have been used historically and in today’s modern vocal studios. No sound that a singer can make is considered “invalid”. Instead, participants learn exactly how sounds from all vocal styles are produced and how to teach them successfully and healthfully. Teachers graduate with vast teaching resources, endless possibilities, and the ability to customize lessons to the unique needs of their students.

There are many avenues experienced voice teachers can take to continue developing their teaching craft. The NYVC Voice Teacher Training offers an accessible and comprehensive look at the craft of singing, providing a deep understanding of evidence-based vocal pedagogy, and numerous practical strategies and topics that lay a foundation for Vocal Exercise Design™. This course offers a fresh and unique perspective on vocal pedagogy that will profoundly shift how even an experienced voice teacher approaches their teaching. Experienced graduates of our program include those with doctorates in voice as well as those with 30+ years of teaching experience. If you would like to further discuss your situation and whether the course is right for you, please let us know.

Whichever avenue you choose, investing in your education is always beneficial. If you are passionate about the voice and dedicated to learning, we believe this course will inspire you, build your confidence, and offer a deep understanding of the voice and vocal pedagogy. If you have an interest in helping others to sing, we believe you will be very well-equipped to do so upon graduation!

The full training includes:

• 50+ hours of lecture and voice lesson observations taught and guided by Justin Stoney
• Question & Answer sessions throughout the semester with Justin Stoney
• Singer Analysis sessions throughout the semester with Justin Stoney
• Guest Lecture with Otolaryngologist Dr. Michael Pitman of Columbia University
• Guest Lecture with Broadway Veteran Arbender Robinson
• Guest Lecture with Distortion Specialist Nicolás Hormazábal
• Guest Lecture with NYVC Senior Director Andy King on Music Theory
• A syllabus/workbook designed and curated specifically for this course; including exclusive charts, diagrams, and anatomical information
• Quizzes and Reflections after each lecture to develop and hone your knowledge of the course concepts
• A Listening Guide of curated vocal qualities
• Listening assignments to train your ear to identify vocal qualities, guided by Andy King
• Correspondence on homework with Justin Stoney & Andy King
• Three Personal Study sessions upon the completion of the Lecture portion of the course (one-on-one Voice Lesson with Justin Stoney, Teaching session, Business Consultation)
• Option to study in-person, online, or via recordings
• Permanent access to all course recordings via our private and accessible E-Learning Platform Certificate of Completion & Online Badge
• Access to our private Voice Teacher Training Alumni Forum (upon graduation) for continued correspondence with Justin Stoney and graduates from around the globe
• Access to our growing library of video lectures (upon graduation) by experienced voice technicians, doctors, and researchers
• Option to join Q&As during future semesters

The Lectures, Observation, Teaching, and Personal Study are taught and guided exclusively by Justin Stoney. The Mentorship aspect of the course is a holistic experience which includes the time with Justin during the lectures, Q&As, Singer Analysis sessions, Personal Study sessions, homework correspondence, Listening homework correspondence with Andy King, guest lectures with other industry professionals, and a private business consultation with Justin Stoney.

The training runs over a 6-month period. The Lecture takes place every other Wednesday from 1:00–5:00 PM ET, followed by a Q&A from 5:00–6:00 PM ET. Additionally, there are Q&As and Singer Analysis sessions scheduled throughout the semester. Please note that you do not need to be present at the live class (in person or online) to complete the program.

Justin Stoney teaches the class from our Midtown Studio in New York City. However, the program is highly flexible and can be completed in person, live via Zoom, or via recordings of the live class.

Absolutely. The training can be done in-person, live via Zoom, via recordings, or any combination of these. We have many students (both regional and international) who participate fully remotely. The choice is completely up to you. All class videos are posted the day after each lecture to our private platform in organized sections. However, you are required to attend occasional Q&A sessions via Zoom.

No. Upon completion of the Lecture portion of the course you are welcome to schedule these sessions whenever it is convenient for you. They can be done online or in-person. There is also no deadline to complete them and receiving your Certificate is only contingent upon completing your coursework.

This course offers an introduction to distortions, foundational strategies for accessing them, and considerations for doing them healthily. However, teaching vocal distortion at a high level is ultimately a unique specialty that requires more attention and time. Achieving specialization in distortion can be achieved via private lessons with a Distortion Specialist or through our NYVC Vocal Distortion Teacher Training.

The foundation of any successful studio is a skilled voice teacher who can adapt to the needs of each student. This course offers a complete understanding of how to teach voice and how to be a successful voice teacher. The course also includes logistical considerations for opening your own studio and a private Business Consultation with Justin Stoney during which you can explore your personal situation more in depth. We have hundreds of graduates who have succeeded with their own private studio after completing our course and success in the private teaching studio is one of the most common reasons for participating in our program.

No. All materials needed are provided via PDF format if you are studying online and printed for you if you are studying in person. For those studying online, you may want to print the syllabus materials if you prefer taking hand written notes.

No. The training is a one-time commitment and the certificate is provided once all course requirements are completed. No future payments or dues are required after course payments are completed.