Red Flags of Influencers
With the rise of TikTok and IGTV, there is a wealth of free information available. This is wonderful! I am always thrilled when there is good, accurate information widely available for free. Voice lessons are definitely a luxury service that can often be cost-prohibitive, so free info is fabulous! That’s why I have my own YouTube channel! However; one must always consider the source of the information before implementing the technique, tip, or trick.
There are a number of gifted singers, both well-known and obscure, who have never studied voice. Some people are simply born with a tremendous ability to sing. These singers, while talented, are not always the best sources of vocal technique. I once had a young student, about 14, come into a lesson saying that her voice was really hurting after trying to “just sing louder” through a particularly difficult passage of music. She had been watching a TikTok influencer, who was a great singer, who had said to “just sing louder” when you want to hit a higher belt note. This is not only incorrect, but potentially damaging to the voice.
Here is a list of red flags to look for when you or your child are taking vocal tips from an influencer/free source:
Is the influencer primarily promoting products? If so, this may be a sign they are simply trying to make money off of their paid sponsorships, not actually passing on information. Nothing wrong with sponsorships, everyone has to eat! It just means that teaching may not be their first priority.
A lack of education and/or certifications. A 15 year-old with a gorgeous voice may be a wonderful source of entertainment, but will usually not be a wealth of healthy/sustainable vocal technique.
Always promoting “quick-fixes” or short-term solutions. Anyone who claims you can learn to sing in 30 days (or less) is lying. The voice is an instrument like any other. You can certainly improve in 30 days, but you are not going to be Christina Aguilera after a month. Singing is a long-term commitment and someone promoting an immediate transformation is most likely not promoting healthy technique. Remember, you want to be able to sing for your entire life, not just for a month.
Shallow content. If a post is lacking in-depth explanations, the information probably not helpful. Yes, no one is posting hour-long lectures to TikTok, but a quick explanation of how or why things work is not a difficult thing to add into a post or description. Without the explanation, it’s impossible to transfer that knowledge to anything else.
Are they disparaging other approaches? There are many approaches to singing; most voice teachers will adapt their knowledge of healthy technique to fit the individual student’s skillset, range, and learning style. If an influencer is saying they are the one and only authority on singing, this is a bad sign. Every voice is different, so a technique or approach to a note that works for one person, may not be helpful to another.
Free, accessible information is a wonderful thing, just be sure you are taking it with a grain of salt, researching who/where the information is coming from, and checking with your voice teacher to make sure it is helping (not hurting) you. Remember: your voice teacher knows your voice and has a plan of study for you, you never want to be derailing your progress by working incorrect or unhealthy technique. Keep singing, friends!