If you're the kind of person who has been dreaming about getting a master's degree in pedagogy, but have no earthly idea how you could fit it into your life, this blog is for you.
If that's not you, then I will wish you a very Happy New Year, and give you my blessing to click away. I hope to see you back for the next blog!
For those of you who are still here, let's talk about those dreams. There's a way to make it happen that maybe you hadn't considered before.
Graduate degrees are fantastic ways to increase your own knowledge and skills as a voice teacher, unless they are inaccessible, too expensive, too far away, and too disruptive to your life. And then there are the required courses that don't fit your goals, administrative hoops to jump through, and the parking....ugh THE PARKING. Not to mention that most universities that offer graduate degrees focus on classical technique, literature, and teaching philosophies. These things don't always fit easily into your life, especially if you've already got a thriving studio in a place that you love.
You've spent years building up your studio, and you'd just close it down for however long now? And then have to start over again? Maybe your kids are in a great school and you've got a spouse with a job that makes it difficult or impossible to move. And commuting can add hours to your weeks. There are some online degree options available, but really, it's not about the diploma. It's about challenging yourself to learn more about the voice, and more about teaching, so that you can become a better teacher. So you can serve your students better. And so you can deepen your love of the miracle of the singing voice.
Yeah, all of that. If only there was a way to have all of the benefits of a graduate education, without all the junk piled on top of it. With a knowledgeable and encouraging professor to guide you every step of the way.
That's where I come in. I'm your Personal Pedagogy Professor with a PhD in voice pedagogy and voice science, ready to help you get the education you want in a way that fits into your life and your business, just as it is right now.
Here's how it can work:
The first thing we would do is to book a free Discovery Call, where I get to ask you what you are already excellent at, and where you would like to shore up your knowledge. You get to dream out loud, and I get to tell you how I can help you reach those dreams. If we decide we'll be a good fit and we want to proceed, then we'll start with our first Office Hour and craft your personalized course of study. I'll pull together journals, textbooks, videos, other courses, and things that will get you to your goal, and you can work through them at your own pace. We'll meet for "class" when it is convenient for you, one-on-one so you can ask all the questions that come up. Like any good professor would do, I'll assign papers and tests to make sure you are really getting the materials, and we'll talk in depth about how to apply what you are learning to your teaching as you go along. Your own studio becomes your lab! And at the end, you get a certificate to acknowledge the hard work that you put in (plus probably some stickers, because who doesn't love stickers??) And then you can repeat it all for another topic.
What kinds of things could you learn about? Here are some examples of topics we could cover:
adolescent voices
aging voices
vocal acoustics
advanced vocal anatomy and physiology
neuroanatomy and physiology
historical pedagogy
vocal health
challenging situations in the voice studio
and just about anything else you could ask about!
If you're the type that learns best one-on-one, this is exactly the way to go for you. You'd never get so much personal attention in instruction from any university setting. And if you really do learn better in a small class, well hang in there, because those options are coming very soon.
How much does this all cost? Well, it depends. It depends on what you want to learn and how in depth you want to go, and how many sessions you take with me. For that reason, every individual client will get their own proposal based on their particular needs and goals. Most individual courses are around 10 weeks or so, but can be flexible to fit into your life. For most, one annual student in your studio will cover the cost of your course.
If you're the kind of person who likes to plan ahead, now is a great time to start thinking about getting your own individual course in your schedule. The first step is a Discovery Call, and the next is up to you! You don't have to wait for the stars to align perfectly before you can get a master's level education. You can get started right now with your own Personal Pedagogy Professor cheering you on! Click on the button below to schedule your Discovery Call and start dreaming out loud.