Why Voice Lessons Matters for Every Singer

No matter what style you love to sing—pop, musical theatre, choral music, or classical—voice lessons give you the tools to support your voice for the long run. Even if you aren’t a classical singer or pursuing a professional career, vocal training helps anyone who loves to sing build skills, sing safely, and explore new possibilities with confidence.

We spoke with Lucia Muniagurria, voice faculty at the Music Institute of Chicago, to explore how voice lessons help singers develop strong skills, protect their voice, and expand artistic opportunities.

Voice lessons help you understand your voice and use it effectively. Lucia emphasizes that most singers already arrive with the most important ingredient in place:

“Singers often come to lessons with a strong musical instinct—and with the most important condition already in place: the desire to sing. That desire is the first and most essential step in any vocal journey. It energizes the instrument, fuels growth, and gives students the motivation to explore new skills.”

Lucia outlines some of the common challenges singers face including:

• Tension in the jaw, neck, or shoulders
• Shallow or inconsistent breath
• Difficulty moving between vocal registers
• Tone that fluctuates from day to day

“Without guidance, they often try to push for high notes, over-correct vowels, or simply “work harder,” which usually adds more tension instead of addressing the underlying coordination,” she says.

Through lessons, singers learn to:

• Support their voice with proper breath control
• Maintain tone consistency across soft and loud singing
• Access higher or lower notes with confidence
• Navigate transitions between vocal registers smoothly
• Develop flexibility for riffs, runs, and stylistic choices

“This is where the role of the teacher becomes essential—not just as an instructor, but as an external guide and translator for the student’s instrument,” Lucia explains. “The voice is deeply internal, and the sensations involved in singing can be subtle and confusing. A good pedagogue helps students both produce sound efficiently and develop the ability to listen to themselves accurately. The teacher acts as a bridge, interpreting the body’s cues and the sound’s feedback in a way that students can understand and eventually internalize.”

It's a common misconception that classical voice training is relevant only to classical singers. All singers benefit from classical voice training's technical foundation.

“Breath efficiency, vocal stamina, resonance balance, and healthy registration are skills that transcend genre,” explains Lucia.

Classical technique helps singers:

• Shape clear, flexible vowels
• Release jaw and tongue tension
• Avoid pushing or strain
• Adapt their voice safely to a range of styles

“These same tools allow singers to adapt their sound to a wide range of stylistic demands,” Lucia notes. “For example, a musical theatre belter still needs efficient airflow and registration balance; a pop singer still benefits from a flexible palette of resonant spaces; a choral singer needs consistency and ease across long rehearsals.”

Even if you just want to sing your favorite songs for fun, these tools help you sing more freely, safely, and confidently.

Lucia explains that classical training does not restrict artistic choices. “Classical technique acts as a home base—a stable foundation from which singers can explore different genres with confidence, healthy habits, and a deep understanding of how their instrument works.”

Many singers can produce beautiful sounds, but without guidance, this can create tension, fatigue, or long-term strain. Voice lessons teach singers how to perform safely, keeping their instrument healthy for years to come.

Lucia identifies common sources of strain:

• Gripping in the neck or jaw
• Pushing chest voice too high
• Singing with a compressed airway
• Taking in far more breath than necessary
• Singing through fatigue or illness

“A big part of healthy training is learning to recognize and respond to these signals,” she says. “I guide students to develop an awareness of what ease feels like—how the breath moves when it’s efficient, how the throat feels when it’s free, and how resonance behaves when the body isn’t interfering. Once a student experiences that state, they can immediately sense when something is off.”

Voice lessons teach singers how to:

• Avoid vocal strain while belting or sustaining long phrases
• Maintain stamina for long rehearsals
• Recognize and correct tension and inefficient habits
• Establish warm-up, cool-down, and care routines

“We also work on differentiating between productive effort and harmful strain,” explains Lucia. “When singers learn to trust these sensations and act on them, they become strong advocates for their own vocal health. This protects their voice in the long term and gives them the ability to rehearse, perform, and experiment with confidence.”

With a strong technical foundation, new possibilities open up. Voice lessons give singers the tools to experiment, explore, and take on opportunities they might not have tried before.

Singers often see improvement in areas such as:

• A freer high range
• A more grounded low register
• A clearer mix
• More stamina during long rehearsals. 

With these improvements comes confidence. Training helps singers:

• Experiment with different genres confidently
• Audition for musicals, ensembles, or choirs
• Participate in recordings, showcases, or competitions
• Develop their unique artistic voice while staying healthy

“At the same time, singing is an inherently vulnerable process,” Lucia notes. “Even with solid technique, truly connecting with one’s artistic expression often means allowing aspects of ourselves to be seen—our emotions, our stories, our hesitations, and our voice in its most authentic form. This type of openness takes time, maturity, and life experience. It is a parallel journey that grows alongside, and sometimes beyond, the purely technical work.”

Being able to build on the technique, and using it as a tool for exploration creates a way for singers to try new things and discover new things about their voice.

“For many singers, developing technique becomes not just a physical practice but also a way to navigate vulnerability with respect and compassion,” adds Lucia.  “Approaching vocal training as exploration rather than perfection—thinking of it as discovery, curiosity, and play—helps students soften the pressure they place on themselves. This mindset allows them to build confidence without closing off emotionally; instead, they learn to integrate their vulnerability into their artistry in a healthy, grounded way.”

Voice lessons are for everyone, regardless of genre, experience level, and goals. Vocal training helps you build strong technique, protect your vocal health, and open doors to new musical opportunities. 

At the Music Institute of Chicago, our voice faculty work with singers of all ages and styles, meeting each student where they are and helping them grow in a healthy, sustainable way. Whether you’re returning to singing, exploring new genres, or refining your technique, voice lessons at the Music Institute of Chicago provide the support and expertise to help you move forward.

Inquire about Voice lessons today!