How can you address singers' emotional needs during coaching sessions?

1 Listen actively

One of the most important skills for a vocal coach is active listening. This means paying attention to what the singer is saying, both verbally and non-verbally, and responding with empathy and curiosity. Active listening shows that you care about the singer's feelings, thoughts, and goals, and that you are willing to understand their perspective. It also helps you to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement. To practice active listening, you can use techniques such as paraphrasing, reflecting, asking open-ended questions, and giving feedback.

2 Validate their emotions

Singers may experience a range of emotions during coaching sessions, such as excitement, joy, anger, sadness, or fear. As a vocal coach, you can validate their emotions by acknowledging them, naming them, and accepting them without judgment. Validating their emotions helps the singer to feel seen, heard, and respected, and to cope with difficult feelings. It also creates a safe and trusting environment where the singer can express themselves freely and authentically. To validate their emotions, you can use phrases such as "I can see that you are feeling...", "That sounds...", or "It makes sense that you feel...".

4 Empower their choices

As a vocal coach, you can also address singers' emotional needs by empowering their choices. This means giving them a sense of autonomy and agency over their own learning and performance. Empowering their choices helps the singer to develop their own voice, style, and identity, and to express themselves creatively and personally. It also boosts their motivation and engagement, as they feel more invested and involved in their own process. To empower their choices, you can use methods such as offering options, asking for their input, and supporting their decisions.

5 Model emotional regulation

Finally, as a vocal coach, you can address singers' emotional needs by modeling emotional regulation. This means showing them how to manage your own emotions in a healthy and appropriate way. Modeling emotional regulation helps the singer to learn from your example, and to adopt effective coping skills and strategies. It also demonstrates your professionalism and credibility, as you show that you can handle stress, pressure, and uncertainty with calmness and composure. To model emotional regulation, you can use techniques such as breathing, relaxation, positive self-talk, and humor.