Before We Change: Practicing Presence in Vocal Transformation

Just because we can change a singer’s voice doesn’t necessarily mean we should. For Voice Study Centre MA student Chris Harbeson-Borgelt, meaningful voice teaching begins with a different question: who is the change really for?

Just because we can change a singer’s voice doesn’t necessarily mean we should. For Voice Study Centre MA student Chris Harbeson-Borgelt, meaningful voice teaching begins with a different question: who is the change really for?

As voice teachers, we spend years developing our knowledge of vocal function, refining our listening skills and building a toolkit of exercises and strategies to help singers achieve their goals. But what happens when our desire to improve a voice gets ahead of the singer’s own wishes?

For Chris Harbeson-Borgelt, a private piano and voice teacher, collaborative pianist, organist, conductor and MA student at Voice Study Centre (VSC), this question lies at the heart of his developing approach to voice pedagogy.

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Chris works primarily with singers across classical music and musical theatre. His research explores trauma-informed and student-centred teaching, disability and accessibility in the private voice studio, and nonclinical approaches to music performance anxiety.

Together with voice professor Megan Durham, Chris is preparing to present Before We Change at the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA) conference in October 2026. Their presentation challenges voice teachers to reconsider how they approach change, whose goals guide the learning process, and how curiosity and consent can create more meaningful experiences for singers.

When Does a Voice Actually Need to Change?

Traditionally, voice teaching has often been shaped by a master-apprentice model, in which the teacher is positioned as the expert responsible for identifying problems and prescribing solutions.

While a teacher’s expertise is invaluable, Chris encourages practitioners to consider whether every observation needs to lead to a correction.

A teacher might notice something about a singer’s vocal production that they would instinctively want to adjust. But does the singer experience it as a problem? Is there a functional reason to explore an alternative? Or is the teacher responding to their own aesthetic preferences, training or expectations?

These distinctions matter because a singer’s relationship with their voice is deeply personal. A quality that a teacher identifies as something to improve may be something the singer values, enjoys or considers an important part of their identity.

Intervening without understanding that relationship could risk undermining the singer’s confidence or making them feel that something they value about themselves is wrong.

As Chris explains, the key question is not simply how to facilitate change, but whether that change serves the person in front of us.

“Am I facilitating change because it serves the singer or because I feel a need to produce change?”

It is a question that invites voice teachers to pause before reaching for their toolkit and to consider what progress really means for each individual.

Redefining What Progress Looks Like

In voice teaching, progress can be tempting to measure through visible or audible results. Has the singer extended their range? Can they perform repertoire that was previously beyond their ability? Does their voice sound different after six months of lessons?

These outcomes can be meaningful indicators of development. However, they are not the only ways a singer can progress.

For some students, progress might mean feeling more comfortable using their voice in front of others. It might involve developing a better understanding of their vocal capabilities, gaining confidence in their musical choices or becoming more accepting of the voice they already have.

A singer might even discover that they do not need to change something they once believed was a problem.

Recognising these possibilities requires teachers to move beyond assuming that they know what growth should look like. Instead, Chris advocates asking singers about their own interests, preferences and aspirations.

Questions such as What do you already like about your voice? What kinds of sounds would you like to make? Which styles are you interested in singing? can help establish a clearer understanding of what the student wants from their lessons.

Crucially, this conversation should continue throughout the learning process. A singer’s goals and preferences may change as they develop, and regularly checking in helps ensure that teaching remains responsive to their needs.

For Chris, asking rather than assuming is not about abandoning expertise. It is about using that expertise to help singers move towards goals that genuinely matter to them.

Why Consent Belongs in the Everyday Voice Lesson

One of the central themes of Before We Change is the relationship between consent, trauma-informed practice and student agency.

Voice work is particularly personal because it involves the body, breath, sound, communication and expression. An exercise that appears to be a straightforward technical adjustment to a teacher may feel very different to the person experiencing it.

Chris argues that consent should therefore extend beyond situations involving physical touch. It also applies to the goals pursued in a lesson, the repertoire selected, the vocal qualities explored, the language and imagery used, and the decision about whether a particular change is worth pursuing at all.

Consent should be an ordinary part of teaching rather than something introduced only during particularly sensitive moments.

One practical way to achieve this is to explain what we are noticing, why we think something might be worth exploring, and what options are available. Rather than prescribing a single solution, teachers can invite singers into a shared experiment.

For example, instead of saying, “You need to sing this differently,” a teacher might say, “I'm curious what would happen if we tried this on a different vowel. How would you feel about exploring that?”

This approach gives the singer information with which to make an informed choice.

It also acknowledges the power imbalance that can exist within teacher-student relationships. Even when a teacher intends to be collaborative, a student may feel pressure to agree because they want to please their teacher, receive a good grade or maintain future professional opportunities.

Creating a genuinely collaborative environment means making disagreement safe. Students need to know that they can say, “I don't like that,” “Can we try something else?” or simply “No” without the teacher's response changing negatively.

For Chris, the way a teacher responds to disagreement helps determine whether the student truly has agency within the learning environment.

Importantly, trauma-informed teaching does not require voice teachers to investigate a student's trauma history or avoid challenge altogether. Instead, principles such as transparency, choice and collaboration can help create an environment in which students have greater control over how they engage with learning, including when something feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable.

Embracing the “Messy Middle” of Learning

Another key idea behind Before We Change is what Chris and Megan describe as the “messy middle”: the uncertain, nonlinear space between attempting something new and understanding what that experience means.

Learning is rarely as straightforward as identifying a problem, selecting the perfect exercise and arriving at an improved result.

A singer might try a new coordination and find it unfamiliar, inconsistent or more demanding than expected. They may move between an established way of singing and a new approach, or enjoy an exercise one day and feel differently about it the next.

None of these experiences automatically means that learning has failed.

As Chris explains, novelty itself provides information. A new experience is not necessarily better simply because it is different, but neither should it be dismissed as unsuccessful because it feels awkward at first.

This uncertainty can be uncomfortable for both singers and teachers. Students may look to their teachers for immediate confirmation that they have performed an exercise correctly, while teachers may feel pressure to diagnose, correct and demonstrate progress.

However, rushing to label an experience can prevent singers from developing their own understanding of what happened.

Instead, teachers can encourage reflection by asking questions such as:

• What did you notice?

• What felt different?

• Was that easier or harder?

• Did you like the result?

• Would you like to explore it again, or try something else?

These questions allow the singer to participate actively in interpreting their experience rather than relying entirely on the teacher's judgement.

The challenge for teachers is to become more comfortable with uncertainty, recognising that not every lesson needs to produce an immediate, measurable change.

Sometimes, the most useful thing a teacher can do is remain curious about the voice that exists in front of them before deciding what might come next.

How Studying at Voice Study Centre Has Shaped Chris's Teaching

For Chris, studying at Voice Study Centre has had a significant impact on how he approaches his work with singers.

He describes becoming less focused on finding a single correct approach and more interested in understanding the individual learner. His studies have encouraged him to look beyond traditional voice pedagogy texts and explore areas including performance psychology, learning theory, professional coaching and trauma-informed pedagogy.

A particularly influential experience was undertaking VSC's Trauma-Informed Voice Practitioner course with Dr Elisa Monty. The course prompted Chris to question whose needs and interests were driving the decisions made during a lesson, and whether his teaching choices genuinely served the singer.

His understanding of expertise has also evolved.

As voice teachers, we bring knowledge of singing, vocal function and technique. But singers possess their own expertise: an understanding of their experiences, preferences, goals and relationship with their voices that an outside observer cannot fully replicate.

Chris believes that the most meaningful work happens when these two forms of expertise meet.

This perspective has also influenced his approach to research. He feels more confident evaluating sources, questioning established practices and acknowledging when he does not yet have an answer.

Rather than viewing uncertainty as a weakness, he has become more comfortable saying, “I don't know yet. Let me look.”

His biggest takeaway is a renewed commitment to curiosity over the need to be correct.

As he continues to develop as a practitioner-researcher, Chris is increasingly interested in asking why particular teaching practices exist, who they benefit and whether they continue to serve the people they are intended to support.

Before We Change, Let's Ask Why

At its heart, Before We Change is an invitation to reconsider what effective voice teaching looks like.

It does not suggest that teachers should stop facilitating change or set aside their professional knowledge. Instead, it encourages them to use their expertise with greater intentionality, ensuring that their interventions support the singer's goals rather than impose an outcome based on the teacher's expectations.

By leading with curiosity, building consent into everyday teaching and allowing space for uncertainty, voice teachers can help create learning environments in which singers feel heard, respected and actively involved in their own development.

The next time you notice something about a singer's voice that you feel compelled to change, consider pausing before reaching for an exercise or offering a correction.

Ask yourself: Is this change necessary, and who is it for?

The answer might change not only the direction of a lesson, but also the singer's relationship with their voice.

Explore Your Own Approach to Voice Pedagogy

Chris's journey highlights the value of questioning established practices, engaging with research and exploring the wider human experience of voice teaching.

At Voice Study Centre, postgraduate study offers voice professionals an opportunity to deepen their knowledge, investigate questions that matter to their practice and develop a more critically informed approach to working with singers.

Discover more about studying MA Voice Pedagogy with Voice Study Centre and explore how research-led learning can shape your work as a voice professional.