I lived in a town with a decent music school at the university. I put up an ad on craigslist and just laid out what I wanted: a coach to help me get better control of my voice. I briefly explained my expectations: get better so I can reclaim my love of singing, pure personal enjoyment.

Since I was realistic and reasonable in my expectations, I quickly found a senior student with ambitions to open a school after graduation. We met weekly for a couple of months and the rate was reasonable.

The key lesson I learned is that my natural range is a bit higher than I thought. I got better and I don’t particularly worry anymore what people think of my voice. It feels good to sing knowing you are approximately in tune. It’s mostly bawdy drinking songs anyway!