Day in the life of
Music Teacher – Jessica Doyle-Mekkes
I teach singing to musical theatre students, Broadway and Pop/Rock styles of music. I teach 1-on-1 lessons (applied voice) as well as group studio class and an Intro to Musical Theatre Voice course which covers everything from anatomy/physiology, acoustics, vocal health & hygiene, and performance anxiety.
I spend most of the day teaching students 1-on-1. I see about 45 students every week for private, 30-minute lessons where we work on singing technique, style, and preparing for auditions & rehearsals. My non-teaching time goes to grading, assigning songs to students for future use, and writing. I’m also writing a book on the female voice to be published in 2022.
Pros
- I get to do what I love – sing & work with singers every day.
- Teaching is more stable than pursuing a full-time performance career and also affords things like health insurance, a 401k, and a consistent schedule.
- Being a college professor truly has the best schedule. Fall break, holiday break, spring break, summer break – there’s a lot of time off to allow me to pursue performing myself and also to write and be with my family.
Cons
- I am never going to make a lot of money. Choosing to teach in higher ed, especially in the arts, is a wonderful lifestyle and work/life balance but not a huge paycheck. That’s really the only major con. Students can be frustrating at times, but my students are pretty wonderful 95% of the time.
For those who are interested in pursuing a career in the arts, as I tell my students, there’s a whole world between being a Broadway performer and doing something completely unrelated while still doing community theatre in your spare time. I’ve performed all over the world, I teach, I music direct, I have been a clinician at theatres, schools, and conferences. I am truly surrounded by the industry that I am passionate about and also able to have a work/life balance that allows for a family and stability.
