In this ShowbizU interview, host Tim Kashani talks with vocal coach Matt Farnsworth about what distinguishes a vocal coach from a traditional voice teacher. Farnsworth explains that his classical piano training allows him to combine piano accompaniment with vocal technique, making his sessions more holistic. He emphasizes that a vocal coach focuses first on technique, then on storytelling and the performer’s connection to the material. When evaluating new clients, he often reviews YouTube clips gathered by his assistant Kara, listening for naturalness, timbre, tone, physical ease, and how the singer embodies the song. Farnsworth describes singing as a physical sport, noting that he watches body movement and looks for physical blockages. He shares a vivid anecdote about a student whose neck tension prevented her from accessing head voice; after working on her head tones, she not only improved vocally but also became pregnant, illustrating his belief in the body‑voice connection and intuitive coaching. The conversation highlights his blend of technical expertise, storytelling, remote assessment, and body‑centered methodology.
People think vocal coach, what does that mean?
Well, there's a difference between a vocal coach and a voice teacher. And I think people refer to me as a vocal coach because I play the piano as well. Like a lot of times voice teachers don't play the piano or they don't play very well. But I was a classically trained pianist, so I kind of kill two birds with one stone, and I kind of think that that's why people enjoy coming to me. But also, I mostly do voice technique. So the difference between the two is that usually a technique person only focuses on the technique. But after I finish working on the technique with someone, I'll say, okay, now who are you talking to? Why is this important? What are your stakes? You know, like, I learned all that from working with teachers like Craig Carnelia, Alan Savage, Bob Krakauer here. So all the classes I took, I try to apply, you know, to help— helping my students and what I know as an actor as well.
You got the technique and the storytelling.
And the storytelling, that's right.
And you're able to combine them both.
Yes.
And if somebody comes to you comes to you and says, "I really want to sing," and you go through an evaluation, what are you listening for in the instrument first on the technique side?
Well, it's, you know, it's not just the voice. It's kind of funny with the YouTube sensation nowadays. My assistant Kara usually gathers when I get a new client request, she gathers information for me on YouTube clips. So I actually don't even have to see them in person. I can kind of just look and see, and it's usually like a whole package thing. And knowing going, if I get interested. I mean, that's the honest-to-God truth. If something makes me go, hmm, you know, that's really interesting. But it's listening for a naturalness of the voice, an ease of the performing, watching the way they connect to the material right off the bat, if they just are singing or if they're really an actor or not. And I also have two associates that I work with, so I can help them by sending them to one of them that I've trained myself. But I really listen I'm listening for timbre, tone, I'm watching like a million things at once. Watching how they express the song, watching how they think, watching the way their body moves. You know, singing is a physical sport. It's like training Olympic athletes. It's so body-oriented. Seeing where they're blocked, seeing where— I had a student the other day, she's been trying to get pregnant for a year, and her neck was so locked up. I said, you know what, you belt all the time, we're going to work your head tones. And belters hate working their head tones. You know, they never want to work their head voice. And she said, "No, I don't want to." I said, "We're going to." And she said, "No, I don't want to." I said, "We're going to." So we started working it and she started crying. And I was like, "You know what? If you work your head tones for the next 3 months, you're going to get pregnant." And she did. Because she was blocked. She was literally just blocked all through her neck. There was no way any spirit or anything could come into her, you know?
You realize after people see this now you're going to get a lot of calls.
I know, I know, right? But you know, you do become a little bit, you become extra sensitive to people's bodies and the energy in their bodies. So I got a big thing of fat witch brownies from her because she says I'm a witch. But I'm not a witch. It's just intuition.
