I was paid a wee bit to write this review, but just like with all things from The WOLFe Pack, what you will find here is an honest opinion from a seasoned homeschool mom with a Master’s Degree in Education and a decade of experience in the classroom…who also happens to be a mom with way too little sleep, too much laundry to do and only 12 months left on her homeschool clock.
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The Vocal Gym for Homeschool
When offered the opportunity to review The Vocal Gym, I will admit that I hesitated in a major way. Why? Because I am not a singer, by a long shot, nor is anybody in our family, unless you count my mom’s years in the church choir (big, long robe and all.) So, a singing course just seemed like an off-choice for me, but, when I read that it qualified for a full year of Fine Arts credit for High School AND the fact that it would work for beginners, I decided to give it a second thought. Not for me, but maybe it would be a good option for my soon-to-be 12th Grade son (who has no interest in singing whatsoever.) Maybe?
Was it? Find out with the full review below.
WHO IS Throga, the Company?
Throga is the company that created The Vocal Gym for Homeschool and was founded by Richard Fink IV. So, who is Richard Fink IV?
Richard Fink IV was labeled as the “world’s leading online vocal coach” by the Wall Street Journal. He has worked with singers in 126 countries, spanning all 7 continents, including multi-platinum selling artists, professional actors, political leaders, and Broadway stars. He is also an award winning vocalist and 3x Guinness World Record holder. Additionally, he has been a vocal coach in a variety of exciting live opportunities including Talent Camp at Universal Studios, on television with Voice of Dance Life Unite and in private, personalized lessons.
“Richard’s crowning achievement, however, was becoming the only person in U.S. history to be awarded a full-utility patent on a vocal training technique with the 7 Dimensions of Singing.”
WHAT IS The Vocal Gym for Homeschool?
The Vocal Gym is an online learning platform that offers a variety of training, all designed to help singers improve their voices. It is also listed as the “only full credit Fine Arts singing course for homeschoolers.”
Everything The Vocal Gym has to offer is based on the belief that “Learning how to sing isn’t magic… it’s science!” This concept was totally new to me. I had always assumed that talented singing was more or less just the luck of the draw, genetically speaking, with a bit of work thrown in to hone an already God-given talent. Before working through this course, I had never thought of the voice as an actual instrument that just happens to be connected to our brain. Of course there is a lot of science behind how it works, but according to The Vocal Gym philosophy, there also a lot of science about how it can be improved.
And this is where The Vocal Gym comes in. Just like with our general health and physical fitness, there is a lot that can be improved if we approach it in a systematic, scientific way. If you are hoping to lose weight, sculpt your body or reduce cancer risks, you might drive to Planet Fitness three times per week or maybe you do Peleton at home. But, for your voice, you can go to The Vocal Gym.
HOW IS The Vocal Gym for Homeschool FORMATTED?
The Vocal Gym offers personalized vocal assessments, pre-recorded videos with three different expert teachers, purposeful online assignments, frequent quizzes, loads of research-based information, 100+ guided vocal exercises and more. They also include exclusive tips on vocal health and public performances. Plus, the parent has the handy Homeschool Tool Box, a fully functional parent portal and an easy way to navigate between student to teacher accounts.
Let me break some of those down for you.
Vocal Assessments with Personalized Results
This is the first step in the process, and one you can also do for free (see more info below.) It’s also the reason my teenager initially said, “nope” when I suggested he start the class for the purpose of this review. We both assumed “vocal assessment” meant singing into a recorder to have some Simon Cowell-type person judging him on the other side…and he was not a fan of that idea. 🙂 Turns out, it’s not that at all. You can choose between the Quick (3-5 minute) version or the In-Depth (15-20 minute) version. My son opted to do the Quick version (no surprise there) and quickly answered questions like, “Do you feel or hear strain in your voice when singing?” and “Can you easily express the emotional intent of a song (can you make it sound sad, happy, angry, scared etc)?” There were 21 questions in total and all were multiple choice with answers ranging from “always” to “never” and “I don’t know” (which my son used a lot.)
Pre-recorded Videos with Expert Teachers
There are several pre-recorded videos filled with loads of information for students to watch throughout the course. These videos are well done with clean graphics, smooth transitions and expert teachers. The expert teachers include Cesar, Jim and Richard.
Cesar de la Rosa is a professional vocalist and made very frequent appearances as the one who explains how the program works, what the students will need to do, etc. He is not only very talented and knowledgeable, but he is also very enthusiastic and fun to listen to (in an uber cool kind of way.)
Jim Bostock, founder of the Bostock Institute, explains the physical aspects of your voice and does so very clearly and without much fluff or fanfare but is accompanied by helpful text and images appearing on screen. For some reason, his simple approach spoke clearly to me and left me fascinated by the science of it all.
And, finally, there is Richard Fink IV, the founder and creator of The Vocal Gym. He ties everything together with his experience, ingenuity and expertise.
Purposeful Online Assignments
There seemed to be two types of assignments: some that helped cement the content learned in the pre-recorded video and some with the intent of connecting the new material to something more. The former were quick and seemed effective in a very direct, obvious way. The latter were considered optional and took more time but also certainly seemed valuable.
I want to draw special attention to the beautiful utility of the site. It’s so easy to maneuver with a very clean, user-friendly presentation. So many online homeschool curriculum options use old, clunky platforms or, worse yet, use something cheap that does not fit the needs of the course. I don’t know if Richard designed his own or if he paid somebody to custom design his site, but he clearly saw the value in presenting his high-quality course on a site that would do the content justice.
WHAT IS THE CONENT of The Vocal Gym for Homeschool?
The content is amazing and so so interesting! I genuinely wish I had the time to go through the entire thing myself. Not to improve my singing (who knows…maybe it would inspire me,) but just to learn the fascinating science of it all.
Because The Vocal Gym is all about the science. Richard calls it The 7 Dimensions of Singing (remember…he actually holds a patent on this) and says that breaking down your singing into these seven dimensions “allows you to discover the imbalances, but more importantly, it provides the tools and the process to overcome them.”
The content of this program literally
- teaches your student what the seven dimensions are
- takes your student’s specific dimensions of singing (from the vocal assessment)
- shows your student how to overcome their imbalances
- equips them with the tools needed to improve!
In addition to learning all about the 7 Dimensions of Singing, students will also focus on what our enthusiastic teacher, Cesar, calls The Guidelines. These are rules to follow when vocalizing that are designed to increase awareness of your vocals and maximize the results of your training.
So, in a nutshell: The Vocal Gym is a personalized, science-based online singing program with maximized results.
WHO SHOULD TAKE The Vocal Gym for Homeschool?
The Vocal Gym is designed with anybody in mind. As Richard says, “If you can speak, you can sing.” But, I would add that The Vocal Gym won’t be an effective tool if you don’t WANT to work on your singing voice. If you don’t want to work on it, it’s unlikely you will put in the effort which means you won’t get much in the way of results.
But, as you can see from the video below, all types of people have found The Vocal Gym to be instrumental (pun intended) in seeing improvement.
WHY SHOULD YOUR STUDENT TAKE The Vocal Gym for Homeschool as a CLASS?
If you have a disinterested (in learning to sing) teenager on your hands, like me, would taking this course from The Vocal Gym still be a good option?
I think so! Why?
The content is crazy interesting, in my opinion, and the course is so well done, that even if you have a student who has little to no desire to sing (like my very own 16 year-old,) this course would still serve as an excellent educational tool complete with a full credit of Fine Arts.
To me, it’s not much different than learning about marine science or organic chemistry. You can learn about something (and hopefully learn to appreciate the incredible value in it,) without wanting to do it. Though, I suspect, if your high schooler goes through this class, he/she will be trying out their newly appreciated voice (even if it’s just in the shower.)
DOES The Vocal Gym for Homeschool QUALIFY FOR CREDIT?
Yes, The Vocal Gym gives you one full credit of Fine Arts. Frankly…I think you should get something for science too! 🙂
IS THERE SUPPORT from REAL PEOPLE at The Vocal Gym?
Yes, you can get help from a Certified Throga Instructor in one of two ways. You can post in their private Face Book Group and you can also send a direct message to their team from the bottom of any lesson page.
HOW CAN YOU TRY OUT The Vocal Gym for Homeschool?
They do offer a Basic Free option which includes the Vocal Profile Assessment, a custom guided vocal exercise, and interaction with all of the Certified Throga Instructors for general questions and feedback. After that, you can choose a subscription plan (monthly, annual, or lifetime) to start the Vocal Gym Course.
HOW MUCH DOES The Vocal Gym for Homeschool COST?
There are different options for homeschoolers:
- $189/semester
- $349/year
- sibling cost an additional $59/semester or $99/year
- co-op pricing upon request
So, WILL MY SON BE TAKING The Vocal Gym for Homeschool COURSE?
After his initial reaction to the class, I did not think he’d agree to it. And considering the kid just started his Senior Year and has a very full schedule, I gave him the option. He does not NEED the class exactly, but I genuinely thought he might enjoy it.
After he figured out that there was no Judgy McJudgy on the other end “assessing” his vocals, he was willing to peek into the course with me for the purpose of this review. He did not watch/read nearly as much as I did. But, even with the little he experienced, the intrigue set in.
In the end, he said, “I still have no desire to actually learn how to sing. But, I want to go through the class just to learn. It all seems very scientific.”
So, yep, he will be working through the course during his final homeschool year!
