What is the Vocal Gym? Is it a course?

Yes… and no!  The Vocal Gym isn’t like any other online learning platform. It isn’t just a collection of exercises, or abstract concepts. It centers around breaking the voice down into 7 easy to process dimensions, that make it much easier to learn to master your voice.

Just like any professional athlete focused on improving a specific element of their sport, singers can focus on specific areas of their voice while doing customized vocal exercises. Combined with tools, to track your progress learning how to sing has never been simpler.

What courses do you offer?

The Vocal Gym features several training courses to choose from. Below is a brief description of our current courses with more in development. If you have already registered by taking your free Vocal Profile Assessment, you can view a more detailed breakdown on the My Courses page from the Vocal Gym dashboard:

  • Vocal Gym Basic: Your free Vocal Gym membership includes a customized guided exercise based on your profile results and features to start training your voice and measure your progress right away! It also allows you access to communicate with other members, book private lessons and use our payment gateway.
  • Vocal Gym Course: Our flagship course is a fully interactive and customizable training course designed to help you discover and develop your vocal skills to your fullest potential! The course includes everything in the Vocal Gym Basic, plus access to patented techniques, hundreds of easy-to-follow lesson videos, assignments and quizzes to reinforce the learning process, a pattern vault, picture glossary, downloadable MP3s, live lesson events, a vocal journal, Certificate of Completion and much more.
  • VG Advanced Course: This course is designed for more experienced singers and vocal teachers. It includes access to the Vocal Gym Course in addition to the advanced version, which is taught entirely by Throga’s founder, Richard Fink IV. This is perfect for those interested in taking a deeper look into the anatomy of the voice with more challenging quizzes, real-world assignments, and an Exercise Generator (coming soon!).
  • VG Homeschool Course: The homeschool version of the Vocal Gym is very similar to the main Vocal Gym Course, except that the curriculum includes several additional assignments and activities to count towards a Fine Arts credit, and therefore takes much longer to complete. Additionally, the parent receives access to a Parent Portal and Homeschool Toolbox which includes assignment guides, quiz keys, and many extras.
  • Beyond The Gym: This course is a resource included with the Vocal Gym, Advanced, and Homeschool Course subscriptions. In addition to WEEKLY new lesson content, this is where you will find links to live lessons, highly specialized vocal exercises and exclusive vocal tip videos to take your voice beyond the Vocal Gym and on to the stage!

I’m already taking private lessons, do I need the course too?

Many students use the Vocal Gym course as a supplement to their private singing lessons. This way they can focus on vocal technique with access to all of the Vocal Gym exercises and Pattern Vault to maximize their practice. Plus, your teacher (Throga Certified or not) can monitor your progress to provide additional guidance and feedback.

I’m a complete beginner. Will I actually learn how to sing with this course?

Absolutely! The course is designed for singers of all skill levels. If you have little or no experience as a singer, or want to go back and study the basics, we have you covered in the first several lessons of the Vocal Gym course. Additionally, the exercises presented throughout the course are customizable, so that you always have the appropriate degree of challenge to progress to the next level.

What age is the Vocal Gym course best for?

The Vocal Gym Course uses techniques that are safe and beneficial to singers of all ages! However, we recommend children under the age of 13 to explore the course with a parent, teacher or an older, more experienced, singer. Although the course is not created to monitor and measure more than one person’s progress, assisting a young singer will allow you to learn along with them and enable you to encourage and guide them as needed. Just be sure to let them make mistakes and discover imbalances on their own first!

Am I too old to take an online singing course?

Whether you’re in your 50s, 70s or even 90s, you’re never too old to start singing! Singing is a lifelong journey; it doesn’t matter where you begin, or continue learning. Should you have any specific questions or challenges once you’ve started the course, you are always welcome to reach out to our Certified Throga Instructors in the private Facebook Group to assist you.

Are there any live lessons available to course subscribers?

Yes! Live lessons are available through the Beyond The Gym course. This includes both group sessions with several Vocal Gym members, as well as 1-on-1 opportunities with a Certified Throga Instructor for others to watch and learn from. Private lessons are also available.  

Can I download lessons from any of the courses?

Video lessons are not available for download. However, you can download practice MP3s from the Pattern Vault (included in the Vocal Gym Course) and course assignments. Please note that playing downloaded MP3s from your device will not get automatically calculated into your weekly training goals.

Is there a mobile app for the online singing courses?

The Throga App (iOS and Android compatible) is free to use. It includes a vocal blog, practice tracks, book related media and direct access to the Vocal Gym and courses for paid subscribers.

What if I have questions during the course? Can I talk to the instructors?

Absolutely. If you don’t already have a teacher or organization to help you, there are two ways to contact our Certified Throga Instructors: Post your question in the private Facebook Group or send a direct message to our support team by scrolling down to the bottom of the lesson page you are inquiring about. If your question goes beyond the expertise of our general support, it will be immediately forward to one of our instructors to assist you directly.

Do you have a trial membership for any of the online courses for singers?

Access to the Vocal Gym dashboard is free. Forever. This includes the Vocal Profile assessment, your custom guided 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 with over 300 videos, a pattern vault, live streaming lessons, and much much more. If you’re still not sure, we recommend trying the monthly plan for only $59! This way, you can have access to the entire program for a full 30 days with zero obligation to continue. That’s 24 hour access for an entire month to hundreds of exclusive videos and lessons for less money than the national average of a 1 hour private lesson.

Will I really notice a difference in my singing just by taking the online course?

Without a doubt! As long as you take the time to apply what you are learning, you will absolutely see REAL changes in both your awareness and skills as a singer. The techniques and exercises you will learn are designed to adapt to whatever your current needs are so that you continually progress.  Like any other physical activity, the more you practice/repeat something with good form, the deeper your mental programing (muscle memory) becomes, and the quicker you will improve.

What if I can’t get to the course every day? Will my singing still improve?

The beauty of this online course is that you can go at your own pace, on your own schedule. These lessons are available anywhere you have internet, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! This way you can watch a lesson, practice a guided exercise, or read about singing whenever you want. If you have to skip a day, two, or even a week, you can pick right back up where you left off. Of course, if you stop vocalizing or singing for several weeks, or even months, it will take some time for your voice to respond at the same level you were when you stopped, but it will be much faster than it was the first time you built those skills up!

Are there any opportunities to perform in the Vocal Gym?

Yes! We have both online and in-person opportunities to perform and share your voice. Although the premise of the Vocal Gym is to train and build skills for singing, the Beyond the Gym members (included in the Vocal Gym course subscriptions) are invited to participate in monthly live events online, where they can interact with other members and perform with direct feedback from Certified Throga Instructors. We also encourage you to share your recorded singing videos on the private Facebook Group with the Vocal Gym community. In-person performance opportunities include Throga Retreats, studio recording (at Throga Records) and convention style events at various locations (these events are currently paused due to COVID traveling and performance restrictions).

What makes the Vocal Gym different from all the other online singing courses?

To start with, we truly care about each and every one of our Vocal Gym members and feel strongly that the more people we can help to embrace their voice, build self-worth and express themselves with joy in their heart, the better the world will become. Meaning, we believe that cultivating a safe and positive environment for people to grow as singers (and humans) is more valuable than the number of sales we make! This is why we offer several free vocal exercises, video tips and personal feedback on singing to ALL of our members, not just our paid subscribers. That said, we have several standout features that are, in the very least, unique, and won’t be found anywhere else:

  • Vocal Profile Assessment to monitor and measure progress
  • The patented 7 Dimensions of Singing to accurately identify skill levels
  • Customizable exercises that truly assist ALL singers in ANY style of singing
  • Our system auto-tracks and journals your practice time towards weekly goals
  • Advanced users can generate their own exercises to target desired vocal dimensions
  • Interaction with Certified Throga Instructors – you are never alone in your journey!

How long does it take to complete a course?

If you are working with a teacher or homeschool program that is integrating the lessons into a curriculum, the Vocal Gym Course can easily be spread out over a year’s time to provide the appropriate practice time in between private and/or classroom lessons. If you are taking the course on your own, you can move at any pace that feels right for you! Like a good book, many singers often repeat the same lessons, if not the entire course, several times to get the most out of it! The course is rich with information and even professionals repeat the basics while exploring new challenges to stay in peak performance throughout their career. Alternatively, you could push through the entire Vocal Gym Course inside of a single month. Though this can be useful to get a feel for everything in the course, along with absorbing a ton of new information, it is not recommended. Binge watching videos and rushing through assignments will not magically advance your voice without putting the hours of practice in, needed to fully benefit from what you will learn. After all, creating new mental programs and physical behaviors takes a whole lot of repetition. And because singing is a lifetime love for many, we always have something new for you to explore in the Beyond The Gym course (included with the Vocal Gym Courses) with exclusive content being continually added. Whatever you decide, don’t feel rushed and go at your own pace. You will continue to see growth regardless of how “fast” you are going and as always, we are here to help you along the way!

If I complete a course, can I re-watch the videos and retake the quizzes and assignments again in the future?

As many times as you like! So long as you have an active subscription, or are a lifetime member, there is no limit to how many times you can play videos or MP3s. You will never be limited to a one-time viewing.

How much are the online singing courses?

Vocal Gym Basic is completely FREE! The Vocal Gym Course is just $33/month (with an annual subscription) and the Vocal Gym For Homeschool is $349 annually for a full Fine Arts credit. For a detailed breakdown, visit the My Courses page from the Student Dashboard (login required).

How quickly can I expect to see results?

Having an awareness of new concepts and exploring new exercises can have an instant positive effect on your voice! Since the course presents everything from an anatomical (scientific) perspective, it is common for singers to ‘get it’ quickly and notice some changes right away. However! Any lasting behaviors and improvement of skill will require a tremendous amount of practice. So the length of time it takes to reach your goals depends on how often you practice your new training, how effectively you apply the new techniques and how much mental “re-writing” is needed if you are starting off with poor habits. Changes can happen quickly, but quality results will take time and devotion to your craft.

Will I receive a certification for completing the Vocal Gym Course?

Upon successfully completing any of the Vocal Gym Courses (this includes all lessons, assignments and quizzes with a score of 80% or higher) you will automatically receive a downloadable, date-stamped, PDF that you can print and show your teachers and share with others. In addition, you will be awarded up to seven badges for every dimension section you successfully complete within the course!

If I get the homeschool course for my child, do I have to monitor their course curriculum?

In short, no. The Homeschool Course is designed to spark interaction between you and your child to assure a productive learning experience, but it is not required for you to use the Homeschool Toolbox for parents for them to complete the course on their own. Regardless of your desired level of involvement, you will have continuous access to monitor your child’s course progress, assignment completion, and quiz grades throughout the process by logging into the Parent Portal.

Do you offer homeschool co-op or academic discounts?

Homeschool co-op licenses and group discounts for academic organizations are available upon request. Exclusive live webinars with a Certified Throga Instructor are also available to co-op members. Please visit the Homeschool Co-Op page for details.