Roger Love's The Perfect Voice

Disclosure: I got this product as part of a review opportunity. 

A month ago, I agreed to have a go at trying Roger Love's The Perfect Voice, which is a voice coaching series that helps with improving how your voice sounds. My thinking was that I'm a terrible singer and if I can sound even halfway decent (like perhaps not tone deaf), my family will thank me.

While Roger Love is a real vocal coach who has worked with some super famous people like Tyra Banks and Reese Witherspoon, I quickly got the sense that this program is aimed at people who are looking for ways to better communicate at work or in life as a means to get ahead and be noticed. This marketing aspect of the program feels a bit shady to me, reminding me of those terrible "get rich quick" and "buy my program to make more money" infomercials of the 90s.

As the program is promoted as a way to get more dates or make more money, you can see how I'd feel this way.

The thing is, as a vocal coach for acting or singing, this program totally makes sense and has some value. It's the "make more money" aspect that irritates me. It cheapens the program, in my opinion.

It was nice to be reminded how to properly breath and learn a few vocal warm up exercises, but it is hard to know if I am following along correctly since there isn't anyone actually hearing me. This program isn't an alternative for an in-person vocal coach, but it is an interesting alternative for those who do not have the time or money to invest in live coaching, or for whom live coaching isn't necessary, like me - a total non-singer.

I wanted to know what singers feel about Roger Love's coaching program, so I did a Google search and found several positive reviews. If you have a background in voice, there may be some value here and I would say that vocalists are more familiar with what Roger Love is teaching and consider his techniques spot on and very helpful.

At Shaping Up to be a Mom, the reviewer is trained in musical theater and found The Perfect Voice program very educational. Like me, she felt there is nothing better than the face-to-face experience, but for working on expanding her range, this program was valuable. She noted there is an advanced course that allows participants to send a recording for real feedback. That's an opportunity to pursue if you have a real interest in voice training.

In full disclosure, what I reviewed was a web-based program that was created to allow people who order the CDs a quick way to get started without having to wait. I found the web experience disappointing and frustrating because I really didn't want to sit in front of my computer screen. I'd much rather be practicing in my car, or on the go. Paying customers will receive a CD set with the complete course and the instant access to the audio courses online.

As a UX designer, I find the web experience could use a design overhaul, but I understand it's likely used by a small group of customers and only temporarily. That said, the audio plays in what looks like a video format, so it's a blank box with audio playing, set inside a basic website template. A redesign of the layout and look & feel would really improve how approachable and engaging the web experience is. It's hard for me to ignore this, but that's the designer in me talking.

Overall, this program turned out to be "not for me." That doesn't mean it's not for you, just that as someone who isn't strongly seeking to improve my personal or financial situation, which are just fine as is, and not looking to be a professional vocalist, I don't think I'm the target customer.

The starter pack, with four CDs and instant online access is available for purchase for $97, or for $146.90, you can get The Perfect Voice Training Collection, which features the starter pack plus Love & Relationships and Money & the Workplace.

I received online access to The Perfect Voice for free during the review period using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.