Do all vocal instructors live in squalor?

[Mizmoon]

I have been looking for a vocal instructor so I can get ready to do some community theater. I've tried out two teachers.

The first one was a woman whose house looked like it hadn't been updated in any way since 1950. She also looked like something out of 1950 herself. There were "trinkets" and "knick knacks" all over the place to the point where you couldn't move and there were no fans or AC so her house was like an oven. The walls were painted dark brown. Even though she said she had a piano, she's got a little keyboard and that's it. No go for teacher #1.

I just met this second guy. At least he's in NYC and works on off-broadway. I get to his place, with a decent address, thinking this is gonna be the shiznit. I get upstairs and it's the most depressing, hole-in-the-wall, view-of-the-alley, little hovel of an apartment as I have ever been in. He too has only a keyboard.

Admire those who devote themselves to art. They pay for it big time. And they don't have pianos.

[MuseRider]

1. Poverty.

The life of a musician. Very few of us actually make enough money on our music to live well.

[Mizmoon]

2. I wasn't expecting "well"

I've lived in some pretty sad excuses for apartments myself when I was young. I expected not very nice to pretty shabby. But this shit was ... daaaaaaaaaamn ....

[Misskittycat]

3. How do you find a reasonably priced speech/diction coach?

I live in San Diego, and I could use a vocal coach (i.e., speech/diction/Philly accent reduction), but the yellow pages and the Internet seem only to list speech pathologists who charge a lot per hour. I'm not saying they're not worth it, but is there an alternative. For example, what do all of the struggling actors in NY and LA do? Where do they find coaches without breaking the bank?

[Susang]

4. Mine doesn't

He's not my voice teacher any longer, since he currently lives in LA and I live in Chicago, but he has quite a nice place. Gorgeously decorated and his S.O. is a successful voiceover and character actor. Last I'd heard, they'd even adopted a child.

Best voice teacher I ever had too. I still haven't been able to find an adequate replacement. :-(