I don’t agree with the adage, “practice makes perfect”. I prefer “PERFECT practice makes perfect”. The reason being that the brain will gravitate towards whatever it has done the most. Repeating something correctly or incorrectly will lock it into your muscle memory exactly the way you practiced it.
Inevitably, when I begin to make changes in a voice, the body/nervous system resists at first. When it comes to muscle memory, the brain’s job is to keep the status quo and defend it’s established neural pathways. My job as a teacher is to use the tools I have to prove to the brain that another way exists, then take the voice there often enough that this new way of vocalizing becomes what the body now naturally falls into.
At first, a student may feel unsure of how to find a new coordination on their own – that’s why I may not be too quick to encourage them to practice what we are learning until they can find it independently. There is a moment I watch for when a singer does it incorrectly, then self-corrects before I have a chance to redirect them. This is when I encourage them to practice their hineys off. When I know they are repeating a technical exercise correctly at least 90% of the time (and they correct themselves the other 10%), this is when we start building it into their muscle memory.
Ideally I would have a “beginner” voice come for shorter durations of lessons so we don’t overload the brain with new sensations – but vocalize them multiple times a week . Once the momentum of “self-correction” kicks in we can lessen the frequency of lessons and increase practice time. As we advance through technique and move on to song application, a singer will often need to increase their lesson time to provide space to apply the technique.
When you practice correctly, your “perfect practice” will be rewarded.