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Recent Entries from Our Blog
Singing Career – Part II
Singing Career – Part II
Understand that your singing is your business.
Once you have decided what you want and have gotten clear about who you are and what you are selling, you need to get your singing career organized.
If you intend to make singing your business you must wrap your brain around the business of music then set up a foundation for your ongoing business. Remember, this is business, your business, and you must treat it as one if you want to succeed. So many artists have difficulty moving forward because they lack the motivation and even the skills to handle the business side of their careers.
Although we now have wonderful technology with social bookmarking and networking, etc. you have to work at it. Until you can afford to hire someone to handle the marketing and promotion for you, it’s up to you. I believe a singing career begins and ends with ALL the people you meet along the way, fans, family, internet acquaintances and music industry professionals included. It is imperative that you keep track of all of them.
Two things you will need from the beginning are business cards and a contacts database or spread sheet. In order to set up your business cards you will need to establish your contact information. Get a phone number and an email address that are not likely to change for at least two to three years. All you need is a cell phone and a free Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail account. If you do not have your own internet domain or web site for your singing, you can set up a Myspace or Facebook page or other social network page. Once you have solidified your contact information, print out some business cards. However you decide to create your cards, make sure to do it and ALWAYS have some with you.
As you pass out business cards you should also be collecting them. Any singing or networking event that you attend is an opportunity to connect with people. Take the contact information you gather and organize it into a “database”. For all intents and purposes I am using the term “database”.
Basically, you want to have all of your information for your singing career organized in one place in your computer. I input name, phone numbers, email addresses and URLs. Then I add where each person works, what they do, where I met them, if I was singing when I met them, if I was referred and by whom, the date, and any other notes pertinent to our conversation for follow up. One thing that helps me is to take notes on the back of their business card that they give me so I can refer to it later when I am inputting their information. Don’t forget to add all your online friends into the same database. Everyone will have something to do with your singing career at some point or another.
Singing Career – Part I
I want a singing career.
Do I really want a singing career?
How do I obtain a singing career?
Before you do anything with your singing, you may want to clarify a few things. The first is “What do you want to accomplish?” In your own head the answer is simple and obvious. You want a record deal of course. Now, do you want a record deal for your singing or for your band’s music? Do you prefer an independent label or a major label? How about an all-digital label? Or maybe as an independent artist you just want to do everything on your own and are just looking for investment capital? Maybe you want songwriting and singing to be your focus? Or maybe you just want a career in music? Which brings me back to, “what do you want to accomplish?” Do you even know all that is available to you, like a label deal, production deal, distribution deal, publishing deal or one-off? Whew! Well, like I said, you need to figure out what you want and be sure you want it. You may want to start by finding out what each of these aforementioned items is and what exactly they entail. Research the music business. Find out specifically who does what and where you want to send your singing samples/ demos when you are ready. This way you will not waste time and money by sending material arbitrarily to every record label.
When it comes to your singing, you need to know how to categorize yourself and how to describe yourself. Your genre is important to industry people. Your description of your singing style will help you with your image and your marketing. A great way to figure out what genre you are in is to use Billboard magazine. Billboard lists the charts of top recordings and artists each week for different genres according to how the record companies categorize artists. Go through the charts and find the artists that you most identify with musically and let their genre be your genre. Next draw from this to come up with two or three sentences that describe your singing sound or CD if you have one. When someone asks you what kind of music do you do you MUST have an answer, a clear and succinct answer. It is great to have people help you with your description. The way others see you and hear your singing is vital for you to know.
My Voice Lesson – Should I go?
Should I Go to my Voice Lesson?
Should I still go to my voice lesson or my gig if I have a sore throat?
The only time you should certainly NOT attend your voice lesson is if you know you are contagious (cold, flu).
The basic rule is: Do not sing if your throat hurts. If you have a sore throat from straining, screaming, or over-singing then the basic rule applies. In this case, the only true remedy is vocal rest. You can still go to your voice lesson because you can always learn something, but it’s best to consult with your vocal coach here. If you have a gig and cannot cancel then you have to figure out how to get through it. Drink lots of room temperature water. Do NOT warm up or sing at all until gig time. Try to hire another vocalist to share the gig with you. Do not talk or yell in between sets or songs. Lower the keys to your songs. Play longer solos. In this situation a vocal coach with performance experience would help a great deal. If you have recurrent sore throats from singing, you absolutely NEED a voice lesson! Actually, a vocal coach and a lot of lessons is a better idea.
If you have a sore throat from allergies/ post-nasal drip, or acid reflux, then you should still go to your voice lesson or gig. These are recurrent and continuous problems that need to be addressed. Visiting an ear, nose, throat (ENT) doctor is a great first step. You will have to continue to deal with these issues because of your singing anyway and they can become very serious if they are not addressed. Homeopathic, herbal or alternative remedies, western medicine, or all of the above should be examined. Honestly, the most valuable thing you could do is pay attention to your diet and figure out what works or doesn’t work for you. Your vocal coach along with your doctor and yourself will help you to figure out your best and most healthy path. So be sure to go to your voice lesson.
Two things that are always healthy, never bad for you and usually help are gargling with warm salt water twice a day and dabbing some honey on your tongue if you have to or choose to sing. The most important thing to do to KEEP your voice healthy is to pay attention to your own body and always go to your voice lesson.
Vocal Coach – Showcase Tips
Vocal Coach – Showcase Tips
Music Showcase Tips from Vocal Coach, Melissa Ellen
Here are some things to think about and go over with your vocal coach before performing at your showcase.
The trick is to know which type of showcase is right for you. Be clear and honest about your level of talent. If you are not sure, ask a professional, (vocal coach, Melissa Ellen) for a consultation, NOT your friends. You can get an assessment from Melissa via email or see her in Nashville for a few voice lessons. Check out the showcase(s) online that you are interested in being a part of, and even listen to other artists who participated in it previously.
When performing, do not try to impress or engage us with banter. It’s a showcase, not a gig. Do not tell us about your website or new CD, or give us a ten-minute soliloquy about your next song. Be sure to work on your performance with your vocal coach for several weeks prior. If this showcase is solely yours and you are investing a lot of money into it, then you should work with your vocal coach for several months prior. Be well rehearsed and kick butt.
If there is a fee to perform, I usually would say, “don’t bother” however, most music conferences charge a nominal fee upon submission (up to $25). This is a common and accepted practice. A showcase where you only perform one song should not have an entry fee at all. There are certainly exceptions to the rule. Just keep in mind that you can perform a lot of places for free. The goal is that people should eventually be paying you to perform.
Always have business cards with you. Always collect business cards. Have a notepad or use the back of each card collected to write down where and when you met that person and what you spoke about. NEVER hand out CDs to industry people unless you are asked. Establishing relationships is the key to success in this business (as with most businesses). Just as you establish a relationship with your vocal coach, you should do with other industry people that you come in contact with at music events.
For more information about showcases and general music business information sign up for the FREE monthly newsletter from Melissa Ellen, vocal coach.
Best Singing Lessons
Best Singing Lessons
My Singing Lessons with Mrs. Hankey
I find that many people who take singing lessons think that they do not sound very good and are in fact quite talented. I also find the opposite to be true.
Some people think they sound really good and are quite wrong. They take singing lessons to work on one specific thing when they need to work on everything. There are also many people who fall in between. Natural talent and musicality come in varying degrees and levels of potential and gift. And even the seemingly most gifted benefit from singing lessons.
I had always loved to sing: elementary school talent show, church choir, high school chorus, and of course, voice lessons. My first voice teacher was Mrs. Hankey. Singing lessons with her were classical and formal. Each lesson started with Mrs. Hankey taking me through vocal exercises along with the piano: me, may, mah, moh, moo up and down the scales. One day while playing the piano, she broke a fingernail and stopped abruptly. I continued on without her. She encouraged me so I went on singing. Up then down then modulating, then up then down.
She told me she did not realize that I could do the exercises without accompaniment. I did not realize that other people could not. I thought that everyone could carry a tune without accompaniment and that everyone could sing. That was the day I found out I was talented and had a gift to sing. Before then, I thought I totally sucked. What a life changing moment. From then on, even when I did not like the way I sounded I still knew that I was capable of sounding better. With a lot of singing lessons and practice I could sing anything and sing it well.
Now I carry on in Margaret Hankey’s honor by offering evaluations and singing lessons to people who want to know if they can sing and what level of talent and potential they have. It is my hope that I can give my students their own best singing lessons.
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