The Singers' Workshop - Information for Singers

Does Age Make A Difference?
There is no question that age makes a difference to the powers that be. If you are young you have a longer career ahead of you of making money for them. Also the huge part of the record buying public is 13-24 and what appeals to them is music made by people their age or at least with their sensibilities. But that definitely should not in any way stop you or even slow you down. there are plenty of people out there who buy records who are older and there are great musicians signed to deals who are over 24 as well. Besides, you love to play music and that is the bottom line. Find your audience no matter what their age or size. Sell to them. Find independent record labels, or larger labels who are willing to go with a wonderful artist who might not reach the multi platinum status that a teeny-bopper might achieve. A gold record is good. Make music. that is your life whether or not you sell millions. that is what counts.

How do I make a demo to get work as a studio or background singer, and how do I get work?
A demo for background singing should show every style that you are good at. You should sing the lead parts and also sing the background parts. Include short pieces of songs in many styles. Also put on it an a capella three or four part song where you sing all the parts. A lot of jingle singing involves singing in groups. So one of the things you can do is find other singers and work with them on harmonies. Then you can offer your services as a unit. Send your demo to recording studios, especially the ones that are used by ad agencies and jingle houses. There is also background singing for bands in your area. You can look for studios who record the styles of music you are good at and let them know that you are available to come in and sing parts when bands come in to record. Or even better, find the bands first and perform with them. Go to clubs to see bands and get to know the musical community and offer your services as a background singer. Look in the newspapers, especially the music ones, for groups looking for singers. Also check out music stores and colleges to see if they have a bulletin board where people post messages. Singing in a church choir or school choir is another good way to meet people who are interested in putting a group together. One last thing, you should learn to read music. Most studio singers read very well and they are who you are competing with.

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I'm a really good singer. How can I get discovered?
You can't wait for someone to come along and 'discover' you. Most people who are 'discovered' have actually worked very very hard for a long time. They get very good at singing by taking lessons.They learn music theory, song structure, how the music business works and all the other elements of being a professional. They make a demo tape of original songs and send it off to record labels, radio stations, managers and publishers. And then someone hears it and likes it and they are 'discovered'. Work very hard. Learn everything you can. Do very well in school. You will need to be very sharp to deal with the music business. The most important thing about being a singer isn't being famous or being discovered. It's being a musician. There is a lot to learn and you can't expect anyone else to come along and 'discover you' and do the work for you. It is hard to achieve fame and fortune. But that's true in any business. You have to have something about you that no one else does and that your audience wants to emulate. You have to develop yourself in every way - performance, vocal skills, musical knowledge. Join a choir. Put a vocal group together of your friends who want to sing. Learn other people's songs to practice on. Meet other musicians. Learn from everyone. Sing every chance you get.

I want a career as a singer. What do I need to do?
Once you start to take singing seriously as a career, it turns out to be a lot of work and there are parts of it you will find drudgery. That's the way it is when you become a professional at something. But if you think a career is what you want, then you should find a good voice teacher and take private lessons for a while. Your voice needs to do whatever you can think of. You need to have utmost confidence in it. If there is a sheet music store or Guitar Center near you, you can find a book I have written that will help you think about the kinds of things you need to learn to be a professional. It's called " The Singer's First Aid Kit" and it has a a warm-up tape or CD with it. See if you can find that. If not you can order it through me. Second you need to find great songs that fit you like a glove. They can't be songs that someone else has made famous already because that's what you want to do with them. And they need to reflect your style, personality and vocal skills. Look for songwriter organizations in your community and ask them for songs. Or you can start writing songs for yourself and maybe find a songwriting partner to help you. Maybe one who plays an instrument like guitar or piano if you don't. Once you have good songs that you want to record, you will need to make a demo. Making a demo is a very important step but it can cost a bit of money so you might want to start saving. Find a recording studio where the engineer knows musicians who can record it for you. Or if you know musicians they can go into the studio and record it for you. Then you will go into the studio and put down the vocal and then the engineer will mix it together. At that point you will have a finished demo and you will need to make copies of it either to cassette or to CD. Then you can start sending it out to contests, and other places. For instance you can have the engineer make a recording of just the music part of your demo and then you can sing to it live. So if there is a street fair in your area or a radio station that is doing a show or a talent contest or even a karaoke night, you can take your 'track' (that's what the music part of your demo is called) to any place and sing to it. you could use it to audition for things. Send it to radio stations, management companies and producers. For books that list industry people see my products pages on my website.

I LOVE to sing. But there's one problem, I have stage fright. what can I do?
Start with something not too scary. Like singing for your younger sister or your best friend. Or even singing by yourself and taping it and playing it for someone. Then work up to something harder like singing for your Mom. Also singing in a group is usually easier. Find some friends to sing with or a choir at your school or church.You do have to get over stage fright if you are going to sing for a living.

My voice gets so dry sometimes it almost 'skips'! What can I do to get rid of the scratchiness?
I have a lot of info about this because I have a lot of students who go back and forth between LA and Las Vegas and when they come back they've lost their upper ranges every time for days, even weeks. And I just came back from a conference there and had a similar experience. Because it is so dry there and because they water everything so it will bloom and look nice, it is the worst of all worlds. Loads of flowering plants that send off allergens and dry air so your mucous membranes dry out. Most singers who play there know that they have to take extra special care of their voices. It's even got a name - Vegas throat. So here are the solutions. First of all get a humidifier. Not a vaporizer which is a little thing that sits on a table and makes the whole room feel damp. A humidifier is bigger, sits on the floor and sends tiny drops of water into the air. It's usually pretty quiet and comfortable. It should be on all the time but especially in your bedroom when you are sleeping. Nancy Wilson, the famous singer, takes five humidifiers to Vegas when she goes. No kidding. Second, do you have allergies? Go to the doctor; find out what they are and take shots or medication for them. Also if your vocal cords are swollen (I bet they are) get some medication to shrink them and get them wet again. The problem basically is that your cords have to stay wet and your allergies, the climate and maybe even your diet are all conspiring to dry them out. The first thing that will go will be your head voice (upper). The diet stuff is this: stay away from dairy, reduce salt and caffeine intake, avoid alcohol and smoke. Anything drying, like antihistamines, decongestants, diuretics, diet pills will dry your voice out. Drink tons of water. Really. Last, find a good voice teacher who will gently stretch your voice back out and keep an eye on the tiny changes in it. You will start to notice when even the littlest thing feels out of whack and that's good. You shouldn't get to the point where your head voice is gone without noticing all the steps that led up to it. Drink tons of water. Really.

My throat starts to constrict after I've been singing for an hour or so and it gets scratchy. Is this normal?
No but it's not uncommon. It has to do with the way you sing. You are using muscles in your throat and neck to control the sound and that is causing that feeling of scratchiness. It will also wear out your voice in the long term. The best solution is to see a voice teacher. They can watch and listen to you sing and help you to figure out what muscles you are using that you shouldn't be and how to sing properly. You should know how to breathe (look at me website on the articles pages for information on this) and how to use your diaphragm. This is hard to fix on your own because you don't even know you are doing it much less how to change it. Invest in your voice so you have it for your lifetime by taking lessons.

I'm under 18 and serious about a singing career. I want to be doing more than just singing at school assemblies - what should I do?
I know just how you feel. I think all singers feel like they have to sing for bigger and bigger audiences and get better and better. I also know how frustrating it can be to be in a small town and not feel like you can get enough input or singing time in. But the first order of business, and I think your biggest problem, is not having your parents full support. You need to convince them that you can fulfill their expectations of you, like getting good grades and maybe going on to college, and still take singing very seriously. You cannot make it in the world of music without being really sharp and a good education will be essential. I'm sure your parents are worried that your singing is just a dream and you won't be able to support yourself. So you have to show them that it's not just a dream - it's real. And that you also can get a degree. If you are going to do the things I'm going to suggest next, you will need their help and belief in you. So show them you are serious.

You should get some musical training. Try to learn about music theory. You can do this by learning an instrument like piano or guitar or by taking a basic music theory class at your school or at the local college. Most colleges have an adult education department which doesn't give grades or even tests. It's mostly for adults who want to learn about something on their nights off. Or you could go to a music store and find out about lessons. Or you could take voice lessons. Find a teacher who will teach you the underlying theory behind the music you like. Then when the time comes that you get into the studio to record or into rehearsal with a bunch of musicians, you will be able to understand what they are talking about and communicate with them. Also a voice teacher can give you some input about your voice. Is it really as good as you think it is? That's an important question. What work do you have to do to fix whatever vocal problems you might have? Get a voice teacher who understands the style you like to sing. A classical teacher might not appreciate a pop voice and may tell you not to bother but they might be wrong.

There are contests everywhere. Look on the internet for vocal contests. Prairie Home Companion, which is a radio show, has a contest for musicians from towns with under 2000 people. (http://prairiehome.org) And the musicians who competed were unbelievably good. There are a capella contests, also there's a website called tonos.com which has some very famous producers on it who also have contests and there are lots more.

Save up your money and see if you can find a little recording studio where you can put your voice on tape over a karaoke track so you have a demo. Then you can start sending it out to these contests. Sing in every circumstance you can find - at church, at school, with friends. In fact I bet you know someone at school who plays guitar and you could get together and jam. Every experience helps including singing harmonies for someone else. Even in a small town there are people who love music and you have to find them so you aren't alone. Put up a card on the bulletin board at the music store (not the CD store, the instrument store) asking for a guitarist or a pianist to play with.

But all of these things have to go through your parents first. They have to approve of what you are planning to do and they have to help you. You can't do it without them. So if there is something they need from you in return, you have to do it. Show them you are willing to work hard to accomplish your goals and they will start to take your dreams more seriously.

What should I eat before I sing?
It's more a matter of what not to eat. Avoid dairy products, caffeine, salty foods, alcohol, stimulants, antihistamines and decongestants. Drink lots of water or herbal tea. You need to stay very hydrated. You can also steam yourself if you feel particularly dry. Make sure you get a good night's sleep and feel well rested. Warm up your voice well before you start. Ideally you would eat a couple of hours ahead so you aren't empty but you aren't still digesting. Take a snack with you (and some tea) if you are going to be in the recording studio for several hours. More information is available about this in my book, The Singer's First Aid Kit, available in The Singers' Workshop store.