That's Larissa in the photo. Yep, I fired her several months ago but she's back again and stronger than ever. You are probably saying "Whaaaat? That's weird!" Could be, but so is paying to learn a craft and not working on it. When Larissa first came to me she was a natural singer with absolutely no direction. That's not unusual for a young teen. We took the journey together having her work on different styles so she could make some decisions to showcase her singing: coffee houses, karaoke, community theatre. I never got a sense that she loved or even liked any direction and at one point her mom came in to talk with me. She was concerned that Larissa wasn't motivated to do anything with her singing. At that point, I shared that concern. That's when I had to make the decision to fire her. Don't get me wrong, I took no pleasure in doing this and questioned myself before doing so. I told Larissa to stop taking lessons with me for 6 weeks and at the end of that time, she should decide if she still wanted to pursue lessons to do something with her singing. I didn't know if Larissa would be back in my studio or if I'd ever hear from her again. Right on target, about 6 weeks later, she wrote saying she was excited to see me and couldn't wait to tell me about her transformation. When Larissa walked back into the studio, I saw a proud young lady ready to get to work. She fell in love with musical theatre and found several places to audition. Wow! I don't know what happened in her time off, but I'm sure glad she found her way. Fast forward a few months and Larissa is now rehearsing to play the lead in the musical Carrie at The Helen Hayes Youth Theater. Drive and passion coupled with her talent brought her to this point. And with that gorgeous smile of hers, she's ready to light up the stage. -Zuke
2 Comments
We take HD video on our phones and tablets for granted these days, something unimaginable even a few years ago! Still, it's easy to shoot less than desirable (i.e., crappy unwatchable) videos on these devices. Who doesn't have the urge to film family and friends on their rise to stardom in live performance to share on social media sites? Here are a few tips to make the video watchable at the very least. 1.Please please, please don't shoot the video in portrait. Rotate the phone to landscape. You will get the correct aspect ratio and as the phone is easier to hold (with 2 hands) in this position, a more stable image. 2. Try to get as close to as possible to the performer. The picture on these little lenses and sensors gets grainy really fast. Generally, folks in a club or coffeehouse won't mind. They know you want to get the budding artist on film "before they were famous." 3. Speaking of stability, it really helps to tuck your elbows into your chest and abdomen. Remember, someone may actually want to watch this after you post it. If it jiggles around and is unfocused most viewers will quickly move to the next of thousands of youtube videos out there! 4. Be aware of lighting and focus. Most smartphones will give you at least a bit of control. On the iPhone tap on the screen to lock autofocus and autoexposure before you begin shooting. 5. No sudden movements! If you pan, pan slowly, and twist your entire body with your elbows locked, tucked into your body. Otherwise your video will look like Les Mis, with a bad camera! 6. Audio can be a big problem. Try to be as close to the audio source as possible, whether it's the performer or one of the PA speakers, and don't chat while you're shooting. Your talking will spoil the audio of the performance. Also, these little phone mics don't hold up to loud sounds very well. If your friends are in the newest incarnation of Metallica you can try putting a piece of tape over the mic or simply covering it with your finger. It will color the audio but will help fight distortion. 7. If you're tempted to shoot at an arena show, don't! Unless you happen to capture Beyonce or Bieber taking a spill you will never get anything worth seeing and will manage to annoy the heck out of everyone around you. Take a couple pictures, put the phone in your pocket, and enjoy the show. 7. It really helps to roll the file into iMovie or Windows Movie Maker before you post it. You can edit and clean up the picture and audio, add fades, titles, etc., which makes for a better post. These programs are actually a lot of fun to use and can improve your videos greatly. There is a lot of satisfaction in capturing live performance of our loved ones on their journey to the stars. Happy shooting! -Kent Believe it or not, I hear that all the time from students and their parents coming into my studio for the first time. Usually I start the consultation with a few questions including "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I encourage them to shoot from the hip, tell me their wildest dreams, how do they see themselves 5 or 10 years form now. I watch as their eyes light up, their posture straightens and they say "I want to be a star!" That's all very fine and dandy, but let me break it down a bit for you. Let's start by referring to this as show business or a career in the music arts. I've yet to see a college course offering a degree in stardom. So, what can you do to see if you have what it takes to be in this business? I suggest start by studying the subject that pertains to your art. If you want to be a violinist in an orchestra, you will have to study the instrument for many years and master it before you will even be able to audition. Why would becoming a pop star be any different? What comes first - the voice! Have you studied voice? Do you know your instrument? What if your voice is tired or you are sick - do you know what to do to get through a performance? There are so many incredible voice teachers all around the world in large and small cities and if there are none nearby, many teach on Skype. Find one and get to work! Talent comes first. Without the talent, how can you begin to think of planning out a career path? Sure, I've heard some of you say "but he can't sing, how come he's a star?" Or "she sucks, it's obvious she's got auto-tune on everything." Yep, well...that's life and that's what you're up against, so you'd better have incredible talent to start with so you can cut out some of the competition. And don't fret if you're not a natural singer. If you can carry a tune you can work your ass off on your craft and become great. Just be true to who you are and be respectful of your limitations. Talk to me. Ask me questions. I love hearing from you! Zuke |