My knowledge of gardening is limited to weekly trips to the farmer's market. A couple months ago I was talking with my friend, Kristin, who has a gorgeous yard and garden and she encouraged me to start a small one. I enlisted the help of my husband, Kent (who wasn't very thrilled about the idea at first), and started doing baby steps of research. Jumping into something that's out of your league can be rather daunting and you may quit before you start. I don't have much planted in my yard or square foot garden, but it's more than enough to give me a sense of accomplishment and the need to go outside daily and check on the progress. Of course I had these grand visions of rows of vegetables in a deer proof cage as the ultimate yard kitsch, but knowing so little of gardening I had to start small. So small in fact, I started with seeds and you can do the same with your career!
Why is it that young artists think they can jump from singing a song well to getting "discovered" and signed to a label? I know I had my fantasies when I was younger and had no idea how much work and time went into creating an artist. What are some seeds that you can plant to get you started on your dream? SONGWRITING One suggestion is keeping a journal of excellent song titles. Anytime someone says something clever, write it down. It may inspire you to write a song about it. While you have the journal open, write down some phrases that roll off your tongue. You don't have write a whole song lyric in one sitting. You can piece the phrases together when you have a collection. Don't worry at first about random thoughts. Collect enough of them and you'll have a garden full of ideas! (Pun intended.) MUSIC If you're still in school, every day you learn something new and by the end of a school year, you've learned quite a bit! Imagine if you put just a fraction of that time into practicing your instrument. The more you educate yourself as a musician, the more you will be respected. IMAGE & BRANDING The other day, Grace's mom, Kristin (not the same as aforementioned), asked if I knew how to sew. Ummm...buttons and hems and that's about it. If you learned how to sew, you could create some amazing outfits for yourself without investing a lot of money in fashion. Don't rely on a fashion consultant if you don't know what you feel comfortable wearing. Your image is going to be an extension of who you already are. PR & MARKETING Were you the kid in school who sold the most candy bars to raise money for your chorus or band? What stories did you share to compel them to buy the candy? Those same skills you used will help you sell your music when it's time. Pay attention to the little details on what inspires people to help you. Are they supporting the arts, and if so, why? Let's suppose you do find someone who wants to promote and write about you. Make sure you give them a lot of stories to write about! INVESTMENT Maybe you're the one in the family who always socks away money in your piggy bank from gifts, allowance, and small jobs. You can use that skillset today to save money to record your music. There are some artists who use crowd funding sites, but wouldn't you really rather earn and save the money yourself? I do encourage my students to use those sites to raise money where 100% goes to a non-profit of their choice. By the time you earn the right to have someone invest in you, they will want to know how much money they can make off of you, not give to you! Prove first why you are a worthy investment by investing in yourself. BOOKING Are you the one who plans the family vacations or decides on the restaurant you go to with your friends? Then you have the aptitude to shop for locations to perform your sets. If you can't book yourself and already have a following, then no booking agent will be interested. MANAGER Calling all moms and dads! Yep, if you are fortunate enough to have parents who support your musical endeavors, then they are your first managers. How do you communicate with them? If you can negotiate with the help of your parents who know you the best, then you are on your way to understanding how to work with a manager. If you have the desire to be a "star" then remind yourself that it is a full time job that takes hard work and planning. Start planting your seeds now! Peace out and rock on! Zuke
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In writing this book, Mr. Sinatra was extremely fortunate in securing the collaboration of his well-known coach and voice teacher, John Quinlan. They have written a work which, I hope, is the beginning of a subsequent series of books of this type. -Tommy Dorsey, A Word of Commendation, "Tips On Popular Singing" ©1941 Every lesson I teach is usually a bit of a warm-up consisting of the standard lip bubbles, siren slides, fricatives, and anything that's helpful and specific to the student. After that, we move on to repertoire. For me to say I use one particular method would do a disservice to the multitude of great teachers and associates I have culled my teaching style from and use today. I prefer to say I use the smörgåsbord method. I have tested out numerous methods, suggestions, positions, crazy ideas - you name it! - on my own voice just in case it applies to a student. What's good for the goose, isn't necessarily good for the gander. Whether it is a ballad, a hill-billy, a swing number, a novelty song, a marching song or a comedy number, the popular song has that ‘something’ which makes people forget their troubles and cares, when together, better than any other medium. -The Publisher, “Tips On Popular Singing” ©1941 My last student yesterday, Bob McKay, is a true joy to teach. Bob is a Senior VP at SEPPIC and our conversations range from him telling me about the chemistry of his product line to our past readings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky with a dose of the latest financial investment advice on the wild ride of Apple stocks. But what do I love most about Bob? Every single week he brings in the coolest songs to work on, which help me to remember things about my past that I thought were gone for good! The way I teach Bob is so very different from the way I teach my 12 year old pop student, Grace, and the way I teach her is different than my professional dancer, Sky. It's important that I keep up on vocal pedagogy information so I can serve my students well. John Quinlan was a vocal coach but he didn't teach my father how to sing. Nobody did. -Nancy Sinatra, July 2001 Bob brought in the Frank Sinatra version of the song, "I Get A Kick Out Of You" by Cole Porter, originally from the show Anything Goes, but made famous by 'Ol Blue Eyes. I was paying attention to how Frank almost chews every word he sings when I remembered that I had a copy of his vocal method book. (Don't ask!) I am still helping Bob to get rid of jaw and tongue tension, so listening to any of the Rat Pack singers is extremely helpful. By focusing on how Frank pronounced any "ooh" sound, Bob noticed how far back in the throat Frank sang. Just that awareness alone helped Bob to open his sound more. Is that considered a method? Nah...just years of observation and sharing of information. If the student desires to attain success in the popular field, good health, hard work, and plenty of patience are obligatory. -Introduction, “Tips On Popular Singing” ©1941 A daily (and yes, that means 7 days per week) vocal warm-up routine is necessary for any singer who wants to be taken seriously. You have no excuse with the over-abundance of methods and programs available for free, minimal cost, and some priced so high I wonder what their motivation is. Teachers charge anywhere from $50.00 to $500.00 per hour for a lesson. Does a high price mean quality? For me, anyone more expensive than my attorney is suspect, but that's my personal threshold. You be the judge for yourself. Audition different teachers to find the best one for you. Ask students about their experiences with teachers. If I am not the best teacher for you, I will let you know and try to help you find someone better suited for your needs. Any good teacher will do the same. What crazy vocal method(s) have you tried? I'd love to hear about your experiences!
Peace out and rock on, Zuke |