How to Be a Singer

How to Be a Singer

1. Learn how to sing. This is the foundation of your career as a singer. While there are some performers making a career out of singing who don't really sing all that well (some is being nice), it's those people who have their craft as singers and continually improve their form and ability who command the most respect as singers.

· Experiment singing with different genres. Find what genre really seems to "fill" your voice. Know your vocal range, what your voice tends to do, what comes easy and what comes difficult, and note what seems to wear your voice out. The good news is that all this can be done in the shower! When you know your starting point, you'll know just how much progress you've made.

2. Take voice lessons. Having a vocal coach can literally take you from a caterwauling cat to a controlled belter, if you give it enough time. If you practice consistently (and your coach is legitimate), you will notice marked vocal improvement within a few weeks. Not only is this important for the strength and overall quality of your voice, but you can also damage your voice if you aren't singing properly; having a vocal coach, in theory, prevents that.

· If you can't afford voice lessons, try a learn at home voice training program like Singing Success or Sing for the Stars as they can teach the basic foundations of voice technique.

· Before you write singing lessons off due to financial woes, know that most coaches try to drill in a specific method and will establish that within the first few sessions. Once you know how to get the results you're looking for, you can, in theory, practice on your own.

3. Learn to read music. Sure, Fantasia couldn't even read a book, and she made it -- but hers is a rare story. If you plan on dealing with professionals, reading music is key to your success and your being taken seriously. So join the choir, take a class, and work on your music theory skills.

When you get to the top, people will expect to be able to hand you a piece and for you to follow along andfollow along well. You'll have zero to little practice time and will need a solid base to start off from. Being able to read music gives you just that.
While you're at it, it certainly wouldn't hurt to learn to play an instrument. Singers are often a dime dozen, but someone who can sing and play guitar/piano/drums is worth his weight in gold.

4. Study singers whom you admire. Singing isn't invention, it's innovation. How do your favorite performers sing? What are their signature styles? Don't think of it as copying them -- think of it as taking two or three things that they do well and expanding and combining them.

It may be beneficial to research their lives, too, in addition to their music. How did they become professional singers? What steps did they take to make it to the top? And above all, what can you learn from them?

Developing as an Artist

1. Become comfortable as a performer. Singers might just be singers if only the radio existed, but in today's day and age, you've gotta be an entertainer to boot. When you're up on a stage, you've gotta reek of confidence so heavily your audience is practically glued to their seats. How do you get confident? Practice, practice practice. Get out there -- whenever you can, get out there.

Even such a small thing as doing karaoke is getting you time performing in front of people. Audition for talent shows, do open mic nights, and join choirs or troupes. If it involves singing in front of people, do it. You'll be all the better for it (and you may meet people to help give you a leg up!).

2. Find your own style. Experiment with different ways of singing and different types of music. Find the one that fits your personality and makes the most of your voice at the same time. You want people to be able to recognize your voice when they hear it. If they can't, you might as well be someone else.

Embrace what makes your voice unique. You may initially think that a quirk in your sound is bad and try to get rid of it -- don't. Use it to your advantage. Adele is smokey and slides a lot and it works. Amy Winehouse was a little rougher around the edges and it works. Justin Timberlake is nasal and somehow it works. Whatever hand you got dealt, run with it.

3. Write your own stuff. Start writing now -- you'll need to refine your song writing skills and this may take time. When you're ready to submit your work to producers and the like, you'll be able to sift through your best stuff, weeding out the not-so-stellar gems. And you will need your own songs.

Start with lyrics if you're not super great at scoring for a six-piece orchestra. Once you get lyrics and a tune in your head, you probably have a friend that likes to fiddle around on the guitar. When you make your millions, you can give him 3% of the profits from that song. Or you could buy him dinner now. Whichever.

4. Get your name out in your community. Everyone has to start somewhere and the easiest place to start is in your hometown. Even small towns have opportunities that can beef up your expertise. But the opportunities won't come to you; you'll have to create them.

Get involved in your local theatre. Many singers also have rad dancing skills -- getting some stage time singing and dancing will be majorly beneficial to your multi-tasking prowess.
Get some low-key gigs at cafes or bars. If you can play an instrument (or have a friend willing to work with you) and are willing to play for pennies, odds are there's probably a cafe or two willing to have some chill music in the background once in a while. You may be playing for dinner, but hey -- that's a start!
If this seems a bit intimidating, start hanging out where there is live music and getting in with the bands that already have the gigs. Ask them if you can sing a song or two -- if you're good, they'll remember you and your relationship will only flourish from there. Can you say, "substitute?"

5. Get connected! Start your career by uploading your stuff on YouTube. Ask friends to record your performances, too -- the higher the quality, the better. Create Twitter, MySpace music, and Facebook accounts promoting your singing as well. You need a good, in-the-know fan base so your first album will sell!

When you start making press kits, this stuff will be highly useful. If you can't be found online, you pretty much don't exist. Establish your internet presence well enough that anyone who could possibly be looking for someone like you could find you.

Taking it to the same level

1. Get a regular paying gig. This could mean a number of things -- joining a band, singing at your local cafe, performing on Broadway, on a cruise ship, or even recording a jingle for a commercial-- your goal is to make a living as a singer. Get to it! Start by checking out the local bands in your area by going to venues that offer entertainment. Hit up information boards and want ads for bands or venues looking for singers, back-up singers, and the like.

This may mean moving to where the money takes you. Not all places are thriving with opportunities when it comes to the arts. You may stand a better chance in the next nearest big city to you. Scope it out -- if it seems promising, you may want/need to make your move.

2. Buy equipment. First things first, you need a microphone. Second, you may benefit from investing in a PA system -- not all venues will have one and they'll tell you, "Yeah, we'll totally have you, if you can bring your own sound system." Don't lose the gig by not having one (renting one constantly isn't financially solvent). When you have your own stuff, you depend on no one else.

You may want to consider buying some recording equipment for your home, too. If you get good at mixing and have a good space, it can sound pretty decent. New YouTube videos up every week!

3. Make your demo CD. Hopefully by now you have enough contacts that you can find a studio with a decent rate and possibly score some acquaintances to work with on recording a few songs. This demo will prove eternally useful -- you can send it out to labels, add it to your internet portfolio, and pretty much just whip it out whenever anyone wants proof you're too legit to quit.

If you can't afford studio time (they can get pretty pricey), having equipment at home makes it easy. Loads of software is free online nowadays that can mix and master your music just as well, provided you have the skills. Whatever you do, don't settle for good enough. Your demo needs to highlight you in the best light possible; the more professional it sounds, the better you'll be off.

4. Get a manager. If you want to send your demo to prospective labels, you'll need a manager. The bigger ones don't accept "unsolicited content," i.e., music from average Joe without a manager. Technically, this can be anyone -- but the better yours is, the more gigs you'll probably get.

When it comes to working with a manager, make sure yours believes in your music and isn't ripping you off. A good manager only makes money when you makes money and honestly thinks that'll happen, which is why he/she signed on board in the first place. You can find managers in online forums, through your network, or even a friend trying to bust into the industry himself.

5. Send out your demo. This really isn't so much a step for you as for your manager. You'll be out there promoting yourself, selling merch, and pretty much nailing every gig you can get. Hopefully, the projects will start getting bigger and bigger. And then one day you'll get that phone call from Mr. Manager saying you're in! Huzzah.

Many music industry contacts can be found online. The smaller, more indie labels are more open to all types of content. Don't just go for the labels you've heard of.
You'll probably want to send out a press kit, too. It gives the higher ups a chance to see what you look like, get a visual feel for your vibe, and get all your necessary information. You can do this, but you may benefit from having someone (someone with loads of experience) do it for you.

6. Refine your look. Now that you're on the cusp of international fame, just who are you? After all, Lady Gaga wasn't always Lady Gaga. You don't need an alter-ego, but you do need a definitive look. Without a definitive look (and feel), you won't have a definitive audience.

Your manager or a consultant may have a serious opinion on this issue. And if a recording company comes along, they may too. Give any drastic change serious thought -- if it comes out later that you used to wear pigtails and spout off against the President, you may regret it.

7. Promote, promote, promote. When it comes to your career, there isn't much time for resting (apart from the fact that it won't seem like work!). Seek out every opportunity you can to turn a normal day into a moneymaker. And if you have to spend a night on a bus, so be it!

Get your family and friends in on the promoting, too. Not only can they plug you to their family and friends, but they serve as great t-shirt wearing boards, groupies, and PA haulers as well.
Just because someone isn't looking for you doesn't mean they wouldn't be interested. When you go to a restaurant that doesn't have live music, ask. An auditorium on the off season, ask. A fair that could do with an opening act, ask. Opportunity can knock, but it can also open the door.

TIPS

Practice, practice, practice. Whether it's singing in the shower or for your grandparents, practice. You'll never get better if you don't practice.
Find the joy in singing. There's nothing like watching someone in their "element." If you love singing, then it'll show no matter how well you sing.
Drink a lot of water, stay away from smoking and too much alcohol, and keep your vocal folds healthy.
Recognize that it takes time to develop your sound and your voice. It takes longer to convince people how great you are.
If someone offers you a record deal, don't take it right away. Make sure you know that person and record label.
Find music that suits your voice, there's no point in singing classical, opera or rock if you don't feel it in your comfort zone. Being uncomfortable in your singing can lead to straining your voice and that never ends well.
When picking out karaoke music, know that you need to catch the audience in the first 30 seconds. Don't pick a song that isn't your best in those crucial moments.
If you want to go out in public while you're famous and wish to avoid the extra attention, wear a disguise to hide from fans.