Tips o help you enjoy the ride! NOTE: The audio player should appear below, if not, please click on the title of this post and go online to hear. Available also on iTunes , Google Play, TuneIn Radio, Android apps It was that time again this month… for my annual boogie boarding vacation at the beach! While I was out… Read More » about How a Music Career Is Like a Boogie Board
All Things Vocal Blog & Podcast
Performance Magic: The Power of Almost Losing Control
Ready To Create Magic? Performance is, or should be, an experience for your audience so powerful they lose themselves in it. If you add a little magic to your performance, you can really take the audience for a ride. I call it the ‘illusion of almost losing control’. Notice I say ‘ALMOST’ losing control. Think… Read More » about Performance Magic: The Power of Almost Losing Control
Stance Secrets to Singing With Guitar
Practicing my new stance Singing with guitar can be helped or sabotaged by some subtle stance choices. I’ve been having to up my game due to my upcoming band showcase – I play guitar on a couple of our songs. I was having trouble with buzzing strings, cramped hands and back, hurting shoulder and a tendency… Read More » about Stance Secrets to Singing With Guitar
How Vocal Vibrato is Like Garlic
Vocal vibrato is like garlic… some songs/dishes call for more, some less. Sometimes you want artichoke garlic, sometimes elephant garlic – sometimes you want faster wave vibrato, sometimes slower. What you want in both the singer and the chef is… control! Garlic aside, in my practical experience, these are the two most effective remedies for… Read More » about How Vocal Vibrato is Like Garlic
When the Songwriter is a Minor
(Note that I said a minor… not a miner.) If the songwriter is under (minor) age, and wishes to sign up at a performing rights organization (PRO) such as BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, etc, there is a step which must be taken first. According to a client of mine who just went through this process for… Read More » about When the Songwriter is a Minor
When Voices Aren’t Heard
Voices need to be heard. When they aren’t, not only is the individual somehow compromised, the world is, also. I woke this morning to the horrible breaking news of another mass shooting of innocent, random victims, this time in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado. Because one of my precious sisters lives in Colorado, it… Read More » about When Voices Aren’t Heard
Demo Lead Vocals: Can They Be Released?
I was asked this great question by a relatively new session singer who is starting to get some demo work: If I sing a demo and get paid up front and then it ends up getting used (with my vocal on it) for commercial purposes, do I have any right to any more more money?… Read More » about Demo Lead Vocals: Can They Be Released?
Branding Your Voice: Artistic Definition
What makes YOU stand out from the crowd? If you want to have a commercial music career with your voice, there is a step you don’t need to skip: Branding your voice. I like to call this your “Artistic Definition”. What goes into branding or defining yourself as an artist? Here is an excerpt from… Read More » about Branding Your Voice: Artistic Definition
Two Reasons You Should You NOT Sing
Sometimes we really should not sing – or even talk – if we want our voices to remain healthy. Two big reasons: When vocal cords are swollen with active infection. During the condition commonly known as laryngitis, it is not at all helpful to even warm up. But note that after the infection has subsided,… Read More » about Two Reasons You Should You NOT Sing
Should You Do Your Own Background Vocals?
Thom Flora and Judy Rodman singing bgvs Doing your own background vocals on your recording project can be a very good idea, or can sabotage your project. Here are two big factors that should be considered as you make the decision whether to sing your own background vocals (bgvs) or to hire other singers: The Recording Budget-… Read More » about Should You Do Your Own Background Vocals?