7 answers
tabby
Student
Richmond, Virginia
3
Questions
Asked
582 views
how should I become a singer a vocalist?
Hello everyone I have some questions about vocalists or becoming a singer. ever since I was little I have a natural gift of singing and singing is my passion. music is my passion, but more along the lines of singing and training my voice. how would I get into singing and train my voice. things also hinder me to sing how I want to because of where I live, Theres people around. im not confident in my singing right onw. but I know if I train my voice, i could win X factor or The Voice something. What should I do??
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7 answers
Joseph Montaño
Music
1
Answer
Deming, New Mexico
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
I'm exactly in the same shoes you are my man but don't worry because I think I could help you with what I know so far.
Practice daily but make don't overload yourself starting out, take it easy and always keep it fresh and positive. I recommend a ai vocal coach app or finding ONE person on YouTube to learn from. I say ONE because you don't want to get lost in the rabbit hole (like me) watching all these videos about all these breathing techniques and vocal exercises when you forget to DO the singing yourself. Also record yourself. It's probably going to be tough to hear the playback but trust me, as long as you got a BIG HEART and the WILL to stay positive in the face of adversity...I know you could do it! :)
1. Voice Training and Practice Consider using apps or online resources like YouTube for guided vocal exercises.
2. Taking Lessons You could find a vocal coach or take online lessons if you can't find a in-person coach.
3. Building Confidence. Focus on your strengths and celebrate small victories.
4. Performance Opportunities. Share your singing on online platforms (TikTok, YouTube,Etc) Or Open-Mics and Talent Shows.
5. Taking Care of Your Voice! (VERY IMPORTANT!) Avoid straining your voice. Warm up before singing and cool down afterward.
Practice daily but make don't overload yourself starting out, take it easy and always keep it fresh and positive. I recommend a ai vocal coach app or finding ONE person on YouTube to learn from. I say ONE because you don't want to get lost in the rabbit hole (like me) watching all these videos about all these breathing techniques and vocal exercises when you forget to DO the singing yourself. Also record yourself. It's probably going to be tough to hear the playback but trust me, as long as you got a BIG HEART and the WILL to stay positive in the face of adversity...I know you could do it! :)
Joseph recommends the following next steps:
Kristy Johnson
Vocalist/Entertainer
2
Answers
Heath, TX
Updated
Kristy’s Answer
Hey there, Tabby! It sounds like you've got a real passion for this and I'm so glad you're finding out more about what makes you happy.
First, it's important to remember that building/training your voice is much like building/training your body. You wouldn't go into the gym and start lifting 100 lbs. right off the bat, right? You would train and gradually increase the amount of weight you lift. You have to exercise and build your voice the same way. Learning proper vocal technique makes a big difference.
A good voice coach or vocal instructor is a great place to start. If your location makes this difficult, there are many instructors who can give you virtual lessons. If money is a factor, you might be surprised at how much you can find on YouTube for free.
If you have trouble singing in front of others, find a more private place to sing/vocalize/practice without others around. As your skill increases, you'll find that you're more likely to sing in front of people. Also, being very prepared and knowing your material well adds a big boost of confidence when singing to an audience.
Life begins outside of your comfort zone. Get going on your dream! We're all hoping to see you on The Voice. ;)
Look into getting a vocal coach, or search voice lessons on YouTube.
Get accustomed to singing in front of others by starting small. Sing in front of one person, then add friends/family members as your skill increases.
When singing for others, find something to wear that makes you feel FABULOUS.
Look into any/all opportunities to sing. (Choir at school, church, open mic nights are all great places to start.)
First, it's important to remember that building/training your voice is much like building/training your body. You wouldn't go into the gym and start lifting 100 lbs. right off the bat, right? You would train and gradually increase the amount of weight you lift. You have to exercise and build your voice the same way. Learning proper vocal technique makes a big difference.
A good voice coach or vocal instructor is a great place to start. If your location makes this difficult, there are many instructors who can give you virtual lessons. If money is a factor, you might be surprised at how much you can find on YouTube for free.
If you have trouble singing in front of others, find a more private place to sing/vocalize/practice without others around. As your skill increases, you'll find that you're more likely to sing in front of people. Also, being very prepared and knowing your material well adds a big boost of confidence when singing to an audience.
Life begins outside of your comfort zone. Get going on your dream! We're all hoping to see you on The Voice. ;)
Kristy recommends the following next steps:
Michelle M.
Entertainment Industry
1879
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Tabby !
You know, Tabby, as an actress myself, I can totally relate to your experience and hopefully explain what you are experiencing. You have received such top notch advice from the other professionals here and I would like to shine a sort of psych-social light on things for you so that you don't wait as long as I did, 12 years, to do something about your performing. I wanted to be in acting when I was 6 but started when I was 18.
The foundation of what you are feeling, the hesitancy, the shyness and not knowing how or reluctant to start, all the hinderance comes from not being around the music/singing world and a feeling that there is no one around that makes it real for you. It's just a thought, a dream and can be very confusing so all you're left to do is think about it. You may have certain thoughts about what you may need to do, what it is like but that's just it - it needs to become real and an everyday part of your life in order to grasp it as part of your identity and build the confidence as you receive support and feedback.
The quality of your singing will always improve as time goes on, through training and learning every aspect of singing performance. I suggest that you can make this real with an academic foundation through a college experience. This may be where you will suddenly be around singers in a Music Department of all levels and get to learn all the aspects of music and singing. It's what you'll see and hear yourself doing. The strong support that you would obtain in college is priceless. Even if you attend for a two year study for an Associates in Music, you most likely would be around many opportunities and learn things that you never thought of before that would help you rise as a professional singer. But we performers need that structure and support starting out because that's what tends to make it real. So consider enrolling in college, even if you start at a community college, because it is something definite that you can consider.
Vocal training is absolutely something to focus on. You will still need to be around the music world in some way so I would suggest joining your school's choir or and group connected to singing. If your school does a musical, audition for it. We all need to start somewhere and now is a good time. Visit the Music Tree School of Music and the Westwood Music Club and meet some of the people there in your town. And vocal delivery is not the only thing you will develop.
Stage and screen presence. For live and film or video, you will want to learn how to deliver the song with meaning, mood and message. You will start to learn how to best phrase and act a song. It may help to take a Modern Dance course or a Musical Theatre class if you decide to attend college. Just as it is for actors, it's not only how you sound, but how you look.
I usually do not advise placing your singing videos on social media, but you will need to have a web platform so that you can provide people a link to your performance work. I usually suggest using You Tube because you can have a Channel there and keep a good collection of your singing there. When you audition for things, you can include your channel link or even put it on your resume. You may even want to register at the professional employment site Linked In and follow recording studios, other singers and people in the music industry. You can showcase your videos through posting them there for other professionals to see.
You didn't mention your age, but if you are in high school, The Greater Richmond School of Music has a lot of activities in the summer that you can consider for next summer. I have left a link for you below to their website. You can also utilize some fantastic singing instruction videos offered on You Tube. The link for them is below.
Just remember to learn how to sing in all genres as that will benefit you when you start auditioning for work.
I hope this additional advice is useful and I wish you all the best. Do not give up ! Have fun !
THE GREATER RICHMOND SCHOOL OF MUSIC SUMMER CAMPS FOR NEXT YEAR https://grsm.net/summer-camps/
SINGING INSTRUCTION ON YOU TUBE [VIDEOS] https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=singing+for+beginners
You know, Tabby, as an actress myself, I can totally relate to your experience and hopefully explain what you are experiencing. You have received such top notch advice from the other professionals here and I would like to shine a sort of psych-social light on things for you so that you don't wait as long as I did, 12 years, to do something about your performing. I wanted to be in acting when I was 6 but started when I was 18.
The foundation of what you are feeling, the hesitancy, the shyness and not knowing how or reluctant to start, all the hinderance comes from not being around the music/singing world and a feeling that there is no one around that makes it real for you. It's just a thought, a dream and can be very confusing so all you're left to do is think about it. You may have certain thoughts about what you may need to do, what it is like but that's just it - it needs to become real and an everyday part of your life in order to grasp it as part of your identity and build the confidence as you receive support and feedback.
The quality of your singing will always improve as time goes on, through training and learning every aspect of singing performance. I suggest that you can make this real with an academic foundation through a college experience. This may be where you will suddenly be around singers in a Music Department of all levels and get to learn all the aspects of music and singing. It's what you'll see and hear yourself doing. The strong support that you would obtain in college is priceless. Even if you attend for a two year study for an Associates in Music, you most likely would be around many opportunities and learn things that you never thought of before that would help you rise as a professional singer. But we performers need that structure and support starting out because that's what tends to make it real. So consider enrolling in college, even if you start at a community college, because it is something definite that you can consider.
Vocal training is absolutely something to focus on. You will still need to be around the music world in some way so I would suggest joining your school's choir or and group connected to singing. If your school does a musical, audition for it. We all need to start somewhere and now is a good time. Visit the Music Tree School of Music and the Westwood Music Club and meet some of the people there in your town. And vocal delivery is not the only thing you will develop.
Stage and screen presence. For live and film or video, you will want to learn how to deliver the song with meaning, mood and message. You will start to learn how to best phrase and act a song. It may help to take a Modern Dance course or a Musical Theatre class if you decide to attend college. Just as it is for actors, it's not only how you sound, but how you look.
I usually do not advise placing your singing videos on social media, but you will need to have a web platform so that you can provide people a link to your performance work. I usually suggest using You Tube because you can have a Channel there and keep a good collection of your singing there. When you audition for things, you can include your channel link or even put it on your resume. You may even want to register at the professional employment site Linked In and follow recording studios, other singers and people in the music industry. You can showcase your videos through posting them there for other professionals to see.
You didn't mention your age, but if you are in high school, The Greater Richmond School of Music has a lot of activities in the summer that you can consider for next summer. I have left a link for you below to their website. You can also utilize some fantastic singing instruction videos offered on You Tube. The link for them is below.
Just remember to learn how to sing in all genres as that will benefit you when you start auditioning for work.
I hope this additional advice is useful and I wish you all the best. Do not give up ! Have fun !
Michelle recommends the following next steps:
Brian Doucette
Music Performing Artist
5
Answers
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Updated
Brian’s Answer
Work with a vocal coach for a bit, even if you don’t think you need it, you’d be surprised. I was singing for years and then all of a sudden, my voice started giving out on me after a few songs. I talked to a vocal coach and he said, “you’re doing alot of things right but, you don’t know you’re doing it so you’re not focusing on it.” He taught me about placement and breath control, complete game changer!!
They’re not all that expensive and totally worth it!!!
They’re not all that expensive and totally worth it!!!
Tom Dudley
Performer
1
Answer
Peekskill, New York
Updated
Tom’s Answer
Singing is a way of life, It is the first instrument ever invented, The most important thing for me is to nurture it, That is a life long journey, Get excited about it, Listen to singers but dont try to copy, Take what you need and leave the rest, Develop you ability not only to sing a song, But tell the story and feel the song, Singing is also a lot about listening, follow the music, stay in the flow, Surround yourself with like minded people that will support your journey , Find teachers that help you along the way, You heard many suggestions today about these resources, There are many teachers with many styles, Some will teach you about connection, others about power, some will focus on performance, This is your journey, Sing everyday, I wish you great fortune in your new journey and look forward to your success
Aina Hirata
Music Producer
1
Answer
Pasadena, California
Updated
Aina’s Answer
Hello! I completely understand how you feel—I was in the same position when I first started singing. I struggled to find a good teacher in my area, so I turned to online lessons. While online classes might seem less effective than in-person ones, I can tell you from experience that my current online teacher has been more effective than any of the in-person instructors I've had, even those from prestigious music conservatories. Finding the right teacher can take some time, so I recommend scheduling trial lessons with a few different instructors to see who fits you best. For example, websites like takelessons.com offer a wide range of teachers, from beginners to seasoned professionals. But this is just my experience and opinion, so feel free to do what works best for you!
Jessica Griffith
Student
22
Answers
Canton, Ohio
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
Even though you said you do not like singing in front of people, I understand because I was like that as a child. You will find the courage to be able to market your singing by performing in open public spaces in your town and get people involved with your music. Start booking venues and perform your own songs or cover songs. Good luck!!