JPF Home Page Forums Musician Gear and Techniques Microphone and Vocalist Forum studio singing

anyone have any advice on how to become a studio musician/singer? anyone have any success with it? just wondering, flo

wow - no one?

------------------
http://floanito.tripod.com

learn to sing in Key and in time. If you can do that, you'll likely get a lot of work.

Jody

I made a fortune as a jingle singer in the 80's.

I was the voice for all of the Spuds McKenzie commercials, and Kelloggs Nut and Honey Crunch...
I did many spots for Mconalds and Dominos Pizza and Hasbro and dozens more.

I got the first gig because a producer heard me singing at a gig with my band and thought my voice would be right for an Olympia Beer spot.

I kept the gig by being early for every session, being a quick study ( one or two takes and I was good to go), by listening carefully to what the production team was looking for stylistically, and like Jody said, singing in time. (although, many times producers are looking for someone who can sing away from the rhythm as well)

I lost the gig because I took a bunch of the money I earned and put a recording studio in my house and began producing buy-out spots on my own.

The agencies got wind of it and P{OOF !..my career was over !

So..like Jody sez..sing in tune (or out of tune if that's what they want) and learn to be fast and flexible.

bob

Sorry I missed your post earlier, Flo.

I'm not a full-timer at studio work, but I've got a pretty loyal group of songwriter friends who request my voice occasionally for their tracks and who also refer me to other songwriters and musicians.

The best tip I can give you is to make friends with songwriter/musician-types who can't sing!

Seriously, my first studio gig was because my songwriter/guitar teacher (who had his own studio) needed a female vocal on one of his demos. This kind of thing has continued through the years as I meet other musicians at open mic nights, gigs, church...wherever!

I'm also fortunate enough to have made a lot of friends through some regional songwriting groups (and JPF) who like my voice and request my work. (I once nabbed a series of recording gigs because my answering machine message consisted of me playing and singing an appropriate original ditty. The person who called my home that day--for a non-music reason--turned out to be a musician/songwriter who had a home studio and a need for a female rock vocalist...)

Just keep making friends in the music world, providing easy access to samples of your work, and letting people know of your interest and availability. (You might even consider posting cards or ads in places where musicians and studio types hang out.)

It also helps if:
- your voice is adaptable to many different styles
- you're a fast learner
- you can take direction
- you can improvise (or offer suggestions) when needed
- you're professional about each job (on-time, clean, polite, and prepared)

It may take awhile, but word-of-mouth is always the best recommendation. If people are happy with your work, you'll get more of it.

Best wishes!! Let me know how you fare in the months ahead...

------------------
www.dianatyler.com

Just to clarify, to me singing in Time, means you understand how to sing to the tempo, not a rhythm. There is a difference.

But yes, giving the producer what they want and doing it in 1 to 2 takes is going to win everytime.

Jody

Everything said above is on the money.

I had a niche for awhile doing a lot of back up work until an out of state move took me out of the loop. Being able to pronouce lyrics like the lead singer is crucial in some cases. At the same time not being in the way of the lead vocal is also. The ability to change the sound of your voice, sing harmony parts and arrange them can be a strong asset for any studio vocalist. Lastly, pronoucing key words in a lyric a certain way to give the song or message the most impact. All of this and the above along with great microphone technic can keep you in demand. Studio work can be tedious and stressful in some cases, the eye for detail is important for a solid performance.

Good luck.

Kris Karr

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/2/kriskarrmusic.htm

Hi, Flo-

I agree with the points made by Bob, kris, Mike and Diana...

This may seem obvious, but I also think puncuality makes a huge difference.
I did a lot of studio work when I was in my 20's....Because studio time can be quite costly, it can really cuase4 problems if the musicians are not on time.

Also, I think that is important to have an honest idea of what styles you can really pull off. I knew a producer that got pretty annoyed with a few studio singers who promised him that they could sing jazz and R&B, when they were not strong in that area...Telling potential clients what your true strengths are can save a lot of wasted time!

A successful producer once told me, "Make yourself valuable to the producer - be the nicest, most professional singer they know.
Treat the other musicians well..."

Good luck....

Emily

[This message has been edited by Emily Sanders (edited 04-03-2004).]

flo-
good question and something that i myself had wondered about many times. i always wonder about the commerical jingles and the people behind them. very good info.
Diana Tyler had some REALLY good points too. much to learn from thanx