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D.I.Y.* SingerBy Jeannie Deva
*D.I.Y. - "Do It Yourself" or "Delicious, Ingenious and Yummy"
Virtuoso or Novice?
When I look back over my novice years as a singer, I see now that without realizing it at the time, I conducted myself as though I was a world renowned virtuoso. I would arrive at a rehearsal, open mic, jam session or gig expecting to walk in, pick up the mic that someone else provided and just start singing. Of course the band would know my songs and the key in which I sang them. They would have rehearsed them to perfection from charts and recordings that had some how been mysteriously provided. I never realized that’s how I thought, but that certainly was how I acted.
As time went on, the disappointments and failures stacked up and frustration mounted until I realized that I’d better smarten up and think things through. I found that many times there was no mic. All the musicians would be there with their amplified gear, playing their hearts out, and no way for me to boost my voice above their playing. Or none of the musicians knew the songs I wanted to play and there were no charts for them to read, even if they were able to do so.
Boy Scout Motto - “Always be Prepared”
There were so many occasions when, unexpectedly, I was asked to sing something on the spur of the moment. My mind would go totally blank - ever happen to you? It’s not very professional. All of the above and more caused me to re-evaluate myself and my efforts. I decided to define what it meant to me to be professional - able to deliver an excellent performance even with short notice.
Take a look at this for yourself. Do you walk into a jam session - or audition - and find you want to sing songs that the band doesn’t know? And do you spend more time trying to find songs in common with new players than you do singing them? Can you tell the players what key to play each song in that’s best for your voice?
What about a mic? Do you ever sing yourself hoarse as you try to compete with all the other musicians because you don’t have a good mic or amplification? Have you ever forgotten lyrics and wished you had them with you? What about playing with musicians that don’t read music charts but can pick up the right chords if they could only listen to a recording? These are just a few of the challenges you may face that need resolution.
Professionalism
I decided that being a professional included being prepared if someone asked me to sing. It meant having a list of possibilities including a song or two that I could sing a cappella if there was no accompaniment. I used my imagination to envision various situations where I might be asked to sing with little or no preparation. How well would my voice need to be trained to always function at peak performance? What would it take to trust my voice so I would never back-off from an opportunity to sing for fear of not being good enough?
My first step in answering these questions was thorough study of the voice and regular practice of exercises and repertoire. Then I began to itemize what I needed that would allow me to arrive prepared and able to sing any time, any place.
What is a Gig Bag?
This is any kind of bag or case that is large enough to hold everything you may need when you go out to sing. You’ll use it for going to jam sessions, open mic nights, rehearsals and performances, whatever types of musical situations you go to where you are or might possibly be able to sing.
By leaving your gig bag packed and stored somewhere in your home, you’re always ready to toss it in the car and off you go. I usually modify the contents at least the day before I take it, based on my needs for that specific situation. However, there are always certain items that are the same for any situation and by keeping those in the bag; you’re ready to go on a moment’s notice.
Often you may find yourself in a rush to get out the door to arrive on time to your rehearsal, open mic or whatever. If you have your bag already packed, you can grab it and run out the door with no worry of arriving and realizing you forgot your mic, lyrics, etc.
Gig Bag Checklist
Personalize this checklist to suit your needs and use it to stimulate your ideas.
____ Lyric book - each song’s lyric sheet should note the key you sing it in. If you don’t know how to determine the correct key for your voice, find a musician or voice coach to help you. My lyric book is a three ring binder so that I can add or subtract to the contents. When I am giving a full two hour concert, the first page is my set list and the lyric sheets are put in the set order.
____ Manila envelope of chord charts for each song you think you might want to have the band play, with copies for each player. Extra copies or access to a photocopier are a remedy when musicians misplace or forget their sheet music.
____ “Jeannie Deva Vocal Warm-Ups and Cool-Downs” CD
____ Your favorite vocal exercise CDs from “The Contemporary Vocalist”
____ Your microphone and mic cable
____ Thayer’s natural Dry Mouth spray
____ A bottle of water
____ A CD of your repertoire that you want to play with the band so they can hear how each sounds. I usually have a few of these that I pack so that multiple players can listen separately from each other or take one home with them to learn the tunes.
____ If you will be working with backup singers: Lyric sheets and CDs for each.
____ If you have backup singers for a performance, a CD of just the tunes they will be singing, recorded in the order of the set.
____ A pen, a pencil with an eraser and white-out and adhesive tape for any note taking or possible changes on the sheet music.
____ Ear plugs (if you ’re playing with a loud band, especially in a small space and want to save your hearing).
____ Your Set List - for rehearsal of your gig and when going to your gig with copies for each player.
____ A portable CD player and headset
____ Extra batteries for your player stored in a zip lock plastic bag.
____ Your vocal effects pedal - such as the TC Helicon “Voice Tone Create.” (The amazingly small, light weight and inexpensive Voice Tone Create allows you to add reverb and other vocal effects so you sound totally pro through the PA.)
____ Cables to connect the effects pedal to the PA
____ Your business cards
____Copies of your CD, if you have one and promotional material.
____ Digital camera for any photo opportunities.
Here’s to your independence - prepared to sing and sound good in any situation!
All the Best,
Jeannie Deva
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