How to Become a Singer—For Fun and Profit

It’s one thing to start the day by singing in the shower—it’s quite another to spend your evenings and weekends singing in front of audiences.  While you may have the desire to make it in the music business, you may not know the first thing about how to become a singer.  Don’t worry—some of the nation’s best-known singers were once in the same position.

If you ask various recording artists for advice on how to become a singer, you might receive a variety of answers.  After all, there is no one correct way to embark on a singing career.  There are a number of different paths you can take in order to achieve your goal.  For instance, you might start out as a singer in a local band, then go onto a solo career.  Or you might begin as a back-up singer for an established artist.  Cher got her start singing back-up in recording sessions for other singers.  Her voice was so powerful, though, she was routinely told to back up from the microphone so that she would not overpower other singers. 

Yet, while there are various routes you can take when you decide that you want to learn how to become a singer, there are a few things aspiring vocal artists do have in common.  For instance, they all know how to carry a tune…to sing with the beat of the music…and how to project their voices effectively.  Today, many of these skills can be learned through online vocal instruction.

There is, though, no magic formula for how to become a singer.  One musical artist may struggle for years to achieve recognition, while another might achieve hit status within a matter of months.  Still, the better you know the mechanics of good vocal delivery, the more likely it is that you will attain significant musical milestones.   

As a singer, it is important that you embrace your uniqueness.  You should feel comfortable enough to do some experimentation with phrasing and vocal riffs.  Those risks can pay off, since a singer who is truly unique is one who is more likely to be remembered at casting calls.  

While it is a wise idea to try to stretch as a performer, don’t feel as if you will only succeed as a singer if you have an incredible upper range.  A singer like Cher, for instance, is certainly not known for doing vocal acrobatics.  Yet, she knows how to sell a song like no other artist.  She takes advantage of her own unique voice to make a real impact on her audience—and she’s been rewarded for it in hit after hit. 

The process involved in becoming a successful recording artist can be grueling.  There can be a number of late nights on the road and in the recording studio.  Yet, those who are dedicated to their craft will find that all the effort is worth it when you see your name on a CD cover.  Still, you might need to work as an amateur for a time before you are able to make the leap to becoming a professional singer.