• Celebrity Vocal Coach
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• Mini Recording Studio Software
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• Learn How to Sing in Bands
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• Vocal Range Exercises

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• Sing Smart, Not Hard Method
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• Video tutorial with 17 tips
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• 20 Lessons Tutorial
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• 7 Instructional CDs (downloadable)
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Visit Vocal Release

You may be wondering how difficult it will be for you to find singers’ jobs, now that you’re determined to explore a professional singing career.  After all, recording companies may not be waiting to sign you up…and Bon Jovi may not have requested you as an opening act.  But, while it is important to be realistic when assessing your prospects for singers’ jobs, there is reason for hope—hope that you will be able to earn some money singing…hope that you will eventually land jobs that show off your talent in the best possible way.

You should know from the outset that competition for singers’ jobs continues to be intense, according to Job Banks USA, a company that tracks employment trends.   The fact of the matter is that the number of musical job-seekers still outpaces the number of available openings.  Employment experts note that having natural talent is simply not enough—you must also have a real drive to succeed and a firm dedication to your craft. 

It’s also important to realize that, at least at first, the singers’ jobs you’ll apply for are likely to be moonlighting jobs.  In other words, you may need to work another full-time or part-time job in order to earn a decent living.  You may also need to build up your savings to the point where you can afford to be unemployed for a time as you search for new engagements.  

Industry watchers say that employment for singers is likely to grow at a steady pace for at least the next seven years.  Many of the new jobs to emerge will be in churches, since there is a great need for music ministry in a number of religious denominations.  You should also be aware of the fact that you don’t necessarily have to be a member of a specific church or religious denomination in order to sing as a church soloist.  In most cases, you’re likely to be judged on your talent rather than your personal religious convictions. 

At this point, there’s likely to be much less employment growth on the nightclub circuit.  There may be a number of reasons for this trend, including less demand for live entertainment…the popularity of music videos…and the fact that a number of music lovers may be spending their free time on line rather than attending concerts.   

Yet, there is also a great deal of turnover in the music profession.  That’s because a number of singers become discouraged and therefore leave the music business for some other field.  This is particularly true for individuals who are attempting to make a full-time career out of singing.  So that means more job openings may emerge as people leave the music business.

You may ultimately find work at weddings…at corporate events…or singing back-up in recording sessions.  Even minor jobs can help to enhance your resume and can give you the confidence you need to pursue more demanding work.  It appears that, in the music business, the more you work, the more work you’ll find.  And that can be encouraging for both singers and singer-songwriters alike. 

The life of a would-be singer-songwriter can be exciting at times and frustrating at others.  It can be filled with both possibilities and disappointments, hope and heartache.  But, one thing is for sure—the career of a singer-songwriter is seldom dull.

You may be wondering how difficult it is to take your place in the music world as a singer-songwriter.  The fact is, your success depends on a number of factors:  your own innate talent, the quality of your training, the expertise of the production staff who work with you in the studio, your own determination, and the marketability of your music.

The music business is filled with talented individuals who have made their mark in both singing and songwriting.  Artists such as Dolly Parton, Barry Manilow, the late Johnny Cash, and Tracy Chapman readily come to mind.  It is therefore entirely possible to achieve success as a singer-songwriter, if you keep a few key things in mind.

First of all, it is important to recognize the fact that, as a singer-songwriter, you must be equally dedicated to your singing and your writing.  That often means intensive study, both with a vocal coach and with a songwriting coach.  You may find just the help you need through a vigorous online musical instruction program.  Such a program will give you important feedback—the feedback you need to progress as an artist.

In addition, you should be aware that, as a songwriter, you can make additional income.  That’s because the lion’s share of money to be made by songwriters comes from having your work performed on television and in concerts.  For instance, according to ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, if you write a song for a successful television show, you could earn as much as $100,000 annually.   This is why it is so critically important to have your work copyrighted to ensure that it is not stolen by another artist.  You can find out more about copyright law from the copyright office at the Library of Congress in Washington.

There’s often no predicting whether an artist will succeed first as a singer or as a songwriter.  Sometimes, even the artist himself or herself is surprised by the twists and turns in a given musical career.  However, a number of individuals who have combined singing with songwriting have said the same thing:  it takes a great deal of dedication to both crafts in order to achieve long-term success. 

The trend in the music business seems to be to allow established singers the freedom and flexibility to write their own songs for their CDs.  This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for a singer with songwriting talent.  It means that, if you score well as a singer, you may have a number of opportunities to put your songwriting skills to the test.  However, it also means that there may be less demand for songwriters industry-wide, as singers take on a chore that was once reserved for established composers and lyricists.  

From the time you heard your first nursery rhyme, you might have had a desire to sing.  As you grew older, that desire became a passion, and you even entertained the idea of singing solos.  However, you still might be wondering how to sing in a way that will earn you applause every time you step up to a microphone.  You should know for the outset that this is not unusual because, even though singing might seem natural, singing well requires not only talent, but also technique.

The good news is that you can learn how to sing—no matter what your level of experience is at this point.  While good genes can certainly help anyone’s singing career, it’s possible to learn how to sing effectively even if you were not born into a Von Trapp-style singing household.  In fact, you might be surprised to learn that the most important requirement for learning how to sing is simply a desire to do your best.  When you’re determined to give a stellar performance every time, you’ll put in the practice and devote the energy necessary to achieve your goal.

Once you’ve made the determination that you want to sing, you need to learn a little bit about the mechanics of voice production.  Singing is a highly physical act—even if you don’t plan to gyrate your hips like Elvis while you’re giving a vocal performance.  You have to understand that your voice is an instrument, and that this instrument exists within a larger one—your body.  To sing like a star, you’ll need to maintain proper posture and engage in appropriate breathing techniques.  The best singers know that they don’t sing only with their vocal cords—they actually sing with their entire bodies.  

You also need to be aware of the fact that each individual has three distinct types of singing voices:  the chest voice, the middle voice, and the head voice.   In order to sing properly, you’ll need to develop each of these voices to its fullest potential. 

Your chest voice is the voice you normally use when you speak.  With this voice, you can create a rich, full-bodied sound.  But your chest voice will only go so far.  In order to reach high notes, you’ll have to use your head voice—a flute-like instrument frequently used by female choir soloists.  Bridging the gap between the two is the middle voice, which produces a pitch which lies somewhere between your chest voice and your head voice.     

In general, you’ll want to sing in a way that is pleasing to your audience—that is easy on the ears.  You’ll also want to take special care not to strain your vocal chords so that you can get the most out of your voice.  Singing well requires not only practice, but study.  In other words, in order to sing well you have to learn how to sing well.   Just like you had to learn your alphabet before you could read, you’ll need to learn the ABCs of good singing before you can hope to deliver a virtuoso performance.   

Perhaps you’d like to be able to win your neighborhood karaoke contest.  Or maybe you’d like a role in the spring musical being put on by your local community theater group.  Or you might even have aspirations of recording your own CD.  No matter what your musical goals are, you can learn how to sing so that you will meet them—and maybe even surpass them.

To learn how to sing well, you need to master the fundamentals.  Just like a quarterback must be willing to practice laterals and forward passes week after week, you’ll need to rehearse basic breathing and vocal techniques on a regular basis.  At times, this can seem boring, but it’s absolutely essential if you are to excel in the art and science of singing. 

Joe Theisman may have had great inherent athletic ability—but he still had to show up for scrimmages.  Likewise, a singer such as Aretha Franklin has a tremendous natural gift.  However, that does not mean that she necessarily nails each song she records on the first take. 

To begin to learn how to sing well, you will first have to learn how to control your breathing.  The legendary singer Frank Sinatra, for instance, excelled at controlling his breathing during his singing.  Sinatra told interviewers he was able to do so by studying the way that musicians maintained breath control while playing horn instruments.  To make sure you hit every note, you’ll need to learn how to sing from your diaphragm—the muscle which gives support to your singing.   

You’ll also need to be able to learn how to sing so that you can effectively manipulate your larynx while transitioning from one note to another.  Through skillful positioning of your larynx, you can determine the tone of your voice, creating a richness to your sound.   You also need to establish a resonance to your vocal performances that will allow you to add texture to your notes.

In addition, it’s important that you practice moving from one register to another—from chest voice to middle voice to head voice.  The easier your transitions between registers become, the smoother your sound will be.  You’ll want to be just as adept as a singer such as Kelly Clarkson when it comes to smoothing the “bridges” within your vocal range.  If you fail to smooth out these bridges, you could end up straining your vocal chords, which can lead to lasting damage and can seriously impact your ability to sing.

After you have a handle on the fundamentals of singing, more challenges lie ahead.  You’ll need to use those fundamentals as building blocks to help you construct a sensational vocal repertoire.  In other words, learning basic singing techniques will only take you so far at karaoke night, choir practice, or in the recording studio.   It’s not enough to be able to simply carry a tune.  You’ll eventually have to find ways to take your vocal performances up a notch—to learn to improve your tone quality with every melody you sing.