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Posts Tagged ‘singer’

Let’s face it, whether you’ve wanted to learn how to become a singer or not, you’ve probably dreamt of being the lead singer of a band. Touring, connecting with fans, playing music you love – sounds like fun doesn’t it? It absolutely is, however people always overlook the amount of work and effort that is involved in order to be a successful singer. As a band you need to have a cohesive look and have good stage presence, but as the singer you are usually looked at as the face of the band, and therefore usually have to put more effort into performances. One advantage to singing in a band over other types of singers though is that your voice doesn’t necessarily have to be perfect. Let’s go into a bit more detail on these topics.

If you want to become a singer in a band, a couple things to consider would be your image and stage presence. As the singer in the band, usually people will think of you as the face of the band, so just in terms of going that extra mile your image should be on par or bit better than the band. This does not mean that image is more important than the skill of the band, it just means making sure there is a cohesive look going on. In terms of stage presence, the singer must put in a bit more effort than the rest of the band. Think about it this way; it’s easier for the rest of the band to “hide” behind their instrument temporarily and get away with it, but as the singer all you’ve got is your mic in front of you so you have to compensate by moving around, feeling the music, connecting with the crowd, etc. Standing still won’t cut it, however with practice this comes easier. Just have fun with it.

One of the advantages to singing in a band is that your voice doesn’t have to be perfect. For example, the Idol competition is for people with amazing voices. You may have noticed though that a lot of lead singers in bands aren’t actually the greatest singers. The reason why they can get away with it is because of the type of music the band is playing. If you’re in a rock band, you can usually get away with having a raspier voice (kurt cobain anyone?). Nowadays there are a lot of bands using auto tune, which corrects your pitch and gives it a futuristic sound. This is not to be a replacement for not being able to sing though as auto tune is generally frowned upon unless it is being used for the effect. There are also a lot of singers who scream for their band as well, though this really requires impeccable care for your voice. For the most part, you’ll have to work on being a good singer, but as said earlier it all depends on the type of music, and the effect you are going for.

Those are just some simple things to consider if you’re deciding to go down the path of becoming a singer in a band. It can be fun and rewarding, but takes practice and effort as well. If you’re passionate and want it bad enough, it can be achieved.

Author Bio: As you can see, singing in a band has its perks, but at the same time there are much more factors to consider when learning How to Become a Singer. Find out how you can get started at http://www.howtobecomeasinger.net

If you are a singer, or someone who is learning to become a singer, it can be pretty easy to overlook the importance of your stage presence, especially if you are new to performing in front of many people. Being able to sing is great, but if you just stand there looking nervous or uncomfortable, it can affect an otherwise amazing performance. Stage presence is a very important aspect of becoming a singer because of the visual aspect of a live performance. Having good stage presence shows you’re comfortable doing your thing, not to mention it’s just a lot more entertaining. The importance of stage presence will also vary depending on the type of singer you are.

The first thing to keep in mind is what kind of singer you are, and the type of music you sing. For example, if you’re in a rock band, it’s a good idea to move around a lot. It doesn’t necessarily have to be anything over the top, but the crazier it is the more entertaining it can be, like stage diving for example. If you’re a pop star you’ll still be moving around but it won’t be as frantic as in a band, and might even involve more dancing (depends on the music you’re playing). However, there are a couple of things to keep in mind regardless of what kind of singer you are. Those things are eye contact, and body language. In terms of eye contact, it means singing with your eyes open (many new singers sing with their eyes closed which is a huge mistake) and focused on the crowd. In terms of body language, it simply means moving around and looking comfortable because when you’re feeling nervous it tends to show. The idea is to have fun with it, and over time you will feel a lot more comfortable. The more in the moment you are, the better you will do.

So how can you develop better stage presence? It’s something that can be improved, but not necessarily taught. This means that developing your stage presence comes from experience on stage. Experience will make you feel more relaxed, and you’ll know what works for you and what doesn’t. If you’re new to singing live, a good way to learn stage presence is by watching videos of your favourite singers live, and practicing what you see. Take a look and see who has the best stage presence and what those singers have in common. You don’t have to imitate them exactly but at least take influence from them. Once it’s time for a real show you’ll feel a lot more comfortable and prepared, but if you’re still feeling nervous don’t panic. Just remember that feeling nervous at first is OK, and that it will go away eventually.

If you’ve ever watched live music then you probably know how important stage presence is. Good music is always better with a great performance. Keep your eyes on the audience, move around, gain experience, and you should be well on your way to improving your stage presence, and learning how to become a singer in the process.

Author Bio: Stage presence is very important as you can see, and will help make you a better overall singer, but there are many other factors to consider when learning How to Become a Singer. Find out how you can get started at http://www.howtobecomeasinger.net

Beyonce is known for her upbeat music and unique style which definitely shines through in her music videos. She was initially a part of “Destiny’s Child” which was immensely popular and released videos like “Survivor”, “8 days of Christmas”, “Lose my Breath” and “Say My Name” among others. Soon after they broke up, Beyonce began her solo career which was widely appreciated. Her first video as a solo artist was “Crazy in Love” which was an instant hit.

Other famous videos include “Beautiful Liar” which featured another popular singer as well. This video proved that Beyonce could not only sing beautifully but also dance as well. She made belly dancing seem easy and inspired young children to take up the dance form as well.

Beyonce is known to incorporate fashion into her videos on a frequent basis. A minute into the video of “Single Ladies” proves this point. The black and white background definitely complements her flexible moves and the simple outfits enhance the elegance of the entire video. During a recent talk show, Beyonce confirmed that she was inspired by Bob Fosse and used his style to create the entire look of the video. She said she saw the choreographer’s video on a popular video website which helped her to create the moves and vibe of the music video.

A large number of Beyonce’s videos feature Jay-Z including “Crazy in Love”, “Deja vu” and “Bonnie and Clyde”. The duo received a nomination during the Grammy awards as well. The fact that her albums are a success definitely contributes towards the success of her music videos as well. Due to these reasons, Beyonce has come to be known as one of the most popular and marketable artists in the industry today. Apart from music, Beyonce has also tried her hand in movies and product endorsements. Her first film was “Carmen: A Hip Hopera” in 2001 and 5 years later, she bagged the lead role in “Dreamgirls” and went on to win two nominations during the Golden Globe awards. To top it all, she also own a fashion line “House of Dereon” which was launched in 2004.

As a Beyonce fan, the good news is that her videos are not only easily available but can also be watched for free. This is made possible with the help of websites like YouTube. One can also download her videos with the help of iTunes and Torrent. Recently, she announced a $250000 prize for a fan who could come up with a music video inspired by “Single Ladies” which would then be shown during her tour.

Keeping in mind her acting career, endorsements and of course- her widely popular music videos, Beyonce is definitely on her way to become a legend. She has become a household name and VH1 features at least one Beyonce video on a daily basis. Her tours have always been sold out and have been immensely successful. The best part about her videos is that they are not based on a particular storyline like other music videos. They are simple and focus primarily on dancing and having fun.

Author Bio: Beyonce Music Videos have an integral element of fashion in them . To watch all Beyonce music videos vist us online.

It seems like every decade or so there is a young country star or two that amazes everyone by surmounting all odds and become famous at a young age. Leanne Rimes was the young star who became famous during my high school years. This decade that star is Taylor Swift, a girl who charged the charts in 2006 at the age of 16 and has kept going since then. Taylor Swift is one of the most talked about country artists today, and the buzz is out about her all over the news and the internet.

Her song “Fearless” is her current biggest hit, and is now at number one on the Billboard charts for the seventh week in a row, the eighth overall week as the leader of the charts. Unlike many other young artists who have challenged the charts, Swift has kept her songs to themes that she understands: young love, hopes and dreams, and the broken heart that comes as a part of growing up, are all themes that Taylor explores. In “Fearless” Swift sings:
Oh yeah
And I don’t know how it gets better than this
You take my hand and drag me head first
Fearless
And I don’t know why but with you I’d dance in a storm in my best dress
Fearless

Words about young love, and all that a new young love can bring, take those of us who are a little older back to the nostalgia of our teens and for Swift’s contemporaries it is a song that they can fully, and completely, relate to. The words bring them hope for love that will mirror the one she describes.

Not only is the young star singing chart stopping songs, but she recently appeared on Saturday Night Live where she performed and did a bit of acting. She also filmed a cameo role on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, where she played the teenage daughter of Vegas hotel owners. In her blog she said that the role had been a life changing experience, although there was no indication of whether the actress is now considering following in the steps of other young artists and making a foray into film.

Swift’s first song to become popular was “Tim McGraw,” a song about teenage love, with the popular chorus:
But when you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think my favorite song
The one we danced to all night long
The moon like a spotlight on the lake
When you think happiness
I hope you think that little black dress
Think of my head on your chest
And my old faded blue jeans
When you think Tim McGraw
I hope you think of me

The song was from Swift’s self-titled debut album which reached number five on The Billboard 200, number one on country and number eight on Top Internet Albums in 2006. Taylor Swift tickets are available now for concerts in March, June, and July of this year. http://www.stubhub.com/taylor-swift-tickets is a great place to get tickets, as Taylor Swift concerts are certain to sell out fast.

Author Bio: This article was written by Phoebe Bradley and sponsored by StubHub. StubHub sells Taylor Swift tickets as well as many other kinds of concert tickets, sports tickets, theatrical performances and special events.

Nat King Cole was born as Nathaniel Adams Coles on Saint Patrick’s Day, 17th March 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama. His glorious career as a favourite American crooner ironically started as a bar room jazz pianist.

Although Nat King Cole was a pianist of excellent dexterity, his meteoric rise to musical fame was largely due to his sweet velvety singing, crooning out heart melting melodies that made his throngs of female fans swooned headily!

The King also made history as the first American of African descent to host a television variety show and was wildly popular worldwide even decades following his unfortunate demise in 1965 at the young age of 45 due to lung cancer.

As a child, the Nat’s family moved to Chicago where young the young Cole’s father served as a Baptist pastor in a local church. The boy learnt how to play the organ from his mother, Perlina, who was the church organist.

Nat began formal piano lessons when he was only 12 years old. This gifted musician was so talented that he could play almost any genre of music at that time and at a very young age. He was not only able to play gospel music which was his root, but everything else from jazz to classical masterpieces!

When his family moved home again to Bronzeville in Chicago. The lad would sneak out of the house and hang around outside the clubs, listening to and get inspired by musical greats such as Louis Armstrong, Earl Fatha Hines and Jimmie Noone.

Nat King Cole started his performing musical career when he was in his teens sometime in the middle 1930s. He teamed up with his elder brother, Eddie Coles, who played the bass and made their first album recording in 1936.

So how did the word ‘King’ sneaked into the singer’s middle name? Well, it was thought that young Nat got his nickname ‘King’ while performing the nursery rhyme song ‘Old King Cole’.

Not long after that, Nat King Cole along with three other musicians formed the band “King Cole Swingers” in Long Beach, Los Angeles and played in a number of local bars and clubs before getting a gig on the Long Beach Pike for less than a hundred dollars a week.

When Nat married dancer Nadine Robinson and moved to Los Angeles, he formed the famous Nat King Cole Trio with Oscar Moore on the guitar and Wesley Prince on the double bass. The trio played in Los Angeles throughout the late 1930s and recorded many albums and made radio appearances regularly.

Although the band was basically a music band, young Nat used to sing a song or two now and then and soon, be began to notice that people started to request more vocal numbers. This inspired him to sing more songs and more often.

When Wesley Prince left the trio during the second world war, Cole replaced the bass player with Johnny Miller. Johnny would in turn be replaced by Charlie Harris sometime in the middle of the last century.

Although, Nat King Cole Trio signed up with the then fledgling Capitol Records in 1943, Cole went on to stay with Capital Records for the rest of his glorious musical career. In fact, it was due largely to revenues from Cole’s record sales which fueled much of Capitol Records’ success story as a recording company during this period.

This revenue was believed to be the main source of funding for the iconic Capitol Records Building on Hollywood and Vine, in Los Angeles 1956. Capital Record’s building was the world’s first circular office building and many people called the building “the house that Nat built.”

As a popular and excellent jazz pianist, Cole was featured in the first Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts. His revolutionary three piece band consisting of only a piano, guitar and bass in the time of the big bands became the trend setter for jazz trios henceforth.

This 3 piece band set up was emulated by many great musicians of that era and including the likes of iconic musical giants such as Art Tatum, Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, Tommy Flanagan, Charles Brown and Ray Charles, just to name a few of the great musical luminaries.

The big break for Cole as a mainstream singer came with his own composition and a vocal hit recorded in 1943 called “Straighten Up and Fly Right”. The album sold more than half a million copies and this was in 1943 when sales figures like this were billed as being astronomical.

In the late 1940s, Nat began recording and performing more pop-oriented songs for mainstream audiences, often accompanied by a full string orchestra and retched up golden hits after hits like “The Christmas Song”, “Mona Lisa”, “Too Young” and of course, his signature tune, “Unforgettable”. With this shift towards more popular music, some jazz critics and fans accused the singer of selling out his jazz gospel roots.

Then the unthinkable happened. In 5th November, 1956, “The Nat King Cole Show” made history by debuting on NBC-TV as the first of its kind hosted by an African descent American. The program begun as a 15 minute show every Monday night and as its popularity grew, was expanded into a 30 minute show in July 1957.

The great Nat King Cole made his final television appearance on The Jack Benny Show and Benny allowed his guest star to steal the show at a time when racism was still rampant in the mostly white America. Cole was introduced by Benny as “the best friend a song ever had” and Cole sung and crooned “When I Fall in Love” in perhaps his finest and most memorable singing performance ever.

Throughout the 1950s, Nat King Cole continued to present the world with hit after hit songs such as “Smile,” “Pretend,” and “A Blossom Fell” teaming up with well-known music arrangers, composers and conductors of that era such as Nelson Riddle, Gordon Jenkins, and Ralph Carmichael.

Cole went on to record more hits during the 60s such as “Ramblin’ Rose”, “Dear Lonely Hearts,” “Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days Of Summer” and “That Sunday, That Summer”. Nat King Cole recorded his last album, “L-O-V-E” in early December 1964 and the album was released just prior to his death.

As a heavy smoker, Nat King Cole finally succumbed and died of lung cancer on February 15, 1965. In a radio interview on the day before he passed away, Cole said, “I am feeling better than ever. I think I’ve finally got this cancer licked.” However, sadly, that was not the case.

Among his many many honorable citations, Cole was inducted into both the Alabama Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. He was also awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990, and in 1997 was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame. In 2007, he was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Although the ‘King’ of crooers have left us long ago, the man’s songs still live on with us and can often be heard in many jazz clubs throughout the world. Such is the love of the great Nat King Cole and his songs!

Author Bio: Chris Chew is the music editor of the music education website How To Get Perfect Absolute Pitch and Learn How To Compose Your Own Songs

As performers we must never forget that our bodies are our instruments. So, just as you would care for a violin, guitar or any other instrument, you must be prepared to look after your body. If you fail to look after your body, you will not perform to the best of your ability and you may not be offered the opportunities you deserve. Here are three top tips to help you maintain your vocal stretch and stamina on stage:

#1 No Shouting: It’s the most obvious solution to maintaining your vocal health, but you’d be amazed at the number of performers who forget that screaming and shouting will seriously damage your voice. There will be times when you’re not thinking about the development of your performance skills and ‘looking after your instrument’ but if you’re serious about success on the stage, you will need to constantly remind yourself that screaming, shouting or straining the voice in anyway will be detrimental to your performance. A voice can be stretched but not pushed and quite often you will need to stretch muscles involved with the vocal process as part of your training. This is just like an athlete stretching before running a race. However, we know that if the athlete feels like he’s pulling a muscle, he will stop to prevent any damage being caused. The same is true for singers and actors. We must stretch muscles as part of our training in order to improve our vocal performance. However, as soon as we feel we are pushing or straining the voice we must stop.

#2 Warming Up: Carrying out a full vocal warm-up is crucial before going on stage for both singers and actors. Think about our athlete again. Have you ever seen an athlete arrive at the race track and immediately run the race? No, neither have I! They always look like they’ve been stretching, jogging and exercising a long time before the race and they’re always bouncing up and down to keep their muscles warm just before the race begins. Again, the same is true for singers and actors before going on stage. For our best vocal performance, our voices need to be warmed-up with an effective sequence of vocal exercises. So, get into the habit of doing vocal warm-ups before going on stage and your performance will benefit greatly.

#3 Lifestyle: Singers and actors worldwide talk about weird and wonderful concoctions and lifestyle rules which help them look after their voices. Whilst some of these may help you to maintain vocal health, a few solid rules are sure to make a difference:
- Avoid extremely hot and extremely cold drinks
- Be aware that excessive dairy products like milk, cream and chocolate are not good for the voice
- Eat well and get plenty of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy
- If you’ve strained your voice, mixtures such as milk and honey will help you feel better but not necessary prepare you to sing
- If you’re preparing to sing, drink plenty of water or other drinks such as lemon and ginger to clean and lubricate the vocal tract

Achieve performing arts success with mystagedoor.co.uk – the global community of aspiring performers. Join the performing arts platform at mystagedoor.co.uk and get free access to training tips, career advice, showbiz news and the opportunity to meet thousands of other like-minded performers.

Article Source: http://bb-articles.com

Inspired to take to the stage and create their dream, over 180,000 contestants turned out for X-Factor 2008. Most left the competition with shattered dreams. But now every aspiring performer has the opportunity to become a singing sensation with help of some of nation’s most respected experts.

Professionals from all across the performing arts industry are collaborating to provide expert advice and guidance to help aspiring singers achieve their aspirations. The world does not have space for thousands of new singing superstars but there are still fantastic opportunities for performers to entertain audiences all around the world. To help you realise your potential as a singer and take a big step closer to singing success, here are five top tips to help you produce a flawless performance:

#1 REALITY CHECK: If you want to succeed as a singer, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into. Starting out is never easy and, unless you’re very lucky, your first performances won’t be in the most glamorous of venues. You need to prepare yourself for the journey ahead and be ready to make the most of every situation. So, talk to performers about their experiences and find realistic information about the performing arts industry which will help to give you a valuable insight.

#2 GET TECHNICAL: Some performers are blessed with ‘natural talent’. From an early age, natural born performers demonstrate their ability to capture the attention of any audience. However, when it comes to pursuing a career in singing, every performer has to work hard to develop flawless singing technique to maintain their vocal strength. Why not learn the basics of singing technique with an online singing course? This can be an effective and affordable way to realise your full potential as a singer.

#3 CHOOSE YOUR TUNES: Singers are often criticised for choosing the wrong songs. Choosing the most suitable repertoire to perform is an extremely challenging task. To do this, we recommend taking time out to listen to as much music as possible. Don’t just listen to music you think you should sing or music you already listen to – try to broaden your horizons. You may stumble across a style of music which you didn’t consider before but which is perfect for your voice. The combination of singing music which is ideal for your voice and performing music which is not been covered by thousands of other artists will increase your chances of success.

#4 PRESENCE & PERSONALITY: Your presence as a performer on the stage and your personality when working with other people in the business will have a huge impact on your success. First, think about your posture and presence whilst performing. Do you look comfortable and do you look like you are enjoying performing? If so, you are likely to make your audience feel comfortable and more open to your performance. Secondly, think about how you come across to the people you work with. Modesty and honesty alongside perfect manners will get you a long way.

#5 ADVICE & SUPPORT: There is a vast amount of advice and support available to aspiring singers. In particular, thousands of websites offer free advice on developing your singing skills and giving a perfect performance. However, the challenge is to find material which is proven to be successful. We recommend, starting with an online singing course from easysingingtutorials.com – a leading provider of effective and affordable singing tuition. Then, we recommend registering for free at mystagedoor.co.uk – the global community of aspiring performers. Here you will find training tips and advice from leading experts as well as showbiz news and you will have the opportunity to meet other like-minded performers.

Good luck!

Download online singing courses from easysingingtutorials.com – a leading provider of effective and affordable singing tuition. Online singing courses from easysingingtutorials.com follow a unique vocal programme proven to help you achieve your aspirations.

Article Source: http://bb-articles.com

As the 62 year old pop icon continues to deny rumors about a recent show cancellation at Caesar’s Palace, more news stations are eager to get the “cancer on” rather than report on the longtime pop singers talents during her 90 minute performance.

The singer has recently had to deny everything from severe abdominal problems to cancer when she was caught with “Vegas throat.” “If I had cancer, everyone would know it,” Cher told “Access Hollywood” in an interview Friday. “I wouldn’t tell them, but somebody would. When you have those kinds of things happen, if you’re famous, you can’t keep them a secret.” While Cher is not one to be excluded from the spotlight, it isn’t much of a surprise that these rumors have started. With something like three successful careers under her large embellished belt, it comes as so surprise that this legend knows how to keep thing exciting.

This so called “sickness” blows in with the desert air every so often enough that other long time Sin City performers known exactly what she’s talking about. “My health is great. But you know there’s a wind thing that blows there sometimes in different months, and I have an allergy to it. So yeah it’s really hard if you get a sickness and you’re famous. It’s impossible. You have to suffer with the sickness and everyone gets to know it,” she continued during Friday’s taping.

Just enough to spike the rumors to high heaven is her recent announcement to continue her Vegas stint next year. Returning to Caesars Palace in February, Cher plans on keeping her hefty schedule with four nightly shows a week that run ninety minutes long. The first 35 dates are already scheduled and begin at the end of February.

“Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace” has been a staple since last May when she sold out 44 shows and performed for over 200,000 fans, according to a press release. Since the ’60s the world of Cher has been in the public eye. From her public relationship with music partner and producer Salvatore “Sonny” Bono to her work in film (and a subsequent Best Actress Academy Award for her role in Moonstruck), Cher’s comings and goings have always been of media speculation. After a very public divorce and dissolve of the group that got her her star (Sonny & Cher), she kept recording hit records and eventually transitioned into a famous actress. Currently she is recognized not only for her alternative folk days with ex-husband but also for her unique and ever-changing fashion sense. If you’re still not sick of Cher, check out her most recently updated dates, all of which are at The Colosseum at Caesars.

February 2009
21, 22 – Las Vegas, NV
24, 25 – Las Vegas, NV
28 – Las Vegas, NV

March 2009
1 – Las Vegas, NV
3, 4 – Las Vegas, NV
7, 8 – Las Vegas, NV
10, 11 – Las Vegas, NV
14, 15 – Las Vegas, NV
17 – Las Vegas, NV
20, 21 – Las Vegas, NV

April 2009
25, 26 – Las Vegas, NV
28, 29 – Las Vegas, NV

May 2009
2, 3 – Las Vegas, NV
5, 6 – Las Vegas, NV
9, 10 – Las Vegas, NV
12, 13 – Las Vegas, NV
16, 17 – Las Vegas, NV
19, 20 – Las Vegas, NV
23, 24 – Las Vegas, NV

This article is sponsored by stubhub.com and was written by Meaghan Clark. http://StubHub.com is a leader in the business of selling http://www.stubhub.com/cher-tickets/, as well as sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.