Do NOT hold the mic like the guy above, if you want to avoid feedback. by Justin Leighton Long Feedback can be a nightmare for singers. That piercing scream and everyone covering their ears can be embarrassing to say the least. The subject is actually pretty complicated, but let’s keep it simple. Feedback is caused […]
A singer I know got some great feedback recently from a new band member. He told her that although she was an excellent performer, she was undermining herself between songs. Here’s how: While singing in this particular band, she takes on the persona of a rockstar-type diva. She’s high-energy and edgy. She takes risks, both […]
This past weekend was a big gig for a lot of singers: it was a reunion gig of Guitar Villians Live Band Karaoke, with 31 singers vying for $800 in cash prizes. Each singer got to sing only one song. Can you imagine the pressure? Understandably, a lot of them were nervous. Some came to […]
Have you ever been to an open mic night? Not to be catty, but it seems like sometimes people use their open mic slots to simply play as long as they possibly can, without regard to whether what they play is actually interesting to the audience. If each person gets a 20-minute slot, they play […]
Many open mic nights, jam sessions, and karaoke opportunities take place in bars, where students under 21 can’t usually enter (in the US, anyway). Consequently, several of my students were wondering how to get stage experience when they are too young to enter establishments where they could perform. The idea of coffee-shop style open mic […]
What makes your band sound good at a gig? Great vocals? The band playing nice and tight after some productive rehearsals? Good room acoustics? The biggest baddest subwoofer in the city? Crispy clear highs? The perfect guitar tone? Yeah yeah yeah, these things all contribute. But there’s one factor that will make or break you, […]
Have you auditioned for a band and failed to get in? Have you auditioned for a lot of bands, and still not gotten into one? Do you know why? Today I’m going to talk about how to increase your chances of getting into a band. … I’m going to start with a real example of […]
Open mic nights and jam sessions are a great way to get stage time and to meet other musicians – perhaps musicians who are looking for someone just like you for their project! Here are three things to keep in mind, to avoid wasting your time and the opportunity: 1) Before you go, find out: […]
Last week we had a student performance with a live band. We had only one rehearsal prior to the gig, so we had to pick songs with low “train wreck” risk! If you find yourself in a similar situation – where you have the chance to sing with a live band with little to no […]
Learning about stage presence is one thing. But in order to practice what you know about stage presence, you have to sing on stage for real! One of the biggest challenges for new singers (who are not also instrumentalists in bands) is to find singing performance opportunities. It’s the chicken-and-egg problem: without singing experience you […]
