Getting Gigs

Featured article

Singing with Cirque


Have you considered that vocal work can include Cirque du Soleil?

Nicola Dawn, currently on an Arena Tour of Saltimbanco, shares with vocalists what it is like to sing in this unique company…

Did you ever think you might end up singing with Cirque du Soleil?
I actually think it was inevitable for me to end up doing this. When I first started my career I always loved to be involved in new musicals so I had the opportunity to put my own stamp on the performance and make it live in ‘my way’. I was drawn to Cirque because > read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Making it in the Music Industry


There’s no neat formula to success – but there’s stuff you have to do. Manager Mick Clark takes vocalists behind the scenes.

He’s discovered some of the greatest vocal artists in the UK.

Mick Clark’s wide-ranging career has included significant work with Virgin, Sony and Columbia as well as supervising music for ad agencies and prominent film projects.

Mick describes himself as a soul-music fanatic—there is no denying that he is behind much of the explosion of Black Soul music in the UK, having signed up too many prominent artists to name here.

Currently Mick is managing Preeya Kalidas – well known for her roles in EastEnders and Bend it Like Beckham – and whose hit single Shimmy, is a YouTube sensation.

Today he comes to vocalists with > read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Social Networks & Vocalists


They are spreading like dandelions. Where do you, as a vocalist, make your investment? Megan Gloss shares practical advice.

Avenues such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are instantaneous ways to put yourself and your voice on the cyber map and connect with other vocalists, musicians, booking agents, promoters, venues, fans and friends.

They are today’s digital “must-have” for your online presence.

Easy to use, social networks feature an automatic template, are free and enable you to connect with an endless array of individuals and groups.

They also allow you to > read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

Promoting Your Voice III: Your Story

Have you identified and shared the aspects of your life-journey that are compelling to others? Marina V shares how…

I have a strong opinion about the bio-cards that vocalists and bands hand out.

The typical bio-card has the artist’s name, website details and a few endorsements on the back. It’s usually glossy and visually appealing.

Those are all important elements, but the most important element is usually missing: Your Story.

Each of us has a story, elements of which are very appealing or inspiring to our audiences; we must share this story. After all, we are already sharing our soul through song.

In my case, people find it interesting that I have had > read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +3 (from 3 votes)

Promoting Your Voice II: Fan Power

Marina V shares how she’s realized the potential of her fan base.

It was in a Borders bookstore gig that a returning fan asked simple question: “Is there anything I can do to help?”

There certainly was. I needed my bio-cards handed out, assistance with setting up equipment and help spreading the word about my next gigs.

How should I respond to the question?

> read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +3 (from 3 votes)

Promoting Your Voice I


Marina V reveals that the help you need promoting your voice may be closer than you think.

It seemed like a logical first step to take: phone the manager of a modest venue and ask to open for an act of a similar genre.

Wouldn’t any singer wanting to “break-in” do the same? After all, Marina had a good track record – several successful gigs in America’s Midwest.

But this was LA.

Her request was greeted with laughter: “If you don’t bring thirty of your own fans with you, it’s never going to happen”. > read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

The Christmas Gig


Laura Clapp says that it’s possible for vocalists to not only to survive the Christmas gig, but to also thrive on its energy.

In a bar gig there is a buffer zone where people see you as the “entertainment”.

But the Christmas gig is often in a more informal setting like someone’s house; that buffer simply isn’t there – people can be fearless!

They may abruptly start singing along or offer suggestions in the middle of your piece.

Perhaps they’ve had too much to drink and they tip you to sing a funeral dirge in the middle of your Jingle Bells set.

And you never know how people might react to the music: a certain piece might bring back the fond memories of Christmas yesteryear or it may remind them of their dear grandmother who died while listening to the chorus. Minefields.

And, while we are on the subject, how many Christmas songs do you put in a set? How many times can you repeat Frosty the Snowman? > read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

When You Don’t Need an Agent


Is a good agent really the answer to a singer’s career? London agent Alastair Lindsey-Renton talks himself out of a job – well, almost.

Have you ever fantasized: ‘If I only had an agent, I’d really be getting ahead right now?’

VoiceCouncil tracked down prominent London agent Alastair Lindsey-Renton to ask if a good agent really is the singer’s cure-all.

Surprisingly, the answer is ‘no’ – as long as three conditions are met.

1. A Good Understanding of the Business

Never sit back and expect the work to come to you. You must always be promoting your interests: meeting the right people; knowing what is currently casting; understanding what groups/venues/listeners are asking for; being aware of what opportunities may be coming up in the next 6-12 months.

If this sounds daunting, remember that there are just a few key questions you need to ask:

*Who are the creatives?                     *Where does the money come from?

*Who finds the actors/singers?             *Who negotiates contracts?

Take time every week to develop your answers to these questions. Just take them one at a time and keep track of the progress you make on your answers. This may not be the type of vocal-work you thought you would be doing but remember: you are your own business.

> read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +3 (from 3 votes)

What We Liked About Your Website


Here are five themes that came up when I (anonymous web-designer guy) looked at loads of VoiceCouncil member websites. If you make a few easy changes to your website, I believe you’ll stand a better chance of getting noticed – and getting business.

SHORT AND SIMPLE HOMEPAGE
We liked your sites when they had brief but important pieces of information on the home page.

For example, a short piece of text, a sound-bite, a video (just one), a few relevant and recent news items and a clear indication of what is on the rest of the site.

In other words, your homepage should not be a novel and it should definitely not scroll down forever like a MySpace page.

One way to think of a homepage is as an intriguing advertisement for what people can find on the rest of your website.

> read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

Getting the Gigs You Want

She arrived in Chicago with a music degree and a demo tape. Within only a few months she was singing commercially and performing original material with her own band. The Chicago Sun-Times named her “One of Chicago’s rising stars”.
GIGS
Lori Maier soon found a vocation in enabling other vocal artists to get their careers off the ground. She gathered together promising female singers and invited them to rehearse with an established band. In the evening they performed their music in a noted venue. These events soon became regular and were named “Chick Singer Night”.

After 20 years, Chick Singer Night has become established in cities across the USA; it’s even become an international phenomenon. In her role as Executive Director, Lori has facilitated thousands of contemporary vocalists into their first gigs and beyond.

In conversation with VoiceCouncil magazine, Lori shares 4 steps for getting the gigs you want.

> read more

VN:F [1.9.2_1090]
Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)