Being Original (Even If You are Singing a Cover)

The next time you switch on your Ipod, listen to a song that you know all by heart. Everything is expected. You know all the improvisations that take place. You know the exact point where someone like Mariah Carey hits that HIGH note. You know when the group of singers step in for back up. Every part of the song you know.



Do you sing in your original authentic ways or are you duplicating your favorite singer. You don't necessarily have to change every country song to R and B song or anything like that, but creating your own style IS important if you want to make your sound something to get someone's attention.



Now on this note of making yourself ORIGINAL-what about your accompaniment? If you are striving to be unique, you need to find some instrumentalists. The usage of tracks will make a performer unable to create with freedom. Tracks are a great tool when learning a song, but I seriously feel that it only belongs in the practice room. Finding a pianist can be easy if you network-just like in any other job. There might be a pianist at your local community college, or a high school. Sometimes people will help you out voluntarily. You just have to ask.



Another issue with live performance is building confidence with what you're performing. Find a reason why you are performing this particular piece and express that reason in your music. Never make the excuse that your music teacher made you do it. Do some research on the song and personalize it.



See performing music is sharing a part of you. It is your spirit. If you don't express yourself in performing, there will be a wall between you and your audience.



If you connect with your audience, you will certainly enjoy the success and rewards of true authenticity.

Teaching Music as a Tool for Learning

There are so many ways a musician can reinforce what they learn throughout their music career. The best way to maintain your basic level is to continue to teach music. It is a great way to verbalize what you know, so that it is a reminder to you of what you keep as you perform, yourself.

Even though I took many music classes in the past, teaching for me really reinforced the music theory part because I would be writing the music, creating examples, playing them, singing them. It's like writing a book. You explore your thinking and develop new ideas and express them in a certain way.

With teaching, you are always learning. You also will receive response from your audience and possibly, develop new ideas to tack your lessons.