Jan 19, 2011
Hi Everyone
Happy New Year, best wishes for 2011 :>
Last month, I discussed the hours of stage image preparation, now let’s pump up the volume…
Song delivery is vital to a performance. It may take many hours of preparation to look and feel good but if not much comes out your mouth and attitude when you sing your song…the audience are not going to respond back with much to you either. When you look into the eyes of one audience member and then to another, you’re telling a story whilst singing your song…it’s a very personal experience between you and them.
Each artist has their own talent and spark which helps distinguish them. Be it they may able to belly and booty dance or whether they have a raspy vocal tone and edge. So it helps that when selecting songs an artist should take into consideration what will enhance his/her specialty. Really work hard to find your voice and delve into your skin to develop the artist bursting to come out.
It’s important to remember that…not every song will suit an artist because of vocal range, genre and tonality; not every song on record works well live; some songs just don’t suit some bands playing them; and some songs don’t suit some cultures. Preparation is key…know your capabilities and match them to your audience!
Learning a song takes time. Tempo, phrasing, lyrics and styling really help to shape a song in production. As mentioned before, each artist has their own ‘thing’…to grasp that ‘thing’ you need to connect. By listening to the original (studio version and live), watching music videos (especially live) and also checking out how other artists have made different versions is a good way to study and understand the song. Then practice, practice, practice! I really suggest working in front of a mirror so you can see your face and body movements. When I first did this I felt like an utter moron! However I dug in and just believe I can do it, then tried again and did it once more until it felt natural…try this and you will be onto a winner!
Confidence to shine and stand out is of outmost importance. Sometimes, I’ll look out from the stage and see an audience who are just watching the band. In order to draw them in, I use hand gestures and vocal hypes. For example in Lady Gaga’s, Bad Romance I change it up and sing, “I know that you want me, I know that you need me…but I want you on the dance floor”! The results are people jumping up and down, running to the dance floor and cheering me on. I absolutely love seeing that response, it is fascinating everytime!
So from the choosing, to the learning, to the understanding to the delivery of a song…is personal. It’s something you share, a lyric you give, a dance movement to entice…to bring the audience closer, so they can feel and connect and ultimately have a great time out!
I have just 2 months left in Oman with Liquid Band performing at Safari Club, Grand Hyatt, Muscat, as we prepare to move to our next destination…oohlalah! Next up is Part III – ‘Relationships on the Road’…well it will be Valentine’s…so the good, the bad, the soppy…it is!
Over ‘n out for now, lotsa sunshine to ya :>
LT
XXX