Today I am going to share a few anecdotes with you about some of the gigs I have done in order to get a chance to sing, and perhaps these may inspire you as well.
When I was in college I was willing to drive to Minneapolis from outstate MN once a week to sing with the MN Chorale. We would rehearse in St. Paul at a private women's college and then perform in Minneapolis at Orchestra Hall. It was fun vocalizing with all the grown-ups and the fine choral conductors who came to Minneapolis, and singing with a live symphony orchestra was fun. This I did for love and not for any money.
For money, I was willing to drive anywhere and do anything. I once got hired to sing at a birthday party for an Insurance Agent. I had to sit on his knee. After I was finished, his wife said to her husband in a loud voice, "Did you cop a feel?" Yuck!
Next, I spent one weekend in Stephens Point, Wisconsin at a retreat for New Age types where I sang a couple of shows with a buddy of mine, and I never knew how rough "rough camping" was. The mosquitoes were thick, which helped lend a hand to a phrase my husband made up: "If you're legs you're a-scratching, the eggs are a-hatching!"
I did another stint of rough camping up at WeFest one year, and there I did some busking outside a food store. I must say that did renew my faith in human goodness. As I played my guitar and sang, a number of people dropped money into my guitar case. I was surprised and delighted to find some kind soul had tossed in a bunch of one dollar coins!
It took a lot of courage to sing alone in the street, but I was determined to pay my dues!
I have tried to sing in many areas, from poorly-attended, cafe gigs where only family showed up, to festivals where people just sat around a little, then walked away while we melted in the sun. I sang for radio commercial ads such as the one for "Jetter Clean" where I was paid a small flat fee, and the jingle I recorded ran for decades. I think all in all my singing career hasn't really fulfilled my wild expectations. Nevertheless, I have recorded 2 CD's with my husband (under our band name "Molly and Sonny Boy,") and although it was thrilling and gratifying to have the recordings out on CD Baby, Amazon and iTunes, the marketing of the CD's is the big wrench in the works. If you like, you can sample our latest CD here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mollysonnyboy2
True enough, if you want to sing, you have to promote yourself! Everyone is ready to suck up to you and take what they can from you. You must protect yourself, and take care of yourself. Even if you are in a band, you can't really rely on anyone to help you to stay healthy, and sane. It seems drink and drugs, sex and losers are all part of the game. The best thing to do is to avoid hanging with the negative people. There are so many people who will try and take advantage of you in many ways, if you are not wary, and don't have your head on straight.
How to get over shyness is never easy. There are some singers who are bursting with self-confidence. I have met girls who are pampered and supported by parents. Young women who have good looks and who get praise and popularity in college for their talent, and then they are never heard of again. The competition to be the best is ruthless and it takes a lot of drive to make a mark in the world of music. Most of all, besides talent and passion, one has to have a high level of self-confidence and self-esteem. It is easy to feel at ease while being a student and not having to earn money or go it on your own. I had one matriculated fellow music major tell me how much he missed college and all the singing opportunities. He complained to me how vacant those opportunities for performing were now that he had to work full-time to pay back all his student loans. Yes, making music means having time to rehearse and to perform. It costs money to make money. It takes gas and time to get to where you need to go.
Life gets in the way. Well, let's work on making time to sing. I want to hear of your singing experiences, what you have tried, what has worked for you and what hasn't. Feel free to post comments or suggestions on topics you want me to address in upcoming blog posts.
My challenge to you today is to take 20 minutes to do some vocalizing. Sing some fun Karaoke songs off YouTube or just sit down at the piano and sing some scales, or if you are a musical theatre buff, how about turning on a CD of show tunes and stand in front of the mirror and sing a few of them to feel good. Music stops time and lifts up our spirits and makes us feel happy. Singing alone is always a pleasure. No pressure.
Here I am singing a cappella a song I wrote, "I wasn't born in 1902." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-PabfvnCkY
So, until next time, do what you must to sing, and build your self-esteem. The stronger you like yourself, the more you will succeed.
We all have our bad-hair days!
Next time, I will share with you a way to start getting easy gigs-painlessly.
Keep Singing!
Amy Zents
PS. "I'm not telling you it's going to be easy, I'm telling you it's going to be worth it!" :-)
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