Singing Friends
When my son was about four, he brought me some sheet music I had just printed and said "Mama, here's your singing paper." Early on, he learned to distinguish between my "lady friends" - usually there is cackling, food and wine - and "singing friends" - there is singing, cackling, and usually not wine. Because wine.
I love singing friends, and I need them. I have some in the Knoxville Choral Society (alto section = much cackling), and some at my church singing gig, and some who go way back and are precious to me. I have my producer, Steve Rutledge, who is like the brother I never wanted, and the random characters who come in to play.
Some of my favorite singing friends are the singers who come in to sing my demos. I look for great, unforgettable voices, and I look hard. It's not always easy; this past week I dragged myself to the Tennessee Valley Fair after slaving over a hot microphone all morning, to go sit in the Pepsi Tent and hear a lot of 9-year-old girls in cowboy boots sing their hearts out in the talent competition. The jazz guitarist should have won, by the way; and I really want to find the girl who sang "Jar of Hearts," and they should have turned her track down. If you see her tell her to call me.
...and by the way if you are a talented very young person and you put your stuff online without saying your city or a way to get in touch with you, you are making sure that pedophiles don't find you, and you are also making sure that people like me who want to give you recording opportunities don't find you either. May I suggest a Reverbnation account where the parent can check and screen the messages? Unless you just want to have your stuff on Youtube forever, reaching only your three friends who say "omg your amazing."
Anyway, I look hard to find the singers who get my songs signed to sync deals, the singers who make the publishers say "who's the singer?" before they talk about the song. I'm pleased with this unexpected outcome in my life, which is that all the voice studying I've done hasn't given me a money-making voice, but I've got great ears.
My favorites of these singing friends climb into the song and make it their own and I love where they take it. I also love the collaboration, so much, because I don't love working alone. When I don't get the cut I'm not so much sad about the money that I won't make, as I am sad that there is a musical party going on and I don't get to go. But I'm realistic. The singers I pick are on their way to bigger careers and record deals, and when they get where they're going I have no illusions that they will remember me at all; this is why I'm not going out of my way to get the cut.
There is usually a parent or other members of the entourage, and I also love the joy the parent gets when they hear it. There is a mystery to your child's gift - they just walk into the vocal booth at age 14 or 16 or 20 and wail out an incredible vocal without really thinking much about it.
My latest singing friend just recorded this for me and it's ... oh right. Go listen. I'll wait.
Right? She's kinda bluesy kinda R&B kinda her own special thing. I'm moving away from the squeaky clean young songs that nobody wants, and loving her earthy sexy energy and she's got some chops too. She writes her own stuff so she hasn't got much use for me, alas. Now go give her some money. I'll wait.
Anyway, Alyssa has chosen to live in Kentucky just to thwart my deep need to have her record my songs but I'll recover. When I hear a voice I like, I start hearing it a lot, and I usually can't help but write for it. I've got another one waiting and by the time she decides to cross state lines again I'll probably have others.
I love singing friends, and I need them. I have some in the Knoxville Choral Society (alto section = much cackling), and some at my church singing gig, and some who go way back and are precious to me. I have my producer, Steve Rutledge, who is like the brother I never wanted, and the random characters who come in to play.
Some of my favorite singing friends are the singers who come in to sing my demos. I look for great, unforgettable voices, and I look hard. It's not always easy; this past week I dragged myself to the Tennessee Valley Fair after slaving over a hot microphone all morning, to go sit in the Pepsi Tent and hear a lot of 9-year-old girls in cowboy boots sing their hearts out in the talent competition. The jazz guitarist should have won, by the way; and I really want to find the girl who sang "Jar of Hearts," and they should have turned her track down. If you see her tell her to call me.
...and by the way if you are a talented very young person and you put your stuff online without saying your city or a way to get in touch with you, you are making sure that pedophiles don't find you, and you are also making sure that people like me who want to give you recording opportunities don't find you either. May I suggest a Reverbnation account where the parent can check and screen the messages? Unless you just want to have your stuff on Youtube forever, reaching only your three friends who say "omg your amazing."
Anyway, I look hard to find the singers who get my songs signed to sync deals, the singers who make the publishers say "who's the singer?" before they talk about the song. I'm pleased with this unexpected outcome in my life, which is that all the voice studying I've done hasn't given me a money-making voice, but I've got great ears.
My favorites of these singing friends climb into the song and make it their own and I love where they take it. I also love the collaboration, so much, because I don't love working alone. When I don't get the cut I'm not so much sad about the money that I won't make, as I am sad that there is a musical party going on and I don't get to go. But I'm realistic. The singers I pick are on their way to bigger careers and record deals, and when they get where they're going I have no illusions that they will remember me at all; this is why I'm not going out of my way to get the cut.
There is usually a parent or other members of the entourage, and I also love the joy the parent gets when they hear it. There is a mystery to your child's gift - they just walk into the vocal booth at age 14 or 16 or 20 and wail out an incredible vocal without really thinking much about it.
My latest singing friend just recorded this for me and it's ... oh right. Go listen. I'll wait.
Right? She's kinda bluesy kinda R&B kinda her own special thing. I'm moving away from the squeaky clean young songs that nobody wants, and loving her earthy sexy energy and she's got some chops too. She writes her own stuff so she hasn't got much use for me, alas. Now go give her some money. I'll wait.
Anyway, Alyssa has chosen to live in Kentucky just to thwart my deep need to have her record my songs but I'll recover. When I hear a voice I like, I start hearing it a lot, and I usually can't help but write for it. I've got another one waiting and by the time she decides to cross state lines again I'll probably have others.
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