25 Things 9. This is Serious Business
And we're back. I spent the last few days literally scheduled to the point of having no time at all. That's what happens when so many things hit on the same weekend. The good news is that my students have won their musical theatre category for three years in a row now at NATS. This is epic given the number of kids out with the death cold this time around. I wasn't expecting to see anything this year. I'm also happy because for the second time in a row, the win went to the kid who worked the hardest and put the most into her practicing.
You may see me disappear a couple more times over the next few weeks. 2012's timing kind of blows. The show I'm doing closes on April 1st and after that I can be around on a more consistent basis.
9. This is Serious Business
If you want to succeed as a singer, you are going to have to take this seriously. This is your job and you need to treat it like a job. Even when you're at an after show party, you are still on the job and you must behave accordingly. You can't be everyone's party pal. You have to be a professional.
As a professional, you will be expected to follow professional standards. The rules apply whether you're collecting a check from someone else or working on your business at home. You need to act like this is a job. If you show up late for work or drink on the job, you won't have a job for long. Nor do people want to work with someone who doesn't shower before coming to rehearsal, wears stained clothes or just washed their hair in the bathroom sink. I know we're artistes, but we're artistes who want to get paid and if you want to get paid, you have to be the kind of person people will pay. Even when you're the biggest superstar in the world, no one will want to deal with you if you show up for work high.
This stuff is somewhat easier when you're actually doing a job. If you're scheduled for a rehearsal, then you know you have to show up on time. It's much harder when you're on your own time and you still can't party like it's 1999. There are jobs that you can do after a night of drunken debauchery. Singing isn't one of them. Even on your off hours, you have to be aware of what your responsibilities are. Singers are known for being flighty and people tend to get a wee bit nervy when they have thousands or millions invested in a venture that could collapse in on itself thanks to one goofy artist. This is why it's not a good idea to make a fool of yourself on Facebook. People might recognize that you don't normally respond to pressure by setting your shed on fire, but they might not. They don't know you.
When you're practicing, you also need to take things seriously. If you're getting a critique, you need to listen to it. Even if it's something you don't want to hear, you have to listen. It is much harder than getting feedback from a boss, because you're your own boss and you're paying people to tell you what to do. There's a huge temptation to say "Oh well, I want to do it this way" and to leave it at that. Hey, if you don't have career aspirations, go ahead and do that. However, if you want to be a singer, you need to accept that your teacher or coach is acting as a proxy for the greater world of people who might pay you to sing. This is not a job where you learn as you go. You have to nail the audition, so you need that feedback from the boss before you get the job. That's what your teachers and coaches are giving you. Even if you don't agree, you have to listen and consider their advice seriously and don't discount anything until you have a chance to record yourself so you can see and hear what they are talking about. Then you can decide whether you really want to do things your way.
Remember how many singers are out there. Tons of them. You are in a blizzard of special snowflakes. That means that no snowflake is special enough for the rules not to apply. So, take off the beer goggles, put away the Wicked Karaoke set and stop pretending to be Maria Callas on American Idol. You have work to do.
You may see me disappear a couple more times over the next few weeks. 2012's timing kind of blows. The show I'm doing closes on April 1st and after that I can be around on a more consistent basis.
9. This is Serious Business
If you want to succeed as a singer, you are going to have to take this seriously. This is your job and you need to treat it like a job. Even when you're at an after show party, you are still on the job and you must behave accordingly. You can't be everyone's party pal. You have to be a professional.
As a professional, you will be expected to follow professional standards. The rules apply whether you're collecting a check from someone else or working on your business at home. You need to act like this is a job. If you show up late for work or drink on the job, you won't have a job for long. Nor do people want to work with someone who doesn't shower before coming to rehearsal, wears stained clothes or just washed their hair in the bathroom sink. I know we're artistes, but we're artistes who want to get paid and if you want to get paid, you have to be the kind of person people will pay. Even when you're the biggest superstar in the world, no one will want to deal with you if you show up for work high.
This stuff is somewhat easier when you're actually doing a job. If you're scheduled for a rehearsal, then you know you have to show up on time. It's much harder when you're on your own time and you still can't party like it's 1999. There are jobs that you can do after a night of drunken debauchery. Singing isn't one of them. Even on your off hours, you have to be aware of what your responsibilities are. Singers are known for being flighty and people tend to get a wee bit nervy when they have thousands or millions invested in a venture that could collapse in on itself thanks to one goofy artist. This is why it's not a good idea to make a fool of yourself on Facebook. People might recognize that you don't normally respond to pressure by setting your shed on fire, but they might not. They don't know you.
When you're practicing, you also need to take things seriously. If you're getting a critique, you need to listen to it. Even if it's something you don't want to hear, you have to listen. It is much harder than getting feedback from a boss, because you're your own boss and you're paying people to tell you what to do. There's a huge temptation to say "Oh well, I want to do it this way" and to leave it at that. Hey, if you don't have career aspirations, go ahead and do that. However, if you want to be a singer, you need to accept that your teacher or coach is acting as a proxy for the greater world of people who might pay you to sing. This is not a job where you learn as you go. You have to nail the audition, so you need that feedback from the boss before you get the job. That's what your teachers and coaches are giving you. Even if you don't agree, you have to listen and consider their advice seriously and don't discount anything until you have a chance to record yourself so you can see and hear what they are talking about. Then you can decide whether you really want to do things your way.
Remember how many singers are out there. Tons of them. You are in a blizzard of special snowflakes. That means that no snowflake is special enough for the rules not to apply. So, take off the beer goggles, put away the Wicked Karaoke set and stop pretending to be Maria Callas on American Idol. You have work to do.