Singers With Musicality

Singers with Musicality

I was overjoyed and totally delighted when I moved to Corpus Christi from Los Angeles to realize that I hadn't left everything behind. I knew there were going to be enormous changes that I would have to adjust to, and there have been to be sure. But one thing I still have here in Texas is Ovation TV.

I know it doesn't sound like much, and if you've never had the pleasure of watching this channel, you may not get what it means to me, but let me try and tell you anyway.

If you're anything like me, and you truly believe in your heart that the salvation of the human race lies in its art, then maybe you can imagine what Ovation TV has to offer. Masterpieces of Art, Film, Literature, Poetry, Opera, Jazz, Singing, Plays, Sculpture, Photography, indeed creation of any and every kind of art imaginable are represented, celebrated and encouraged on this station.

You can watch a play, a symphony orchestra, an opera, a jazz concert on one day, and a film on Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, Sylvia Plath or Martha Graham on another day. There is no end to to the glorification of art that goes from morning 'til night on this channel. And it was here that I encountered 30 minutes of this celebration last week on the life and music of Ella Fitzgerald.

Growing up in the canyons of New York City, my sisters and would often go up to the roof to escape the heat during the summer months, and I would always bring my transistor radio along to listen to my favorite station WNEW, where William B. Williams would teach me how to listen to singers, and not just listen...but analyze, appreciate... hear what the horns were doing, the bass lines, everything.

Frank and Ella were "IT" for me and were why I knew from very early on in my lfe, 5 or 6, that it would be my life's work to sing like those 2.

The short film showing on Ovation took the time to trace the history of Ella's rise to the top in the recording industry, but went further to explain, why she was adored and respected by her listeners and peers alike. One after another, musicians who had worked with her or just listened to her records, stepped in front of a camera and proudly boasted,

"It was her Musicianship"!

Now, Ella had a fluid, lush, pure, glorious voice, that warmed your heart when you heard it, and also could do anything on earth she wanted it to do, but here were these people saying, "It was her musicianship!"

Several of those interviewed from this film recalled that early on in her career, the bands she auditioned for didn't really want her. "It wasn't personal", one tenor sax player said. "It was that the guys in the band didn't hold too much respect for girl singers back then...well I guess it's the same today. You know, girl singers just want to be the center of attention and more often than not, their talent doesn't deserve that attention. But when Ella sang, not only could you tell instantly that she could hear every chord and every beat we were playing for her, she even made us look for better chords and beats to play just to keep up. She made us all better players!"

There were 2 current jazz singers in the film too, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Anita Wardell, who talked about what it means to sing when you know the music...ALL the music, not just the melody line, and how the whole band knows that you know it, and you know that they know that you now it.

That's a ride on a magic carpet, singers and it's woven from the golden thread of the singer's musicality.

Now you know I've talked about this before, singers, and I've mentioned with regard to eliciting respect from your fellow musicians, but after watching this film, I realized there was something else...something more I wanted to express to you about musicianship, (or musicality if you prefer), and it's this.

When you and your accompaniment (whether it's a full big band or orchestra or YOU playing for yourself) are in total synchronization, the performance is MAGICAL! It infuses YOU and the band and every person sitting in the audience. And believe me, there is no greater satisfaction than singing with a bunch of musicians who are feeling you and playing the best they can to make the whole thing sound wonderful. And you find that singers with musicality don't worry so much about drawing all the attention from the crowd. They are team players and every body knows it and respects it, just as all those guys respected Ella.

So when I try to encourage you singers to learn an instrument, at least enough of one to understand chordal structure and rhythms, I'm trying to show you that the more musicality you possess, the further you will progress with your singing.

Seriously singers, if you are dead on committed about working as a professional, you're going to have to have a "live accompaniment". You cannot rely on backing tracks indefinitely.

Measuring the quality of art!

I've been watching a lot of tennis this week! And I've noticed something interesting that I wanted to share with you.
Clearly one's athletic prowess can be objectively measured by numbers.
You win! Your ranking goes up, your income goes up, your endorsement opportunities go up, your popularity goes up. It's all measured by the stats.
It's like this in almost every sport, and when an athlete, whether a tennis player, baseball player, basketball or whatever, is winning, excelling at his sport...even HE or SHE must admit how good he or she is at it. Isn't that right? Ask Roger Federer, or Tiger Woods. Neither of these men who say that they are not great at what they do.

But artistic performance cannot be measured by statistical data, can it? Art is SUBJECTIVE!

Remember Andy Warhol's painting of a Campbells's soup can? It was highly successful, but even today, there are numerous people out there who do NOT consider it art, and therefore not worthy of artistic praise. And one may wonder what Andy was thinking at the time.

I point this out because we, as artists each need to get to the bottom of this goodness or badness, this merit or lack thereof of our own performances.
How can we measure something that cannot be scientifically measured? And how can we know when it's not up to standard without displaying it to a large group? How can we call something bad based on just our own opinion, formed by the doubts and fears we have inside? How do we measure the quality of art in any form?
Oh yes! We have "experts" to tell us what is good art and what is bad or inconsequential, sure! Well, I don't know about you, but personally I love the movies the critics hate, and I read all the books the book reviewers label as second-rate. Maybe I think that critics are self-imposed experts who don't know any more, (or any less) than I do, so I can make up my mind.
That's really the point.
With an art form, the quality of it lies in the receiver, the listener if it's musical, the viewer if it's visual, etc.
But rankings?
Isn't it quite possible for a singer to be at the top of his or her game in poularity and still sound terrible to a lot of people? Of course that's possible...and occurs frequently.
Whereas, if a baseball player is batting 400+ and has hit a gazillion homers, one CANNOT DENY the quality of that effort, and quite often even the person who's made it.
So tell me, dear readers....what say YOU about this theory of mine?
We've got 3 juicy topics going on right now and you are welcome to comment on all of them if you'd like to. So SING OUT!

Ugh! That sound is Awful!!

I hear it from my clients all the time, and many of my colleagues and friends as well. Even my own son, and my daughter too, complain to me about it. And yesterday, while recording a vocal guide for an original backing track I made for a student, I actually saw and heard myself vocalize an expression of loathing of my own voice.
And the moment it happened, I thought, "Aahaah! None of us are immune from this! Each of us, in one way or another, absolutely HATE the sound of our own voice."

So the question becomes,
THEN WHY DO WE CHOOSE TO ENGAGE IN AN ACTIVITY IN WHICH WE USE OUR VOICE MORE THAN ANY OTHER BODY PART?

I mean, if we hate the sound of our voice so much, why don't we just do things where we don't ever have to speak... and definitely not sing...like reading or something like that?

For me there are 2 answers:

1> We are programmed to be self-effacing, self-critical, overly humble, and non-threatening.
2> It's an ACT!

Before I actually elaborate on these concepts, I'd like your take. So whaddaya say? Take it away!!

Is the Ego a healthy thing for a singer to have?

Yeah, okay, I already have strong opinions about this, but don't let that stop you from voicing your own, okay?

I tell my singers, and they will testify to the never-ending diatribes that they have to endure from me, that the ego is the enemy of a true artist...that while you're up there thinking...

"Look at me, look, LOOK! See me, hear me, pay attention to me ME ME! Oh God, what's the next line? Should I go for that high note tonight? Do I have the strength? Oh Geez! They're not even listening....BLAH BLAH BLAH"

...you're losing them fast!

How can you connect with anyone with all that chatter going on in your head? That's your ego.

So I tell my students to stay in the present, and just communicate! Tell 'em a story. Pull 'em in. Be more interested than interesting.

What do you think? Do you think your ego is who you are? Is that where you get your individualality? Or does the creative part of you come from some other place?
G'head....talk to me.