How about a SINGER'S FORUM?

[chessparov]

gospel, in case you've never seen "Sullivan's Travels", it's worth
renting. There's a classic scene where prisoners, guards, and the
warden watch a movie. It will further reinforce the notion of the
good you'll be doing.

Good luck at your gigs!
Chris

 

[singergrl]

I am a singer and piano player. Sadly I gave up the gospel singing about 4 years ago. I am now getting into doing weddings again. I had cut an album, would go around to the churches to sing, if it was in their budget....or get a love offering. It gets old after a while, let me tell ya. After a while I would forget what I was singing for, and most times just felt like the entertainment for the hour. Not really bringing a message. So I took a break.
Now I am starting all over again.
I still get nervous when I perform, the ole' "butterflys" right before show time. I guess thats pretty normal. But once the first few notes come out in the first measure of song, I am fine, and can generally get right into the song.
I would really like having a singing forum...Cool IDEA!

 

[Richard Monroe]

You can count me in. Ive been singing for 35 years or so, in choirs and madragals, 5 years or so of Bel Canto lessons, then psychedelic/Jefferson Airplane type stuff, CSNY, Beatles,The Who, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, The Eagles. Went from there to Dan Fogelberg, Elvis Costello, David Wilcox, Garth Brooks, Steeleye Span, Loggins and Messina, Alice Cooper, Silly Wizard, Clannad, Buckingham-Nicks, Heart, Queen, and I'm still alive! Started working 7 months ago on a serious home disc, collaborating with 2 of the best singers I've ever worked with- Maureen Fleming, indy from San Diego ( check www.mofleming.com) and Carolyn Pfeffer, a rocket scientist from Boulder, Colorado. God I just love harmony, and there has to be some collaborative overdub potential on this board, so go for it. Our recording issues are different from guitars and basses. Create a forum!-Richie

 

[chessparov]

singergrl & Richard, welcome aboard!
Maybe if we keep this thread up long enough who knows if it can lead to
a new forum. At least we can have fun and learn from each other in the
meantime. (Isn't it nice NOT to debate microphones and pre's for a change)

Quick "butterfly" story;
A singing friend of mine was working as a backing musician for Peggy Lee.
He asked her if she felt butterflies too or since she was such an accomplished
performer did it bother her anymore.
She said "the only difference now is that my butterflies fly in formation"!

Chris

 

[Richard Monroe]

BTW, for butterflies PC-"performance anxiety", they use a prescription cardiac med- Inderal. Everybody at Berkeley of Boston eats it like football players do steroids. Check with your MD. In the small doses used, it's pretty safe.-Richie

 

[gospel]

singergrl,
I know exactly where you are coming from. When you are booked somewhere every weekend, 30 weekends a year and most of the time two or three times per weekend you catch yourself just going through the motions. I think the hardest thing to do is stay focused. We try to change songs as often as possible. It gets to the point where, after singing the same song for awhile, you can sing it and not miss a note or word, but at the same time your mind is on something else. I don't know if I could ever be solo. In our group we keep each other in line and focused.

 

[Trotter]

Thanks for the advice

I think having a singers forum is an excellent idea. You have my vote!

 

[littledog]

Kramnik, Anand, and Kasparov are all terrific players, however the
"King" was Fischer IMHO.
(Fischer was a HUGE Motown fan BTW)

Chris

Too bad such a brilliant talent was also such a total nutcase. He made John Nash look like the poster boy for mental health by comparison.

Ever get into "Go", chessparov? The internet sure is a boon to go players - I can play top amateurs in Japan, China and Korea without ever leaving the house!

 

[chessparov]

Littledog, how dare you call KASPAROV a "nut"!
(I think I know who you really meant-wink wink)

Never did get into "Go", although as a teenager I was probably a
notch below master level on checkers-didn't play as much.
Go is a cool game though and glad to hear you're enjoying it.

Just curious as to what singers you guys (& gals!) like to sing along with
for inspiration and to improve singing style?

Chris

 

[Richard Monroe]

I like to sing along with people whose voices are higher than my natural range, to stretch it upward. Favorites include The Beatles, the Eagles, Queen, and Wilson Phillips. You can probably figure out that I love California rock and British invasion, and that I'll sing anything that has good singing in it. I also find it's a challenge and a learning experience to sing along with people who have a vastly different accent from mine to try and learn to copy it to broaden the tools I can use in composition. For this, Maddy Prior of Steeleye Span, Andy M. Stewart of Silly Wizard, and Garth Brooksare favorites. What the hell, I sing Madonna when no one's listening!-Richie

 

[Richard Monroe]

BTW, Chess, How can you say Bobby was a nutcase? Just because he made them replace a $27,000 chessboard in Iceland to play Boris Spassky because the lines weren't straight? They were crooked- really.-Richie

 

[darrin_h2000]

I find that funny because I sang and dressed like madonna so much my father sent me to a special place to try and sqash that.

I wonder what you all would talk about in this forum, besides hair and eye makeup?

My elusive high register singer has allways beem sammy hagar, I could do Journey but I couldnt keep up with Sammy (I'm sure hes the Devil).

 

[chessparov]

Well we could talk about all those...
GROUPIES!

The funny thing Richard is that back in his early 70's heyday,
Bobby was a talented amateur boxer and tennis player.

Typical sing along artists include; (but are not limited to!)
1) Buddy Holly
2) John Lennon
3) Ray Davies
4) Elvis Costello
5) Elvis
6) Eddie Cochran
7) Roger Daltry (the early "power pop" songs)
8) Eric Burdon & The Animals
9) The Byrds
10) Lovin' Spoonful

Can you tell I like 60/70's pop/rock music?

Chris

 

[gospel]

Of course, I listen to a lot of gospel to stay up to par on my genre, but I also like to sing the following:
1. Eagles
2. Lynyrd Skynyrd
3. Blackfoot
4. Bon Jovi
5. John Cougar Mellencamp (or whatever he is called these days)
And probably many others I can't think of right now.

 

[meriphew]

A singers forum would be great.

________________
Post indie electronic
Meriphew
www.meriphew.com

 

[chessparov]

meriphew, THIS is the singer's forum! (for now anyway)

Here's kind of a fun question, in addition to who you sing along
with, who do you sound similar to as in "soundalike"(not copycat!)
For example, Chris Issak sounds "similar" to Roy Orbison.

Chris

 

[Richard Monroe]

Well, singing is like playing guitar, except you go to God's guitar store and he gives you the only one you're ever going to get. Some people get the Martin, some the Hondo. I think I got a $300 Ovation- it could've been worse. I sound exactly like Jonathon Edwards. Well, what the hell, after God gives you your voice, what you do with it is your own business. Who'd you rather hear, a clueless beginner on that Martin, or Al Dimeola on the Hondo? You go figure.-Richie

 

[darrin_h2000]

Is it possible that an artist that is gifted with impressions has many guitars?

 

[Richard Monroe]

I don't think so. He gets to copy the style, the diction, the phrasing, of another singer like a guitarist copies Hendrix or Jerry Garcia or whover, but you're stuck with one instrument.-Richie

 

[Sennheiser]

Well if this is the singers forum, so be it.

I like to sing with:

Jimmy Buffet

Billy Joel

Men at Work

Paul McCartney
Lindsey Buckingham ( Both are a bit high for certain numbers)

Pat Benatar (mostly in range except when she gets to the "opera octave" for my voice. Not many know she is a classically trained opera singer)

Mama's and the Papas' I practice my harmony with this CD. None better!

And I love to sing my German bier drinking songs which doesn't require any vocal talent at all as long as you can speak and drink!