Building A Career in Singing Pt. 2: Developing Musical Skills

In March, I began a series on the topic of building a career in music as a singer, starting with a discussion of the various possible career options. Today, I will talk about some of the musical skills you should start to develop as a career musician.

The skills needed as a career musician fall primarily into 2 categories – musical skills and business skills.

Musical skills are skills related to your craft and should be specific to the genres you want to make money in:

-        Personal study: read books, watch videos, or listen to podcasts about your craft. Learn all you can about the voice, including music history, vocal anatomy, acoustics, musical style.

-        Develop your ear: listen to as many singers as possible, attend live performances, watch videos. Start to get a sense of your own musical preferences and notice the stylistic choices other singers make.

-        Musical practice: practice singing, practice playing an instrument, practice singing while playing an instrument. You will never get to a point where practice is no longer necessary, but you will learn how to do so more effectively and efficiently with time.

-        Private lessons – in mastering your craft, spending one-on-one time with a master teacher is invaluable in 3 ways. Firstly, they will be able to disseminate a large body of information into what you need to know and focus on based on your current level of expertise. Secondly, they will be able to hear and see with a large degree of accuracy errors you may not be able to perceive or root causes of difficulty, such as physical tension. Thirdly, private teachers provide accountability and mentorship in pursuit of your career path. They can connect you with opportunities and advise you through auditions or applications.

-        Classes, workshops or webinars from a trusted and reputable source: even if you don’t plan to pursue higher education in music, individual classes can be a great way to get a taste of it without the time commitment. You can immerse yourself in a specific topic that supplements your existing body of knowledge, such as jazz scat singing, French Voice Literature, music production, etc. Depending on your focus, there are an array of classes offered through various programs that will be applicable to you – take your time researching all the possibilities!

-        Research whether a degree program is necessary to get hired in your desired field and, if so, take your time in selecting the right program. Not all music programs are equal, but all are happy to take your money. Select programs based on the quality of the faculty and on the number and kind of opportunities that are provided for students. Look also for programs that provide internships or scholarships to minimize your financial burden.

-        Collaborative experience related to your preferred genre(s) – choir, band, musical theater – there is no greater joy than creating amazing music with cool people! I have never been a part of an ensemble where I didn’t feel like I left knowing more. Working with amazing musicians is challenging, inspiring, and educational.

-        Performance experience – singing or playing in front of an audience. One of the most common pitfalls I see among emerging musicians is the tendency to turn down performance opportunities until you feel “ready”. The secret is that you won’t feel ready until you’ve been performing for a while! Performing in front of an audience is a skill unto itself and should be practiced with as much intentionality as technical exercises. Even if you plan to get only into teaching, building experience and skills as a performer will make you a better teacher to singers who want to perform.

-        Adjacent skills: as a performer who wants to tell compelling stories, you should have at least a basic understanding of acting. Additionally, skills like dancing and tumbling are useful (especially if you want to get into Musical Theater - a singer who can also act and dance is what is referred to as a “triple threat”!). Being able to apply stage makeup for various looks and lighting environments is extremely useful. If you have sewing skills, you can modify your own costumes. You may wish to also develop production-related skills such as lighting and sound design, music or theater direction, set design, costume design, carpentry, or even piano tuning! While these skills aren’t necessary to your success as a performer, they can make you a more useful asset to a company or more prepared for any eventuality.

Specific topics that every singer should study include vocal literature or repertoire, vocal anatomy and function, vocal acoustics, foreign language diction (especially if you are a classical singer), music theory and harmonization, being able to read sheet music/sight singing (especially if you are a classical singer), vocal improvisation (especially if you are a jazz singer), and ear training. Additional topics that are extremely useful include playing an instrument (such as percussion, guitar or piano) that you can use to accompany yourself (especially if you are a songwriter or studying music therapy), songwriting, and music production.

 As you are building your music educational experience, be sure to invest your money progressively (unless money is not an object – which rarely happens!). What this means is that you shouldn’t invest in an experience you can’t maximize. It is far cheaper to learn the basics of a musical instrument or skill in private lessons than to invest in an entire college degree program! And you will get a lot more out of the program once you know the basics. Additionally, you can learn a lot from free online content, books, and solo practice. The caveat to this, however, is two-fold: many students benefit from the accountability of working with a teacher to keep them on track and a teacher will be able to answer questions as they arise and help ensure that students don’t pick up bad habits.

Next newsletter, I will dive into the business skills needed to be a professional musician. Since I will be out of the country when May becomes June, I may or may not have a newsletter ready to go!

Did I miss any musical skills? What skills have learned that have been most useful on your journey? Shoot me an email – I’d love to hear from you!

Warmly,

Dr. Jane