A New Step in My Singing Efforts

Now those of you who have heard me sing are probably wondering why on Earth I hadn't done this yet. You usually have to have sound samples for people considering singers & I didn't think I had the capability to do it b/c as far as I know, we didn't have a microphone or a way to record the sound.

One advantage to not having steady paying work is you have time on your hands. I chose to take time to figure this out. After doing the YouTube video, I figured I could see about recording singing samples. An ad from a studio seeking paid session singers was my kick in the pants to start doing it.

So since they asked for unpolished, simple singing & I'm too poor to get fancy stuff, I decided to create sound files using just that. I created a total of 4 that reflect different styles and ranges to reflect my talents + what I'm capable of doing. If you've seen me sing a lot, you'll notice a few things that I do:

1. I don't pick the most popular songs. I try to pick something lesser known or less popular so I won't have a bunch of people singing along.

2. I like to pick an act that is different from everyone else's or what the audience expects. When I was in high school & that crowd was more interested in Rap/R&B, I picked a song by The Cranberries. After that, I kept getting asked to sing in random places such as the local Pizza Hut, had people singing my own song at me & was forever known as "that girl from the talent show."

That day is coming for City Bar performances. I think I finally have a good gauge of that audience & some free time to do something unexpected.

3. I rarely do the same song multiple times. I'll only do this if a friend asks me. That's because I like to sing different things & usually pick songs based on my mood, whether I've ever seen it in a karaoke place before, what other people have been singing & how confident I am in being able to sing it properly.

4. There are songs I will not sing unless it's a special occasion or someone asked me nicely & is having some special event. For instance, I don't really like the Whitney Houston song I Will Always Love You, but I sang it for a sorority sister of mine the night her then fiance proposed to her at our karaoke place. If I do something like that, be flattered.

Singing is one of those things I've done since I was very young. I'm always sort of shocked when people tell me I have the talent for it & when industry professionals tell you this, it's even more of a shock. But I bounce back & forth between wanting to be a performer and not wanting to deal w/all the BS of celebrity. I'd need a career on my terms & I know going on American Idol would never do for someone like me.

I feel that way about acting as well; I'm not going to take certain parts but I like being on stage & bringing a script or a song to life. Honestly, I think my life is that conflict: wanting to be known for something vs. maintaining your private life, your relationships & being respected. I also don't want to feel like I'm throwing away my acting or singing talents; thus far, it seems like it might be possible for me to come up with a happy medium. See why I have some respect for celebrities?