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Talent
Competition Tips Part 1 |
Winning
“Idol” - or any talent competition - Part 1
By Jeannie Deva
Reality
TV
Popularity
of reality TV in general and singing contests specifically
has made American Idol a media sensation. At the same time,
it has created a wonderful opportunity for aspiring performers
while inspiring many to hold fast to their dreams.
Entering
into a competition like American Idol however, is the modern
day emotional equivalent of the gladiator fights in the old
Roman coliseum. And there sits Simon, like the emperor, ready
to determine your fate with a thumbs up or thumbs down. So
how to you enter such a competition and not only survive but
succeed in wowing the judges and an American audience well
enough to eventually win?
In
preparing for my appearance on “Idol Chat” on
the TV Guide Channel, I have been watching American Idol with
more scrutiny. Here are some of the errors many of the contestants
have in common:
1) Going off pitch or “being pitchy” as the judges
say.
2) Choosing the wrong song; this means that the song doesn’t
easily permit them to sound unique. Instead of showing their
own distinctive qualities as a singer, they sound like good
but boring “record copies.”
3) They don’t have a level of certainty vocally and
as a performer to put their all into the song without being
self-conscious, causing them to hold back or play it safe.
This results in an uncourageous and less than fully inspirational
performance.
Tough
Enough for Simon
Singing before a panel of judges and a TV audience may be
one of the hardest things a performer would ever have to do.
The pressure alone may cause you to make vocal mistakes that
would otherwise never occur. In order to withstand that pressure
well, a performer needs to be confident in each aspect of
their talent and not just because they tell themselves they
are, but because they really are.
Are
You Ready?
Winning a competition or any challenging task begins with
an attitude and carrying forward with a gradient approach.
That means that before you go on national TV before millions
of viewers and tough judges, you must master each of the simpler
earlier tasks that cumulatively add up to a great performance.
You crawl before you walk; you ride a tricycle before tackling
a bicycle and even then someone helps you steady it before
you go off on your own. Master the simpler, earlier steps
before moving on to more complex skills.
In
this season’s Idol top 24 finalists, the female contestants
were in general, better singers than the males. More of them
gave better performances as a result. They became good singers
before becoming good performers. I have observed during my
30 plus years of teaching voice, that about 70% of voice students
are female. Do we see a pattern here? A higher percentage
of females study and practice voice and we find the women
finalists on Idol are better singers and performers.
Good
Singer First
Do you have enough understanding of the voice and strong enough
vocal technique to sing with good pitch and tone when you
aren’t under the stress of live performance? Training
in proper voice technique and practice to develop your vocal
muscles needs to happen before you worry about song choice
and stylistic considerations. Trying to sing a song with appropriate
style before developing adequate vocal technique is like worrying
about correct accent in a language where you don’t even
know what the words mean – or yet, don’t even
know the language.
Even
these actions have many steps within them, like learning to
ride a bicycle, where you first do the simpler action and
then build it up to more complex skills. Your voice needs
to be developed and your performance skills need to be sharpened.
Vocal technique should allow you to come through your songs
and not restrict your personality and style. Your technique
is adequate when you have attained freedom of expression and
can deliver a song with good tone, consistency, control and
passion. Then you have to be able to do it in front of an
audience. The passion in your expression must come out without
creating vocal strain or off pitch, non-musical phrases.
Seek the help of a good vocal coach or at
least a self study course like my “Contemporary Vocalist”
and build your skill step at a time. In Part 2 of this Vocal
Tip we’ll address how to choose the right song and then
how to develop your performance skills to the point of wowing
the judges.
Until next time, keep on singing!
©2007 Jeannie Deva. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted with
permission.
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The
Contemporary Vocalist, Vol 1.
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Volume 2 also available!
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THE
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One
(1) Audio CD, 22 Tracks, 52:17 Minutes
Singers
should always warm-up their voice before a rehearsal
or gig, But how? Here it is! Just pop this CD into your
car stereo on the way to your gig or rehearsal and follow
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| Jeannie
Deva is an international celebrity vocal coach, clinician,
recording studio vocal producer, trainer of voice teachers,
author of the Contemporary Vocalist and originator of
The Deva Method. She has appeared on national TV and
endorses TC-Helicon and Thayer’s products for
singers. For more information about her method or to
find a certified Deva Method® teacher, please visit
www.JeannieDeva.com.
Jeannie
Deva and The Deva Method are registered trademarks owned
by Jeannie Deva Enterprises, Inc. and used with permission.
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