It’s not you’re fault. Every where you look it seems like you’re hearing about another accidental fame story. Like the classic story of how Ashton Kutcher got discovered on his first day in Los Angeles and landed that 70’s show, or how Kim Kardashian was everywhere after her. . . *cough* “film” was released, or how Youtube stars like Justin Bieber became famous without a voice coach. Hollywood has sensationalized overnight success stories so much that any sane person would become a belieber (pun intended), that they too could achieve overnight pop stardom if they wanted it bad enough. The problem is that no one talks about the years Ashton Kutcher spent training as an actor and model before he moved to Los Angeles, or how Kris Kardashian was trying to get her family a TV show since Kim was a kid, or how long Justin Bieber’s mom was… ok Justin Bieber got lucky but everyone else paid their dues, and 99% of celebrities work their asses off. And by the way, Justin does have a voice coach. The truth is that hard work stories don’t sell magazines, fairytales do. But do you want the truth or do want to miss the boat and be left on the shore?
The truth is all that matters is; how good you are, if your industry connections are willing to help, and if your skill level and those connections are in sync in that moment that I like to call “your big break”. When preparation meets opportunity and you nail it, then you just might get that chance to live out your dreams of becoming a star. This is when the magic happens. So let me tell you a little bit about how to create that luck.
Let’s start with your talent. Regardless of what people say about becoming famous, talent and skill does matter!!! Everyone from Mariah Carey to Madonna have been taking singing lessons all their life to hone their exact brand of vocals. Years of training with celebrity voice coaches, lots of artist development and never giving up their dream, is what made these artists so recognizable. Say what you want about Madonna, but every time you hear one of her songs, you know that it’s her. This is the difference between working with the right people and taking basic singing lessons in Los Angeles. A voice coach that works with real Grammy winning singers will know that ‘how good you are’ is completely dependent on your own unique sound and will help you perfect yours.
Almost any singer who’s got the chops, can learn to nail a Karaoke song. We take singing lessons; we memorize the techniques, get all American Idol on everyone, and we copy a song perfectly, but what does it take to be a real pop star? Well, you might argue that Kelly Clarkson, and Carrie Underwood were on American idol, and they became huge stars among countless others. This is true, but the reality is if you are someone trying to become an artist who is not on a TV show with 30 million viewers each week, you better come to Hollywood with more than your ability to copy other singers. You need to have your own unique sound. This is why you need a voice coach who can help you with singing lessons and artist development. One of the hardest parts about getting good enough to get a record deal is digging down deep enough to develop a sound that is uniquely yours. It requires knowing yourself, and let’s face it, most of us don’t really know ourselves. This is where working with a celebrity voice coach can be so helpful. Their expertise is in being able to analyze your vocal talent and your personality, and lead you in the right direction. This is why on American Idol, they helped Carrie Underwood to go Country instead of R&B or Pop. The celebrity voice coach on the show knew exactly what to do with her, and helped make her a huge star. When I trained several of the cast of NBC’s The Voice last year I made sure they didn’t sound like everyone else.
Having your own sound is actually more important than nailing technique. I teach both to my clients. You’ll start out learning all the techniques so that you can copy other artists perfectly, then once you know the basics, I work with you on your own personal style. If you want to get a record deal and become a star, then you have to find your own true voice. So hire a celebrity voice coach, someone who has worked with artists that have songs on the radio. There is a reason why celebrities hire them, and not standard singing teachers. The proof is in all those platinum records.
The Golden Voice (Singing Lessons and Artist Development in Bend, Oregon and Los Angeles, California & Skype)
