I tell my clients who are aspiring popstars one thing; it’s all about the song. If you want to make it, you need to write or find and record a great song. While I prefer you learn to write them yourself, many iconic pop songs were originally intended for someone else to perform. Did you know David Bowie’s “The Golden Years” was written with the intention of giving it to Elvis? When I heard that David Bowie died today it was crushing, so I figured this article would make you smile. Here are 25 songs you didn’t know were written with other singers in mind, but for one reason or another went to others, and our ears are better for it.

If you are reading this you probably want to know how to make it in the music industry which can be very overwhelming to navigate on your own. As owner of The Golden Voice (Voice Coaching and Artist Development in Bend, Oregon) and having worked with many celebrities in our Los Angeles studio, I can help you cut the bullshit and tell you what works.

You’re probably listening to music right now as you browse the web or breeze through work. Whether you are checking off your to do list, working out or brainstorming creative ideas, here is how the songs you are playing affects your brain.

I love music as much as much as anyone. Ever since kindergarten I knew that I would make it my world. As a celebrity Voice Coach and founder of The Golden Voice in Bend Oregon, I’ve always known that music could change the world but had no idea how it really affected our brains. Music is such a huge part of our lives; I wanted to share with you the ways we react to songs without even realizing it.

Many aspiring singers use and abuse their voice and wonder why their throat hurts when they are taking singing lessons. They are frustrated about feeling like they need to cough every time they start singing and can’t figure out what is causing the discomfort. As a celebrity voice coach, my job is to make sure my clients can perform for 2 hours a night for audiences of 10,000 fans sometimes even 5 nights a week. Here are 6 important tips for keeping your voice on point whether you are a beginner or a professional and even in snowy weather, like we have at our studio in Bend, Oregon.

Are you taking singing lessons in Bend Oregon or Los Angeles? Do you want to make it big in the music industry? I’m guessing if your reading this, then you or someone you love, really, really does. As a singer songwriter and voice coach in this snowy land of Bend Oregon, I want to encourage you to pay special attention to the songwriting part of your career and not just take singing lessons. The reality is that if you want to be a recording artist who truly makes a difference in the world, you need to use more than your voice. As a mommy says to her 3 year old, “Use your words honey”.

Is your goal to be a professional singer? Are you taking singing lessons in Bend, Oregon or Los Angeles? What are you doing about achieving the ultimate goal of  working professionally in the music business or getting a record deal? Someone once said that a goal without a plan is just a daydream. Dreams are an important part of life, but what happens when you can’t get that dream out of your head?

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.

This singing lesson advice will give you the opportunity to pass up thousands of other aspiring singers on the journey to becoming an established singer in Bend Oregon or Los Angeles. I am being serious. I can put you ahead of literally thousands of other singing hopefuls with simple no-brainer singing advice. That is because the thousands and thousands of other singing hopefuls are so stuck on the thought of becoming famous that they can’t even take the few minutes to follow the singing advice I am about to share with you.

Do you know how to breathe correctly while singing? I have been in the music business for 20 years and my team works with lots of artists you hear on the radio today. I teach singing lessons in Bend Oregon, Los Angeles and on Skype (and not to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty good too). What I’m about to say will shock everyone who knows absolutely anything about singing.

“The breath isn’t that important.”

1. Drink up to 8-10 glasses of pure water every day (any caffeinated drink does not count).

Water thins your mucus and lubricates your vocal cords like oil lubricates a car engine. Thick mucous causes friction and trauma to vocal cords. More water, less friction, less trauma, better voice.

Billboard just released the 2012 Power 100 list, which ranks the 100 most powerful people in the music industry and I bet all of them take singing lessons in Los Angeles. The list reveals that the industry is changing! The power has shifted from the record labels to the artists, their managers, and the people who are booking them. Here at The Golden Voice in Los Angeles where we teach singers how to become stars, we encourage our students to be more than just singers, they need to be hip on the business happenings of the music industry. Having a voice coach and taking singing lessons is just the start, but until you understand the business that your in, you can’t excel.