Nekujak
My muse is demanding better working hours
Back in the 1990s, after performing as a singer/songwriter for several years, I finally decided to record my first CD. I didn't know much about recording at the time, so I wasn't sure how best to proceed.
Fortunately, I had recently met a singer who also produced artists. She had a substantial list of writing and production credits, worked with several local studios and top session musicians, sat on the local board of the Recording Academy, and was a touring artist in her own right.
The biggest bonus was that her specialty was vocal production, and it just so happened that vocals were (and still are) my mightiest weakness, so it was quite the perfect match. (Spoiler alert... not long after my CD was finished, we eventually got married.)
So I hired her to produce my CD and she went straight to work to book a studio, hired a group of excellent session players, and helped me to select the right songs and get my voice in shape.
I had never bothered to do vocal exercises nor paid much attention to phrasing, dipthongs, breath control, etc. so it was all pretty overwhelming and quite frankly, extremely hard work. I can sit and practice guitar till the cows come home, but working on singing demanded intense concentration and was somewhat exhausting, and she didn't cut me any slack.
But ultimately, all the hard work paid off, and I managed to bring home some decent vocals - not stellar, but passable. That is, except for one confounded song called "I Just Don't Believe Her", that try as I might, I simply couldn't pull off properly.
During one vocal session, I had spent about an hour in the vocal booth trying to capture the phrasing and vocal nuances she wanted, but finally threw up my hands in utter frustration and barked, "Why don't you come in here and show me how it should be sung."
So she happily stepped up to the mic, and without ever having sung or practiced the song before, recorded a spectacularly flawless single-take vocal. After witnessing that, I pretty much felt like I had no business standing in front of a microphone ever again
But I was also really happy to end up with such an unexpectedly beautiful rendition of my song, and knew there was no longer any need to corrupt it with my ungainly voice.
The entire experience of making that CD really heightened my awareness of the craft of singing, and helped me develop a deep appreciation for talented vocalists. it's a lot harder than it looks
Fortunately, I had recently met a singer who also produced artists. She had a substantial list of writing and production credits, worked with several local studios and top session musicians, sat on the local board of the Recording Academy, and was a touring artist in her own right.
The biggest bonus was that her specialty was vocal production, and it just so happened that vocals were (and still are) my mightiest weakness, so it was quite the perfect match. (Spoiler alert... not long after my CD was finished, we eventually got married.)
So I hired her to produce my CD and she went straight to work to book a studio, hired a group of excellent session players, and helped me to select the right songs and get my voice in shape.
I had never bothered to do vocal exercises nor paid much attention to phrasing, dipthongs, breath control, etc. so it was all pretty overwhelming and quite frankly, extremely hard work. I can sit and practice guitar till the cows come home, but working on singing demanded intense concentration and was somewhat exhausting, and she didn't cut me any slack.
But ultimately, all the hard work paid off, and I managed to bring home some decent vocals - not stellar, but passable. That is, except for one confounded song called "I Just Don't Believe Her", that try as I might, I simply couldn't pull off properly.
During one vocal session, I had spent about an hour in the vocal booth trying to capture the phrasing and vocal nuances she wanted, but finally threw up my hands in utter frustration and barked, "Why don't you come in here and show me how it should be sung."
So she happily stepped up to the mic, and without ever having sung or practiced the song before, recorded a spectacularly flawless single-take vocal. After witnessing that, I pretty much felt like I had no business standing in front of a microphone ever again
But I was also really happy to end up with such an unexpectedly beautiful rendition of my song, and knew there was no longer any need to corrupt it with my ungainly voice.The entire experience of making that CD really heightened my awareness of the craft of singing, and helped me develop a deep appreciation for talented vocalists. it's a lot harder than it looks
