The Making of an American Idol part 1
Are you determined to become the next American Idol? Good for you! Anything is possible when you believe in yourself.
In this series of blogs I’m going to walk you through the process I am using to prepare a student of mine to audition on the east coast this summer for American Idol. We’ll first take a look at the basic ingredients needed to become a star. Then I’ll walk you through the specific steps, vocal exercises, choosing music, overcoming fears, choosing the “look”, finding the dedication and focus, plus many more aspects of preparation.
There are certain basic ingredients you need to be an American Idol. Here are some of them:
A great singing voice
Musical ability (different from vocal ability)
A great performer (different from musical/vocal ability)
A comfortable, outgoing personality
A definitive ‘look’
Audition song that ‘harmonizes’ with your definitive look
Time to devote to practice and preparation
Willingness to learn and take direction
Realistic picture of yourself and how you fit into the Idol mold
First of all let’s look at the singing voice. No one has a bad voice it’s all in how you use it. And what do we use the voice for? To communicate. That’s the bottom line – to communicate your message and its’ emotional content to your audience – to take them on a journey.
We all know musical artists who really don’t have great singing voices, but have had powerful careers. Bruce Springstein, Mick Jagger, Christina Aguilera, and dare I say, Britney Spears.
None of these performers has a great singing voice. What they give is a completely focused, powerful, intimate communication with their audience. Passion crosses the footlights from them to you.
If your voice is not as strong as you’d like then take a look at the other qualifications and see if you make up for your lack of strength in one area with an extra dose of strength in another area.
Don’t stop working on your voice and studying with a great teacher! The human voice is capable of infinite expression when free from tension and bad habits. Working with a top voice teacher can be a life-changing experience (as some of my students say). If you find the right teacher, s/he won’t try to make you a clone of him/her, but will allow your natural voice to find it’s true expression.
Do take a realistic look at your strengths and weaknesses. When you watch an embarrassing Idol audition, you’re usually seeing someone who has not taken an accurate look at him/herself and the results are painful for the performer and the audience.
Want some advice and guidance about becoming an American Idol? Send me an mp3 or a link to a video (better) and I’ll be glad to give you some feedback. The more professional training you get, the better prepared you will be.
Luck is not chance. Luck is being prepared when you get the chance to strut your stuff! Shoot me an email info@VocalPowerTools.com and I’ll be glad to help you sing like you speak, simply and naturally.
Sally Morgan helps performers sing as simply and naturally as they speak. She is the author of Morganix Method,äSing Like You Speak – used as a text at U of T, Austin and City U of NY; a respected vocal artist, well-known NYC vocal trainer and actress. Her vocal technique demystifies learning how to sing. Sally’s online video lessons have helped people all over the world learn to sing as simply and naturally as they speak. www.VocalPowerTools.com
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