| Now that you have a band organized and have | | | | wide repertoire and style. Do not attempt to |
| rehearsed sufficiently or you are already very | | | | showcase slow ballads unless you are very good |
| proficient in accompanying yourself with a guitar | | | | and soulful or otherwise, you will bore your |
| or a piano and already have a wide repertoire of | | | | potential employers. Besides, slow songs are more |
| songs, you know now is the time to start finding | | | | difficult to sing well and mistakes are easier to |
| work as a professional singer. All the hard work is | | | | spot. |
| done and now is the time for fun and even fame! | | | | If you are auditioning just for a singing job and do |
| Isn't this the glorious day you have been looking | | | | not have a band, then don't clutter your songs |
| forward to? | | | | with some amateurish accompaniment. Sing with a |
| Finding work as a singer is not as difficult as many | | | | karaoke minus one accompaniment instead. That |
| people make out to be because there will always | | | | will make you sound more like a proficient singer |
| be restaurants, clubs, pubs, private and public | | | | instead of a fumbling wannabe amateur. |
| functions looking for competent professional | | | | Your first singing gig is probably one of the most |
| singers like you. You can either hire agents or | | | | important miles-stone of your singing career. Do |
| approach the venue of your interest directly after | | | | learn quickly. If you are singing in a club and no |
| finding out who is the person in charge for | | | | one is paying attention to your performance, then |
| conducting auditions, hiring bands and singers. | | | | you need to quickly know why. Perhaps you are |
| After talking to your potential employers, you can | | | | not on stage and the audience cannot see you, or |
| send them your demo CDs prior to a live audition. | | | | you may be performing too softly or too loudly |
| If you are selected, they will call you and your | | | | until you sound irritating. There will be plenty of |
| band for a live audition. This is the crucial point | | | | tweaking to do until you get your performance |
| where you either succeed in getting yourself hired | | | | just right. |
| or not. | | | | If you are a solo singer and are accompanying |
| If you are applying for a singing job at bars and | | | | yourself, make sure the guitar or piano |
| pubs, your potential employer will not be | | | | accompaniment arrangements are not too |
| interested in listening to your original material. You | | | | complex. Your voice must come through, not the |
| are not a superstar and you have yet to establish | | | | sound of the musical instrument. Your audience |
| an audience who will want to listen to your original | | | | are there to listen to you singing and do not want |
| composition no matter how good they are. | | | | to listen to the clang clang bang bang of your |
| What they want will be what the venue's | | | | guitar or piano. The musical instrument supports |
| audience wants to listen to. Remember this, the | | | | the song, not the other way round. |
| club owners are in this for money and you will | | | | For instance, listen to Dina Krall when she |
| have to earn them money to justify your fee | | | | accompanies herself on the piano. When singing, |
| and job. | | | | she just plays the chords so that her voice and |
| For example, if you sing with a jazz band, then | | | | lyrics come across with clarity and powerful |
| obviously you cannot send your jazz demo CDs | | | | emotions. It is during the instrumental part of the |
| to rock clubs. It is therefore imperative that you | | | | song that her piano playing is more fanciful and |
| understand the nature of the venue before | | | | more crescendo applied. |
| sending your demo CDs. | | | | Finding work as a singer is easy, but the road to |
| Choose about 6-8 songs for your demo CDs for | | | | being a successful professional singer or to fame |
| your pre-audition. This is because your potential | | | | and fortune is another matter altogether. |
| employers will want to know that you have a | | | | |