There are many things in life people can do that promotes their creativity, offers a bit of tranquility, and teaches them a new skill, all at the same time. One of those things is learning to play musical instruments, to include one’s voice. Music is the universal language. It speaks to people, especially the musician, on a level that words just can’t. You could say it’s almost therapy-like. As a matter of fact, music is offered as a form of therapy for combat veterans.
Music can be taken up as a hobby, remain a distant dream, or be used as a means of income and general life development; it just depends on how you go about chasing your dreams. Singing in the shower is just the first step. Vocal lessons are what is needed to gain the technical skills and voice control to be in the “big leagues”. Even if you have an incredible amount of natural talent, lessons can “buff out” any rough edges you may have, and bring out your true star quality.
If you choose to walk this perilous path of full-time, professional musician, there are many decisions you need to make, and research to do so you make the right decision for you. First of which is a career path, there are tons of opportunities for a good singer, especially in metropolitan areas. While they are generally unpaid, open mic nights at various venues are a great place to start. Even though you are singing for free, these are often the places bands go to find the “missing piece” that will take them to the top of the billboards.
Another good way to make money singing is wedding gigs. Generally, an engaged couple look for whole bands, but, if you don’t have one, ask for an audition, and blow them away! I, personally, have been to a few weddings that had a singer singing to instrumental tracks. This route is all about presentation. Also, you can find “wanted” ads online for singers, put there by bands. Do as many auditions as you can to find that perfect band that you fit into as well as they fit you.
If your talents are in the upper echelon of singers, then you should try to get a job as a contracted studio artist. Bands will come in to the studio, record their music, and their manager will point out a couple tracks that need back-up vocals. Doing this, and doing it well, will earn you more contracts and recognition.
Last, but not least, record an album. Especially if you’ve done some of the aforementioned work, recording an album can be instantly life-changing. If you did or do some of the other jobs I’ve talked about, then you probably have, or will have, contacts in the local music scene. This means that you can, at the very least, have extra help in advertising and marketing your new album. Take that album to local radio stations; many of them will play music from well-known local artists. Finally, never give up on your dream.
So, there are a ton of reasons to learn to sing. Because of all the various portions of the brain it provokes, playing an instrument, including the voice, promotes healthy brain function and overall creativity. This alone is a good reason to pick up an instrument or start singing. Another good reason is skill development. Being able to play an instrument, and play it well, or sing well, takes practice, a lot of it. Therefore, once you hit this level, there is an immense sense of pride in yourself, which ushers healthy self-esteem. If these aren’t reasons enough, there’s always the awesome career opportunities in the music industry.
