Ok, I'm on one tonight. Probably preaching to the choir here, but whatever.
"vocalists are drama queens"
"They are always late and often in the clouds"
"they have no idea what's going on musically and are just focused on themselves"
These are just a few of the stereotypes that us vocalists get thrown into. I will admit, I have been guilty of all of the above tropes. But I have kind of made it my mission to break these, to understand them, and to be an equal team player in every musical scenario.
I have traveled across many areas of music - starting in classical, then jazz, and sprinkling in contemporary/singer-songwriter in the midst of all of this. I believe different rules apply in each area, and these etiquette rules aren't something I could have read in a book, they were (and are!) things that I have learned through experience.
Speaking on etiquette rules in different musical scenarios - my biggest advice is to immerse yourself in those settings and to take notes. Go to a bluegrass jam before you bring your instrument. Observe. Notice how people relate to one another, how they take turns playing, what tunes they play. Do the same thing at a jazz jam if you're into that. Take notes at shows and concerts of all sizes and venues - do they have music on stage? how much are they looking up? Are they making cues to one another? If you can get a chance to, sit in on someone's rehearsal to see how a rehearsal is smoothly run.
I could have saved myself a handful of awkward moments if I did all of these things, but honestly, the fact that I went through them made it so I will never make those mistakes again.
But I want to try to answer this question suggested by the title of this blog post. - why do vocalists fall into these stereotypes?
In a lot of voice lessons, the intention (for many beginners) is to become a great singer, not necessarily a great musician. Executing an exercise with great technique and pitch is one thing, but to be able to know that you're singing the root, third, and fifth over a chord, is a whole different skill set.
Many vocalists study with classical teachers even if their intention isn't to sing classical repertoire. They might know how to teach you to sing contemporary and jazz styles, but that doesn't mean they have immersed themselves in those circles. This results in a lack of information on the etiquette in terms of communicating musical ideas and how to show up in those spaces.
Kind of to the first point, unless you go out of your way to study another instrument (usually piano), you are missing a lot of elements of what a rhythm section/accompaniment needs from you as a vocalist. (Once I started playing guitar and piano more seriously to accompany myself, I was much more able to articulate ideas, count off confidently, and know what musicians I hire would need in terms of a lead sheet.)
To the thing where we're dramatic - that may in fact be real, and that is ok, as long as we channel it into the music fully. (half joking).
To the whole "being in the clouds" trope - many of us are writers, creatives, dreamers, often approaching music with this attitude that it's our creative outlet, not our work or something we want to practice. You can live in that world for a long time if you'd like, but you can only get so far before it becomes a hindrance.
There is a lot of power and beauty in being a front-person, but you must understand that even if your idea and voice is the centerpiece, the rhythm section is not your background. They are a living, breathing part of your music, you would get pretty lost without them, and the more you tune into that and listen, the better vocalist and musician you will be.
Lateness - think about it this way. yes, you have less gear and less setup time, but don't let that be an excuse for being late. I personally like to show up to help people set up, ask if they need things, and just vibe.
You have to practice with a metronome. It's helpful to think of your voice like an instrument (because it is). Rhythm is felt in the body, not the mind, and this is a skill that has to be practiced just like anything else.
I pretty much said everything on my mind in this area, but there are so many pockets of this post that I could elaborate on and make entire other posts on. I'm curious about your reflections on this, or if you find anything challenging about what I said.
Much love and see you in the next one, happy singing.
Liv
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