For demo purposes only.
May 6, 2009 1:16 PM Subscribe
I have previous experience as a demo singer, but not in LA. What steps are necessary to try and get started singing demos here?
I sang some demos for a song-writer in Texas in the past. He has contacts in LA and checked with them for me, but right now they are not in need of any more singers. So I'm on my own for now, unless something comes up.
Problem is, I have no clue where to start or how people normally get into singing demos. I got into it by chance because the song-writer and I both knew someone, and that someone mentioned to him that they knew a singer. He asked for recordings, which I do just for my own benefit, and he liked what he heard so he asked if I would want to sing demos for him. I had good enough recording equipment and software I was able to do this remotely. I believe he found his other singers through his contacts with other song-writers, so that's no help to me either.
Now that I live in LA, I would like to sing demos non-remotely. I don't care if it's full or part time or sporadic. What do I need to do? Who do I talk to and what will they want from me? Google is surprisingly quiet on the subject. I have a large range -- in terms of octaves and styles -- and I can provide recordings to them, but what else might they want in a demo singer?
Also, what other skills will be expected of me? Will I need to site read? (I'm rusty but I was good at it in the past.) Will I need to make up melodies? (This is something I would do for the song-writer.) What can I expect it to be like if I manage to get hired? I'm mostly just curious about those things.
Thanks for any info!
I sang some demos for a song-writer in Texas in the past. He has contacts in LA and checked with them for me, but right now they are not in need of any more singers. So I'm on my own for now, unless something comes up.
Problem is, I have no clue where to start or how people normally get into singing demos. I got into it by chance because the song-writer and I both knew someone, and that someone mentioned to him that they knew a singer. He asked for recordings, which I do just for my own benefit, and he liked what he heard so he asked if I would want to sing demos for him. I had good enough recording equipment and software I was able to do this remotely. I believe he found his other singers through his contacts with other song-writers, so that's no help to me either.
Now that I live in LA, I would like to sing demos non-remotely. I don't care if it's full or part time or sporadic. What do I need to do? Who do I talk to and what will they want from me? Google is surprisingly quiet on the subject. I have a large range -- in terms of octaves and styles -- and I can provide recordings to them, but what else might they want in a demo singer?
Also, what other skills will be expected of me? Will I need to site read? (I'm rusty but I was good at it in the past.) Will I need to make up melodies? (This is something I would do for the song-writer.) What can I expect it to be like if I manage to get hired? I'm mostly just curious about those things.
Thanks for any info!
« Older Troop Beverly Hills made me do it. | What should I look for when hiring a U.S. customs... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
Then you need to flog it around to studios, post ads on songwriters' groups, set up a MySpace and Facebook and all that kind of thing.
Also, what other skills will be expected of me? Will I need to site read? (I'm rusty but I was good at it in the past.)
Yes, you'll need to sightread.
Will I need to make up melodies?
No. Professional songwriters have already written the melody of their songs.
If you get hired, you'll be sent some music and maybe a songwriter's demo (which is often hard to follow), you'll be given a time to come to the studio, and you'll lay down several takes of the vocal track and then get paid.
posted by Sidhedevil at 1:26 PM on May 6, 2009 [1 favorite]