| Article
001 "How to
be a Pop Star in 12 'not so easy'
lessons!"
Our Founder
- Dec Cluskey
 I am, as
you most probably know, an avid
reader of all things to do with
success in Show Business....this
article struck me as being the
closest to my way of
thinking...tragically I have lost
the name of the guy who wrote
it....but I am sure he won't mind
me sharing this with you....I
have made tiny notes on points we
disagree on....I bet you like
it....aimed really at very young,
novice performers...but a lot you
can learn from....
"How
to be a Pop Star in 12 'not so
easy' lessons!"
Do
you dream of being the next big
thing ? Could you be next year's Spice
Girls [R.I.P.], SCLub [R.I.P.]
or All
Saints [R.I.P.]?
OK, let's say Blue, Atomic
Kitten, Westlife? Do you fancy
being on 'Top of the Pops' and
hanging out with the stars at the
Brit Awards ? Well, every pop
star has to start somewhere,
whether it's Britney,
Blur or Boyzone.
But
how do you get your act together
and catch the eye of the movers
and shakers in the music biz ?
Here's a few tips on setting out
on the road to super stardom. But
beware the road to pop success is
littered with casualties. Not
every starry-eyed teenager goes
on to hit the top of the charts
or even to get to the lower
reaches of the top 40 ! For every
Robbie
Williams,
there's a hundred Bobby Smiths or
Jenny Joneses who never quite
made it beyond singing a few
karaoke tunes in his or her
bedroom !
The pop business can be exciting,
glamorous and great fun, but it
can also be pure hard work,
blood, sweat and tears. Get real,
don't go in with false
expectations and take the
occasional reality check. And
don't forget to look out for the
sharks along the way. Not every
manager or label has your best
interests at heart. There's
plenty of unscrupulous music biz
types out there who are out to
earn a fast buck. Check out the
credentials of whoever you are
working with, and don't sign on
the dotted line unless you're
100% happy with the small print.
Good luck - you'll certainly need
it ! Once you've got off the
starting blocks, the hard work
really starts. So read on at your
own risk !! Your future career
starts here......
So you
want to be a pop star?
First
Steps
So
you want to be a pop star ? But
have you got what it takes to hit
it big in one of the toughest
industries in the world ? Your
mum thinks you sound like Beyonce and your
gran says that your rendition of Celine
Dion's
'Titanic' hit brings tears to her
eyes. But it isn't as simple as
that ! Becoming a pop star is
going to take much more than
singing in the bath or dancing in
the back garden with your best
mates, joining in with your
favourite chart hit. You'll need
to be determined and ambitious,
and to have a talent for
entertaining. If you think you've
got the talent and the
enthusiasm, why not take things a
little further.
You'll also need to think about
what you want out of your pop
career. What sort of music do you
want to make ? Do you want to
write your own songs ? Are you
hoping to play other people's
songs [cover versions of big
hits] ? There are several paths
you could follow:
 the
pop route -
writing your own songs is useful
but not essential. If you don't
do your own songwriting, you'll
need a team of writers behind you
OR
you'll need to team up with
someone who writes. Another
option is to answer ads in the
press.
the
indie / rock route -
writing your own songs is
important. You'll need to recruit
other band members [try school /
College or notice boards in music
shops] and rehearse your own
material. Please remember that
this route is becoming
increasingly difficult because
most major record labels are
signing up very few new indie
bands.
the
dance route
- if you fancy yourself as Fatboy
Slim you
could try your hand at dance
music. The great thing about this
is that you can make music in
your own bedroom, using samples
and the latest in hi-tech
wizardry! Or perhaps mixing,
scratching and DJ-ing is your
thing?
So how do you make the leap from
singing in your front room to
performing in front of an
audience? Here's a few ideas...
School's
Out
One
of the easiest ways to get
involved in music is through
school. Most schools have a
choir, band or after school clubs
where you can fine-tune your
musical skills. Ask your music
teacher how they can help you.
There's likely to be links
between your school music
department and drama and dance.
If you fancy being B*witched or NSync,
you'll need to be able to dance
yourself dizzy as well as belting
out a good tune!
Enrol
for any dance classes if they do
modern dance. And drama can be a
good way of building your
confidence in front of an
audience, even if you're just
third witch in 'Macbeth' or you
take on a small supporting role
in the school production of
'Godspell'.
You may find that your music
department is putting on a
musical or event - put your name
down and get stuck in. Even the Anastacia used
to perform in school shows...OK,
she did 'tribute shows' as well...but she
certainly was a trail-blazer.
Stage
Struck
Another
idea is to enrol in a stage
school
locally. Check out addresses in
the Yellow
Pages. It's
another good way of building your
confidence and performing skills.
It certainly did no harm to stars
such as Michelle
Gayle,
Damon from Blur
and Martine
McCutcheon.
And how about Phil Collins...he
went to Barbara Speake stage
school. He was a child film star
before he became the Phil Collins
we know.
Pop
on Campus - College as an option
[This
is my preferred option...the way I
did it....you get terrific
academic education, which makes
you successful in any profession
and you also get to meet like
minded
people....brilliant....DEC]
If
you're in your final years at
school, you might be thinking
about going on to College.
There's loads of excellent music
and performing arts courses in
every College in the World.
Some courses focus on music and
vocal skills whilst others
concentrate on music technology
or the business side of the music
industry.
College may not be everyone's
idea of fun. For those interested
in this route, it does have some
advantages. You will always meet
'like minded' people.
The
'up's
are:
-
you'll get instrumental and vocal
lessons
- you'll get a chance
to try out a studio
- you may get free
use of a studio [useful for
making a demo of your talent]
- you'll meet loads
of like-minded students
Bear
in mind:
-
your studies will probably touch
on music theory, history and
composition;
- you may have to
complete written assignments and
projects;
- you may have to
study musical styles you're not
keen on, but this can be useful
if you're going to become a
really good musician.
Music
Tuition
If school isn't keen
on helping you with your music
and you don't fancy going to
College, you could try private
tuition. Musicians and singers
are often surprised how quickly
their talents can develop with
private lessons. Tutors are
listed in the Yellow
Pages -
music shops/Local Government
offices can help recommend
teachers who can give vocal,
guitar, keyboards or drum
tuition. Libraries also often
have lists of tutors.
[Beware
of Vocal Teachers in the
UK...they mostly prepare singers
for Opera, West End Stage
appearances...never Pop....DEC]
Private lessons can cost between
£10 and £20 [$15-$30] . Some
tutors will allow a session with
a friend which could reduce the
costs by half.
Choose your tutor carefully. It's
no use going to an opera tutor if
you want to sing pop!
I
repeat: Singing teachers in
the UK tend to train singers
for Broadway or the West End
stage...you have been warned.
Teachers in the USA mainly
come from the Gospel
background, so they are much
more 'pop' orientated. [DEC]
A good tutor will tailor lessons
to your individual needs. Make
sure your tutor knows what you
want out of the lessons and that
he or she knows your musical
tastes.
The
Bedroom
One of the biggest
musical revolutions of the last
decade has been music made in the
bedroom. Dance music can be made
quite easily in your own room,
thanks to new technology. Armed
with a computer and a few
gadgets, you can make tunes to
your heart's content in the
comfort of your own bedroom !
You'll need to save up to buy
some fancy kit if you have
designs on being the next Fatboy
Slim or Venga
Boys !
Daniel Beddingfield has started a
whole new revolution in home
produced Number One songs. But
are they really made in his
bedroom?
'Cover
Me' - Cover versions
If you perform Madonna's
'Ray of Light' or Whitney
Houston's
'I Will Always Love You', you're
singing a 'cover' version of a
hit song. This can be a good way
of developing your skills but it
can be a dead end in the long
run, unless you fancy your
chances as a club singer. Club
singers play 'standards' [or hit
songs] from the last few decades
of pop, but their careers tend to
be restricted to playing live
gigs in social clubs, cruise
ships and hotels. There is good
money to be made by top club
singers but they're unlikely to
find themselves on 'Top of the
Pops' or in 'Smash Hits'. They
mainly play live rather than
recording their songs, and they
tend to appeal to an older
audience.
Bands that do succeed with cover
versions like Steps [RIP],
911? and Boyzone
are usually put together by
management companies. These are
usually termed 'manufactured'
bands. Occasionally artists like Madonna
[e.g. listen to her version of
Don Maclean's 'American
Pie'] or
George Michael may do a cover
song, but they have generally
gained a reputation as song
writers in their own right first.
They may perform a cover version
for novelty value, as a homage to
a classic artist, or to breathe
new life into an old song.
Always
be aware that a 'cover' song
must have your own stamp of
originality on it before it
can be a Hit in it's own
right [And I should
know...Dec]
Record
companies tend to want to
hear original songs on a
demo. One A & R person
was recently quoted as
saying:
'Why do I want to hear
another version of a current
pop hit, more than usually
sung badly ? It may be easier
than writing your own
material but it can damage a
record company's perception
of you as an artist. So many
people send in karaoke-style
demos of 'Never Ever'' or 'I
Will Always Love You'. I
already know what Whitney
sounds like and you'll have
to be pretty good to even be
compared to her, Mariah and
the other divas'.
Click HERE for
Part Two...
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