Do you think this plan will get me anywhere?

Question

Hi, i'm erica.

As soon as school starts, i'm going into vocal lessons,

to help my voice start becoming more powerful

& so i can sing the high notes, better. I'll be in

the lessons for 2-3 years, or as soon as it develops

more power.

After that, i'm going to start writing my own songs,

since i play the guitar. I've been looking at this

Major record company named Virgin Music Canada.

They said, when i want to, i can send a demo whenever i want,

or add my music on myspace. I'm not going to send a demo, because it takes 3-6 months to get listened to. After the lessons, i'll add some music on my myspace, and tell them about it.

I've heard, if you invite a agent to a cafe that you sing at, and they like you, they can help you get discovered, is this correct?

I'll start singing at cafes after that 2-3 years of lessons & call a agent to come see how i am.

Do you think this will get me anywhere?

Answer 1

Yes, that's a good plan.

I've seen lots of bands on myspace.

But I've never seen someone sing music in a cafe, I've seen lots of singers in pubs.

Answer 2

I'm not sure why you would only focus on submitting to one record company. There are dozens of 'em... if you're going to shop for a deal do it right. :-)  

Record companies tell EVERYBODY to send in a demo or to post something on myspace. You aren't any further along than the other 50,000 singers who sent in demos in the last month.

An agent will generally only help you get bookings, and takes  percentage of whatever you get paid.  

If you are going to be shopping for a deal, you'll need a manager or a good entertainment lawyer.

Beware of any manager or agent who asks for money up front.

I'm not sure why you would wait until you've had vocal lessons before writing songs. If you have ideas, start writing now. You don't need singing lessons to write a song.

Just don't get your hopes up... there are thousands of singers and bands looking to sign a deal, and the music business is probably the most nasty business there is. People will  lie to you, steal from you, and betray you.

If you're doing this for the love of performing music, then you will gladly slog through all of the c**p just so you can get on stage and sing.  

If you are doing it for money or fame, you are going to be sorrily disappointed.

Do yourself a big favour; read the article on record companies by producer Steve Albini at this link:

http://www.arancidamoeba.com/mrr/problem...

Then go buy the book "This Business Of Music".

You may as well know what you're getting into.

Answer 3

Hi, it's me again. That's an even better plan than your first one, but here's something to keep in mind. A good singer is a dynamic one. You're not just going to want to be able to sing high notes---you'll want to also be able to sing low, loudly, softly, have good diction, sing different genres of music, and be able to read music and have an understanding of music theory (rhythm, dynamics, scales, pitches, etc.) It'd also be great to learn more about music throughout history, so you have something to compare yourself to.

Also, you have better chances of getting noticed if you put your demo on myspace AND send in a tape AND invite an agent to see you sing at a cafe. Who cares if it takes 3-6 months for them to listen to it? You are young, and some of the most famous artists worked for years, even decades, to accomplish their goals. When you get there, 3-6 months will feel like nothing. Remember, the more you do, the better chance you have of getting where you want.

Good luck :)