Are you a singer or musician who is miserable and hating the music gigs and/or day gigs you do have, if any?  Or … did you just lose a gig you hated anyway, but now you are feeling like a failure?   These are common dilemmas, especially for those of us who have many different skill sets.

The only drawback to being mult-talented is that there are that many more paths to take, and for a while they seem deceivingly appropriate, easy, and practical. They also seem like responsible, neccessary options. That said, there is one thing I know for sure. Your true calling will out, no matter what plans you make or actions you take. It will not stop until you are doing what you are supposed to be doing. Only then will work feel easy & worthwhile. Only then will what you are doing feel right and natural, inside your head and your body. If you keep your eye on that kind of feeling and give work that makes you feel that way its proper due, more and more of those opportunities will present themselves. I speak from personal experience.

The key is to honor that feeling, and not to diminish it or see it as “non-work” just because you enjoy it. Work is NOT supposed to hurt. It is supposed to nourish, provide, and give us a sense of self worth. Period. The rest is hog wash. The universe is indeed aligning in your favor, with or without your permission. Give it time, and yield to the inevitable. You may as well! It will be a much more relaxing ride, once you allow the “clutter” of jobs that are wrong for you to go to someone else. Think of it as a life purpose garage sale. Your junk is someone else’s treasure. Let ‘em have it! Your profit from that sale? Peace of mind and a healthy reminder of who you truly are. Of course we all have to make a living and we often have to take jobs we do not like, but that is no excuse to completely abandon your passion.

Remember … you can’t effectively pursue your passion casually, which is what happens when you perform or create or work in a bad environment or you spend an inordinate amount of time working on things that mean nothing to you. The right situations will come, as long as you are willing to do all that you can to seek them out, and to milk them for all they are worth when you find them. Parlay good jobs into more good jobs. Parlay good contacts into more good contacts. Stop hesitating when something good feels like an “unlikely” possibility.

Make it yours!  You have all the power. I promise.

Cheers,

Michelle

(Photo courtesy of Michael Caulfield/WireImage)

So we’ve all heard about Taylor Swift’s pitch problem at the Grammy’s, and about her big win for Album of the Year.  Despite the fact that the Grammy’s were aired almost  2 weeks ago, the level of vitriol being spewed between Camp Taylor and Camp Anti-Taylor is at an all time high. I got my first taste of the debate after seeing MTV writer  James Montgomery’s February 2nd  article “Why You Shouldn’t Hate on Taylor Swift” and the ensuing comments.  The debate is far from over folks.  I seem to get an e-mail, Twitter message or Facebook comment about it every day.

Less visible on the Internet are the equally passionate and highly charged private conversations and debates happening between the people I hang with … professional working musicians.  Thanks to Facebook, I got involved in some pretty heated discussions about the Grammy’s … what they represent, how they define “talent” and “marketability”, and most importantly, how the Grammy results affect those of us who depend on being hired by clubs, hotels, producers etc. who in turn follow marketing trends and take their lead from award shows.

I had friend of mine charge that annoyed musicians venting about the Grammy’s were basically just posting “thinly veiled rants of jealousy” because they were “annoyed with someone else’s success or fame.” Well yours truly begged to differ.  Before I knew it, I found myself typing this response:

“Gosh I guess I really am jealous. I wish I could sing way, way out of tune on a consistent basis. I really do. I would give it all up to have a Grammy. My pitch, my attempts to always get better, my awareness of my skill level. I would toss it all for the Grammy because I am so jealous. Not rightfully critical .. just plain jealous. NOT. Sometimes people are just genuinely disappointed with what is supposed to (and USED to) be an award that means something to aspiring and working musicians. Maybe when someone who hits a genuine clunker on the piano every other bar (literally) during the live performance at every award show wins for best instrumental jazz artist you will feel my pain. Is is not okay to have some kind of bar or standard? It’s especially hard now with musicians who are also out of work (they exist!) Those who sat home gigless while it was on. It is just a hard time and some (granted not all) of the venting to me is healthy and heartfelt. Maybe this is just one of those “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not gonna take it any more moments” in the arts community. I have never seen so many similar critical comments, many about the same performances. Something somewhere in there has to be somewhat valid … maybe a little? Just food for thought.”

So um …  I guess I was a bit annoyed.  Seems these days like anyone who criticizes someone’s skill level is labeled as petty or jealous.  Is art subjective?  Yes.  Is there ever a point where someone can actually fairly be called out for executing something poorly, time and time again? Hell yes! Maybe I feel this way because I am a singer.  The Grammy’s shape what people who employ me think is “marketable” or “trendy.” That is why I watch, and why I bum out when someone who in my opinion is so terribly inadequate in an area that used to matter just a little (pitch in this case) carries Album of the Year. It is just hard to swallow, regardless of what drives Grammy decisions.

Speaking of those decisions, I am no old fogy.  I get that  “Album of the Year” does not equal “Live Vocalist of the Year.”  I get that it is hard to hear with in ear monitors sometimes, and that people get nervous sometimes.  (I HAVE sung in front of thousands of people and been nervous … with NO monitor, and yes I was very young at the time. )  I also get that the award has to do with production, songwriting, and all the other stuff that goes into making an album.  I get that Bob Dylan never sang in tune … but he never marketed himself as a “vocalist.”   I get that over a generation ago Elvis and Beatles were considered talentless by trained musicians of that day.  I also know that most of the time those artists sang in tune or at least relatively in tune when they performed live in similar settings.  Especially on naked ballads for God’ sake.

There actually is a measure for pitch folks.  So where do we stop?  A quarter tone or a half note sharp every other measure?   How about a whole note?  Every time?  With just an acoustic guitar to start?  When do I get to speak up already?  Some of us are just having a moment. It doesn’t make us lazy about finding work or generally bitter about the business. Maybe someone sucked so bad people couldn’t help but vent. It is all over the net, not just Facebook. Something happened that Sunday night. Something visceral.  The backlash is real.

Needless to say, lip synching and production heavy – vocal lite performances have become common place, accepted, and even expected, especially for dance heavy acts like Madonna, Britney and yes even Beyonce at times.   (I know I couldn’t sing well with all that running around … not on every note.  Fergie tries to do it and it is tough.)  The exception to the lip-sync expectation has always been singer-songwriter performances, which were reserved for those who could actually pull off a live performance.  Those acoustic performances started to become the “legit” or credible moments at the Grammy’s in terms of showcasing actual musical skill, regardless of the genre.

Maybe some of us are lamenting that the last of vestiges of a genre that still required vocal control up until now, the “unplugged, acoustic singer songwriter” stuff … is gone.  That ballsy moment in the Grammy’s where someone had to be able to sing because they were sans a huge band, at least for the song’s intro … gone … defunct.

With Taylor Swift in particular, the situation is like that fable “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” No one wants to just call out that she cannot sing. She SHOULD be lip syncing but she is performing live … horribly … over and over again, and not improving … and getting pass after pass for a variety of reasons …. and then taking home the biggest awards. No matter how the awards are actually decided or what the Grammy’s are really about, it is just a disconnect to see that progression on a live show.  A disconnect for lots of people, not just trained musicians.

When my non-musician friends started sending me e-mails about that performance that started out “Is it just me or …” I knew it was time to speak up.  To defend my craft.  I even think people are saying “Hey where’s the scam? Lip sync already. It is less painful and less in my face. Give me back the scam or stop singing.” Again, I think the moment affected a lot of people that way and caused an uber cyber commentary party that involved all sorts of different people.

It’s funny … most of the negative comments in my world were from singers and about singers. I really believe if the musicians on Sunday’s show had executed their roles as badly as Ms. Swift, more musicians would be sympathetic to the outcry. You know, things like missing notes, playing in the wrong key and so on.

Not to say there was any exceptionally brilliant music being played (IMHO) … but it seemed that the musicians that were actually playing had some kind of basic skill requirement. Singers get away with murder … especially with that damn auto tune. I think the blatant badness is what even laymen were blogging about immediately after the show and since the show.  It seemed to hit an all time low. The Taylor Swift win just sent some people over last night, no matter what the award was for.   Even major media outlets are continuing to cover it.  There is jealousy, and then there is disgust and “audio disbelief.” I have to believe that for some it was the latter that led to the barrage of posts. Piling on or legitimate debate?  You decide.

So … is the simple, unplugged, in tune, live vocal moment dead?  Oh wait a minute .. what about Pink? Yeah, there’s still hope.  She rocked it that night … upside down …soaking wet … hanging from silks!!  No award though.  Bummer.

Okay fellow chick singers … if you were wondering if something was wrong with your ears while you watched the 2010 Grammy’s last night, the answer is a resounding NO.  You are not crazy.  You are not bitter or jealous or slandering or hallucinating.  You just happen to know when someone is singing out of tune, and in this case the Album of the Year went to the Queen of Non-Pitch, Ms. Taylor Swift.  Not hatin’ on the girl or her song-writing.  I just want you to know that you are not hearing things … she just can’t sing in tune … period.  That is all I am going to say for now.  No judgements, no other opinions on what she does and does not deserve.  Just the facts ma’ams: 440 is 440.  And if you don’t know what that is shame on you!  Look it up female warriors of song!  Worship it wisely.

Michelle Johnson is an internationally recognized entertainment consultant, event producer, motivational speaker, and entertainer.  She is also a published author, and is currently working on her upcoming book “The Chick Singer Bible.”  Her production company, Diva Las Vegas Productions, is internationally recognized for its accomplishments in the special events world.  Michelle is also a vocalist and has recorded and toured with some of the greatest names in show business in addition to performing as a headliner.

Beyond event production work, performing, public speaking, and writing, Michelle also mentors aspiring female vocalists and music industry hopefuls.  You can find out more by clicking on her bio here, and you can see a schedule of her upcoming appearances here.

In addition to the links above, you are encouraged to visit her event production website at www.divalasvegas.com.  You can also find out about upcoming performances, CD and book releases, event productions, speaking engagements and Michelle’s philanthropic activities by checking out the Diva Las Vegas Newsletter.

Enjoy!

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