Record Producers Africa 101: How to Resolve Vocal Issues in Booth

If you are a record producer or an artist manager based anywhere in Africa, and you’ve run into situations where your artist inside the vocal booth is struggling... in that, not only is range, technique and resonance an issue, their vocals quickly tire out and it begins to hinder your recording session, then this article will look at the root cause of the problem and it will also provide you with a quick and permanent solution for your artist. With this, your artist will be able to easily deliver a song in a manner that best suits the style, mood and dimension of the song without an iota of pain, strain or struggle.

First and foremost, let me explain what happens when a vocalist in your vocal booth is hurting and quickly losing their voice during a recording session.

The main reason is because they are putting unnecessary weight on the throat when they sing. The trouble with singing from the throat (shouting) is that the outer larynx muscles are being incorporated into sound production and this inevitably results in the vocal chords taking a rather big beating from all the strain.

And yes, the singer will endure a lot of pain in the process and ultimately they will lose their voice. Needless to say, as a result, you might have to cancel your recording session altogether. Which, clearly, is a waste of time and money.

SOLUTION

I know this is not common practice in Africa. Believe me, I know this firsthand. But it is the ONLY solution to the problem. So let's take a closer look.

The solution to the problem is to have the vocalist undergo a series of special speech-level singing vocal exercises a couple of days before the recording session and on the day of the recording session itself.

Seriously, that’s all it takes to completely re-balance the voice ready for a recording session because it will eliminate the tendency to recruit the outer larynx muscles in sound production.

Your artist, after the vocal warm-ups, will exhibit a more balanced vocal delivery, control, range and resonance  devoid of all the strain and pain the singer had previously experienced.

In a previous article I introduced my new voice training program that prepares the voice for the recording studio and the live gig. In that article I talked about this endemic problem afflicting so many singers across the African continent, and whilst giving examples with some success stories I also tried to explain that it really only takes a few hours to re-balance the voice ready for any situation. You can read the full article and also gather some more information on my Vocals Quick Fix Africa Project here.

Vocals Quick Fix (Pre-Studio Recording Sessions & Gigs)

I have created something that is tailored to the mindset of African singers, a program that doesn’t involve a lot of time and requires absolutely no long-term commitment from the artist whatsoever. It is what it is. A ‘Vocals Quick Fix’ for the job at hand. Plain and simple! This, I feel, should work well for Africa.

How It Works

I’ll want to liaise with recording studios and artist management anywhere in Africa. My modus operandi is pretty simple. If you have an artist going into the recording studio and they need help getting their vocals in order, I will gladly work with them for up to an hour prior to the recording session.

And in the case of the live gig set—similarly, I will prepare them for it right before they hit the stage.

Ideally, whether we do this via Skype or I work with you in your country and city, you have the option to book a four-hour program so as to get even MORE value for YOUR money!

The four hours will be evenly spread into an hour-a-day slots, and can be scheduled to begin three days before the recording session, with the fourth and final hour taking place on the day of the recording session OR day of the gig, as it were.

How to Setup for Skype Voice Lessons with Joett

1. Send me your email address. I will want to send you some working files.
2. Download Skype to your phone. 
3. Add my Skype ID tojona so we can talk for free Skype to Skype.
4. When you receive my sound files, make sure you burn mp3 to cd to playback on sound system like the 'home theater' with speakers. If using a laptop or PC it needs to be connected to home theater speakers (or similar).
5. When you come on the Skype call make sure everything is ready: i.e. your music system is setup and the sound files are ready for use. Also ensure your email is connected for easy delivery of additional working files to your inbox during the session. Also, I will create and record 2 minute scales on piano during the call and transmit that through Skype chat window. 
6. FEES: Please send inquiry via WhatsApp (contact info in #VocalsQuickFix banner above).

My book 101 Letters from a Vocal Coach contains over a hundred articles and tips for singers, and is available in paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Lulu. It also includes my complete voice training audio product Joett Vocal Drills Vol. 1-7.

Prefer an eBook?

You'll find it on Lulu, here!

So the next time your vocals aren't delivering the notes as they should, you'll find tons of info on my blog and in my book.



You are the Instrument, Learn to Sing Like a Pro!


JOETT - Vocal Coach & Author:
“101 Letters from a Vocal Coach”