What do YOU think about this artists future?

[mikedavid00]

Ok so I know a lot here don't do urban but please try to wear the hat for a while.

 

Here is an artist in the UK that I'm friendly with but for an artist like her who is 16 years old. It kind of makes you wonder what her career is going to be as she is going to pursue it. Everything you see is in her bedroom.

 

Note: this artist can NOT writer her own songs or play an instrument. She doesn't have those kinds of gifts. She can sing only.

 

[video=youtube;2FQYWK2cZ94]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FQYWK2cZ94

 

2 Questions:

 

1- YOU be the fortune teller and predict what you believe is going to happen with her pursuit of a career in music. Just guess what is most likely to happen and how it will turn out?

 

2- Lets say she was forced to follow your advice 100% in order to pursue her music career. You were in total control of her game plan. Complete control of everything about her from her genre to hair color. Whatever you suggested she'd be happy with. What would YOUR game plan for her and how would it likely turn out?

[Rudolf von Hagenwil]

I am not a fortune teller, and this girl has no future in the music business as is.

[BlueStrat]

I don't know about the girl; she seems to be after that mind-numbing sameness so many girls strive for. I'd like to hear her when she's not trying to sound like someone else.

 

But that guitar player needs to be kicked in the balls. Or take his gloves off. The part he's playing is completelyover powering the singing.

[Poker99]

Her boobs aren't big enough. She stands no chance, unless she gets fake cans.

[PermaNoobie]

 

I am not a fortune teller

 

 

^This^ - we just don't know the future.

 

As far as the present. I think the things she could work on are not uncommon for someone in their adolescence (That's not a knock on her age and I'm using the term to describe a phase of development. It's about a period of artistic development, not about the person's character or maturity in other aspects). To put it in broad terms, I think she's focusing too much on ornament and detail and not enough on strong baseline fundamentals.

She's got to get that vibrato under control.

She seems "pinched" ("singing from the throat", etc) at times esp in her upper range and the effort may be negatively impacting finer aspects of her intonation as well.

 

I think her vocal coach should break her back down and have her "live in the fundamentals" - have her sing things "straight" for a while

[niceguy]

Not much power in her voice. And if she's just a singer, then she needs to have either (1) TONS of vocal power, or (2) really slutty looks.

 

Urban or not, I don't really care---this is a cover song, and it smacks of the American Idol culture of karaoke as "musicianship."

[richardmac]

I think the kid has a good voice. I don't like that style of singing but that's irrelevant. But let me answer the questions:

1. Most likely outcome - she will not have a long career in music unless she gets really really lucky. She has a good enough voice but I'm just playing the odds.

2. If I were in charge of her career I'd recommend that she fire me and find someone who would be good at trying to market her, because I'd suck at it. I'm not being snarky, I'm giving an honest answer.

 

There are 30 girls down the road from my house at J. W. Mitchell High School who can sing just as well as her. Being able to sing well is not the unique talent people think it is. Being able to write killer songs is a far more unique talent. From a technical standpoint I think what PermaNoobie said is accurate. I also don't think it matters because the general public has no taste in vocalists.

[Cliftonb]

Like others here have already stated, I cannot tell the future. I had a working time machine but it broke. Now it only takes me to McDonald's.

 

As far as the girl goes. Don't see much of a career in the cards. She's barely par for the course for what's already out there. I regularly hear girls at my church who easily mop the floor with her vocally. And she could REALLY use some autotune.

 

It's probably too much of a liability these days anyhow. For someone who can't write, consistently sing in key, or play any instruments, a label would have to hire armies of writers, producers, engineers, focus group and PR people to make the her even somewhat appealing to the masses. Millions of dollars will get poured into her career with no certainty of a hit.

 

My career advice: Go to school, get a job and do music on the side. If something happens from there, then it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't.

[daddymack]

I see nothing here that says 'artist'. Her voice is nothing we haven't already heard, and videoing yourself singing covers in your bedroom (which, btw, I don't believe, as that is a pretty decent looking foam/popfilter and mic rig for some nobody's bedroom, y'know what I mean?) while in this day and age smacks of karaoke and American Idol wannabes.

 

If Iwas to be her Svengali?

Three years of serious voice training.

Learn to sing without the pop filter!

Not singing this pop fluff, singing real songs,something with real melody, not the warbling meandering nonsense she is demoing here.

Cut those bangs so they aren't distracting you when you sing!

If you are going to shoot a video, make it worthwhile...do not put substandard material out.

Anything else you want me to tell her, she will need to sign a contract.

[Rudolf von Hagenwil]

 

I had a working time machine but it broke. Now it only takes me to McDonald's.

 

 

 

I wish I had one of those, only the restaurant should be another.

[mikedavid00]

What about her as lead vocal for some Norah Jones style live band or something? People want an ethnic girl in that genre.

 

Again she can't write or play instruments at all. She'd have to be told what to sing.

 

And yes that's her on a USB mic in the corner of her bedroom. She sings into the corner but is turned around for camera. Many, many on Youtube are doing this now.

 

Oh she can't dance either.

[richardmac]

 

I see nothing here that says 'artist'.

 

 

Heh heh heh... I see nothing about a lot of pop stars that says "artist." LOL!

 

Put her in some slutty clothes, get the right people to write songs for her, have a pro choreograph all of her moves, and you could slap her up there on Disney Channel with the other pop tarts.

 

It's very tricky ground to walk on when we say who is an artist and who is not. Here's the dictionary.com first definition of art, and I think it's a good one:

 

"The quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance."

 

So is she more than ordinary significance? Definitely not. Is her singing beautiful and/or appealing? Depends who you ask. That's where it gets tricky. I don't want to sit around and bash a 16 year old girl who's trying to be the best singer she can be. The kid obviously loves music. The problem is that your odds at a career as JUST a singer suck really badly. The business always needs great writers. But there's a never ending stream of attractive well built women and men who can sing.

[BlueStrat]

 

What about her as lead vocal for some Norah Jones style live band or something? People want an ethnic girl in that genre.

 

 

This is just so cynical I don't know where to start. People want 'an ethnic girl in that genre?' Actually, no, I don't think people are that hung up on race that they're keeping tabs on who is singing what and wishing that there were more black girls singing pretty songs or Chinese guys playing metal. What people want is great singers singing great songs. It isn't much more than that.

[mikedavid00]

 

This is just so cynical I don't know where to start. People want 'an ethnic girl in that genre?'

 

 

Yes I believe in Jazz that there is a motive to recruit young ethnic kids into the music. The Jazz thing is a bit political. For instance, local Jazz radio are registered charities that are tax deductible. There is this push to ensure that Jazz survives and due to all the young generation of kids who's parents are from other countries. They have Jazz camps and such during the summer and there is a push to recruit kids from the schools and inner city. Very political.

 

The Jazz scene wants a young, ethnic, female as a poster child for their 'cause' so to speak. Actually look at Espanalda Spalding. Proof in point. I don't care how talented she is, her album sucked, was illogical, and got very negative reviews by myself and several others.

 

But odd she performs in front of the President of the US, is a poster child for the Acadamy learning fund/political lobby, and suprise suprise, she wins best new artist (despite her having 6 previous albums over many years).

 

This girl can sing and nothing else. Well, Norah Jones has every one of her songs written by someone else and the band was assembled for her. She essentially just sang. Big question is, would she get the record deal and the development to do this is in this day and age? I doubt it.

 

Ok let's put it this way. The girl in the video is half British, half Trinidadian. You don't think she would get interest from the Jazz community if she entered it?

 

I'm actually surprised so many knocked her singing. I've seen a LOT of girls sing on Youtube over the years.. and for her age group.. I would have to say she is probably the best so I'm really surprised the response she got.

 

I can definitely see her sitting up on a stool singing with a Jazz ensemble.

[BlueStrat]

 

Yes I believe in Jazz that there is a motive to recruit young ethnic kids into the music. The Jazz thing is a bit political. For instance, local Jazz radio are registered charities that are tax deductible. There is this push to ensure that Jazz survives and due to all the young generation of kids who's parents are from other countries. They have Jazz camps and such during the summer and there is a push to recruit kids from the schools and inner city. Very political. The Jazz scene wants a young, ethnic, female as a poster child for their 'cause' so to speak. Actually look at Espanalda Spalding. Proof in point. I don't care how talented she is, her album sucked, was illogical, and got very negative reviews by myself and several others. But odd she performs in front of the President of the US, is a poster child for the Acadamy learning fund/political lobby, and suprise suprise, she wins best new artist (despite her having 6 previous albums over many years). This girl can sing and nothing else. Well, Norah Jones has every one of her songs written by someone else and the band was assembled for her. She essentially just sang. Big question is, would she get the record deal and the development to do this is in this day and age? I doubt it. Ok let's put it this way. The girl in the video is half British, half Trinidadian. You don't think she would get interest from the Jazz community if she entered it? I'm actually surprised so many knocked her singing. I've seen a LOT of girls sing on Youtube over the years.. and for her age group.. I would have to say she is probably the best so I'm really surprised the response she got. I can definitely see her sitting up on a stool singing with a Jazz ensemble.

 

 

You cannot be serious. "The jazz scene wants? " What are you, the official spokesman for jazz? And by the way, that video you posted was jazz like a Yugo is a luxury car. And FWIW, Norah Jones isn't really considered a jazz singer, either.

 

 

 

I've seen a LOT of girls sing on Youtube over the years.. and for her age group.. I would have to say she is probably the best so I'm really surprised the response she got.

 

 

Well, no offense, but it's no wonder no young folks are flocking to you to have you produce them. If you think she's the best, then you have a tin ear.

[Rudolf von Hagenwil]

 

What about her as lead vocal for some Norah Jones style live band or something? People want an ethnic girl in that genre.

 

 

We already have Norah Jones. No need for a second.

 

That's where concepts fail. There is the original, and some copy of them noboy is interested in. Insist upon yourself. Be original. The principal mark of genius is not perfection, but originality. Originality is the one thing which unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of.

[richardmac]

 

We already have Norah Jones. No need for a second. That's where concepts fail. There is the original, and some copy of them noboy is interested in. Insist upon yourself. Be original. The principal mark of genius is not perfection, but originality. Originality is the one thing which unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of.

 

 

Well said.

[PermaNoobie]

 

Yes I believe in Jazz...

 

 

I had written a more detailed reply to the OP, but I decided to erase it as I think it wouldn't serve any informative purpose.

 

I did this when I noticed the OP didn't even get the name of the musician he was analyzing. While typos and misspellings happen, this appears to be more than just a misspelling.

 

I don't mean to be overly critical, but I really dont think the OP has more than a passing familiarity with Jazz. There's nothing in-and-of-itself wrong with that, but it does make comments about the people and dynamics involved in that area extremely tenuous.

[daddymack]

the real point is...why bother with her?

Sorry, but you already destroyed her resume: she doesn't write, she doesn't dance, her voice is nothing special (and actually boringly derivative), she is not anything eyeopening to look at...so what is the point in promoting her at all?

Certainly out there exist better singers who do write, are able to dance, and have more appealing looks...what makes this one girl worth all this discussion?

 

[/thread]

[Rudolf von Hagenwil]

We all have talents of different level around us, maybe only a few producer had the luck that their first artist was Babra Streisand...

 

however, if a produce isn't capable to judge who can sing, and who not, he is in the wrong position.

[winston.smith]

pretty good for 16, and cute, but like everyone's saying, nothing original about her. unless she gets picked up by a big company that will exploit her for the next big pop wave, nothing special's gonna happen. that's not saying she couldn't find work fronting a band. it's just not going to be her voice to make her big, if she gets big, unless something changes.

[jabney]

 

Ok so I know a lot here don't do urban but please try to wear the hat for a while. ... What would YOUR game plan for her and how would it likely turn out?

 

 

KD Lang can get away with singing blah material. Marion (or Marian) Williams could get away with a so-so (or even bad) recording. Both brilliant, both having proven any musical point they ever needed to make.

 

This young woman needs better material. "Don't lose who you are - In the mumble mumble star" means what, exactly? And in so many syllables for relatively few notes, too.

 

PermaNoobie gave some good advice. I'd suggest that the singer rent or buy some Fred Astaire movies and listen to how Hollywood's most famous songwriters preferred to have their work introduced to the world.

 

best,

 

john

[Cliftonb]

"can't paly instruments" - that's a choice. She could easily learn to play piano or guitar on a professional level. And by "professional" I don't mean virtuoso. She doesn't have to be Pascal Roge or Tommy Emmanuel but she can at least develop enough skill to sing and play out live with solo accompaniment.

[faunnywraft]

Стрижка собак в СПб

Кроме того зоомагазин продает корм для животных в розницу от ведущих фирм-производителей.

Подробности на сайте: http://www.zoo-foks.ru/

[richardmac]

Is that Russian? Dah, comrade! I found de new site ripe for da spamming! Dis music biz site, dey spend all day fighting about how bad der americana music biz is - Dey will never notice our link spam! Capitalist pigs and their nuclear wessels!

 

It's not even funny to make Mother Russia or Soviet Russia jokes any more, is it? In Soviet Russia, Music Business runs YOU! OK, maybe it's still a little funny. But there's a country that has really suffered and has undergone radical changes in the past 30 years. I wish them all the best and quite honestly if I had the opportunity to go and visit I'd do it in a heartbeat.

 

What did we learn from Russia? That communism doesn't work because people get into power and they just screw the little guy. Which sounds suspiciously like my own state government right now - we elected an idiot who ran a med insurance company that had more instances of fraud than any other company. And now he wants to protect his rich buddies and special interest groups and balance the budget on the backs of the working/middle class. Guess we don't learn, do we? Sorry - This isn't a political forum. I'll shut up now.

 

Cliftonb has a point and I'd go one further - if you want anything to happen for you in the music business, you're an idiot if you don't learn guitar. Or at least piano. Yeah, I said it. If you're serious, spend a year learning guitar and master all the basic first position chords - cowboy chords, we used to call them. Back in the day it was good enough to be JUST a good singer. No one cared that Aretha didn't play guitar. But this isn't back in the day and the best shot at success is stacking the deck as much as you can. I'd go one step further than THAT and suggest that anyone very serious about the music biz should learn to write their own songs. Even if you don't ever do anything with any of them, it makes you a better musician. And it's where the money is.

 

When I was in high school I won a local talent show with an original piano composition. I was not a great piano player - The best I ever got was Bach two part inventions. Which apparently they play in second grade in Japan. Anyway, I went onto the district level competition (didn't place) and three slots after me this Japanese girl got up and played "Complicated Etude in C# minor" - I dunno, some wicked hard complicated piece that I'd never be able to play in my life. I was like "DAMN, that girl can play!" I guess the girl's parents were sitting by mine. Later I told my parents "Man, that girl was AWESOME! I could never play like that." And they said they overheard her talking to her parents when I played and she said "I wish I could write my own music like him. How wonderful that would be! How does he DO that?"

 

People say "I could never..." all the time, and it's rarely true. 90% of the people you meet who tell you that they're tone deaf aren't. We put up all kinds of reasons why we can't do stuff.

 

The reality is that I'm just spouting off - it totally depends on the girl's goals. If her goal is to be a great singer but she doesn't plan to make a career out of it, then learning guitar and learning to write songs is not important. If she wants a career, then she needs to do everything she possibly can.