Singing Instruction, Performance Techniques – Most Good Singers Are Thieves – Sewing Machines Los Angeles

Ask any good singer who their influences are and you may be surprised. Heavy metal singers may name someone like Tony Bennett or Reba McEntire. Jazz singers may name Steven Tyler and country singers may say Celine Dion or Billy Joel.

“Influence: the action or process of producing effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of another or others:” (dictionary)

So when we, as singers, are influenced we are affected (and thus changed) by some other singer or entertainer.

How are we influenced? Let’s suppose that both you and I claim Elton John as being a great influence on our singing. As we investigate just how Sir Elton influences us we might find that his amazing energy and emotion helped me to gain similar attributes in my own singing.

While you learned from the unique style and the way he phrases.

Someone else might be influenced by his stage persona or how he handles the microphone.

All of us greatly influenced by the same singer, but in totally different ways.

So how do these influences manifest themselves through us? We steal them from Elton and claim them as our own. We imitate or emulate certain parts of his style that we like, we practice using our microphones like he does, we strive to achieve our own energy and emotion through his influence.

Now, if I just imitate Elton John I attempt the impossible. He’s Elton John and I will never be. Besides, we already have a him. No. The secret to becoming a great artist is to “steal” a little from many singers and entertainers. In fact, an influence for you could be your doctor, minister or best friend. Let’s say you like the funny way your friend laughs or moves, and you “steal” a little of that for your stage persona. You get the idea.

Maybe “stealing” is too harsh a word to describe how we create our singing style and image, but understand that this kind of stealing is not wrong – in fact it’s necessary. We fool ourselves if we believe that we came up with our style, etc. all by ourselves, with no influences. A great singer is someone who has “stolen” many many ideas, concepts, stage moves, vocal styling ideas… from many others.

So get busy and start stealing.