Dayna Wills
From:
Sacramento, CA (deceased)
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Posted 5 Jan 2005 2:18 pm |
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Boy, what a mixed bag of reactions. Let me reply to a few: Ernie said Chick Singer = Crazy, (all chick singers sing it) Well, Ernie, if you are a chick singer and you do not do a P.C. (Patsy Cline) song sometime during your show, you can go to jail, it's the law!
Andy hears it as a negative, however Gene hears it as highly complimentary (thanks, Gene) as does Jerry who has worked with PROFESSIONAL CHICK SINGERS. Leslie thinks of them as "singers" only because they don't play an instrument. Our voices are our instruments, and those of us who are in the biz for the long haul, and not just to "cut one outta the herd", so to speak, do what we can to improve our tonality, stretch our range, see a vocal coach, take of it when we're sick, etc. When you hear the singer (male or female) say, "I can't hear myself", it's because we can't hear our amp over your amp. All musicians want to hear their instrument come thru the amp with a certain sound which makes them comfy and relaxes them to where they can just play. When a singer can't hear their amp, the PA., then singing becomes a fight to the finish. The voice, which is capable of so many nuances, becomes paralyzed because it can't compete with the volume. Then the voice has no way to shade the tones, and it becomes harsh, brassy, and eventually quits. Then the singer is out of work, period! Been there, done that. The PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS with whome I have worked "get" this, and they back off the volume when I'm singing. Contrary to popular belief, I am not a loud mouth. I prefer to let the equipment work for me. Remember, there may be only one vocal monitor on the stage facing 4 or 5 amps. It can't compete either. Once I was on stage with a guitar player who said he couldn't hear the other players, so the guy running the sound put all the amps thru the vocal monitor. Well, duh, I was totally out gunned. I did a couple of songs and got off stage asap. I came to sing, not call hogs. It's a drag when you can't do justice to a song, and no one can hear you anyway. What's the point?
Jerry, I did not know Barbie, wish I had, sounds like my kinda "Chick singer". Personally, I have found that working with women, in the early years, was a drag, but then again, most of those women were dancers. The women I have met in the past 15 years have been total pros and have taught me a lot. (If you are good, I WILL steal from you!)Herbie, that wasn't embarrassing, it was hysterical! (Well, I thought it was funny)
So the reason for the thread is that I was thinking I would call my next CD "Chick Singer" My perception is: a chick singer is someone who is versatile, easy to work with, dependable, a team player, not a prima donna.
I think of a female vocalist as a specialist, someone who sings one style, really well, and still has the attributes of a chick singer. My next CD, should I choose this mission, will be of a variety of musical styles, and not all WS. WS was the last style of music I sang. I started out as a screamer! So, thanks for the input. I may re-think the title.....?????
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