Imitation and Integration

I was about 16 or 17 when I stepped into a recording booth for the first time. I don't remember exactly who the project was for but the content was devotional music with a folk/rock twist.

I recall the tightness of the booth. I recall thinking that the panels on the walls around me with the tiny foam pyramids all came together to look like a squishy medieval iron maiden. I can still see the gigantic microphone apparatus hanging down in front of me. It reminded me of the light fixture my dentist used. Of all the details of that day that I can bring to mind, the most vivid and horrifying detail is the producer's voice in my head phones saying "How about you try that again and this time use your own voice".

"Use your own voice". My own voice? Who else's had I been using? The sound was coming out of my mouth, was it not? What on earth was this guy talking about?

I asked to hear the playback and there it was in full crystal audio glory. I was doing a spot on impression of James Taylor. Now, to be sure, I was not doing that on purpose. Why would I? I was just trying to sing the song as best I could but take after take provided the same results.

Now, I've always been a fan of James Taylor but I don't necessarily want to sound like him. Little did I know that I had been falling into one of the most insidious traps an untrained singer can fall into - The Unconscious Imitation.

Scientific studies have shown that when we're young we gravitate toward certain sounds and timbres that we find enjoyable. We then settle on these sounds and stay with them for a lifetime. For a singer this "aural imprinting" can be rather dangerous if left unchecked.

I had been gravitating toward a certain style of voice. Nasal, forward placed, lightly colored with a mild tinge of the blues was the name of my game. I had no idea that every time I sang a song I was doing an impression. First it was my James Taylor impression. Then I moved on to my Billy Joel impression. Then I expanded my cast of characters to include Stevie Wonder and Sammie Davis Jr and Tony Bennet.

My voice was changing based on my current taste in music. It took a few years, voice training and an awful lot of studio recording to discover that imitation is a fine thing when used conservatively and with very direct purpose. It is however, integration that should be a singer's focus.

Whether we like it or not we imitate all the time by virtue of the fact that we are humans. We see or hear something we like and we try to recreate it for whatever the purpose may be. Far too many performers get away with simply standing on the shoulders of someone they admire and building a career on that.

What makes more sense is to integrate in small but meaningful quantities those qualities that we admire in other voices. By integrating we are forced to take a singular quality and fuse it with our own instrument rather than take the entirety of someone else's. This act allows you to manipulate a certain mechanic of your own in order to create a new sound. This in turn shows you how to use your instrument in ways you hadn't yet realized and thus make it so much more your very own instrument.

The struggle is singling out that one element of a voice that you want to recreate. Make a list of your favorite voices and try to describe what it is that draws you to them. Is it their tone color? It could be their placement of sound. It could be their accent or their dynamic nuances. Write as specifically as you can and then go over your list and goals with your vocal coach and see if you can work on creating these vocal elements with your voice!

-Michael

A Singer Walks Into a Studio...

Picture it. 8:30 am, Manhattan, a well lit recording studio. I've been called in by a casting director to sing lead vocals on a radio spot for an unnamed car manufacturer. I arrive, check in with the director's assistant and am handed a score complete with lyrics and some notes of general direction.

I ask if the vocal booth is ready yet and am told that it is still being set up. This is a common occurrence so, I excuse myself to the main lounge to sit and go over the score. Pitch pipe in hand, I begin to practice the melody quietly to myself, keeping in mind the director's notes in the margins.

It is now 9:00 am. The director's assistant calls me in and I move immediately to the control room to shake hands with the director and engineer. The clock hits 9:02 and I'm in the vocal booth. We record several takes of the short 16 bar phrase. Each take is recorded and we swiftly move on to the next take. The director gives his thoughts on each take in short 3 to 5 word sentences. "A little brighter", "I like that but faster", "One more just like it". It is now 9:25 and we're done with tracking the lead vocals. 

Normally my job would be done but because we finished so quickly they ask me to stay and maybe lay down some backing vocals on top of the singer they hired to do them. In comes the background singer. Wait a second, where's the singer?

The background singer is late. This is not good. Clocking in at somewhere around 20 minutes late, the background singer arrives and hurriedly enters the vocal booth with a crumpled score. After several takes it becomes clear that this session will not be as quick. Already behind schedule, the director and crew cannot afford to take more time to accommodate an unprepared singer. The director leans forward in his chair, looks at me and says "Want to make a little more money?"

By being early, prepared and focused I was able to not only impress my employer with a quick and painless session but I also was able to step in and help out. There is no trick here. It comes down to who's done their homework and who hasn't. The real reason my session was over so quickly is that I continuously work my voice and recording studio technique. I was able to respond immediately to direction because I am familiar and comfortable with my voice and the equipment and environment of a studio. 

Whether you're recording for a commercial job or for your own project, time is money. You literally cannot afford to not know what you're doing in the studio. For me, learning this was trial and error. I wasted a lot of time and a lot of money learning this lesson. I try the best I can now to help other singers avoid the same mistakes. If you have a recording session coming up or just want to sharpen your skills feel free to get a hold of me and ask me your questions.

As usual, share your thoughts and queries!

-Michael