Canadian Musician - November/December 2018 | Page 32

PHOTO: EMMA LEE
VOCALS
Melanie Brulée is a singer-songwriter based out of Toronto. Her new album, Fires, Floods & Things We Leave Behind, features the
single “Whiskey & Whine,” and is out now across all music platforms. Melanie has shared the stage with Kathleen Edwards, is a
recipient of Stingray Music’s Rising Star Award, and has performed at renowned events like the Philadelphia Folk Festival and
AMERICANAFEST. For more info, please visit www.melaniebrulee.com.
By Melanie Brulée
Steps for Success
W
hen I saw the request in my inbox to write a vocal col-
umn for Canadian Musician, I must admit I was shocked.
Me? But I’m self-taught… Was I even qualified to give
people advice on singing?
Years of conversations with peers have led me to believe that each
of us thinks we’re a hack (and those of us who think we have nothing to
learn could use the most help). Let’s start at the basics: if you sing, you're
a singer, no matter what level you're at. Remember Sister Act 2, and that
scene where Whoopi Goldberg tells Lauryn Hill: “If you wake up in the
mornin' and you can't think of anything but singin' first, then you're sup-
posed to be a singer”?
I was 11 years old when this film came out but I didn’t pick up a guitar
until I was 21. Sick of sitting in a classroom and thirsty for experience, I
worked in restaurants saving money for a science-based university degree
that I still have yet to begin because I spent every last dime on a trip to
Australia to “find myself.” I met friends that taught me chords and lent me
guitars and, despite my fingers feeling like they were going to fall off, it felt
so fulfilling. I started writing songs, playing open mic nights, and busking
on the streets of Byron Bay. Then, I began a new tradition: I would get up
in the morning, dress myself, and slip a guitar pick in my bra by my heart
with an intention behind it. “I’m a musician,” I’d tell myself. Every single
time. I had never been paid for a proper gig. I didn’t own my own guitar.
I couldn’t play a barre chord. But I had plenty of determination, and that’s
maybe the most important ingredient in a career in music.
Lessons Learned
I run on instinct and energy, and although many people work best
within the confines of a more academic way of learning, here are some
steps to being a great vocalist without taking a single music lesson:
1. Remember: Stay in YOUR lane. It goes to YOUR destination. Every-
one’s path is different. My mentors have helped me pour more of “me”
out into my music. Thanks to them I’ve realized that “How do I stand
out?” is a much healthier question than “Where do I fit in?”
2. Not everyone is going to like your voice, songs, or style, and that’s
totally fine. When you question this, refer to #1. Be you. Put honesty in
your performance. Make sure the voice that comes out is yours.
3. You must believe what you sing. Tell your story with every ounce of
your being.
4. Drink plenty of water the day before, the day of, and 20 minutes
before your set. While drinking water onstage may help a dry mouth
if you’re nervous, it won’t hydrate your vocal chords. Like my desert-
dwelling friend Sarah Burton says, “The best place to store water is
inside your body.”
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5. A lot of health problems are derived from acidity and inflammation
inside the body. Feel like you’re getting run down? Try this recipe for
my anti-inflammatory tea:
Brulée’s Hippy Hippy Chai
• 6-8 cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• 1 tsp. grated or chopped ginger
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• Optional: 5 whole cloves, ¼ tsp. fennel seeds, 1 star anise, 4
cardamom pods
• Got a cough? Add ¼ tsp thyme
Bring to a boil and allow to steep for 15 mins. Leave it on the stove
and reheat it repeatedly during the day. Add 1 tsp. unpasteurized local
honey to your cup and pour the tea over it. (Don’t boil the honey.)
6. If you’re on the road, playing long sets or using your voice a lot,
invest in a vapor inhaler. Lavender oil is great if you’re losing your voice.
Soak a face cloth in hot water, wring out the excess, add a few drops of
lavender essential oil, and put it on your neck. Lay the heck down, turn
your phone off, and chill.
7. Learn to get 100 per cent of your voice out at 85 per cent. No strain-
ing and no over-singing. I talk a lot when I’m nervous so I tend to over-
sing when I’m nervous, too, and it makes me sound fake. (See #3.)
8. To be more present onstage, focus on your feet. This sends energy
downwards, allowing you to feel more grounded and less in your head,
which is great for singing as the sound should come from your belly,
not your nose.
9. Thanks to Twitter, I once had lunch with Bif Naked in Paris (long
story). She gave me a great piece of advice that Jann Arden had once
given to her: “Sing like you don’t need the money.” I think it’s one of the
most brilliant things I’ve heard and I think of it often.
10. Stay away from salt and booze the night before and the day of a
show. Consider yourself “on shift” a few days before a tour. Load up on
vitamins and sleep for illness prevention.
11. Last and perhaps most importantly, bring your own mic to your
gig. Always. I shouldn’t have to explain why.