By Lorraine Lawson
COLUMNS
What Makes a Great Singer GREAT ?
I
bet you can remember the first time you watched a certain new artist perform live or discovered someone on the radio or playlist . It is so exciting to hear a voice that can make every hair on your arm stand up ! Hearing a great singer can immediately stop you in your tracks .
The truth is , it ’ s tough to explain the reason for this visceral reaction to a singer ’ s voice . Maybe it ’ s something about their vocal range , the tone of their voice , or perhaps it ’ s the singer ’ s ability to tell an emotional story that completely captivates you . Whatever it is , you get completely hooked , becoming a fan for life .
My first concert experience was seeing The Jackson 5 ’ s reunion tour when I was just 10 . Most people would agree , Michael Jackson ’ s voice was pure magic throughout his long career . It had an undeniable presence , a sense of urgency very few singers will ever have , and without question , the emotion in his tone was palatable . His use of rhythm in every word , every inhale and exhale , created another layer of phrasing , which seemed to perfectly match the rhythmic phrasing of the band . To this day I wonder if the instrumental arrangements , which of course were brilliantly produced , were created to match his vocal phrasing as opposed to the other way around .
Aside from his undeniable songwriting abilities and sheer genius arrangements and instrumental productions , I believe it was the way Michael Jackson sang his songs that ultimately made him the most successful artist in the world . Michael ’ s vocal performance was as precise as his physical performance . He crafted each vocal moment to transport his fans throughout a wide range of emotions and back again .
There was an era in the music industry when artists were made ! Being a great singer was the ticket to being discovered . Think of Whitney , Celine , Luther , Barbra , and Mariah . These incredible singers were absolutely known for their jaw-dropping vocal performances .
Of course , every generation also has artists who were not the best singers and yet the audience still called them “ great .” Artists like Bob Dylan , Neil Young , Joni Mitchell , Willy Nelson , Elvis , and Amy Winehouse will stand the test of time because of their unique vocal tone and a u- thentic delivery . This may in fact be the ultimate definition of what makes a great singer great .
When I was an artist myself , I constantly struggled with having my own vocal identity . I sang each song using a different voice , thinking it was the song that should dictate my vocal approach .
Over many years of working on my voice , studying every type of technique , I learned how to expand my range , improve my pitch , and sing with more and more power . I kept working on my voice until I could sing all types of music with absolute stylistic accuracy . But what I didn ’ t realize was I sounded like a different person on every song , making it impossible for the audience to connect emotionally to me as the artist .
It took me years to really understand that what I needed in order to be a great singer was actually to stop singing and simply tell the story in the song using a consistent vocal identity .
What it means to be a great singer today is at the heart of all my vocal and performance coaching . I ’ ve worked with all levels of artists including Roy Woods , Neon Dreams , Blake McGrath , JESSIA , the cast of Schitt ’ s Creek , and countless developing singers .
It is so important for me not to use a onesize-fits-all vocal technique . Rather , I use a highlypersonalized approach , allowing the singer to build just enough vocal and performance skills to ultimately choose a “ voice they love ” and then be able to use it whenever and where ever they want .
Ironically , singers train with me to ultimately sound untrained . We develop sustainable vocal coordination focused on producing memorable vocal moments rather than a cookie cutter voice that ’ s beautiful but often forgettable .
I have broken down the work I do with singers into three stages . The first being to develop “ natural vocal coordination ." This is when the singer is able to eliminate any tension and strain in the body and mind , which stops the vocal chords from coordinating naturally . The second stage is developing strong vocal hooks including rhythmic hooks , lyrical hooks , melodic hooks , dynamic hooks , and so on . This stage is exciting because the singer starts to get a sense of how to use their natural unique voice . And finally , the third stage to becoming a great singer is mastery . This is when a singer can make any word rhyme by using the shape of their mouth and use of resonance to manipulate the sound of their voice into whatever they want it to be .
The goal for every singer is , with effortless effort , generate an emotional reaction from their audience each and every time they sing . A true artist knows how use their unique vocal identity on every song they sing , period .
This is how artists can explore different music genres while maintaining their recognizable vocal identity . Artists like Post Malone , Rod Stewart , Mic Jaguar , Ed Sheeran , Taylor Swift , Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson just to name a few ,’ cross musical genres all the time . Their vocal identity is consistent on all their material and their loyal audience shifts with them .
No matter the generation , great singers sing the music that shape our lives . These cherished artists express a piece of our own story in the songs they sing and even more importantly , how they choose to sing them .
Lorraine Lawson is the founder and CEO of Lawson Vocal Studios . She has coached everyone from Alessia Cara to the cast of Schitt ’ s Creek and been the on-set coach for CTV ’ s The Launch . Find out more at
www . lawsonvocalstudios . com .
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 27