POP SINGERS: PART 4 OF A 5 PART SERIES

In formal music schools, one is taught that:
1. to be a rock singer, it takes 3 years , depending on where you are vocally
2. it takes 3 to 5 years to become a pop singer
3. it takes 5 to 7 years to become a "Broadway" singer
4. it takes 7 to 15 years to become an opera singer.

In all my years of teaching, I maintain this is correct, with the caveat that it always depends on where you are vocally. To become a great pop singer these are the years of training required. The problem is, most singers don't want to study that long. They want instant success. Sometimes it is not so easy to fix a pop voice, since so much damage was done to the voice in trying to push that voice before it was ready. Training is training, and hopefully you have found a great teacher to take you on this road.

The problem with some pop singers is that they are content to be mediocre. I enjoy students with drive and purpose. I enjoy the challenge of making a so-so voice into a great voice. But something always gets in the way. I think that trying to make a living and having a family closes a lot of avenues off for many people. Some promising careers are shot down before they begin to make their mark.

Although as a pop singer, one does not always have to have a great voice. It seems that look, and hype are more desirable than actual talent. I can site hundreds of singers who are up there that have no talent,and have a dinky voice but can create hype or buzz with their personna. That often becomes the "talent".

Therefore, to be a pop singer one has to have a look, some gimic, some stage presence, be able to dance or move very well, and finally, something resembling vocal talent. We all know these singers. Being beautiful, or handsome and trim is, I think, the best asset to have.