You say you want to sing. What does it mean to sing or to be a singer? The answer may appear obvious, but is it?

When we think of singing, we may think of a specific song or performer. We may think of notes, pitch or wonder how many octaves someone is able to sing.

The one thing you may not consider is your mind. Singing starts with your thinking. It is your mental attitude. What you think, you will feel. What you feel, you will sing. Your voice tells us what you are feeling long before the words you say or sing do. If you feel happy, excited, or love for example, vocal adjustments will happen automatically in order to match that thought. If you feel fear about hitting a high note, you will not be able to focus on the approach needed to reach it. As you cannot think about two things at once you will undoubtedly miss the note and naively think it is caused by poor vocal technique, lack of range, a dry throat, nerves, or one of many other mind games singers play with themselves because they do not understand how their thinking determines the sound they produce.

So what is singing? What do I need to develop to become a singer? Singing is the combination of three things:

1.Vocal Technique
2.Music
3.Creativity / Self-Expression

Vocal Technique: Vocal technique is practical information about your thinking, breath co-ordination, tone production, chest and head registers, resonance, and maintaining healthy vocal cords. These techniques are practiced until the vocal co-ordination needed to produce the desired sound becomes automatic. Often, singers focus only on technique resulting in a rigid and uninteresting style. They lack originality and are disconnected from the audience.

Music: It is your ability to understand the structure of a song and communicate your ideas to other musicians. Those who focus primarily on the music hinder the development of their distinct style. They sound as if they are imitating someone.

Creativity ? Self-Expression: Creativity and self-expression allows you to develop a style that is unique to you. It is the result of exploring and stretching your musical boundaries. Singer?s who focus only on creativity and self-expression lack proper technique limiting their ability to hit high notes, sing with power, and the ability to control the voice allowing them to express any song in any style they choose. Un-necessary strain is put on the vocal cords, often causing damage. They do not reach their singing potential.

To be a singer you need to develop a balance between all three areas. Imagine a three-legged stool. You will certainly ?wobble? and possibly ?fall over? if you do not maintain a balance of all three elements.

Learn and practice vocal technique on a regular basis, understand the structure of the music you are performing, and always challenge your creative boundaries. It all starts with your thinking. Following these guidelines will put you miles ahead of the competition.

About the Author:

Donna Flynn
Vocal Coach, Toronto
http://www.vocalcoach.ca/
donnavocalcoach@yahoo.ca
416-436-8063

After moving to Toronto from Montreal, Donna began a journey of vocal training that connected her with coaches in Nashville, Los Angeles, San Francisco, as well as the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. Although she found the techniques to be practical and was taught scales designed to improve the voice, she soon realized that no one was able to offer a method that allowed her to sing the many different styles of music she enjoyed singing. It was clear that the only way she would find training that would bring out ALL the qualities that are UNIQUE to her voice, would be to develop it herself. So she did…

Over the years, Donna has developed a complete mind / body / spirit / voice method designed to access the energy from the body to eliminate any pressure that may prohibit us from singing our best. She combines specific rhythms and music patterns along with exercises designed to building proper breath support while gently working the entire vocal range, top to bottom.

Donna is a member of SOCAN.

Hey, nobody said the music business was going to be easy. It truly is a jungle out there filled with: snakes, rats, rabid carnivores, sharks?well, you get the picture. In the course of your musical journey, there will be confrontations, arguments, misunderstandings, and miscommunications. You?ll get jerked around, screwed over, ripped off and disrespected. So, you want to be a rock star? Welcome to your nightmare.

But this is also a business of good people, who?ll give you opportunities and chances and help you out when you least expect it. That?s why it?s so important that you, as musicians and as a band, act professionally and respectfully regardless of the behavior of those you encounter. You don?t have to be a pushover and of course, you have a right to defend yourself against the questionable actions of others, but the music community can be a very small town and the behavior you exhibit will follow you throughout your musical career.

On the flipside of that, there are musicians out there who, either knowingly or unknowingly bring negativity on themselves through their own actions. Short temperedness, egocentricism, brazen entitlement, compulsive lying and just plain old psychotic behavior can brand your band as troublemakers and deprive you of important opportunities that you need to move forward in this business.

So, how can you make sure that you?re doing onto others as you wish they would do onto you? What can you, as musicians do, to eliminate aspects of your personality that may be causing bad blood between you and the people you run across on your way to superstardom?

The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure you?re exhibiting professional behavior at all times:

1.)Be Timely And Courteous—Whether you?re playing out live or emailing booking inquiries from home, there is never a substitute for courteously or timeliness. At gigs, show up when you?re supposed to, be friendly, treat others with respect, set up quickly, end your set on time, break down quickly, be mindful of other bands on stage, compliment those around you and don?t forget simple things like, ?please? and ?thank you.? When you leave a positive impression in people?s minds, you?ll be high on their list when it comes time to fill an open booking slot, recommend a band for a review, etc.

2.)Make Sure Your Actions Match Your Words—It?s such a simple thing but you?d be surprised how many musicians seem incapable to doing what they say they?re going to. If you book a gig, show up and play. If you say you?re going to bring twenty friends and fans to your gig, do it. If you reserve an ad in a local music magazine, pay for it. If you write a check, make sure that it doesn?t bounce. If you say you?re going to send out a press package or a CD, mail it. It is true that many people in the music business are distrustful of bands that they don?t know, and with good reason in many instances. Build your good reputation in the industry by proving that you will do what you?ve promised. Start small. Once you?ve gain people?s trust, you?ll see more and more doors opening up for your band.

3.)Take The High Road—It may be tough but there?s nothing to be gained from returning someone?s improper behavior with a heap-load of your own. That doesn?t mean that you need to let every industry slime-bag from New York to LA ride roughshod all over your music project but there are ways to deal with the negative behavior in this business without branding yourself with a label equally as negative. Sending firm yet professional letters, making intelligent and informed phone inquiries and, if need be, taking legal action against those who have acted inappropriately are ways to handle unpleasant situations without drawing negative attention to yourself. Public scenes, yelling and screaming, long-winded and ranting emails, threats and accusations and spiteful actions may make you feel vindicated but it may chase away the good people as well as the bad and that just sets your band back.

4.)You Can?t Undo What You?ve Already Done—It?s much harder to undo past bad behaviors, or reverse negative reputations than it is to foster positive ones. It?s best when starting out to avoid acting rash as a rule. If you have a band member that is incapable of keeping his or her cool, perhaps it?s time to rethink his or her place in your group. The entertainment industry has a long memory and a spiteful tongue. Make sure when people speak of you, they?re speaking well.

This may all seem like such common sense that it isn?t even worth mentioning but you?d be surprised how many shows, interviews, tours, and record deals have never materialized because of burned bridges. You may have talent and great tunes, but if your attitude sucks you?ll get passed over time and again. No one wants to work with rage-aholics, egomaniacs or crazies. Don?t let anyone think that?s what your band is about. Sure it?s important to be creative geniuses but if no one likes you, you?ll be performing your masterpieces in the garage for grandma and her Pomeranian. Get smart and treat people right and you may find yourself rockin? all the way to the bank.

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians? assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.

For a musician, your songs are your art. They are the physical embodiment of your creative gifts. Every bit of anger, happiness, angst, joy, pain, elation, knowledge or humor goes into the story known as your song. You write and re-write it, scouring over each note and word?perfecting it for recording and live performance.

But when you play it for others, you?re not getting the reaction you expected. Your friends, fans and family seem less than enthusiastic as they dully respond, ?Yeah. That was?um?good.? How could this be? You poured your soul into this piece. This was your ?Stairway To Heaven?! This was your ?Smells Like Team Spirit?! It?s a lyrically amazing ode about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes! It flows, it breathes, and it?s seven and a half minutes of pure musical perfection!

Whoa. Stop right there, Mozart. You wrote a seven and a half minute song about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes and you?re wondering why you?re thirteen year-old cousin fell asleep in the middle of the fourth verse? You wrote a seven and a half minute song about the persecution of pagan midwives in grass hut tribes and you?re confused as to why your drummer?s girlfriend began calling her friends on her cell phone before the song had reached its bridge?

It may be hard to believe when you?re penning an opus such as this, but the normal human brain is wired a little differently than an accomplished musician?s, like yourself. And although music is art, it?s also popular culture and the goal should be for others to enjoy your creative efforts as much as you do.

So, how can you make sure that your writing experience is as positive as your audience?s listening experience? What can you, as musicians do, to eliminate aspects of your songs that may alienate, confuse or just plain bore your fans?

The following are a few tips that may add success to your songwriting experience:

1.)After Four Minutes, It Becomes Background Music—Music aficionado?s aside, the average person has roughly the attention span of a young adult hummingbird. As a songwriter, you need to grab your audience?s attention and hold it until the end of the song before they flit off to something else more interesting to them. Although four minutes (or less) may seem like the blink of an eye when a songwriter is storytelling, it?s a very long time to expect your run-of-the-mill club-goer or web-surfer to stay fixated on your music.

2.)Tell Your Story As Directly As Possible—We all love allusions, allegories, vague references, and subtle metaphors but use them sparingly or become a beat poet. A little abstractness goes a long way when writing a popular song. Song lyrics fly into people?s minds as quickly as the bassist plucks out quarter notes. If you make your lyrics too complicated, then your audience may still be trying to figure out the verse when you?re already playing the chorus. This could prompt the average listener to tune out your masterpiece, order another beer and switch on their Ipod.

3.)If English Is Your First Language, Use It In Your Song—It?s great that you?re an educated, cultured, artistic intellectual sponge. But remember that most people who hear your music are not book worms or art whores. Big, involved words make for memorable song lyrics but use them occasionaly. It?s good for your fans to ponder the meaning of a particular lyric but give them too many to ponder and they?ll get so caught up in the words that they may forget your song.

4.)Obscure Musicality Can Be Confusing Too—Lyrics aren?t the only way to confuse the average listener. Obscure time signatures, discordant instrumentation and avant guard drum lines may seem like genius to your fellow musicians, but if your listeners can?t tap and/or hum along, you may find yourself only invited to perform in underground opium bars where the audience members have all had one too many hash brownie.

If you?re not sure where to begin, start simple. Write a short, but sweet, song that packs an emotional punch in a universal way. Write about something everyone is familiar with: love, politics, lifestyle issues or the sociology of being a human being on the planet. Once people have fallen in love with your music, it will be easier to get them to give the extra listen to your more complicated, artistic pieces.

Remember that just because a song is popular or easily understood, doesn?t mean that it?s not good creativity. Art is subjective, and truly in the eye of the beholder. Your least favorite song could be someone else?s favorite. You never have to stop being creative or artistic, just acknowledge that there?s an audience out there that wants to hear what you have to say?but they?ll need to be able to comprehend it first.

Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126 million listeners. Her musicians? assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info: http://www.sheena-metal.com.

When it comes to promoting their new music releases, I have found that most musicians only consider radio as the vehicle for exposing their music to the public.

Rarely do they consider publicity, in the form of print media, i.e., music magazines, weekly arts and entertainment publications and newspapers as support tools to help support their radio airplay (another subject I shall address shortly).

But, even rarer, is their consideration of the importance of having videos for their singles. A video of your single, which was once considered an optional luxury, is now a standard, vital and necessary tool if you are going to compete with fellow independent recording artists for media and consumer attention.

And, a video is even more important if you are going to compete with major label artists. In fact, since having a video for your single, particularly, your very first single from a new release, is so vitally important, why would you even release a recording without one in today’s music climate?

To me, that is like a soldier going to war with only a handgun while leaving his automatic weapon behind in his barracks.

But, perhaps, in your mind, you believe that it is still very expensive to produce videos for your singles. Even more, while you are likely an expert on producing music, you probably feel like an amateur when it comes to video production. However, that need not be the case any longer.

So, I am going to show you a no-brainer approach to easily getting a video produced for, at least, your first single from your new release, if not all of your singles.

* Steps to Getting Your Video Singles Produced Cheaply *

1. After you have your mastered soundtrack, and have selected your first single, you should then contact an area college, university or art institute.

2. Tell the school’s administration department that you need to get in touch with its broadcast journalism department.

3. When you reach the broadcast journalism department, ask to speak to an advisor or department head.

4. Tell the advisor or department head that you are an artist interested in getting a music video produced, and that you would like to be put in touch with either a senior student or graduate student who is majoring in broadcast journalism with, perhaps, a concentration on production or direction.

You may also want to stress your preference for a student who has experience with having produced music videos already. Depending on the size of the school, there will likely be several highly qualified student candidates.

In most cases, you will find video producers or directors who will want to work from a script, which includes a story line, for your video single. If that is the case, and you are in need of a script, I would like to direct you to MuBiz.com, which can produce a video script from your single. See the below link:

http://www.mubiz.com/services.html#VideoScripting

You can also see a sample video script that I created for a client at the below link.

http://www.mubiz.com/vdoscript.html

5. As for the low cost of getting broadcast journalism students to produce your video, in quite a few cases, these particular students are already in need of videos for their class projects, and yours just may be the one that will pique their interest. This is a no-cost method, and you will often need to arrange this setup one semester in advance.

In other cases, students may either own their film equipment, or be able to borrow school equipment for production. And, in this case, there may be nominal charges, however, these charges will be very affordable.

The best thing about this particular scenario is that, while you will get the best production knowledge from the student, as well as your video produced with the latest technology, you cannot be charged commercial rates, such as if you used a videographer or related service that officially operated in a commercial status.

But, perhaps, the best thing about this avenue to take for producing your video singles is that, not only will you be able to bring your marketing and artist status up a notch by having a video, you will now also have another product that can be used two-fold:

1. For further promotion of your single

2. Able to sell another product on online music sales sites as well as in retail outlets.

In some cases, you may also wish to offer it as a package deal with your CD. Additionally, why not go a step farther by incorporating it within your CD, placing it on DVD, as well as making it available on video cassette for retailers and consumer?

Note: Depending on the extensiveness of your production, most videos can be produced and edited within two weeks, if not sooner.

Kenny Love is president of http://www.MuBiz.com, a radio promotion and media publicity firm that also provides business and career services to musicians.

A 31-year-old musician conceptualized an innovative concept that would change the music world forever. He said, There ought to be but one large art warehouse in the world, to which the artist could carry his art-works and from which he could carry away whatever he needed.

The year was 1801, the man was Ludwig van Beethoven and his concept was finally realized in 1995 with the public acceptance of the Internet.

As a violinist and violin teacher I know exactly how frustrated dear Ludwig felt. Before the Internet I too was frustrated with the limited learning resources available to my students and me. Sheet music and books were expensive, any obscure information was near impossible to unearth and researching meant hours probing through dusty outdated library books. Most difficult, however, was living in rural Canada with no connection to other violinists, big city music groups or current ideas floating around the global music scene.

Apparently other musicians felt the same way and used the Internet as a tool to overcome these and many other obstacles. Web sites, file transfer systems, message boards and music forums, software and other technologies improved communication between musicians, thus creating an advanced global music community.

To start I used online encyclopedias for research projects and concert program notes, but soon learned to use other tools. I learned to use the web to locate song lyrics and quotations, such as the one by Beethoven. If the words or lyrics aren’t in English I use an online tool that automatically translates them for me!

The availability of music on the internet is stunning! You can download any song your heart desires in MP3 format within seconds. This area of the internet has become controversial as the record companies want us to pay for the music and peer to peer protocol violates copyright laws. Don’t want to ripp off the artists and break the law? For only $1 per tune you can legally download all the music you like from sites like puretracks.

As for sheet music, thousands of sites offer a similar pay-and-use system where you can download a wide range of titles. Can’t find the sheet music you’re looking for? Search for MIDI files (music reproduced digitally) then input them into a music notation application (computer program for writing music) that automatically turns it into sheet music.

Using the one of many sheet music writing programs available on the Internet I can create a song, edit it to suit the player’s skill level, add a harmony, include the lyrics and have it printed within 10 minutes. The best part, other than the cost, is the editability. I can make any changes to the music I want, such as changing the key, with ease. No more writing the music out by hand either. Beethoven would have appreciated that.

One of my favourite things to do online is to download professional quality images of violins, musicians and composers for my newsletters and publications. Using such photos improves the projects I work on and is far cheaper than hiring a graphic artist. The search for good photos has been made easier with the invention of image searches, which scour millions of web pages and catalogue the images. During a recent image search I was completely stunned to find photos of myself playing violin! Small world.

As a teacher I am always furthering my education and training. I use the Internet as a source for enhancing my violin technique and knowledge and for sharing ideas with other musicians. If I can’t find what I’m looking for I can post the query on a bulletin board for another musician to answer. Recently I saw comments on such a site by a former symphony conductor of mine regarding Saint Saens’ 3rd Symphony. I was surprised to bump into someone I know on a worldwide system with millions of users. Small world.

The ‘net has become the world’s largest shopping centre with millions of dollars working through the system each day. I enjoy using the internet to research instruments, accessories and music books and keep up on what products are available for myself and my business. Gone are the days of being convinced by a sales rep that his product is the best.

I check musician’s forums and read feedback on any of the products I am considering before I buy. I also shop and sell online using tools such as Ebay and a mutitude of E-commerce solutions. My business attracts buyers from around the world: a huge improvement on being limited to my local market.

Beethoven once said, Music is the soil in that the spirit lives, thinks and invents. It’s been over 200 years since dear Ludwig invented his art warehouse and musicians are finally reaping the benefits of such a music exchange.

For me the creation of the Internet has enhanced and improved the way I enjoy music. More importantly it has helped me feel like a part of a wonderfully vast music community: a community visualized by Beethoven himself.

**Rhiannon Schmitt (nee Nachbaur) is a professional violinist and music teacher who has enjoyed creative writing for years.

Rhiannon, age 29, has worn the hats of events promoter, classical music radio host and school orchestra music arranger in rural British Columbia, Canada.

Her business, Fiddleheads Violin School & Shop, has won several distinguished young entrepreneur business awards for her comittment to excellence. Her shop offers beginner to professional level instruments, accessories and supplies. http://www.fiddleheads.ca provides a rich resource of information on her school, violin, products for sale and her many writings.

Rhiannon is Founding President of the Shuswap Violin Society http://www.violinsociety.ca She dedicates much of her time to community music projects and helping young musicians in financial need.

Rhiannon currently writes columns for two Canadian publications and has been featured in Australia’s Music Teacher Magazine. Writing allows her to be a creative smart-ass and to teach people that the world of music is as fun as you spin it to be!

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Generally, the first thing that springs to mind when you need to record a song, is to make enquiries with local recording studios. However, studio charges are generally based on an hourly rate that is often more than your day job pays you.

Once you’ve saved enough money for this excursion, there are then further worries. Unless you are a regular visitor to recording studios, you may not quite know what to expect. You may not be able to communicate your ideas for your sound clearly to the engineer, who really only understands technical jargon.

As the hours tick by, you will be under the stress of wondering if you’ll be able to complete your project before your money runs out. Artists under stress don’t generally perform well, but you won’t hear this because you’ll be out there performing, instead of listening to the performance.

If you have also hired musicians in for the session, you’d also better be a good personnel manager. The longer they have to sit around waiting to be told what to play and how to play it, the more it is going to cost you!

It is in your best interest to use a studio that is the best you can afford. But have you taken the above problems into consideration? Have you planned out your time in the studio in the fullest detail? Do you know enough about the multitrack recording process to know exactly what tracks your song needs? Are you, or your band rehearsed enough to play every track on its own, and in perfect time with all the others in the arrangement? Can your drummer play to a click track? Or do you have detailed drum parts already programmed for your songs? Have you written detailed score sheets for all the session musicians? Do you know what kind of sound they need, and what style to play in? Have you already tried out various mix ideas and sound effects at home, and know how to explain these ideas to the engineer?

If not, you will most likely end up with a recording that isn’t quite what you expected. And it will have cost you a small fortune! At best, you will get a good recording that sounds something like you thought it would. But does it sound original to you? Has it captured your unique sound, and conveyed the essence of what you are as an original artist? Does it convey the emotion of the song correctly to the listener?

There is another way to approach the recording process that will solve all the above problems, and could even get you a professional recording made for FREE!

All the above jobs are part of the work that is generally done by a PRODUCER.

A producer is someone who has the experience to hear, not just the music, but the essence of what you are as an original artist.

A producer will know instinctively when you have made the perfect take, and will get you onto the next stage of the process without having to waste studio time playing back every take first.

A producer will have your whole sound in glorious 3D in their head before a single note is played.

A producer will have the technical knowledge to know how to translate every part of the process to something the engineer can understand.

A producer has a long list of business contacts who he can call upon at short notice to add whatever is necessary to make the sound you need … Session musicians, arrangers, writers, synth programmers, track editors, equipment rental companies, etc.

Sounds expensive, doesn’t it?

Not necessarily!

Although some producers will charge a flat rate for the job of perhaps several thousand pounds (or dollars). Many work from their own studios, with their own in-house session musicians for a royalty plus expenses. Therefore, they become somewhat like a record company. They will produce a recording for any artist they see potential in, in the hope that their recording will eventually be signed to a major label and make money. Of course, in these instances, you will still have to pay for the studio and session musician costs.

Sometimes they will even do the whole job for FREE, or for a minimal flat rate to cover expenses. How can they do this? Well instead of taking a royalty from your advance or sales, they take ownership of the copyright in the sound recording they make. This is fair, because, after all, they put a lot of their own money and special skills into the making of it. So what do you get in return? Of course, you get full use of the recording for your promotional needs!

Furthermore, many producers with their own studios, now also have their own record label. Wobbly Music is one such producer. Whilst you are looking for a recording or publishing deal elsewhere, or whilst promoting your record as an independent artist, your producer will have the right to sell the recording (from which you, as the artist or composer, will be paid royalties) in order to try and recoup their losses and profit from this mutual deal.

There are now a great number of producers doing deals similar to this. It means you can have a demo made, or release your own recordings for little or no money up front, whilst still retaining the freedom to sign with whoever you wish, or remain as an independent artist. So in effect, you will have a record deal working for you to earn extra royalties in the background, whilst you concentrate on doing what you do best, which is writing and/or performing great songs!

Since this kind of arrangement may not be costing you anything, it is worthwhile trying a few different producers to see whose ideas and style of production gel best with your own view of yourself and your sound.

All producers have their own unique style, just as you, as an original artist, have yours. This sound can be heard throughout all their productions with various artists. Look for a style that seems complimentary to your own. In other words, don’t use a Hip-hop producer to make your records if you are a Country artist!

Many good producers have a wide range of musical skills, and may also be able to write lyrics, compose melodies, write arrangements, or even play various instruments, such as guitar, piano or drums. All of these skills can be utilised to give your recordings an extra edge at minimal, or no extra cost.

Finally, now that you are off to find your own producer, here are some things to avoid…

Don’t rely on pictures of their studio, and lists of top quality recording equipment to tell you how good they are as a producer. Any piece of specialist equipment can be hired if necessary. A good producer can produce radio-ready recordings on even the most basic equipment, whereas a poor producer, will not achieve such good results on even the best and most expensive equipment.

Don’t sign with a producer who doesn’t make samples of their previous work available to you. You need to know what experience they have, and get an idea of the audio quality and styles that they can produce.

Don’t sign with a producer who comes solely from a DJ background. These producers specialise in remixes of existing records, or beats, not in the creation of a new artist’s unique sound, or a recording from scratch.

Don’t sign with a producer who specialises in a genre of music that is totally different to yours … Unless you want to change your style to that new genre!

Don’t sign with a producer who has no creativity or commercial flair of their own. You don’t want a producer who is just going to record everything exactly as you already have it, just to please you. A good producer will see things that you have missed, and will add hooks and sounds to your songs that will attract new listeners, and interest from music industry professionals.

Don’t sign with a producer who is asking you to assign publishing rights to your songs. You want to be free to sign your songs to record companies or publishers who may be able to do more for you in the marketing or promotion of them. Once you assign the copyright of your songs to someone, they have exclusive rights to them for the duration of your contract, or even for perpetuity! All a producer needs from you, is your written permission to record your songs, and perhaps sell their recordings or release them on their own label. If so, make sure you get at least the statutory mechanical royalties (currently 6.5%) from these sales!

Don’t sign with a producer who only works with one set of musicians. Although many have their own preferred set of in-house session musicians, there will be times when your music wont be suited to the way these musicians play. Make sure that your producer has a wide range of musical contacts to draw from.

Don’t sign to a producer who promises to make your song into a hit record. Even if the producer has already produced several hits, there is no guarantee that your song will be a hit. Marketing gurus and sales teams make hit records, not artists and producers!

Finally, some producers may ask you to sign an exclusive contract for a certain time period (perhaps 1-5 years). These producers must also be song-pluggers or promoters who need to protect their interest in you whilst they are working to get you a deal with a major label, using the recordings they have produced. Before signing any exclusive deal, always have the contracts looked over by a lawyer specialising in the music business. Make sure, by examining the production company’s track record, that their promise of a major deal looks likely to happen within that time period. You don’t want to be wasting five years of your life whilst your best songs are sitting on someone else’s shelf, doing nothing!

If you are a country music writer, you can go to a Nashville demo studio and get amazing sounding recordings using top country music session musicians. If you are only pitching songs to that specific market, that is great, but every recording they produce sounds like the last.

If, on the other hand, you think your music has wider appeal, or you are a performing artist yourself, you will want to be noticed in the crowd across a wider marketplace. You need to accentuate the part of your sound that is unique to YOU. A good producer will be able to recognise that which is unique to you, and will make sure that your recordings take advantage of that.

Lynn Monk has experienced over 30 years in the music business as a musician, concert sound & lighting engineer, DJ and record producer; and is now the proprietor of Wobbly Music. An indie record company dedicated to supporting the Mature Independent Artist. http://www.wobblymusic.net/

Daddy Yankee is one of the best reggaeton artist today. He has won a Grammy and has sold over one million albums and has traveled around the world. He was born in Puerto Rico and raised there. He once got shot for being with a groups of people that were bad but he recovered and left that life to follow his dream of being a great reggaeton artist and he made it.

Daddy Yankee is now very successful and he says he has much more to accomplish in his life and is working in lots of projects. He did a album with other new artist called Sangre Nueva and it is selling very well.

Now Daddy Yankee has out his new album Barrio Fino En Directo. He says that he wants to make more music so one day people could say that Daddy Yankee was the one who open the doors for reggaeton music.

Another album he is working hard is Cartel Which he is making with other great artist and he says he is very proud of this album that is going to come out very soon.

Daddy Yankee is one very successful artist and has many more dreams to accomplish. More information at Daddy-Yankee

Sara Aponte has a blog at Daddy-Yankee. Vist here website for more great information on Daddy Yankee. You are free to publish this article on your website with a live link.

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