Building Your Career as a Professional Singer
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Building Your Career as a Professional Singer
Instructor: Ashlee Varner
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There are 4 modules in this course
Are you looking to earn money on your singing ability? Have you been wondering how to lead a band, secure a gig, or identify the skills you need to stand out onstage? Becoming a professional singer today requires a variety of skills: from basic musicianship skills, arranging songs to best fit your style, recording demos, and even knowing how to manage your finances and book gigs. This course is designed to give singers insight on the tools youβll need to start building a career as a professional singer. Weβll discuss various career options and revenue streams for todayβs singer and identify the elements needed to create a sustainable career. After completing this course, you will have a roadmap of the skills you want to improve, insight on how to be an effective band leader, and tools to secure gigs.
Welcome to the course! In this first module, we will cover all of the details about this course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience. Then, we will start by defining what is the difference between an amateur and professional vocalist. This will help us identify the goals you want to pursue as a singer in the music industry. We will also look at the basics of becoming an entrepreneur and building a resume for vocalist jobs. By the end of this lesson, you will have a list of possible job opportunities, and assessment of your current skill level, and a rough draft of a vocalist resume.
What's included
6 videos8 readings2 assignments2 discussion prompts
6 videosβ’Total 15 minutes
- Course Overviewβ’2 minutes
- What You'll Learn in Lesson 1β’1 minute
- What is a Professional Vocalist?β’3 minutes
- The Skills of a Professional Vocalistβ’2 minutes
- Becoming an Entrepreneurβ’4 minutes
- Building Your Portfolioβ’3 minutes
8 readingsβ’Total 110 minutes
- Welcome!β’10 minutes
- Earn A Course Certificateβ’10 minutes
- Course Resourcesβ’10 minutes
- Course Assignmentsβ’10 minutes
- Connect with Your Classmatesβ’5 minutes
- Potential Career Optionsβ’10 minutes
- Identify Your Skillsβ’10 minutes
- Professional Singer Portfolio: Part 1β’45 minutes
2 assignmentsβ’Total 60 minutes
- Lesson 1 Quizβ’30 minutes
- Self-Assessment Quiz: Portfolio Part 1β’30 minutes
2 discussion promptsβ’Total 15 minutes
- Meet and Greetβ’5 minutes
- Career Opportunitiesβ’10 minutes
For our second lesson, we will begin to look at the musical knowledge you need to know in order to be a reliable and essential vocalist. We will start by learning about common song forms before analyzing song elements to discover how to change a song style to better fit our musical preferences. Finally, we will identify the best keys for your voice and practice writing our own chord charts. At the end of this lesson you will practice taking existing chord charts and change them to a different musical style.
What's included
6 videos2 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
6 videosβ’Total 19 minutes
- What You'll Learn in Lesson 2β’1 minute
- Analyzing a Song: Song Formβ’4 minutes
- Analyzing a Song: Groove, Textures, and Dynamicsβ’5 minutes
- Choose the Best Key for Youβ’3 minutes
- Writing a Chord Chartβ’2 minutes
- Changing the Music Style of a Chord Chartβ’4 minutes
2 readingsβ’Total 40 minutes
- Free Berklee Music Theory Handbookβ’5 minutes
- Professional Singer Portfolio: Part 2β’35 minutes
2 assignmentsβ’Total 60 minutes
- Lesson 2 Quizβ’30 minutes
- Self-Assessment Quiz: Portfolio Part 2β’30 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Creating an Ideal Situationβ’10 minutes
If you want to be a professional vocalist, it is essential to understand how to lead a band. Your instrumentalists will be looking to you to provide insight on how the music should be played and for someone to lead the rehearsals effectively. In this lesson we will focus on different aspects of leading a band, from conducting to score study to rehearsal scheduling. By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify your leadership strengths and weaknesses, practice giving specific feedback to your band, and organize the logistics necessary to have an effective rehearsal.
What's included
6 videos3 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
6 videosβ’Total 19 minutes
- What You'll Learn in Lesson 3β’1 minute
- Preparing for Rehearsalβ’3 minutes
- Creating a Vibe for an Effective Rehearsalβ’5 minutes
- Leading the Rehearsalβ’3 minutes
- Giving Feedback and Rehearsing Non-Vocal Sectionsβ’3 minutes
- Logistics: Cost, Rehearsal Space, Schedulingβ’5 minutes
3 readingsβ’Total 50 minutes
- Rehearsal Checklistβ’5 minutes
- Professional Singer Portfolio: Part 3β’40 minutes
- Sign-up for the full experience!β’5 minutes
2 assignmentsβ’Total 60 minutes
- Lesson 3 Quizβ’30 minutes
- Self-Assessment Quiz: Portfolio Part 3β’30 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- What is Your Leadership Style?β’10 minutes
Now that we have covered the basics of starting a professional career as a vocalist, our final lesson will focus on how to maintain and grow your career. In this lesson, we will discuss vocal health, performance skills, gigging, and management. By the end of this lesson, you will know several vocal warm-ups, how to practice your stage presence, how to book a gig, and understand the pros and cons of hiring an outside manager.
What's included
7 videos3 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
7 videosβ’Total 24 minutes
- What You'll Learn in Lesson 4β’1 minute
- Maintaining Your Vocal Instrumentβ’4 minutes
- Basic Performance Skills: Musicianship and Stage Presenceβ’5 minutes
- Securing and Organizing Your Gigβ’4 minutes
- Contracts, Agents, and Promotersβ’4 minutes
- Managing Yourself vs. Outside Managementβ’4 minutes
- Congratulations!β’2 minutes
3 readingsβ’Total 75 minutes
- Vocal Health and Warm-upsβ’20 minutes
- Professional Singer Portfolio: Part 4β’50 minutes
- Advancing Your Knowledge and Skillβ’5 minutes
2 assignmentsβ’Total 60 minutes
- Lesson 4 Quizβ’30 minutes
- Self-Assessment Quiz: Portfolio Part 4β’30 minutes
1 discussion promptβ’Total 10 minutes
- Payment vs. Experienceβ’10 minutes
Instructor
Offered by
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Berklee
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Status: Free TrialCategory: Credit offered - U
University of Colorado Boulder
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Status: Free TrialCategory: Credit offered - U
University of Colorado Boulder
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Status: Free TrialCategory: Credit offered - U
University of London
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