Sing Jingles?
Sing Jingles? By Tom Gauger
As a former William Morris agent, booking some of the biggest
stars in country music, and as a session singer singing many
commercials like Fox TV, UPN ID spots, O'Charleys and many
others, I am well acquainted with the jingle market, the ups and
downs, and the difficulty of entering the commercial singing
world. For those of you new and those vaguely familiar with this
market with a keen interest in this segment of the industry, let
me assure you that (1) with the right talent you can succeed,
and (2) in order to succeed you will need some pre-determined
areas of strengths including, but not limited to a unique voice,
a go get it drive, and a great attitude that says I can work
with virtually anyone, with an easy going temperament, without
copping an "attitude." I will give you a brief overview and some
helpful starting tips, hopefully steering you in a direction for
greatest success. For more information, you may visit
www.reelmusician.com, a great source for singers who need a
unique individual jingle demo reel to present to jingle and
advertising houses and those who would like an overview of the
jingle singing market. A Free "Jingle Singer's Guide" is also
available by visiting this website.
To begin with, a great voice is described in many ways, but let
there be no mistake about it - Your voice must be credible and
unique and/or be an incredible blender voice that melts in with
any group of singers on any given session. Vocal coaching for
jingle singers is somewhat different than with traditional vocal
coaches. Mainly because the end product has to not only catch
the vibe of the given spot, but each and every word counts -
Funny how those advertising executives like to hear each word of
their products. Those trying to enter the country or pop fields
as an artist, usually have a harder time with singing
commercials, because the slightly lazy diction in a song demo,
while possibly viewed as the greatest thing since sliced bread
to a record or production company, doesn't fly in a commercial.
A professional vocal coach working with singers interested in
singing jingles also must teach a singer to sing wrong, right -
You read correctly. To sing a commercial with incredible
intensity and with a gritty voice, is hard on the vocal cords.
In a sense you are singing on the top of your vocal cords and
one can burn out and do damage to their vocal cords if proper
instruction is not obtained. Unfortunately, many vocal
instructors out there have either a traditional vocal background
teaching methods that really aren't up to par with the dynamics
of the jingle singer's needs, or don't fully understand jingle
singing in general, in order to truly coach a singer effectively
in this market. Find a qualified vocal coach!
Attitude is everything you've probably heard. This holds true
for the singer entering the jingle singing market as well.
Jingle houses, other singers, and advertising agencies alike
don't put up with the "artsy fartsy" know it alls. You have to
get in there with a great attitude and get the job done. This
amongst other things will maintain a full singing calendar when
you get rolling. A great attitude often times will cover a
session where vocally you might not have been totally up to par,
but you're well liked, easy to deal with and deliver the singing
goods. Don't under estimate a great attitude. Individuals who
are not your direct competition usually don't mind, and in fact
like to help individuals succeed who they know won't embarrass
them and who have the talent with a great attitude.
The next item a jingle singer, entering the market, must have is
a great sounding jingle demo reel. As already stated, if you are
unsure as to where to obtain a great sounding jingle demo reel,
visit www.reelmusician.com. A jingle demo reel, for those just
entering the market, should contain 5 - 7 jingles with varying
styles showing a mastery and unique vocal compilation. While
most commercials bend towards a pop contemporary feel, your demo
reel needs to be designed and produced in such a way that your
voice stands out and is unique, even if you never sing these
styles again. It's the work you're after, not necessarily if
your styles are ever used on your demo. You will want to include
styles that stretch who you are while maintaining musical
integrity. Some include a song demo that emphasizes a particular
style that they want to capitalize on. Don't be afraid to go for
"off the wall" vocal styles. You will want to practice in your
car, in the shower, wherever practical, before you put down your
final vocal tracks. A closet with your vocal bouncing off the
wall back is a great place to practice. If you can record your
voice, with a vocal coach or on your own onto a cassette, into
the computer, or any recording device for playback evaluation is
great. Oftentimes, you will hear that you sound too "ricky
ticky" or don't have enough energy with adequate pronunciation -
Better to learn this now before going into the studio and
spending hard earned dollars practicing there while you're
actually trying to lay down your master vocal track.
After producing your jingle demo reel you will have to start
pitching this to jingle houses, other jingle singers, and any
other potential individuals or companies who might take a liking
to your reel. Look at production companies who write production
music for corporations, book publishers who maintain a roster of
authors needing vocals on their children's books, etc, and
various music production houses. It's generally frowned upon to
send your reel to advertising agencies directly, but if you have
an in with one, why not drop off a reel. In today's information
age, you might email an MP3 or .WAV file, but obviously,
dropping off the reel in person is always the best route to
take. Include an insert or CD label with names of jingles,
length and styles of each jingle and of course a telephone
number and email address. You will want to keep a database as to
who, when, where, and misc contact info when pitching your
jingle reel. Keep a detailed record with subsequent
conversations and comments. Some will consider a second jingle
reel to pitch and move across the desk in an effort to rekindle
any interest and include styles they have developed further.
Don't be afraid to email or send another jingle reel, even if
it's the same one to a producer who initially showed interest.
Let them know that you can and will deliver the singing goods on
time and always get along with everyone.
Much can be written on this topic and further information can be
obtained by the author and through his website at
www.reelmusician.com. Tom Gauger is available for singing
consultation, seminars and general vocal coaching - Call
615-300-5030 as time and availability is limited.