Q & A with Lis Lewis - Auditions & Recording

                    Audition

Dear Lis,
Help! I’ve got a huge audition for a girl group and I want to do a great job. Do you have any tips for me?
Molly

Dear Molly,
Be prepared. Know exactly what they want you to sing. If they want pop/rock don’t sing pop/R&B. Learn at least one of their songs. Look at their pictures and get a sense of how they dress. Look like you belong to their group. Of course you should sing well, but it’s also important to should show your personality. If they are young and bubbly, you should be too. Try to relax and have fun.

                   Another Audition

Dear Lis,
I’m looking for a band to front. I’m a good singer but not much of a writer. So I want to find a band that writes. Is this realistic?
Albert

Dear Albert,
Yes, it’s a very common scenario that a band already has material and needs a front-person either because they lost their old one or because none of them sings. There are several possible problems to look out for. If they lost their old singer, they might want someone to fill his shoes. No matter how good you are, you aren’t that other guy. They might be resistant to changes you want to make – maybe changes in keys, lyrics, or arrangements. You and the band have to come to an equilibrium in order to become a whole unit and not just be a replica of the old band. If there wasn’t a singer before you, you will have to find a band with material that is perfect for you. It has to fit your voice and range and also be lyrically right for you. Be willing to audition a lot of bands to find the right fit.

                      Don’t Wait

Dear Lis,
My husband is a well-known engineer with a gorgeous studio in the back house. He keeps promising me he’ll record my demo for me but I’m always pushed off the schedule for a paying customer. It seems foolish to go out and pay for a studio when he can make a great demo for me at home. What should I do?
Barbara

Dear Barbara,
It may seem ridiculous to pay money for something you could get for free but the problem is you’re not getting it at all. Put aside the money to get a good outside producer. One of two things will happen: either it will spur your husband on to actually set aside time for you or you will get a demo made elsewhere. Either way you’ll stop waiting and put your career forward. It might even make your husband have a bit more respect for your project when he sees how seriously you take it.

Lis Lewis is a vocal coach in Los Angeles. Her website http://www.TheSingersWorkshop.com has all the information a pop singer needs to further their career. Her clients include Rihanna, the Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Jimmy Eat World, and the All-American Rejects.