How to Become a Singer: 8 Steps to Singing Pro

How to become a singer: The 8 step method to kickstarting your singing career and getting paid to sing.

 You dream of being on stage. When you hit the perfect high note, the massive crowd roars in appreciation.

This is your stage, and you want to be on it now. But it seems so far away. Sitting at your computer, or on the bus looking at your smartphone.

How are you ever going to make this dream a reality? How to become a singer and make real money so you don’t have to do the crappy day job any more?

You fear people not thinking you are good enough. Being booed off stage. What if you enter a competition but freeze up during your big song? Going home humiliated. You see it on TV all the time.

Well, the truth is, every singer you admire started somewhere. They weren’t always perfect, certainly not as good as they became.

Sometimes, it’s the toughest experiences that teach us the most…

Why I Can Help You Become a Singer

 One of my first gigs ever was at my high school prom. I decided to sing all original songs, no covers. A bad choice for a room of teenagers who just wanted to dance to songs from the charts.

I didn’t make it to the end of the show before being booed off stage. That’s a tough experience for a 16 year old, new to performing. Humiliated in front of the 200 people I’d spent the last 5 years at school with.But, here I am now and I’m pretty sure I’m the only person from my school year who became a professional singer.

I’ve made a full time living from singing since 2006. I’ve been paid to sing all over the world from Alaska to Dubai. From France to Cambodia. From the UK to Australia.

It wasn’t easy. But I’ve learned a lot over the years, including how to read a room and sing the right songs to make them happy. I learned that the hard way, didn’t I.

I made this career for myself. Along the way I’ve helped lots of other singers and musicians get their start too. Now I can help you too.

Is This Article For You?

Perhaps you just want to improve your singing voice so you can sing in the shower…

But, I’m willing to bet 95% of you reading this would rather be on stage showing off your singing. And, if you had the choice of singing for free, or getting paid to sing, most of you will be happy to take the money.

This article is for anyone getting started singing professionally.

If you have earned less than $500 from singing in the last 6 months. Keep Reading.

If you have earned more than that, you perform live for money every month but want to know how to turn that casual income into a full time job you need to move to the advanced class and read “How to Become A Singer: Turn Full Time Professional” where I’ll help you figure out how to turn your passion into a paycheck.

Get Your Start As a Singer

 If you are sticking with me for the 101 class, by the end of this article, you’ll have a clearer idea of how to become a singer and get paid to sing. You’ll be able to form an action plan for your next steps to getting ahead as a singer and earning money.

What you won’t be getting is the formula for fame… why not? Anyone giving that away for free on the internet doesn’t know the real formula. Seriously, a formula for fame? That’s worth millions of dollars. It’s not going to be available free.

So, this is not a get rich and famous quick pile of BS. This is a proven method that worked for me and many others and will help you get moving. Ways to build your confidence, talents and start to find recognition for your singing.

Remember, you don’t have to be famous to earn a living from singing. I’m not. But also, you don’t have to sacrifice your dreams of fame to make a living from singing. You can work at both simultaneously.

There are so many career options that pay. I’ve done a full list: How to become a singer: The Ultimate guide to Singing Careers & Jobs.

So, why not earn money singing, quit your day job and focus on your passion – one day it may be more than just the job you love, it may be what takes you into a world of fame and fortune. But, right now, you have to start somewhere.

You need a plan. I’m going to help you figure one out.

8 Steps to becoming a singer

Firstly, you are already a singer. Only 1% of the population is genuinely tone deaf, the other 99% can learn to sing. Some people have more natural talent but almost everybody can succeed at singing if they want to enough.

This brings me to the most important 1st step…

1. Believe in yourself and your dream

You must focus on this from the get go. There will be people who support you, there will be people who question your choices. These choices are yours to make, think about ways to respond to people who question your decisions.

One of the proudest moments of my life was being able to quit my desk job and never go back. Focus on that future success story, the thing you want more than anything else. Imagine yourself having it, and how it will feel.

Whenever you have doubts, remember that feeling.

2. Improve your singing

You don’t have to be the best singer in the world to get paid or get famous… but it helps!

Actually, for some singers, it could be the make or break. Why take the chance when there is an advantage these days that didn’t even exist 10 years ago…

• Get high quality singing lessons online.

They are much cheaper than getting a personal singing teacher. There are some great ones on the market.

Once you’ve learned proper technique and know you have the commitment to become a singer, you can progress to get private lessons or an online personal tutor through Skype.

• Getting lessons is by far the most important thing I ever did for my singing.

This is why, after years of singing pro, I still went ahead and joined yet another singing course in 2012. Apart from learning new techniques, there are loads of advanced classes out there, as well as those for beginners.

Sign up to my email list and I’ll send you a whole bunch of recommendations as well as advice to start improving your vocal range today and how to get paid to sing.

3. Sing as much as possible

Don’t wait until you have had a bunch of lessons to get singing! Sing anywhere you can. In the shower. At karaoke. Go to jam nights. Sing along to backing tracks at home. Learn guitar and sing along with that.

f you sing every day, you keep your voice “in shape” just like you would for other muscles in your body. The more you work it, the stronger it’ll be and the longer it will last when you power it out on stage or in the studio.

Warm ups, regular use and good technique are the three most important factors for healthy singing. There are loads of lesser factors like staying hydrated, I cover a most of them in my free email series and free e-book.

Note: If you sing a lot and your voice seems worn out or strained – stop! Rest your voice. Although you should sing everyday, don’t injure your voice by over singing.

• Get on stage and sing as much as possible

It’s not just about vocal training. You should also be getting on stage and singing as much as possible too. At first you may not be sure how to do this. Certainly not how to get paid for it. So, Karaoke is a starting point many turn to.

• Sing outside of your comfort zone

Keep doing it. But, be aware, that you need to get into other performance situations. Ones without the words on a screen. Perhaps with a live band or in an unfamiliar venue. These early experiences will shape how adaptable you are in the future. Sometimes you’ll have to perform and won’t be able to hear your voice clearly. Sometimes, you’ll have loads of space, others you will be crammed in the corner of a room.

The more of these experiences you have, the better you’ll be at performing under pressure and handling anything the world can throw at you.

This will build your confidence and stage presence! You’ll also be getting exposure, building your resume and improving as a singer.

4. Have a “go to” song.

Have a song, that you will nail every time, as your “go to” song. No matter how you feel at that moment, when the spotlight shines on you, you will get that one perfect.

• Choose the perfect song for you

It needs to be something that everyone in the audience knows and likes, so they will be with you from the first line.

It needs to be something that fits perfectly in your vocal range so you never have to strain for any notes, even if you forgot to warm up. You need to know that you will not struggle with any part of the song. That you know the words perfectly.

If you only get to sing one song for a showcase, it’s this one. If you are halfway through a set and something knocks your confidence, sing this song next to get back on track. If you are nervous about opening a show, open with this one.

As time goes on, you’ll figure out a list of “Super” songs so you have plenty to fall back on.

But, please don’t choose Mustang Sally, its been done to death!  And most agents are not going to be impressed by the song everyone else does – be unique and stand out.

5. Learn To Embrace Rejection & Criticism.

Before you step on stage, be ready for some people not to like your singing.

I’ve had people shout insults at the stage, even recently, and I do this for a job! Justin Bieber is hated by millions, yet has plenty of fans too.

As with most things in life, it’s pretty hard to please everyone. Half the time when you get put-downs, it’s because the person is jealous or insecure. Do what you do. Keep Improving and ignore rudeness.

• Learn which criticisms to ignore and which to accept.

Because honest and constructive criticism is an essential tool to help you improve. Don’t get this advice from random audience members. Get it from other singers and people who actually have a clue. But, make sure you ask them to be brutal.

Friends and family are always supportive. Sometimes, being too supportive is not helpful. The best advice comes from experienced people who have no reason to sugar coat their suggestions.

• When it comes to rejection, you have to grow a thick skin.

Singing is a competitive industry. Rejection is a learning experience. If someone turns you down, you shouldn’t take it personally.

It’s easy to think “It must be because I suck”. But, most the time it could be “We needed someone blonde for this role” or, “the other applicant has worked for us before”.

• Ask why you didn’t get a job or audition

There are often some really simple reasons you don’t pass auditions or get work. It’s often good to ask why. If it is something you couldn’t have done anything about, you’ll feel a whole lot better. If it’s something you were doing wrong, you’ll have the opportunity to fix it for next time.

• Rejection & criticism are essential learning experiences

It may be hard to be told you are singing out of tune or that your tone is bad – but these are things you can fix: Vocal training will fix both – you can actually learn perfect pitch!

I can promise you one thing. If you don’t take on criticisms and work on them, you will NEVER be successful. Only people who try to improve, end up succeeding. You are going to make mistakes. Everyone does. You will learn from them. If you bury your head and avoid learning from them, you will not improve and will never reach your full potential.

No matter what criticism comes your way, the worst thing you can do is let it get you down.

6. Network with people that are doing better than you

If you want to know how to become a singer, you need help from others who are more experienced.

It’s too easy to become the karaoke king at your local bar and start believing that you are going to be “huge” one day. Maybe it could happen… It’s more likely to happen if you broaden your horizons.

• Go beyond your current network to find other contacts

The bigger your network, the more chance you have. The more successful the people in your network, the better access you have to opportunities. Good opportunities.

It’s who you know, not what you know. This old saying is even more relevant in singing. You could be the best singer in the world but, barring a few youtube sensations, you need to make contacts to get ahead.

The scariest part of this as a novice is approaching experienced people and expecting them to help you. If you are just starting out, you may also have no idea how to start making contacts.

• Get people who don’t know you to want to help you

The best way to get accepted is to forget your own ego, and flatter the person you are wanting to learn from. Say, “You are such a great singer and you are obviously doing really well, what’s your secret?”

As long as you are sincere in your comment, most singer won’t be too suspicious of your flattery and will be more than happy to talk to you about their career. Once you form a bond and prove you are a good singer, you’ll find other singers will help you.

7. Set achievable Goals

This is the most important thing you can do. They need to be small, specific goals though:

• Good Example: “I want to sing to an audience of more than 100 people within 3 months”, then go out of your way to figure out a way to do it and apply yourself to making it reality.
• Bad Example: “I want to be a famous singer” This can be your dream, or end goal, but it is not a useful step on the road to success.

Set lots of small goals. Take it step by step. If your initial goal is too big, it’s overwhelming and it’s hard to know what to do to get there. Build on each small goal towards your big goal. Its the prize at the end, not the stepping stone on the way.

8. Get your first paid work

Whether this is getting paid to sing live, to host karaoke or from selling your own music online, it’ll give you confidence. Getting paid will validate that you have the potential to do this.

As your career progresses you’ll find it easier to get work. Once you figure out exactly how to become a professional singer, you’ll have the right state of mind and business savvy to get paid to sing all the time.

But, if you are just starting out, you might need to take whatever work you can, just to get hired and get experience.

• Get started finding paid work by singing for free

A good place to start is offering to sing for free with local bands or local theatre. Live experience looks great on your CV, helps you grow your confidence and you’ll likely make connections with other people who may be able to help you in the future.

Doing a first gig for free for any client where repeat work is possible, is ok. Make it clear that any follow ups should be paid gigs. If they like you, they pay.

• Know the value of your voice

Once you prove yourself and are singing at a level where people enjoy your shows, you should be getting paid. That payment may be through selling copies of your album, or the venue paying you the door takings or a flat fee.

If you continue to play for free once you are a skilled performer and singer, you are doing a disservice to other pro singers and to yourself. If venues think they should get high quality entertainment for free, they stop paying anyone. Thats bad for all singers.

What’s Next? Take Action

Once you start singing for money, you really have become a singer. It’s no longer a hobby or a dream. Your next step will be to increase your singing income, get paid regularly and shoot for the stars! There are so many ways to do this. And the internet makes it easier than ever to make money from singing.

Set a goal right now. Everyone wanting to become a singer is at a different stage. So whether your goal is to:

• Sing on stage for the first time
• Get a paying gig
• Enter a singing competition
• Record yourself singing and put it on youtube

Set a date to reach your goal. Choose something to achieve within one month and something to achieve within 6 months. Put a note in your calendar and actively make sure you act on it.

Becoming a singer takes commitment but it’s a rewarding career

It’s easier to get there if you know what you are doing, if you have a mentor. I would like to help you improve your singing and learn how to earn more money as a singer.

I reserve my best content for email subscribers. So join the FREE list and get exclusive advice that will show you how to become a singer.

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Become a Songwriter

Become a songwriter

Career Description

 Songwriter Jason Blume says that his “sole job duty is to create hit songs that are geared for the commercial market—and do the business required to get those songs to generate income.” As a Songwriter, his job is to write both the lyrics and melody for a song, whereas a Lyricist exclusively writes lyrics and does not write the music for the piece–an important difference between the two roles. 

 As in many music industry careers, no two days are alike for a Songwriter. Blume says, “I have a few different types of “typical” days. First, it’s important to understand that songwriting is approached differently in Nashville than it is in other music centers, such as Los Angeles, New York City, and London. In Nashville, where I’m based now, pro Songwriters typically go to an office to write their songs. They sit with guitars in writing rooms and collaborate with other Songwriters. I did that for more than twelve years and wrote hundreds and hundreds of songs that way.

Outside of Nashville, in many instances, pro Writers have recording studios in their homes. Some Songwriters do nothing but produce musical backing tracks (i.e., the keyboards, bass, drums, guitars) but rely on other Writers to create the “top line” – the melody and lyric – that the Vocalist sings. When I was in Los Angeles I more often went to a collaborator’s home studio to write.

 Some of a Songwriter’s time is also spent producing demos—recordings that are used to demonstrate the potential of their songs, and regardless of where or how you write, a portion of your time will likely be spent taking care of business. This includes having meetings to pitch your songs to record label executives, Producers, and Managers.

So, there’s not really a “typical” day. Some days—or parts of days—are spent writing; some are for having meetings; some are for recording demos.

 Songwriters typically work with music publishers, other Songwriters, and Musicians. While some Songwriters might write alone, I typically collaborate with other Writers who bring out the best in me—and with Recording Artists and Record Producers who are looking for songs.

Most professional Songwriters are affiliated with music publishers, and interact with other music business professionals, such as Recording Engineers, Record Producers, Recording Artists, and Managers.”

Advancement

 Songwriters advance in their career by writing hits for bigger artists and therefore earning a higher income. Blume says, “the potential for earnings is almost limitless. The top Writers—those who consistently write or co-write hit singles for superstar artists—earn tens of millions of dollars. But the cold hard reality is that only the tiniest fraction of a percent of Songwriters ever reaches that level. In fact, the overwhelming majority of Songwriters never earn any significant income from their work and work “day jobs” to support themselves while they pursue their dream. There are no guarantees of ever earning a penny as a Songwriter—but some of those who are exceptionally talented, persistent, and good at promoting themselves do manage to break through.”

Education & Training

 Although a handful of universities offer degrees in Songwriting, higher education is not essential for this career. In the words of Jason Blume, “Music publishers don’t care whether or not you have a degree in songwriting, or what else you’ve done. It’s a business, and they care about one thing: whether you can deliver songs that they believe will earn you—and them—lots of money.

I’m not saying that classes and workshops can’t improve your songwriting skills; they can be very helpful, and good ones can provide you with inspiration, tools, and techniques. Education is great. I teach that there are no “rules” in songwriting—but there are “tools” that are consistently found in successful songs. As a teacher, I explore what works—then encourage my students to use techniques that have proven successful—while adding their own unique flavor to it.

 We’re not born with knowledge such as the popular song forms and structures, how to craft the most effective chords, or where to place rhymes. These are things we can learn in classes and songwriting workshops, as well as from reading books on the topic. The radio stations playing the current hits are our best teachers—but it helps to have a professional give direction and point out what’s working in our songs.”

Experience & Skills

Many Songwriters also create and perform their own materials. Blume says “it’s not mandatory that you play an instrument—but it definitely helps. So study guitar or keyboards if you’re so inclined. It’s also helpful to understand the business of songwriting.”

Personality

“As you can tell from my previous response, being a Songwriter requires unending perseverance and a willingness to keep pursuing your goal no matter how long it takes. You have to be able to deal with years of rejection, frustration, and disappointment, and still believe in yourself enough to keep writing songs, networking, and working on your craft,” Blume says.

“Also, you need to be someone who can handle not having a guaranteed, steady income, and you need to be able to cope with the pressure of needing to consistently produce ‘hits.’”

Lifestyle

 Songwriting is as much a business as it is an art. Jason Blume says that “I had a fantasy that Songwriters lay out by their pool, sipping a drink, and waiting for a brilliant song to strike them. HA! The successful Writers I know work incredibly long hours. When they’re not busy writing songs, they’re doing demos, having business meetings, and hanging out with people who can advance their careers. While it’s true that you are essentially your own boss—and can set your own hours—the successful Songwriters I know are driven and are almost always either working—or thinking about their work.”

Employment

 Getting that first songwriting gig isn’t as easy as just submitting a resume or swinging by a restaurant to speak to the Manager. Jason Blume says, “In almost all instances, one doesn’t really get a “job” as a Songwriter. The extremely rare exceptions are when someone might be hired and paid a salary to create songs for a TV show, an advertising agency, or a theme park. But this would probably be less than 1% of all professional Songwriters.

If you want hit songs on the radio it’s not as if you fill out a job application and someone hires you to write songs. Unless you’re in a band, writing with a successful artist, or you’re an artist writing for your own projects, your goal will probably be to become a Staff-Writer.

 Although that sounds like a “job,” what it really means is that you’ve signed an exclusive song publishing agreement with a music publishing company. Everything you write during the term of your contract is published by that company. You don’t have any set hours or go to an office. You just have to deliver a quota of songs each year—and in many instances (especially outside of Nashville) only songs that are commercially released by artists on major labels count toward your quota. But regardless of how many songs you write, you will only remain under contract if your songs are earning money, or the company believes you are delivering potential hits.

When you sign a staff-writing deal you are advanced money—as if they are lending you your own future royalties. In most instances, unless you already have a track record of hits, your advance will be just enough to survive. But it’s not a salary; when you have success, the money you were advanced will be recouped by the publisher before you see additional royalties.

 The big advantage of being a staff-writer is that your publisher has a vested interest in promoting you and your songs in ways that few developing Songwriters could ever do on their own. Ideally, your publisher should have access to the Producers, record labels executives, Managers, and Recording Artists who have the power to say, “Yes.” They should also be able to set up collaborations for you with Recording Artists and Producers. In many instances, this is how Songwriters get their work recorded.

 One typically gets a staff-writing deal by networking, collaborating with staff-writers, and meeting publishers at music industry events. It rarely works to send unsolicited material to companies. Publishers are very selective about who they sign—and seek writers who they believe have exceptional material—“HITS” that are geared to the current market.”

Earnings

“As a Songwriter, except for the rarest exceptions, 100% of your income comes from royalties earned when people buy digital and tangible recordings of your songs (downloads and CDs) and from streaming, as well as “performance royalties” that are generated when songs are played on the radio, broadcast on television, on the Internet, on airplanes, and in places such as restaurants, nightclubs, and concert halls. It doesn’t matter how many songs you write or how amazing they are; you only get paid when people buy or stream the songs, and when they are performed or broadcast—such as on TV and the radio.”

Unions, Groups, Social Media, and Associations

 Blume is a big believer in networking opportunities for Songwriters. He advises that aspiring Songwriters, “Research your local songwriting organizations; they provide both educational and networking opportunities. Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) has chapters in more than 110 cities, and Songsalive meets in multiple cities, as well. New England to Nashville (NETN) has excellent events for those in New England who are focused on the Nashville music market, and the West Coast Songwriters organization provides opportunities for those in that part of the country. Taxi also provides pitching opportunities for writers who are writing material that is competitive. An extensive listing of songwriting organizations can be found in my book This Business of Songwriting, Revised 2nd Edition.” For other books that teach valuable business and creative skills for Songwriters.

Getting Started

 Blume shares the story of how he got started as a Songwriter and provides some tips for aspiring Songwriters.

“I wrote my first songs when I was twelve by strumming my father’s mandolin. I performed in coffee houses and nightclubs, mixing my original songs with well-known songs. After college, I moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles to pursue my songwriting dream. I knew there would be more classes, serious collaborators, and opportunities to make business connections in a major music center.

 When I wasn’t working my day job I wrote songs, recorded demos, networked at music industry events, and took classes every spare moment. I wrote hundreds of lousy songs—although I didn’t know that at the time! But as I studied my craft and the market, received professional feedback from teachers, and rewrote my songs to make them as strong as possible, my songs improved and became more geared to the commercial market—meaning the songs that were on the radio.

I met with a music publisher who suggested I rewrite a country song I played for him. After seven rewrites—and seven new demos—he sent the song to his Nashville office. It was recorded by a new artist and became a single. Although it earned very little money, it opened up doors that led to my collaborating with professionals who were signed to a publishing company. That was seven-and-a-half years after I’d moved to L.A. to become an “overnight sensation!”

 While my song was on the charts I went to Nashville to collaborate and make connections. One of the songs I wrote with a pro writer was recorded by a superstar group 3-1/2 years after we wrote it. It happened because my cowriter’s publisher pitched the song. That changed my life. Suddenly, every door was open to me and I signed a staff-writing deal. That was more than 11 years after I made the decision to move to L.A. and become a professional Songwriter.”

• “Identify your weaknesses and address them. For example, are you a strong lyricist, but not such a great melody writer? If so, block out time on your calendar to do melody rewriting exercises—or seek collaborators.”
• “Study what works. Analyze the melodies and lyrics of the songs you love. Put them under the microscope and study the chord changes; structures; lyric approach; and melodies.”
• “But, if you are writing for artists other than yourself or your own band, be sure you study songs that artists did not write for themselves. Similarly, study the songs that are currently having success; writing in styles that are no longer in vogue (i.e., the songs you loved in high school) will not get you commercial success.”
• “Write, write, write. Don’t expect the first songs you write to be your best. It’s like developing a muscle; you need to keep working on your craft to get better at it. Some say, ‘Your first fifty songs are for practice.’”
• “Plan to attend an event where you can network with other writers on the same path—a song camp; writing retreat; Taxi’s annual Road Rally; the West Coast Songwriters’ annual conference; the Kauai Music Festival; or one of my BMI Workshops (FYI, they’re free and open to anyone. Registration info is on my website.)”
• “And of course … read my books, 6 Steps to Songwriting Success and This Business of Songwriting—and listen to all my instructional audio CDs ;-).” 

Big Ideas

 What is the single biggest suggestion you would give to someone wanting to get into this career?

“Get professional feedback — until you are writing songs that are amazing enough to beat out your competition. Note: your mother, spouse or best friend are not qualified to assess your material – unless they are professional music publishers ;-).

If you want to earn a living, push the creative envelope and write songs that separate themselves from the pack. You’ve got to give artists a reason to choose your song over the thousands of others they’ll be considering. Create the next big thing—but at the same time, realize that it has to find a place in the current commercial market—or it won’t earn you any income. And … be prepared for a long haul and years and years of rejection.”

What’s the #1 mistake people make when trying to get into this career?

“It’s a tie:

• Underestimating the amount of time it will take to break in; and …
• Over-hyping their songs”

What is the question people should ask about this career but rarely do?

“How can I improve my songs to make them undeniable? So many people think their songs are amazing; that they have nothing to learn; and that all they need to do is get them heard by the right people. That is rarely the case.

The reality is that it’s incredibly tough to write songs that millions of people love, and can’t get out of their brains. If it were easy, we’d all be raking in millions of dollars!”

What is one thing I should have asked which I didn’t?

“These were GREAT questions—and that’s another great one. How about: ‘How long should a person continue to write if they’re not earning a living from their songs?’

There are no guarantees that you will ever earn money from your songs. I’ve been teaching and writing books and producing instructional CDs about songwriting for more than twenty years, and I’ve had thousands of songwriting students. Five of them have had #1 singles; some have had significant successes. But the vast majority of them continue to work day jobs. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect success in less than five years—and I think ten is more realistic.

My suggestion is that if you are passionate about writing, give yourself 100 years to become successful. It’s only natural to feel discouraged at times, but if you lose faith in yourself; are focused solely on the money; and stop enjoying the process … then look for another goal.”

If you could describe in one word what makes you successful, what would it be?

“Perseverance.”

Extra Credit: The Beatles or Rolling Stones?

“I love them both … but based on the extraordinary songwriting it’s got to be the Beatles. They produced an astounding number of classics in such a short period of time, and pushed the creative envelope to places most artists would have never dreamed of.

When I taught at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (founded by Sir Paul McCartney—in the building where he went to high school) I was given a tour of every imaginable Beatles site—including where some of the iconic songs were written. It was like walking on sacred ground!!!”

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History of Music

Pre-Renaissance Music: The Evolution of Instruments and Theory

Prehistoric Music

 The earliest forms of music were probably drum-based, percussion instruments being the most readily available at the time (i.e. rocks, sticks). These simplest of simple instruments are thought to have been used in religious ceremonies as representations of animals. There was no notation or writing of this kind of "music" and its sounds can only be extrapolated from the music of (South) American Indians and African natives who still adhere to some of the ancient religious practices.

As for the more advanced instruments, their evolution was slow and steady. It is known that by 4000 BCE the Egyptians had created harps and flutes, and by 3500 BCE lyres and double-reeded clarinets had been developed.

In Denmark, by 2500 BCE an early form of the trumpet had been developed. This trumpet is what is now known as a "natural trumpet." It is valveless, and depends completely on manipulation of the lips to change pitch.

One of the most popular instruments today was created in 1500 BCE by the Hittites. I am talking about the guitar. This was a great step; the use of frets to change the pitch of a vibrating string would lead to later instruments such as the violin and harpsichord.

In 800 BCE the first recovered piece of recorded music was found. It was written in cuneiform and was a religious hymn. It should be noted that cuneiform is not a type of musical notation.

By 700 BCE there are records of songs that include vocals with instrumentals. This added a whole new dimension to music: accompaniment.

Music in Ancient Rome and Greece

 Greece was the root of all Classical art, so it's no coincidence that Classical music is rooted in Grecian innovations. In 600 BCE, famed mathematician Pythagorus dissected music as a science and developed the keystone of modern music: the octave scale. The importance of this event is obvious. Music was a passion of the Greeks. With their surplus of leisure time (thanks to slave labor) they were able to cultivate great artistic skills. Trumpet competitions were common spectator events in Greece by 400 BCE. It was in Greece that the first bricks in music theory's foundation were layed. Aristotle wrote on music theory scientifically, and brought about a method of notation in 350 BCE. The work of that genius is still studied today.

The next significant step in music's evolution was by Boethius. In 521 CE he brought the Greek system of notation to Western Europe, allowing the musicians there to scribe accurately the folk songs of their lands. Incidentally, it was Boethius who first wrote on the idea of the opera.

Music in the Middle Ages

 Most of the music created after Rome fell was commissioned by the church. The Catholic religion has a long history of involvement (for better or worse) with the musical arts. In 600 CE Pope Gregory had the Schola Cantarum built. This was the first music school in Europe.

Meanwhile in China, music was progressing also: it was reported that in 612 CE there were orchestras with hundreds of musicians performing for the assorted dynasties. Although the specific music from this period in China is unknown, the distinct style supposed to have developed there is reflected even in recent orchestral Asiatic pieces.

 In 650 CE a new system of writing music was developed using "neumes" as a notation for groups of notes in music.

144 years after the Schola Cantarum was built, a singing school opened in the Monastery of Fuda, fueling the interest in musical vocation. And by 790 CE, there were splinters of the Schola Cantarum in Paris, Cologne and Metz. In 800 CE the great unifier Charlemagne had poems and psalms set to music. In 850 CE Catholic musicians had a breakthrough by inventing the church "modes." These modes would later metamorphose into today's major and minor scales. In 855 CE, the first polyphonic (2 unrelated melodies/voices at once) piece was recorded, and by 1056 this polyphonic style replaced Gregorian chants as the music of choice (even after the Church made polyphonic music "illegal"; this ban was later lifted). In 980 CE, the great tome Antiphononium Codex Montpellier was scribed.

In 1000 CE Guido D'Arezzo made many improvements in music theory. He first improved and reworked standard notation to be more user-friendly by adding time signatures. Then he invented solfege. This is the vocal note scale: do, re, mi, fa, so, la ,ti, do. This innovation has affected almost every modern vocalist.

In 1100 CE, a new secular movement began. This separation of Church from music was a straddling one, and soon this new "folk" music was looked down upon as pagan and borderline blasphemous.

The Renaissance

 On the dawn of the Renaissance in 1465 the printing press was first used to print music. By using a press a composer could organize his pieces and profit from them with great ease. In 1490 Boethius's writings on opera were republished in Italian.

With the onset of the Renaissance, the rules of music were about to change drastically. This was the beginning of a new enlightened age that would showcase some of the greatest musical minds ever produced.

The history of music at this point is best told by the styles that emerged and the composers who lived after the Renaissance.

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Secret diary of a band: How we write songs

When it comes to songwriting, say it simply and don't worry about how it might sound on a car advert. Oh, and beware of predictive text …

In the comments section of a previous blog a reader suggested I write more about the creative elements of being in a band. Well, they didn't say it in those words exactly, but hey, I'm allowed to embellish. In particular they requested for information on how we write songs. I aim to please, so here's a guide to our songwriting methods …

When you get an idea, get it down

 Ideas for songs often come when you're walking back from the supermarket, or about to fall asleep. I'm not one of those people who carries round a moleskin notebook and pencil to jot down my thoughts and feelings, so thank God for mobile phones. Particularly voice notes. Often a little melody will come to you as you're testing the Granny Smiths for brown bits and it's such a relief to be able to whip out your smartphone and record it. Same with lyrics. Although beware of using predictive text. Mine once transformed "they're never gonna understand" into "they're never good underage".

It just won't happen. It's the old adage that if you're looking for something you'll never find it. Instead, focus on what you want to articulate through your lyrics, or work on a melody or riff you've had in your head. We once tried a co-writing session with someone who gave himself three things to think about when writing a song.

Don't try to write a hit

1) Is it for Radio 1? In which case we need it to sound big straight away, so start with the chorus.

2) Could this work for a car advert? In which case add in a long swoop of sound for when the car turns the corner.

3) Can you imagine the crowd at your sold-out show at Wembley singing the chorus back at you? If not, write more universal lyrics.

It may work for some, but it put us off co-writing forever.

Say it simply

  I'll often try to be funny or clever with lyrics, like a kid at school who's just learned the word "encapsulate" and tries to crowbar it into everything they write. (Actually, that's a great word.) Obviously there are artists such as Morrissey who paint vivid images with words, and encapsulate (sorry) universal emotions in one pithy phrase. If you can do that, fantastic, and obviously you should strive to make each line interesting, but sometimes you just need to express yourself in the simplest terms. "I miss you", "I want you", "Encapsulate".

Write constantly

 Our band email account has a folder called "Lyrics", which is full of the bare bones of songs we've not had time to work into a demo yet, or just weren't worth finishing. You never know where or when or even how a good song will come (we don't, but Burt Bacharach probably does), so you need to pull ideas out of yourself. Sometimes you go back to them and cringe because they're too awful to bear, but sometimes they're not so bad. Having an idea when you're tackling a new song makes a lot of difference.

Beware of repeating ideas

 There are certain phrases I return to in lyrics if I don't check myself. In fact, we recently realised we had three songs that all used the same phrase, just sung a different way. (It's not even a common phrase.) That's why we often try to put ourselves into the mind of someone else when we write. It can be someone real or we can create characters and write the song from their point of view. Opening yourself up to different reference points, locations, even genders makes a lot of difference. It will still come from you, because you're the one writing, but it can help give it a different slant and make it more interesting. Use it as a prism, if you will, to encapsulate everything you're feeling.

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[CELEBRITY BIO] Michael Collins Ajereh aka Don Jazzy’s Biography.

 Michael Collins Ajereh (born November 26, 1982), better known as Don Jazzy, is a Nigerian Multi award-winning record producer, singer-songwriter, musician former CEO of Nigerian record label Mo’Hits Records founded in 2004 and current CEO of the Mavin Records label which he founded.

In May 2012 after his split up with childhood friend and Mo’Hits partner, D’banj. Born in Umuahia in Abia state, his first signing was D’banj who was at that time also the Vice President of the label.

Don Jazzy’s first full credit production work was in 2004 on Tongolo for Nigerian singer D’banj. He went on to produce D’banj’s first studio album titled No Long Thing released in 2005.

 He has produced tracks for and assisted in background vocals for Dr SID, Wande Coal, D’Prince, Darey, Naeto C, Olakunle Excel at Zanga (O.A.U), Sauce Kid, Ikechukwu & Tiwa Savage. He also collaborated with Jay-Z and Kanye West on the production of Lift off featuring Beyonce on the album Watch The Throne, released on August 8, 2011.

He recently was rated as the 36th. “Most powerful celebrity in Africa” according to Forbes.

Early life

 Michael Collins Ajereh was born in Umuahia by Abia State Parents, who are from Isuikwuato L.G.A in Abia state. His family moved to Ajegunle city in Lagos state where he was raised, and graduated from Federal Government College Lagos. Michael always had a flair for music singing and playing the drums from the age of four.

He developed a passion for the bass guitar at the age of 12,he went on study Business Management at the Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma in Edo State. He moved to London in the United Kingdom in 2000 after his Uncle invited him to come play the drums for the neighborhood Church.

 Various odd jobs followed including working at McDonalds and as a security guard. Already imbued with an intimate knowledge of traditional and percussion instruments, Don Jazzy further built on his musical knowledge during his UK stint. Finding fellow kindred sprits in the likes of Solek, JJC, Kas, The 419 squad and Dbanj, the gang would spend unrelenting hours practicing, recording and performing different types of music.

Jazzy’s appetite for a full-time career in music could no longer be satiated when, in 2004, he partnered with D’Banj to set up the Mo’Hits label. Within two years, the prolific producer had wrapped up two albums (No Long Thing and Rundown/Funk You Up) with his former Mo’Hits partner and was working on a third, Curriculum Vitae. By this time, he had already started becoming a household name with the trademark intro – It’s Don Jazzy Again!

In 2008 there were further production credits for the best selling album of that year, The Entertainer. Don Jazzy repeated the trick with Wande Coal’s Mushin 2 MoHits, an album that was described as one of the best albums to ever come out of Nigeria

Fashion and Social Networking

 The soft-spoken humble producer who is known to grant less interviews, is an avid user of social networking sites with Twitter being his top. With over 1.21 million followers on Twitter, he is known to give birthday shout-outs to fans, give airtime recharge cards, iPads, and even money via Twitter.

Such connection to fans, has earned him a song by some Twitter fan, special for his birthday, sing him praises and wishing him a long-life. He also has more than 800k followers on his Instagram page.

 His love for exquisite African Fabrics and Male Indian-Gowns isn’t a secret, but he is known to go with his own liking, switching whenever he feels like. At one point in 2011, he was frequently noticed to wear pajamas on daily-basis, in an interview he said, they are more comfortable. I prefer to call them colourful trousers. He is also known to wear sunglasses, carry walking sticks, of which he has several and alternating bling chains, African jewelry and rosary.

Samsung Deal, Mavin Records and Mavin League

 On the wake of the split up, Samsung unveiled their “Built for Africa” products including an Afro-Pop home theatre which has been developed through the EQ tuning of a sound optimised equaliser – undertaken by leading African celebrity, Don Jazzy.

Later in the year,on May 7 Don Jazzy kept his promise of a new beginning, taking to Twitter to announce his new Record Label known as Mavin Records and further promised to release a compilation album of the label artists the very next day.

 The album which was executive-produced by him, has gathered critical reviews, while blessing the fans with hit songs like Amarachi, Forever’ Oma Ga, Take Banana and Chocolate, others are (C.P.R) Kiss of Life,YOLO and the labels anthem I’m a Mavin.

The multiple award winning producer also announced that Tiwa Savage would be joining the Mavin family. The signing of Savage, one of Nigeria’s leading vocalists, is seen as a major coup for the budding record label and Don Jazzy promised fans that there are many more exciting faces to be “activated” by the label in the near future.

 Don Jazzy was quoted saying, I see Mavin Records being the power house of Music in the shortest possible time. There were some controversies after Dbanj left and next up was Wande Coal.

This didn’t shake Don jazzy as he signed in three new promising act that are already famous with their songs. Their names include Korede Bello, AphroDija, and Reekadobanks.

Production Discography

Albums

D’banj – ‘No Long Thing‘ (2005)

D’banj – Rundown/Funk You Up (2006)

D’banj – The Entertainer (2008)

Mo’Hits All Stars- Curriculum 

Vitae (2007)

Anaconda 3:34

Booty Call 5:13

Close To You 3:43

Hey Girl 5:08

Igbe Mi 5:40

Masqurade 4:02

No Long Thing 3:15

Ololufe (Club Mix) 4:21

Stop The Violence 6:37

Why Me (Remix) 5:16

Jasi 2:50

Wande Coal – Mushin2Mohits (2008)

I Know U Like It 3:10

You Bad 4:05

Se Na Like This 4:12

Kiss Ur Hands 3:54

Confused 4:20

Se Ope 3:22

Now It’s All Gone 4:24

Bumper 2 Bumper 3:44

Who Born The Maga 3:04

Thats Wots Up 4:42

Bananas 3:59

Taboo 4:24

Jehovah 4:02

Ololufe 4:56

Ten Ten 3:47

My Grind 4:48

Dr SID Turning Point (2010)

When This Song Comes On

Over the Moon (feat. K-Switch)

Something About You

Winchi Winchi (feat. Wande Coal)

Pop something (feat. D’banj)

Ba Mi Jo (feat. Ikechukwu, M.I & ElDee)

Baby

E Je Ka Jo (feat. D’Banj)

Pillow

Something About You (Silva Stone Remix)

Winchi Winchi (feat. Wande Coal, Sway DaSafo, & Dotstar)

MAVINS – Solar Plexus “MAVIN Records” (2012)

Intro by MAVINS (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri)

I’m A MAVIN by MAVINS (Michael Ajereh, Tiwatope Savage, Sidney Esiri, Wande Ojosipe, Charles Enebeli)

Oma Ga by Tiwa Savage (Michael Ajereh, Tiwatope Savage, Sidney Esiri, Wande Ojosipe)

YOLO by Dr SID (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri)

See Me Ri by Wande Coal (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri, Wande Ojosipe, Towa Ojosipe)

Take Banana by D’PRINCE (Michael Ajereh, Charles Enebeli)

CPR by Dr SID (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri)

Forever by Wande Coal (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri, Wande Ojosipe, Towa Ojosipe)

Why You Over There by D’PRINCE (Michael Ajereh, Charles Enebeli)

Chocolate by Dr SID (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri, Charles Enebeli)

Pretty Girls by Wande Coal (Michael Ajereh, Wande Ojosipe)

Amarachi by D’PRINCE (Michael Ajereh, Charles Enebeli)

Outro by MAVINS (Michael Ajereh, Sidney Esiri)

Singles

Mo’ Hits Artists

D’Prince

Omoba

I like What I See (feat. Wande Coal)

Ooze (feat. D’Banj)

Give It To me (feat. D’Banj)

D’banj

Tongolo (2005)

Soko (2005)

Mobolowowon (2005)

Why Me (2006)

Run Down (2006)

Kimon (2008)

Olorun Maje (2008)

Gbono Feli (2008)

Entertainer (2008)

Suddenly (2008)

Fall In Love (2008)

Igwe (2008)

Mr Endowed (2010)

I do This

Scape Goat (2010)

ashanti (2010)

Mr Endowed (Remix) (feat. Snoop Dogg) (2010)

Oliver Twist (2011)

Wande Coal

Bumper 2 Bumper

You Bad

Kiss Your Hand

Who Born the Maga

Been Long You Saw Me (feat. Don Jazzy) (2011)

Go Low (2011)

Dr SID

Something About You (2009)

Winchi winchi (2009)

Pop Something(feat. D’Banj)

Over The Moon (2010)

Mo’Hits Allstars

Ten Ten

Non–Mo’ Hits Artists

Darey – Escalade part 2

Darey – Stroke Me

Shank – Never Felt

Naeto C – Asewo

Ikechukwu – Like You (feat. Wande Coal)

Ikechukwu – Wind am well (feat. Don Jazzy and D’Banj)

Ikechukwu – Do (feat. D’Banj)

Ikechukwu – All on Me

Ikechukwu – Critical (feat. D’Banj)

Ikechukwu – Now is the time (feat. Don Jazzy)

Sauce Kid – Under G

Kanye West & Jay-Z – Lift Off (feat.Beyonce)

Weird MC – Ijoya

Awards

Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) 2006 Producer of the Year

Nigerian Entertainment Awards 2007 Music Producer of the Year

The HEADIES (2011) – PRODUCER OF THE YEAR

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[CELEBRITY BIO] Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike Aka Phyno’s Biography

Phyno Biography

 Chibuzor Nelson Azubuike also known as Phyno is the undisputed ‘Man of The Year’. The talented Igbo rapper who started out as a producer has risen to become one of Nigeria’s biggest music acts today. He is popular for hit tracks including “Ghost Mode”, “Man of the Year”,”Alobam”, “Parcel” and “O Set”. A decade of hard work and passion has helped transform the “Ghost Mode and  Obago” rapper/producer teleporting him from underground hype to a household name in Nigeria and beyond its shores.

 EARLY DAYSPhyno, who hails from Anambra State was born on 9th October 1986 and bred in Enugu State. He is the fourth child out of 5 children. He got the name Phyno, which is actually short for phenomenal, from a high school friend by the name of Emeka.

 Phyno started nursing his dream of doing music during his secondary school days. He initially wanted to become a pilot, but was later informed that he could be a doctor. While he was in high school, he got himself thoroughly acquainted with the drums and piano. He also learned to create his own version of every recording he heard.

For his tertiary education, Phyno attended the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu where he studied Public Administration. During his second year, he started making a few bucks from music.

CAREER AS A RAPPER AND PRODUCER

 Phyno has long been producing for the likes of  Flavour,  Timaya, Ruggedman, Bracket,2Shotz, J Martins and Mr. Raw, however, he only started rapping in 2010 after moving down to Lagos and taking the advice of Ill Bliss to get into the booth and try his hands at rapping.

 In 2012, Phyno started recording songs for his debut studio album, No Guts No Glory, in 2012 which didn’t drop until early 2014. The album featured guest appearances from Stormrex, Omawumi, Olamide, Efa, P-Square, Timaya, Flavour N’abania, Mr. Raw, M.I, Ice Prince and Runtown. Most of the songs in the album were recorded in Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin. “Ghost Mode” which was released in September 2012 served as the album’s lead single. The song featured Yoruba rap superstar, Olamide and it went on to top numerous charts across the country. Other songs from the album including Man of the Year, Alobam and Parcel were also well received apart from the video for Man of the Year (Obago) which was banned from being aired in September 2013 by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation.

AWARDS AND BEING A GUINESS AMBASSADOR

 Phyno won Best Collabo at both the 2012 The Headies Awards and 2013 Nigeria Entertainment Awards with his hit song, Ghost Mode. In total, he has earned 15 nominations and won 4 awards at several awards ceremonies he has been part of including Channel O Music Video Awards, City People Entertainment Awards, Nigeria Entertainment Awards, African Muzik Magazine Awards, Nigeria Music Video Awards (NMVA and The Headies.

 In August 2014, a Thisday news story reported that Phyno had become an ambassador of Guinness Nigeria’s Made of Black campaign alongside Olamide and Eva Alordiah. The super star performed at the launch of the campaign and he was also present in the television commercial as well as online adverts.

MEDIA SCANDALS

 Phyno was once rumoured to have impregnated a young lady by the name of Rita Edmond but he denied this in an interview with Punch newspapers in 2014. Another issue that got everyone talking about Phyno in 2014 was a photograph of him appearing to be kissing Limpopo crooner, Kcee. The picture trended on popular social media and people wondered whether Phyno was gay. He however debunked those claims and blamed the misleading picture on bad camera angling.

DISCOGRAPHY

No Guts No Glory (2014)

2 Kings [Collaboration album with Olamide] (2015)

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