Page 115 - The Singing Contest 2019 Magazine

Group Event Weekend
After returning to the Studio, we had Trevor Shelton
deliver an introduction to the music industry. Among
other things, he encouraged everyone to try their hand
at songwriting, saying that’s where the real money is. He
also advised them that taking an over-produced song to
a record company was at best a waste of energy and at
worst just a bad idea. The more stripped down a new
song is, the easier it can be for the A & R people to see all
of the possibilities for a song and the many directions it
could take in the production room.
Last on the schedule was Darnell-
Brandon Thomas. Darnell dis-
cussed various vocal techniques and
the importance of being able to use a
variety of techniques. Having had an
exhausting week which ended with a
very important but very long gig the
night before, he described how he
had to make a very conscious decision
to sing one of his most-requested
songs in a very different manner than
he normally would. Had he not been
able to apply his knowledge of tech-
nique, it would have been his last song for the night.
By taking out the raspy edge of his voice at the end of
Aerosmith’s Dream On and making it a much smooth-
er sound, he avoided irritating his already over-worked
vocal cords and continued in strong voice through to the
end of the show. Darnell went on to describe the various
areas of vocal resonance in the body and how the fullest,
most-rounded voice resonates throughout all of those
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Tal Vaisman was up next. He spoke about his own
writing experiences including trips down to Nashville, be-
ing holed up in a room with a group of strangers for the
sole purpose of co-writing some killer songs. He spoke of
the different roles people can take in the writing process.
He also discussed different variations of song structure
and how the tried and true verse/chorus/verse/chorus/
chorus pattern was evolving.
areas at the same time. In contrast, he
described how a breathy voice might
be exactly what was called for in a
certain part of a song. In other words,
for many of The Finalists, he was able
to help them understand the need
for a “vocal toolbox” and when and
where to apply each tool.
Above and beyond the practical
matters and learning opportunities
we present to the Finalists, the Group
Event Weekend is a chance for the
Finalists to really get to know each
other and to create bonds that, for some, will last a life-
time. It also allows them to see themselves in each other,
to relate to each other and, to a certain extent, helps to
put them in a position where it is easier to accept some-
one other than themselves being named “The Winner” at
the Final. As we always tell potential contestants at the
Audition and Orientation events, if you are here just to
the win top prize, you’re actually missing the point.
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