Learning to Sing at a Singing School

Attending a singing school will provide you with a broader curriculum than what a private teacher can usually offer alone, althought many students continue private singing lessons during their attendance at a singing school, as well as after they graduate.  These schools offer courses in music theory, sight-singing, singing harmony, songwriting, dance, recording, the music business, and more.  If you are serious about a career as a singer, finding a public or private singing school might be the best option for you to investigate.

Like other areas of study, there are two types of schools, public and private.  Most colleges and universities that offer a music program will include a vocal training program.  College and university programs will range between 2 to 4 years in length and will require that you meet admission requirements as well as audition for acceptance.  If all goes well, you will receive a diploma or degree for your hard work and you will be well prepared for a career in music and voice performance.

Alternatively, there are private singing and music schools that also offer vocal training programs, and will include courses in music theory, sight-singing, singing harmony, songwriting, dance, recording, the music business, and more.  Private schools may not offer college diplomas or university degrees, but you should still learn everything you need to launch your singing career.

Programs will differ at each school (whether public or private, degree or non-degree), so make sure to visit the school before committing to the program.  Talk to teachers and current students, ask questions about the curriculum and resources, and even ask to attend a class or two.  You will be investing not only your time and money, but also your future, in the school, so try to make sure it is what you want before committing.

Prepare for your audition well in advance by knowing the songs your are going to audition with and having the accompaniment prepared.  If you are applying to a school that is located a long distance from you, most schools will accept a preliminary video taped audition. After you’ve applied and auditioned, if you are not accepted to the school, don’t be afraid to ask why, what you can do to improve, and when you can audition again.  Don’t hesitate to ask the school for help finding a private vocal coach who can help you improve so that you can apply again.

Public colleges and universities usually start their sessions in September.  Now is a perfect time to start researching schools and putting together your application for next year.  Private schools usually start their sessions in September and January, so even if you’ve missed auditioning or signing up for the Fall session, if there is room in the classes/schedule for you, and you meet the admission requirements, the school may let you start in January.

In addition to Googling “Singing School”, here are a couple of online resources to help you find a singing school:

• National Association of Music Schools
• Music School Directory

Of course, feel free to leave us a comment to share the names of singing schools that you’ve attended and how they’ve helped you improve your singing ability.

See the other articles in this series:

• Learning to Sing? Part 1: Group Lessons and Choirs
• Learning to Sing? Part 2: Private Singing Lessons

Stay tuned for upcoming articles:

• Learning to Sing? Part 4:  Singing Lessons on CDs and DVDs
• Learning to Sing? Part 5:  Online Singing Lessons

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Fun Karaoke Performances

If you haven’t visited our YouTube Channel lately, here are a few karaoke recordings for you to enjoy!

Record your own karaoke song online

You can do it too! All you need is a computer, internet connect, webcam, microphone, wig and sunglasses (optional). Sign up here!

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Sweet Dreams, Beyoncé

Released earlier this year on Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce album, Sweet Dreams is currently charting on Billboard, at No. 5 on the Pop Songs chart,  No. 10 on the Hot 100 chart, No. 14 on the iLike Libraries: Most Added list and No. 24 on the Digital Songs chart!

Sweet Dreams in the style of Beyoncé, video

Sing the karaoke version of Sweet Dreams in the style of Beyoncé

You can sing Sweet Dreams for yourself, record it and share it with us!

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McDonald’s received more than 10,000 entries and have chosen thirtycompetitors for you to vote for.  

We’ve listened to them and are pleased to report there are great performances for you to listen to.

You have until Friday, December 4th, 2009 to vote.

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From the thousands of singers who entered Oprah’s Karaoke Challenge, Abraham McDonald is the singer who made it all the way to the top, winning $250,000 and a recording opportunity with Island Def Jam Music Group.

Watch the winning performance of Get Here, on Oprah.com

Abraham McDonald’s YouTube message, before Thursday’s performance:

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The judges enjoyed watching all the performances and have made their decision in the Karaoke Contest, featuring Mony Mony (Live)  in the style of Billy Idol.

Grand Prize Winner

The very entertaining karaoke singer, Joe Buffardi, known as Joey B to the karaoke community, recorded and shared his video performance of Mony Mony (Live)  in the style of Billy Idol and has won the Grand Prize of a Star Membership for a year, a Karaoke Kit, T-Shirt and Cap.

Congratulations Joey B!

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2nd Prize Winner

Second prize winner is Wendy Hutchison, known as Offkey to the online community, with another entertaining video recording, winning a Karaoke Kit and T-Shirt.

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3rd Prize Winners

Three 3rd Prizes Winners receive a T-Shirt and Cap:

• Daniel J. O’Hanlon, Dan O
• Matthew J. Keller, Eagle6774
• Daniel Lopez, Danthe

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Upcoming Karaoke Contests

We will post information about the next Karaoke Contest soon, so watch for it to be promoted here as well as on The KARAOKE Channel ONLINE.  If you are a member of The KARAOKE Channel ONLINE, make sure that your email notifications are on, so that you’ll receive email announcing the contests (Login, go to MY ACCOUNT, click CHANGE EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS).  Alternatively, follow us on Twitter, or become a fan of our facebook page where we also post news about contests and more. 
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Thanks to everyone who participated.

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Oprah’s Karaoke Challenge Finalists

• Abraham McDonald, Los Angeles, California, Get Here
• Rob Weddle, Orlando, Florida, Peace of Mind
• Donnie Denny, Hertford, North Carolina, It’s Your Love

Voting Information

Who are you going to vote for ?

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Interestingly, Taylor Swift opened shows for the 4 male nominees that she beat for the award.  Chris Talbot (Associated Press) says:

All four of the guys who lost to Taylor Swift for entertainer of the year at the Country Music Association Awards made a tactical error: They asked the crossover sensation to open for them in their concerts.

Swift quickly shed her opener status and shook up the music world with an incredible year that included the best-selling album, a concert tour that sold out almost immediately and, now, a historic night at the CMAs that included becoming the youngest winner of the association’s highest honor.

“Yeah, next year we’re not going to take any opening acts out,” Brad Paisley said jokingly.

Taylor Swift, Love Story, CMA 2009 Video of the Year, directed by Trey Fanjoy

CMA 2009 Award Winners

• Lady Antebellum won Vocal Group of the Year as well as Single of the Year with I Run to You
• Brad Paisley picked up the Male Vocalist Award
• Best New Artist was awarded to Darius Rucker, who is only new to the country music scene.  He is also known as the lead singer with Hootie and the Blowfish.
• In Color won the Song of the Year award for songwriter Jamey Johnson

Visit the CMA Awards website for more detailed information.

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Here are the websites to visit for more information:

Canada:  www.kwccanada.net

Mexico:  www.kwcmexico.net

USA: www.kwcusa.net

As other countries add information for KWC 2010 to their websites we will list them here.

Let us know if you enter and keep us posted on your progress!  Of course, if you want to practice online, we’d love to hear you sing.

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Adrian Kenny, KWC 2009 Male Champion (Ireland)

To inspire you, here is a video montage of  the 2009 Karaoke World Male Champion, Adrian Kenny’s performances:

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Nataliya Pilyutina, KWC 2009 Female Champion (Russia)

Here is another inspiring video montage of the 2009 Karaoke World Female Champion, Nataliya Pilyutina’s performances:

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Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)

David Eisenhower was supposedly the inspiration for this CCR hit. David was the grandson of the former US president, Dwight Eisenhower, and married the daughter of President Nixon. During an interview John Fogerty mentioned how people knew that people like this were going to have nothing to do with the Vietnam War. The song symbolizes the thoughts of a man who is being drafted. The people who were forced to fight by the draft were not “fortunate” enough to come from rich or powerful families.

War by Edwinn Starr (1970)

It was this song of protest that shot Edwinn Starr to the top of the charts. This classic song against the Vietnam War is still used toady to speak out against war. The blunt statement that is made in the song’s chorus could not be more straightforward: “War – What is it good for? – Absolutely nothing!”

Billy Don’t Be a Hero by Paper Lace (1974)

This anti-war song was released in the seventies, therefore it is often associated with the Vietnam War. However, there are references to the American Civil War in the song’s lyrics: “soldier blues” (Union Army). In the song a young woman is sad because her fiancé, Billy, is joining the army contingent that is passing through their town. We then find out that Billy was killed in action. The song ends with his lover throwing away the letter that notified her of Billy’s “heroic” death.

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda by Eric Bogle (1971)

The lyrics of this song deal with the horrible reality of war and take a shot at the people who attempt to glorify it. It tells the experience of one WWI Australian soldier who loses his leg at the Battle of Gallipoli. It then goes on to describe how there are fewer veterans over time and younger generations begin to care less about their cause. It is a song that should remind all listeners that it is important for future generations to remember what the veterans did.

One by Metallica (1987)

This powerful heavy-metal ballad opens to the sound of an artillery barrage, a unique and gripping way to begin a song. Metallica based the song off of the 1939 novel Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo. The novel was about a soldier who was hit by German artillery fire in WWI. He lost all of his senses, could no longer speak and could not move his arms or legs; but his mind remained undamaged. Metallica does a great job of portraying how it would feel to be a prisoner inside of your own body.

Vera Lynn (1971 - )

Vera Lynn’s voice offered comfort to the British soldiers during WWII with her BBC radio show Sincerely Yours. To soldiers stationed everywhere she was known as the “Forces Sweetheart” because of her numerous concerts for the troops. Her most popular songs included We’ll Meet Again and The White Cliffs of Dover. Interestingly enough her tunes still strike a chord with the British public. Lynn, who is now ninety-two, recently had the No. 1 record in Britain, We’ll Meet Again-The Very Best of Vera Lynn, beating the remastered Beatles albums.

Johnny Horton (1925-1960)

Johnny Horton loved to sing songs about history during his career as a country music artist. Some of these songs dealt with historic battles in war. His song The Battle of New Orleans was a popular hit that dealt with a battle that took place during the War of 1812. Horton’s song book also included ballads about more recent world conflicts. The Ballad of the Green Berets focused on the elite unit; and Sink the Bismark’was about the need to sink a troublesome German battleship.

The Ballad of Ira Hayes by Johnny Cash 1964 written by Peter LaFarge

Ira Hayes was a Native American soldier who took part in the Battle of Iwa Jima and was featured in the popular photograph of the second raising of the American flag on top of the hill. Hayes did not like the post-war fame that this photograph brought him. Family members claim that he came back a changed man. He began to drink heavily and eventually died from the affects of alcohol and exposure.

19 by Paul Hardcastle (1985)

Paul Hardcastle took a look at how America’s involvement in the Vietnam conflict affected the soldiers. The war does not end for the soldiers who come home; many live with horrible physical and emotional scars. The song includes sound clips of news reports and dialogue from Vietnam Requiem, an ABC documentary about post-traumatic stress disorder amongst veterans.

Feel Like I’m Fixin to Die by Country Joe (1965)

Country Joe penned this song during the year that the Vietnam War became a huge protest issue with American students. The lyrics use a form of dark-humour to explain the process of being drafted. Joe wanted to point the blame at the people who profit from war and the politicians that cause them, not the soldiers who are required to do the actual fighting.

Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 (1983)

U2 does a beautiful job of combining their signature melodic harmonies, Edge’s harsh guitar riffs and a militaristic drum beat to speak out against The Troubles in Northern Ireland. This powerful song should show all listeners that wars are fought on many different scales; but always for all of the wrong reasons.

These songs are an important way to help keep the memory of the veterans and the wars that they fought in alive. We as a society must never forget their sacrifice. History cannot be permitted to repeat itself.

**NOTE: This is a short list of some o the most notable songs about war. The author realizes that there are many more songs out there and would like to hear from you which songs have the deepest meaning for you on November 11th.

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