Sing Commercials For A Living
Ever wonder why some get to sing commercials and some don’t? Have you ever thought about singing jingles? What makes some more apt and able then others to break into this business with other individuals with incredible talent never getting the break? These are great questions and the truth is, most anyone can break into the jingle singing and session singing world provided that these next few concepts are in place.
Unique is a quality that prevails. Jingle houses and ad agencies are always on the lookout for new talent – Unique talent. Having a unique tone, singing style, a different approach is key. Notice I didn’t say absolutely the best singer is the key, not that having talent to back up your unique singing quality isn’t important, but I said unique, but not necessarily the best. You’re scratching your head, but it’s the truth. Really, how many singers and actors or actresses are that special that a gazillion other people couldn’t do it if given the opportunity. As a booking agent with the William Morris Agency, booking many household name stars, I saw this phenomenon every day. Unique is paramount in this business from a purely contextual outlook. There are other elements that play an important role, but being unique will definitely land you work.
For those of you who, being honest, don’t believe they have the most unique voice out there, all is not lost. Your role of obtaining work will differ somewhat, but you can break into the session singing market and earn a significant living doing it. Your role will most likely revolve around blending and group singing. Now there is definitely more competition revolving around this type of singing work and so your diligence, attitude and go get it nature must remain consistent. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with not being the latest and greatest, admitting it, and yet still going after your singing dream and accomplishing it. You can do it. It’s difficult within the writing constraints of an article such as this to hit every angle here, but if you will read to the bottom and go to the website reelmusician.com there is a Free “Jingle Singer’s Guide” that you may download.
It’s not uncommon for singers, who are certainly not considered to be on the A list for session work, but admittedly choose to go after session work and not only obtain it, but make a significant living doing it. These singers possess a great attitude. As previously mentioned in other articles, your attitude must be that of getting along with anyone, while having good creative ideas and not afraid to speak them, also tempered in such a way as to know when to back off, when to nod your head and say “that sounds good,” when you’re sure your idea is in fact better. Your attitude of being gracious and kind and generous with people will go along ways in this business and may be the single reason you get called back time after time when there might be better singers out there. Never underestimate a good attitude.
The next element in your marketing campaign must include creativity. Great singers invariably inhibit a creative let’s get the job done and make it sound great even when they’re not dealing with the best of tracks, lead singer or producer – They just get it done! You might consider getting involved with musical groups or ensembles that will give you the practice creativity outlet if you feel creatively impaired or unready. Musical creativity is learned, but is also practiced and honed and those with some musical input can over time become real creative forces within a group session.
From the practical side, the big difference when it comes to breaking into the music industry is going to be your determination or the lack there of. Be sure to create a 5 year, 1 year, 1 month and each day set of goals and go after them. Keep track of all the producers and music contacts and mention conversation, last spoken, and follow up information. Make sure you have the absolute best jingle demo reel – not the “my buddy can do this for me for free” demo reel, but a really pro and polished jingle demo reel like you’ve already arrived. At ReelMusician.com we specialize in just that – Jingle Reels! Your jingle demo reel must sound like major national spots. Good and even pretty good will not work here. Your jingle demo reel must turn the heads of your listeners and knock their socks off. There’s too much competition out there to be wasting not only your time, but a jingle producer’s time as well. You may want to consider multiple reels, one that highlights your voice over abilities and one or two that emphasis your singing abililities ad that can be rotated to producers so that your name is crossing their desk a number of times. If finances are a factor in producing your demos, then start with one reel with 5 -7 jingles that absolutely sing no questions asked.
Follow up will be key. You must have a way to file contact info, conversation gist and any additional information that is vital to your career path. Go after this like it’s a job offer – Because it is a job offer and can be very lucrative if you do it right. Find a way to say hello whether by a card, email or phone call after your initial contact. That’s when a second jingle reel would be handy, but again, not absolutely necessary. You need to find a way to get your name out there to whom you’ve contacted. You might want to consider small snippets from time to time that you can mp3 and email to these same folks – Again just make sure that whatever you are sending out is 1st class.
Above all else, keep at it. Those with the staying power are usually those with the keep at it drive which in all reality, most people don’t have. If you can maintain a professional jingle reel, with goals firmly established and a concrete way to catalogue your conversations, you will be well on your way. Please feel free to contact Mr Gauger at 615-300-5030 or tgauger@reelmusician.com or visit www.reelmusician.com.
Mr. Gauger is a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency and has been heard on numerous TV and radio spots including Fox TV, UPN Station ID, O’Charley’s and many others. In addition, he co-wrote “Who To Love” slotted for upcoming telecast on the soap The Guiding Light. Mr. Gauger is the founder of http://www.reelmusician.com and can be contacted through this organization at tgauger@reelmusician.com or 615-300-5030.
Sing Jingles
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.
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. 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.
Mr. Gauger is a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency and has been heard on numerous TV and radio spots including Fox TV, UPN Station ID, O’Charley’s and many others. In addition, he co-wrote “Who To Love” slotted for upcoming telecast on the soap The Guiding Light. Mr. Gauger is the founder of http://www.reelmusician.com and can be contacted through this organization at tgauger@reelmusician.com or 615-300-5030.