Well, I guess I should clarify “rockstar”, shouldn’t I? I mean, if we’re talking about the kinds of excesses portrayed in a Mötley Crüe video, then I guess I’ll stop writing right about now.
But if we’re talking about enjoying life to the fullest and being able to indulge ourselves while living a fabulous professional musical life, then here we go:
Yes, drink!
Okay, if you’re going to drink a bit, how ‘bout picking a night when you have no singing for the next couple of days?
And how about picking something plant-based and medicinal, like tequila, or gluten-free Tito’s or Ciroc vodka? How ‘bout you skip the really sugary drinks like Lemon Drops (blech)?
And, how ‘bout staying really hydrated when you drink? My rule is 8 ounces of water for every 1 ounce of alcohol/6 ounces of wine. AND how ‘bout hydrating the next day like a champ? That’s my rockstar!
Yes, smoke!
Sorry. I lied. Well, okay… I can give you a pass for one cigarette a year. If you can do that, you have more willpower than God.
Yes, go clubbing!
Go hold the glow sticks, dance with thousands of strangers and let the pounding EDM scramble your mitochondria!
Yes, go enjoy yourself! Go hold the glow sticks, dance with thousands of strangers and let the pounding EDM scramble your mitochondria!
Just don’t do it when you have a gig the next day! Or after a gig you just had…unless you’ve got nothing booked for a few days.
And, why not be a man or woman of mystery and don’t talk or yell too much over the airplane-takeoff-decibel music? Clubbers and ravers love men and women of mystery. You can always talk later, once you exchange numbers and go to a nice, quiet coffee place.
Yes, stay up all night!
You rockstars. You’ve gotta go all out, don’t you? And staying up and out all night is how you do you!
Okay, I’ll give you this one. PLEASE just remember that sleep and hydration are the keys to a voice that works well, so if you’re gonna pull that all-nighter, drink water and make sure you’ve got plenty of time the next day to sleeeeeeeep.
Yes, have lots of… companionship!
So, companionship, drugs and rock and roll, riiiiight? Nice euphemism usage, yes? It’s so easy for rockstars, male and female, to find companionship. Many guys will even say that’s why they got into music in the first place—to get the chicks.
Okay, fine, then SAFE, companionship you shall have. Romance between two band members? Hey, good luck with that. I try to stick to the “Never go to the bathroom where you eat” edict, but it’s very hard for rockstars to find long-term lovers who can roll with their lifestyle.
Just remember this, and it’s a biggie: work comes first. I’ve seen very bad things happen in bands due to companionship.
Notice that drugs didn’t make the list. Sorry, guys, neither Singdaptive or myself will be giving you a pass on that. No drugs. It never ends well. But hey, live your life; just be smart about it all – that’s being a rockstar in my book!
Jaime was a Musical Director, coaching voice and performance for Disney and wrote “Working With Your Voice: The Career Guide to Becoming a Professional Singer” (Alfred Publishing). As a session singer, she ‘jingled’ for Coke, Pillsbury, Folgers, Chevrolet, and hundreds more. She’s sung on thousands of live gigs (covers and original music) and toured for years with Leon Russell and Sam Moore. Jaime sang BGVs live and digitally with George Strait, Barbra Streisand, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Webb, Miley & Billy Ray Cyrus, Johnny Mathis, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Willie Nelson and others. She performed off-Broadway in “Search: Paul Clayton”, toured nationally with “Old Jews Telling Jokes” and presently coaches students in voice, performance, beginner guitar/piano, studio singing, songwriting and auditioning in NY, CT, LA, Nashville and virtually. For bookings: www.workingwithyourvoice.com
