We’ve all heard of a famous singer who is notorious for bad behaviour. Those bad habits didn’t stop them from becoming famous, so why should you worry about checking yourself?
Because you aren’t famous!
Musicians have a way of keeping files on everyone they’ve worked with, and if you get labelled as one who is “difficult,” you’ll find it’s nearly impossible to build your career.
If you want to make a good impression as a professional, try to avoid Mark Baxter’s top ten worst singer habits:
10. Poor skills.
It is fine to be a beginner, but that means you will only do well when you go after ‘beginner’ opportunities. Not acknowledging your skill level leads to uncomfortable and frustrating moments when you find yourself in over your head. Address your skill set before you pursue demanding projects. Do you have comfort and control when you sing? Do you have control over pitch, tone, volume and rhythm?
9. Constant nervous throat-clearing.
Mark admits it: he was a nervous throat clearer. You can hear the proof in his early demo recordings. A recent study says throat-clearing alternatives don’t work, and that clearing your throat is an effective way to move excess mucus from your airway. This means that you can’t and shouldn’t abolish all throat-clearing, but nervous throat-clearing, however is a different matter altogether.
8. A bad match.
Performing songs that are above your skill set or that you don’t like is a bad habit. This habit keeps Mark in business as a vocal coach. So many singers feel inadequate when actually they are capable of sounding great. The real reason they are not achieving the sounds they want is due to a mismatch between their personality and the song they are trying to sing, or between their personality and their band.
Worst singer habits #1 – 7 are in the podcast! Listen to the audio file above to make sure you avoid all ten!
What is Sing Better?
Sing Better is the podcast that let’s you power up your vocal development with legendary vocal coach, Mark Baxter. Mark gives you the insight you need on becoming a singer, earning money, vocal health, gear and technique. In this season, Mark will cover performance anxiety, song arrangements, how to stand out as a singer, and all the best and worst singer habits as well as how to get your former glory back after a long break from singing.
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Mark Baxter has worked as a coach with Aerosmith, Journey, Goo Goo Dolls — and many others. He is the author of The Rock-n-Roll Singer’s Survival Manual, creator of The Singer’s Toolbox instructional DVD, Sing Like an Idol instructional CD. Mark operates vocal studios in New York, Boston, Los Angeles and online via Skype.
