Renee Grant-Williams
American TV audiences can’t seem to get enough of the phenomenally successful show known as American Idol, but noted vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams could do with a little less of the show’s over-the-top vocal performances, which she describes as “painfully loud and meaningless over-singing.” Grant-Williams, one of the nation’s leading voice experts and coach to some of the music industry’s biggest stars, points to this week’s duet by a former guest judge and partner as a prime example.
“By shamelessly over-singing, Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas managed to destroy what might otherwise have been a perfectly decent song,” Grant-Williams says. “Their performance was over-loud, over-ornamented, mutually over-competitive and ultimately banal. The lyrics to “Make a Wave,” written by Scott Krippayne and Jeffrey D. Peabody, are very positive and send a very powerful message. However, these two singers obscured the words so badly by over-singing, that I had to look up the lyrics to see what they were actually saying. The very essence of a song is to touch the listener by conveying a message of some kind. That’s difficult to do when no one can get a grip on the melody or understand what’s being said.”
Grant-Williams feels these non-verbal squiggles should be there for one reason only – to emphasize the powerful emotion of the song. “When a singer ornaments, it should be because, at that moment, the singer’s emotions are running so high that words will not suffice; the singer is only capable of a visceral response too powerful to put into mere words.”
She also feels that singers she encounters are increasingly belting out songs to the point where words don’t matter. “We seem to be caught up in an epidemic of loud,” she says. “Singing should be more subtle than just slinging a lot of voice around. If you sing with a thundering voice, you sacrifice the honesty, intimacy, and integrity of music. Yet, this style is presented to millions of TV viewers as desirable.”
“You just don’t hear the level of ear-splitting over-singing in Australia and other places like you do here in America,” says Grant-Williams, who recently returned from a sold-out teaching-tour of Australia. Observations she made during tours in Europe and South America confirm that this phenomenon is especially prevalent in the United States. “I’m convinced it’s due in part to the tremendous influence in the US of talent shows where over-singing is rewarded. I still think America has the best singers on the planet. They just need to bring down the volume and focus on the words and the emotions. I’m determined to do what I can to curb these phenomenon before they get out of hand.”
Grant-Williams has as few simple suggestions to help singers get back to the basics of good singing:
1. A song is a one-way conversation, a singer must be very intimate with the words.
2. Singing should be like speaking with the audience, there’s no need to yell.
3. Use consonants and silence to indicate the most important words of the song.
4. Use inflection sparingly as you would use spices, too much will ruin the song.
Grant-Williams coaches aspiring performers as well as celebrities including Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Miley Cyrus, Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, Christina Aguilera, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis, and Huey Lewis. She is a former instructor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as well as the former director of the Division of Vocal Music at the University of California, Berkeley. For more information visit www.myvoicecoach.com.
Warner Bros. Nashville Adds Sussman
/by contributorJensen Sussman
Warner Music Nashville has announced the addition of Jensen Sussman to the company’s publicity team as Associate Director, effective April 16. A former Associate Director, Media for Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records Nashville, Sussman most recently headed her own publicity firm, Sweet Talk Publicity.
At Sony, Sussman handled publicity for artists including Gretchen Wilson, Jessica Simpson, Montgomery Gentry, Miranda Lambert, Keith Anderson and Caitlin & Will. Prior to that, she was Manager of Publicity at Equity Music Group (EMG), where she worked with artists including Little Big Town, Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Mark Wills. Sussman’s Sweet Talk clients included Allison Kaplan, Rink Entertainment, Susan G.Komen For The Cure Greater Nashville Affiliate, Women Rock For The Cure, Brandon Rhyder, Bucky Covington, Lee Brice and the Josh Abbott Band.
Tin Pan South Ready to Roll
/by contributor(clockwise from top left) Marc Broussard, Jim Peterik, Ides Of March, Steel Magnolia, Trace Adkins and Jeffrey Steele
The 18th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival is just around the corner, and if you haven’t yet signed up, now is the time. NSAI has announced a limited-time special offer through its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NSAIofficial. The promotion is available for two days only (9 a.m. CT Friday, March 26, through 9 a.m. CT Sunday, March 28).
Starting on Tuesday, March 30 and running through Saturday, April 3, the NSAI-produced festival is billed as “the world’s largest all-songwriter festival.” More than 300 songwriters from a variety of genres will perform over 70 shows at venues including The Bluebird Café, Douglas Corner, Edgehill Studios, the Hard Rock Café, the Listening Room, the Rutledge, the Station Inn and 3rd & Lindsley. Over 9,000 music fans attended the event last year. Among this year’s featured headliners are Louisiana’s Marc Broussard, ‘60s
hitmakers Ides Of March (“Vehicle”), country stars Trace Adkins and Steel Magnolia and Nashville favorite Jeffrey Steele.
Festival Fast Access Passes allow fans to attend any and all shows throughout the five-day event and are available here. Pass holders enter festival venues first, while single show attendees are required to wait for available space.
Shows begin at 6 PM and 9 PM Tuesday through Thursday; 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM Friday and Saturday. Click here to check out the full lineup. Schedule is subject to change. For up-to-the-minute news, follow www.twitter.com/NSAIofficial.
Grant-Williams Bemoans Over-Singing Epidemic
/by contributorRenee Grant-Williams
American TV audiences can’t seem to get enough of the phenomenally successful show known as American Idol, but noted vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams could do with a little less of the show’s over-the-top vocal performances, which she describes as “painfully loud and meaningless over-singing.” Grant-Williams, one of the nation’s leading voice experts and coach to some of the music industry’s biggest stars, points to this week’s duet by a former guest judge and partner as a prime example.
“By shamelessly over-singing, Demi Lovato and Joe Jonas managed to destroy what might otherwise have been a perfectly decent song,” Grant-Williams says. “Their performance was over-loud, over-ornamented, mutually over-competitive and ultimately banal. The lyrics to “Make a Wave,” written by Scott Krippayne and Jeffrey D. Peabody, are very positive and send a very powerful message. However, these two singers obscured the words so badly by over-singing, that I had to look up the lyrics to see what they were actually saying. The very essence of a song is to touch the listener by conveying a message of some kind. That’s difficult to do when no one can get a grip on the melody or understand what’s being said.”
Grant-Williams feels these non-verbal squiggles should be there for one reason only – to emphasize the powerful emotion of the song. “When a singer ornaments, it should be because, at that moment, the singer’s emotions are running so high that words will not suffice; the singer is only capable of a visceral response too powerful to put into mere words.”
She also feels that singers she encounters are increasingly belting out songs to the point where words don’t matter. “We seem to be caught up in an epidemic of loud,” she says. “Singing should be more subtle than just slinging a lot of voice around. If you sing with a thundering voice, you sacrifice the honesty, intimacy, and integrity of music. Yet, this style is presented to millions of TV viewers as desirable.”
“You just don’t hear the level of ear-splitting over-singing in Australia and other places like you do here in America,” says Grant-Williams, who recently returned from a sold-out teaching-tour of Australia. Observations she made during tours in Europe and South America confirm that this phenomenon is especially prevalent in the United States. “I’m convinced it’s due in part to the tremendous influence in the US of talent shows where over-singing is rewarded. I still think America has the best singers on the planet. They just need to bring down the volume and focus on the words and the emotions. I’m determined to do what I can to curb these phenomenon before they get out of hand.”
Grant-Williams has as few simple suggestions to help singers get back to the basics of good singing:
1. A song is a one-way conversation, a singer must be very intimate with the words.
2. Singing should be like speaking with the audience, there’s no need to yell.
3. Use consonants and silence to indicate the most important words of the song.
4. Use inflection sparingly as you would use spices, too much will ruin the song.
Grant-Williams coaches aspiring performers as well as celebrities including Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Miley Cyrus, Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, Christina Aguilera, Linda Ronstadt, Randy Travis, and Huey Lewis. She is a former instructor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as well as the former director of the Division of Vocal Music at the University of California, Berkeley. For more information visit www.myvoicecoach.com.
Dierks Bentley Sings For Clean Water
/by contributorThe largest worldwide water initiative on record to help combat the global water crisis, the Dow Live Earth Run for Water is a series of 6km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water), culminating with water education villages and live musical performances.
On April 18, the events will take place in 100 cities across 50 countries around the world to raise awareness and funds. Rob Thomas, Melissa Etheridge, Pete Wentz, Angelique Kidjo, environmental advocate Alexandra Cousteau, track stars Carl Lewis and Kara Goucher and tri-athlete Jenny Fletcher are among the celebrities who will support the events. Additional artist announcements for events taking place in Chicago and New York are coming soon.
Funds raised from the events will benefit Global Water Challenge, a coalition of non profit organizations working to bring clean, safe drinking water to millions of people worldwide. This includes innovative projects that provide clean drinking water to communities in Haiti, Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.
“The money raised from these events will help thousands of people in the developing world get access to clean drinking water. We look forward to investing these funds and impacting lives.” said Paul Faeth, President of Global Water Challenge.
You can find more information about the Dow Live Earth Run for Water here.
Mark Weiss Joins Ten Ten
/by contributorMark Weiss
Ten Ten Music Group has announced the appointment of Mark Weiss as the company’s Director of Business Affairs. A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Weiss’ previous industry experience includes stints at 615 Music, Scarlet Moon Music, Harlan Howard Songs, and the RCA Label Group.
“Mark’s wide range of experience in Nashville, International Publishing, and the Film & TV industry makes him a great addition to maximize business with our very active catalog,” says Ten Ten Music Co-President Barry Coburn.
“I’m so glad we now have the opportunity of having Mark’s expertise at Ten Ten,” added Jewel Coburn, Ten Ten Music Co-President.
“Country Boys” Donate a Blessing
/by contributor“We are proud to host the kick-off of this concert series,” says Kendall Wall, General Manager of the Florence Civic Center. The generosity of these country artists donating their time and talent for such a worthy cause is inspirational. We are looking forward to a great night of country music.”
The Country Boys include John Michael Montgomery, Bucky Covington, Flynnville Train, Dustin Wilkes and additional artists at various cities.
“We are encouraging other recording artists to join in our effort,” says Thomas Hammond Sr., founder of The Donate a Blessing Foundation. “We feel passionate about raising as much money for this relief effort as possible and have an electric concert series, too.”
People can support the cause by attending the live shows or by texting BLESS to 85944 to give a $5 donation which is automatically billed to the cell phone bill.
Reba Keeps On Going Gold
/by contributor“It is always a thrill to get a Gold record,” says the singer. “I have been blessed to get to record some great songs from great songwriters and then go into the studio and work with great producers and musicians. My Valory team, led by Scott Borchetta, have played a huge role in the success of this CD.”
All eyes were on Reba when she made the move to an independent label,” says Valory Music Co. President & CEO Borchetta. “It’s very gratifying that Reba and the Valory team have not only hit the initial goals but we have exceeded them with her first-ever #1 Billboard Top 200 album debut and her longest-to-date #1 single, ‘Consider Me Gone.'”
With the success of “Consider Me Gone,” Reba, who is currently celebrating her 14th ACM Top Female Vocalist nomination, joins Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Gretchen Wilson as the only female country artists to log more than three weeks at No. 1 in the past 10 years. Filmed recently in Los Angeles, the music video for “I Keep On Loving You” features generations of Reba and her husband’s families and friends as well as The Young & The Restless stars Tracey Bregman Recht and Christian LeBlanc. You can check the video below.
Gretchen Wilson Prominent on iTunes
/by contributorGretchen Wilson’s fourth studio album, I Got Your Country Right Here, is set to hit stores on Tuesday, March 30, but fans of the Redneck Woman can pre-order the 11-cut album from iTunes now (for a nice $10 price).
i-Tunes is giving the album some premium billing, featuring it on its Music Main Page and on the Country Page. The CD is also being featured in the pre-order section on both pages of the popular digital music site.
Fans in the U.S. and Canada can access the CD directly at:
U.S. http://itunes.apple.com/us/preorder/i-got-your-country-right-here/id361326735
Canada: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/preorder/i-got-your-country-right-here/id361326735
Wilson’s “Work Hard, Play Harder” single has already gone Top 30 on the national country charts, and the corresponding music video is in rotation at CMT Pure, CMT, GAC and a host of other regional and local video shows and video pools. Check out the “Work Hard, Play Harder” below.
Martina’s Fan Base Gets Involved
/by contributorMyspace.com and McBride recently teamed up to give fans the chance to karaoke for the singer. The competition allows fans to belt out songs from Shine, including her current Top 20 single, “Wrong, Baby, Wrong,” as well as familiar classics, including “This One’s For The Girls.” Myspace.com will narrow down the entries to 20 and McBride will pick the winner, who gets travel and accommodations to check out the Shine All Night tour stop in Altanta, GA on May 1. Fans can log on to http://ksolo.myspace.com/music/Martina-McBride to give it their best shot.
Non-singing fans can follow the singer on Twitter for more ticket giveaways. McBride gives fans the chance to win tickets for each show via a Twitter scavenger hunt. She personally hides the tickets with a hand-written note on the day of the show and the hunt begins. McBride tweets clues for the location of the tickets until they are found. Winners are encouraged to tweet a photo of themselves with the tickets.
“The Twitter ticket hunt is a really fun way to connect with the fans in each city and we have a blast doing it,” says McBride. “I tweet the clues myself so it’s really cool to see the winners in the front row. Sometimes they even bring the envelope and wave and say thanks!”
“Martina Moments” have been taking fans “behind the curtain” since May 2009 and the fun continues this week as fans get a backstage look at how McBride prepares for her show with the “Dance Party” episode. It becomes available today (3/25) at www.MartinaMcBride.com. Other moments, including a visit to McBride’s hometown, McBride onstage with Kid Rock and behind the scenes at the video shoot for “Wrong, Baby, Wrong” can be found on her site as well, with new moments being added weekly.
The Book Wars—Chapter One Reading Between The Lines
/by adminAmazon’s latest move has been to make its book content readable on devices in addition to the kindle. Just this week they released software that makes Kindle books readable on Mac computers. Other hardware that already had software to read Kindle books inclues the iPhone, Blackberry and many PCs.
To date, research shows baby boomers and middle aged women appear to be the most fervent adopters of the new digital book reading formats. Additional players in the digital book space include Sony, Barnes & Noble, Plastic Logic, Microsoft and Google. Apple’s iBookstore platform has the advantage of being part of its iTunes store which consumers understand and enjoy using. However, the iPad’s book-reading experience is still an unknown, leaving the book market balance of power a mystery novel yet to be written.