One of the tips I have for these New Year “Resolutionaries” is to build up your vocal stamina. Begin 20-30 minutes of rehearsal time each day for a couple of weeks then begin to add more time in your daily rehearsal time as your voice allows without becoming super fatigued or hoarse. Be sure to drink plenty of water and get voice rest daily to help maintain a healthy voice.

As the Artist is embarking on this journey in the New Year it is important to set goals that are obtainable and in line with your current abilities. Major Artists may decide to begin writing songs or selecting songs for the next project that challenge their vocal range and spread their wings to new style creations which can tax the voice in the process. Voice rest daily is so important during this development stage.

A New Artist that is pursuing a singing career needs to begin the year with goals, such as setting daily rehearsal time, daily songwriting time, and time to research venues to perform. Networking is one of the biggest aids for a New Artist’s goals.

Artists who have been pursuing a singing career and already singing venues may have made resolutions to make this their year to shine and move closer to their goals, such as recording EP’s to show management or independent and major labels. Again daily rehearsal is the key for success in this year of work, everything will fall into place, but I have seen Artists who did not buckle down on developing the talent to a more competitive place during the EP and shopping process that did not perform well when the doors opened and lost some opportunities. Daily rehearsal is very important in this phase of an Artist’s career.

The key to all New Year resolutions is to set the goals, rehearse daily, network, and maintain a healthy voice.

In this world of searching for good musicians, songwriters, and artists, reality television has become a conduit for the music industry. I’ve worked with many artists who have decided that their career path was to audition for a television talent search show. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with several artists who’ve made it onto these shows.

My advice to anyone preparing their auditions is to find songs that represent the melodic range and the lyric content that would best describe who you are as an Artist. I recommend watching the shows frequently and making sure to look for characteristics that represent you in these shows. Make sure to demonstrate these characteristics in your auditions.

If you make it to a second audition, if allowed, keep the same songs you sang in the first round. These songs need to be your strength. Do not use anything that you don’t know well. If you make it to the rounds before the final cut, make sure you have an attorney look over any paperwork you have been given. When you make it onto the show, my words are “Congratulations!” Make sure you warm up your voice daily, drink lots of water, and get as much rest as possible. Check out my Vocal Builder DVD Series for great warm up tips. Relax, work hard, and enjoy your destiny!