Tips on diversifying (?) my performance

[juliamontgomerymusic]

Soo...

I performed this a while back for a comptetion - and I feel like it was a little static. Does anyone have any specific tips on diversifying my performances?

Or any tips of comments at all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXlkgrrJzRI&list=UL

Thanks!!

Julia

[MDEW]

Julia,

I do not have any technical advice but if you find a groove and move your body while you sing it will trasfer into your entire performance. When you hear this song on the radio or your mp3 player do you move to the the music? If so incorporate that into your singing. This will help add enegy to you songs.

[juliamontgomerymusic]

MDEW,

Thanks. That's definitely a good tip and something I will take into account for future performances

Julia

[Guest]

I disagree with MDEW. No offense there bud

Not that he has a bad idea, I just think in this instance it isn't the problem nor do i think it would work. I am considering that the video recording is taking away a little from the performance so just keep that in mind.

IMO the problem is the song. You seem to sing well from what I can hear, but the song is boring. The guitar strumming (especially on the breaks where there is no vocal) is just going "bum bum bum bum bum..."

There is no texture, no interest, no peaks and valleys. The only change is when you go to falsetto but it's too little too late.

I really don't know how much you can do with the tune and I don't see how you can groove to it.

maybe you can spice up the rhythm and play with the phrasing vocally. Highs and lows, strong then light etc.

I mean it sounds like a nice song but not much of a performance song. It's more a sit down, tea hose song.

Just my humble opinion :)

[MDEW]

No offence taken Tommy. I was thinking finding a groove to move to in the original song would help her find a different rythm to play on the guitar. When you get that groove going you tend add more dynamics without even thinking about it.

Edit, I listened closer. You wrote this song correct? If so the melody is good. Tommy is correct about the guitar playing. It does not fit the way it is, but that can be corrected. Songs are like children. They change and grow. Song writers are constantly changing the way they approach a song.

I watched an interview with REO speedwagon. The singer had a song that he would pull out on a few recording sessions and it just didn't work the way it was. They tried a classical approach. they tried a country approach. they tried a rock approach. It just did not come together. Then one day they came across the song again. They had two of the trial recordings that ended up being in the same speed and tempo. Out of curiocity they started mixing the two together. Long story short It Worked the song was now complete. It also made it to the top of the charts.

You do have a good song there. When I listen to you sing I can sway with the melody but it does not fit with the guitar.

That being said. If I were you I would sing this song without the guitar for a while. The melody does have groove to it. Tap your foot or swing your hips or whatever you do when you are enjoying a song. Finding a groove that you can "dance to" will also help keep the tempo consistant. It will help smooth out the phrasing to.

After that then work on getting your guitar playing in line with the groove of the song.

[Adoney]

My personal advice from experience performing...

You can play the most boring song on the planet, it does not matter. What matters is the attitude of your performance. You need to include body motions, and power of whatever emotions in your singing. The more you appear into the music, the more your audience will be into the music.

Half of it's the sound, the other half is the show.

One more note to add to that...

The more goofy you are, the better. If you are confident in yourself, the audience will naturally pick up on that confidence and be there with you, so you need to go all-out... or don't go at all.

[Guest]

Well as you guys are saying. Showing emotion in the song or changing the approach. That all plays into what I was saying. If you want to get into the song physically it will have to match the music. If the music doesn't move neither will you. Sure you can move to anything, and add some attitude but you will still have to alter the song delivery somehow. Otherwise it's like playing elevator music to a high speed chase scene in a movie. A mismatch.

[MDEW]

I agree with you Tommy. Attitude and movement WILL change the music and the delivery. If you are providing the music also.

The guitar as it is is not fitting. She knows it is not fitting. Julia said it felt static. It felt static because she is not feeling a groove. You have to feel a groove to transmit a groove.

Once you get that feeling for the song you will start playing it a little different. The music will change and the delivery will change.