Matthew Edwards - So You Want to Sing Rock N Roll: A Guide for Professionals

So You Want to Sing Rock n Roll

So You Want to Sing

A Guide for Professionals

A Project of the National Association of Teachers of Singing

So You Want to Sing: A Guide for Professionals is a series of works devoted to providing a complete survey of what it means to sing within a particular genre. Each contribution functions as a touchstone work for not only professional singers, but students and teachers of singing. Titles in the series offer a common set of topics so readers can navigate easily the various genres addressed in each volume. This series is produced under the direction of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the leading professional organization devoted to the science and art of singing.

So You Want to Sing Music Theater: A Guide for Professionals , by Karen S. Hall, 2013.

So You Want to Sing Rock n Roll: A Guide for Professionals , by Matthew Edwards, 2014.

So You Want to Sing Rock n Roll

A Guide for Professionals

Matthew Edwards

Allen Henderson

Executive Editor, NATS

A Project of the National Association of

Teachers of Singing

Rowman & Littlefield

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

www.rowman.com

16 Carlisle Street, London W1D 3BT, United Kingdom

Copyright 2014 by Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Edwards, Matthew, 1979, author

So you want to sing Rock n Roll : a guide for professionals / Matthew Edwards.

pages cm. (So you want to sing)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4422-3193-1 (pbk. : alk. paper) ISBN 978-1-4422-3194-8 (ebook)

1. SingingInstruction and study. 2. Rock musicInstruction and study. I. Title.

MT820.E38 2014

783'.066143dc23

2014016172

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise noted, illustrations in the book are courtesy of the author.

Note that Somatic Voicework is a trademark of Jeannette LoVetri and the Voice Workshop, New York.

To Jackie and Everett, this is Your Song. Thank you for a wonderful life.

Foreword

S o You Want to Sing Rock n Roll: A Guide for Professionals , the second of the So You Want to Sing series, is simply a marvel. Whether you are a skeptical (with good reason) beginning or experienced rock singer, a classical voice teacher, a coach, or something else, I can guarantee you will find yourself clinging to every word in this book. Why? That was my experience as series editor for the project while reading and editing Matt Edwards outstanding work. Whatever your goals or reasons for purchasing this book, you will become enlightened and educated about rock singing in ways you simply couldnt imagine. Its an exciting and fun ride!

I cant think of a better choice than Matt to write this book. His journey started in high school when he began singing in rock bands and participated in theater classes. Matt took a detour during college, where he studied and performed classical music when no other training options were available. During his college years, he came back to his rock roots. While studying classical singing, he continued to teach, as a graduate assistant, mostly music minors who were interested in singing contemporary commercial music (CCM), and there were many rock singers among them. He quickly realized the classical techniques he taught them for juries were not helping them and were not appropriate for the CCM music they wanted and were singing outside of lessons. At this point, he began experimenting with his own rock singing and helping his students learn singing techniques appropriate to contemporary genres. As a coach, he also quickly realized the impact that audio enhancement played in rock singings final product.

Matt has worked with passion, drive, and dedication on this important project. His knowledge is impressive, and his writing clear and engaging with plenty of humor. While it may be difficult to teach how to sing in a book, Matt comes as close as possible to achieving just that.

I believe that in this important series we will make many important discoveries about how to teach singing in new ways. You will find a treasure trove of information waiting for you in Matts book. I am extremely proud to have him as part of the project and feel very lucky to work with him. I learned a tremendous amount reading his work, and I predict you will too!

Karen Hall

Series Editor

Acknowledgments

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

Thomas A. Edison

T here are so many people to thank for all of the experiences that have led to the knowledge that informs my lifes work. Mom, I cannot thank you enough for all of the music lessons, rides to rehearsals, meals on the go, and countless hours of noise-making that you endured. Dad, when I was twelve you told me that if I wanted to buy more music gear I needed to start mowing yards to pay for it. That was one of the best things you ever did for me. You taught me to work for what I wanted and that success in life does not come easy. To my brothers, Nathan and Steven, thanks for all the jam sessions and memories. To the best in-laws anyone could ask for, John and Noreen Zito, thank you for always being there and for all of your support. I want to thank my teachers Beverley Rinaldi, Kay Griffel, Gary Race, Paul Transue, and Peter Sicilian for sharing their knowledge and love of teaching with me. To Jeanie LoVetri, thank you for teaching me to teach and sharing your knowledge with me. You continue to be a source of inspiration to this day, and I am eternally grateful for all you have taught me. Id also like to thank the following:

• My voice department colleagues at Shenandoah University: Kathryn Green, David Meyer, Karen Keating, Aim Sposato, Michael Forest, Medea Namoradze, Byron Jones, Phillip Sargent, Lucy Hoyt, Edrie Means Weekly, Margaret Brooks, and Amy Call-Murray
• My theater department colleagues: Tom Albert, Carolyn Coulson, Will Ingham, Kirsten Trump, Mac Bozman, and J. J. Ruscella
• My CCM Voice Pedagogy Institute colleagues: Ed Reisert, Tom Arduini, Marcelle Gauvin, and Robert Doyle
• Dean Michael Stepniak for his ongoing support and visionary leadership
• President Tracy Fitzsimmons for all that she does for the students at Shenandoah University and her continued support for our work in the conservatory
• To my students past and presentyou have taught me more than you know, and I am honored to have worked with each and every one of you

To all of my friends who supported me and believed in my work when others questioned why we need to teach rock singers as rock singers, thank you. I particularly want to thank Mark Jones, Jan and Shannon DeAngelo, Chuck and Angie Bush, Adam and Airicia Holcomb, Mandy and Jerrad Holloway, Maria Aimionotis, and Christian Maire. Jonathan Flom, thank you for being my partner in crime in the music theater department at SU. If it were not for Jonathan and his vision for the program, my position at Shenandoah University would not exist. There is no one I would rather co-teach with and nowhere else I would rather be.