The downfall of ronws - "Full Moon"

[ronws]

Of the songs I have posted in the singer forum that I go to, this received some of my harshest criticism to date.

Some stuff I posted, even I didn't like. I once posted a version of Skid Row's "I Remember You" that even I knew was crap and could not fix it. Repertoire is very important.

My friend, Keith, who I mentioned in another thread, does most of my post-recording mixing for me. He is a big fan of dramatic music. He suggested I do this song. For, I really do have the range for it.

Normally, I don't apologize or make excuses. But the criticisms were valid and it's important to acknowledge when I screw up (in oh, so many ways.)

I had never heard of this band or this song until Keith suggested I sing it. He sent me a backing track. Over a period of a week, I listened to youtube versions 3 times. Twice to the studio version. Here's a spoiler. Any studio album is autotuned. Trust me, I get that from industry pros I have studied. 3rd time was a live version where the singer, a baritone singing out of his range with incorrect technique, could not sing the high notes.

I did not have the lyrics memorized and was reading from a print-out. I recorded the song in sections for easier mixing but each section was the first and only take, recorded rapidly in succession, so, it still only took me about 5 minutes to record.

I was recording at the end of a very long work day. No rehearsal. I was improvising as I went. Because of no rehearsal, my intonation was off in a few places, which sounds like pitchiness, even though I was really on the note.

One critic, a self-appointed opera expert thought I lacked legato (smooth flow from note to note.) Though I find later he gets criticised because his legato is so dominate that he loses articulation of the lyrics. But legato is his big thing.

The other harsh critic is a baritone for whom this song means everything. He is admittedly jealous that I can sing this high with this much volume. And he absolutely feels that you should only sing this song if you sound like the original singer, which is impossible for me because I am not a baritone.

So, my mistakes were no preparation, recording while exhausted, and singing a song that was "holy writ" for someone else.

My friend, Keith, he thought I did pretty well considering that this was similar to sight-singing at a karaoke event in a bar. You and your half-drunk electrician friends suggest you get up and sing this off the teleprompter.

Let the hating begin.

"Full Moon" by Sonata Arctica, covered by me.

https://www.box.com/s/a6223d3692bd2df449dd

[ronws]

Another mistake I made was in trying to sound like the original singer. His voice is more oscuro. He is a dramatic baritone, as opposed to my light tenor. So, i sound odd in places, to me, trying to sound like something I am not.

I have been consulting with and getting advice from a classical opera coach. Normally, he won't say to words to someone who sings "rock" or "pop." He exclusively trains singers that wind up at the Met in NYC. And made an exception in my case. And he notes that I am a light tenor. Definitely, I should not sing songs for which my voice is not suited, which has nothing to do with range. In doing some of these rock songs, I am holding back my vibrato.

Often, we hear a song by the original artist and that becomes the standard or sound ideal for that song and we will automatically compare any other version to that. Coupled with that, I will always sing a song my way, and that also offends people. Recently, I recorded a portion of "Taking my Time" by Boston. I can sing anything Brad Delp did. But I changed the vocal line in a few inconsequential spots. I don't plan to do a full version of the song. It was really just a test song to play with my mixing abilities. Sent it to a friend that uses the same software to see if he knows any tips. He asked why I sang it this way or that way. My best and shortest reply was "because it was Sunday afternoon."

And if I sing it again, I will sing it differently, then. The only way to sing a song, in my book, is to sing it like you wrote it.

The classical coach I have been learning from gave the greatest advice. He said, don't be a rock singer, country singer, whatever singer. Be a singer. Your voice will guide you. And he is absolutely right. Many is the time I have tried to achieve a sound I have heard. But when I sing naturally for me, there is no strain and it comes out better.