How does a song become reality?

How does a song become reality?

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Discussion

MitchT

Original Poster:

16,756 posts

224 months

Monday 12th May
quotequote all
The OH has decided she wants to start writing songs. Bit random, I know! She's signed up for a songwriting course but doesn't sing or play an instrument - she just wants to write the words. How would something like this work in terms of the words becoming a finished song? Neither her nor I have any contacts in the music industry, so we wouldn't have a clue how to go about finding a singer, though I do produce electronic music for fun in my spare time and would love to create backing tracks for original songs.

I imagine, in reality, a songwriter would be able to play and sing, even if it were badly, such that they could provide a rough demo to a professional singer and producer to turn into a polished piece of work. I've also heard of some artists having a workflow that involves someone creating a backing track and a songer/writer adding the vocals afterwards.

In our case, however, there'd need to be three of us - my OH writing the words, a singer singing them and me doing the music.

Be interested to hear from anyone here who knows more how it might work and how on earth you find a singer.

dave_s13

13,914 posts

284 months

Monday 12th May
quotequote all
Like anything, it's probably possible. But with
-No ability to sing
-No ability to play an instrument
-No industry contacts

It might be a limited income stream.

A nice way to pass some time though, if you've got a literary/poetic mind it's not a bad way to flex that part of your brain.

MitchT

Original Poster:

16,756 posts

224 months

Monday 12th May
quotequote all
Income isn't a consideration. I'm 50 and I've been making electronic music since I was in my teens. I haven't made a penny and I don't care. I just do what I want to do and sod being commercially successful. I have a good job to pay the bills. My OH's position is the same. We just want to do it for fun. The main question was one of how to find a singer to collaborate with.

Robertb

2,735 posts

253 months

Tuesday 13th May
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Is there a local music Facebook group or somesuch?

Anyone else on the course who might be interested in a collaboration?

Local recording studios/rehearsal rooms usually have ads up, of musicians looking for roles.

You could always pay a session singer, but that may not be what you're looking for.

MitchT

Original Poster:

16,756 posts

224 months

Wednesday 14th May
quotequote all
Just looking for a fun/hobby collab really.

Me and a mate were once looking for a singer to work with on a track and thought it would be good to contact a girl we'd seen in the local paper... collaborate and share the spoils if it made any money. No! The fee she wanted was comical for someone whose only claim to fame was a column in the local rag about how she hoped to get a record deal with her song. You'd have thought she was Maria Carey the opinion she had of herself! Ended up picking someone up at a karaoke bar!

98elise

29,838 posts

176 months

Wednesday 14th May
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How about a local performing arts school?

My daughter did ballet and singing for many years and they had some quite good performers who went on to become professionals (cruise ships etc).

The only issue is the whole police checks and chaperone aspects when dealing with youngsters.

MitchT

Original Poster:

16,756 posts

224 months

Wednesday 14th May
quotequote all
The OH and I are both DBS checked because of our jobs so working with someone younger shouldn't be an issue, other than the hassle for a chaperone for the sake of something that's just a bit of fun. Wouldn't want a hopeful parent thinking their 15 year old daughter is about to become the next Taylor Swift and then writing to the Daily Mail about how they were conned!

GetCarter

30,184 posts

294 months

Sunday 18th May
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O/P... to find a singer just contact the M.U.

Just a warning, the last time I tried to employ a singer for a 15 minute session for £460 + costs, she said she wouldn't get out of bed for that sort of money.

Funny bunch, singers. I get the best guitarists and drummers for that money, and we go to the pub after!

Chicken Chaser

8,502 posts

239 months

Sunday 18th May
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I have no commercial experience but could you not find someone like minded (maybe older) who just wants to sing for the enjoyment of it and if there's any money in it, then it's a bonus?

Id also be interested in hearing from OP or anyone else who wants to share their soundcloud or Spotify on here. I dabble with electronic/ambient but to date it's all recorded on an MPC and none of it is online.