Singers - Pitch Problems Solved!

If you're a singer who has been told you have 'pitch problems', my Lawrence Vocal System offers a simple solution! Take a look at my newest article on Muse's Muse in my Viva La Voice column on how to get on pitch and start singing with confidence!

Living On In Your Music - The Passing of a Friend

I'm very sad to tell you that my friend, Phyllis Molinary (lyricist for 'Here's To Life") died today due to complications with emphysema in Los Angeles. She was such a great lyricist who always knew her craft. I lived with her when we both came to Las Vegas in 1989, and she has remained a friend and fellow artist through the years.

I am sad today because Phyllis represents so many writers/musicians who spend their whole lives working at their craft, out of love, but may never really see monetary gains from all their efforts. There are so many talented people out there who never get the recognition they deserve, and it always amazes me that we artists will go through hell and back; endure relentless rejection; and see others profit from our efforts; and still we remain true to our Artist's Path.

So it is with love and respect that I say goodbye to my talented friend Phyllis, knowing that her hard work, dedication, and love for her music will live on in the lyrics she leaves behind.

Do You Know What You're Singing About?

Make sure that you are prepared before you take the stage to sing!  That may sound elementary, but many times singers don't do the work that's necessary to really connect with their audience.  Specifically, I mentor my clients on the importance of breaking down the  lyrics for every song you're going to sing so that you know EXACTLY what the song is about; what the feeling is you want to impart to your audience; and what commonality you'll share with your audience when singing your songs.

What is it in your songs that people in your audience can relate to?  A lost love, a new love; triumph over a challenge?  Break down each verse, each chorus, each line so that you know exactly what the meaning is underneath the lyric.  Understanding the subtext of your lyrics is a big job and requires that a singer does their homework!  Knowing what you're singing about may seem simple, but many singers omit this crucial step.  It's not enough to be a good singer; you've got to be a great storyteller.

Remembering Michael Jackson

  

After seeing "This Is It" I was left with conflicted feelings and an overall sadness.  in the film, Michael Jackson is both brilliant, and at times, artistically incoherent.  At 50 he is still a more talented dancer than the  ensemble cast 1/2 his age.  He  was mesmerizing, yet failed to connect with his audience on an authentic level.  In life he was meek and soft spoken, while onstage he was a raging tornado of ambiguous, androgenus sex.  Beloved as a child megastar, we watched him morph into  a ghoulish character; fragile and troubled, who had legions of sycophants, but not a single trusted friend near him when he died.  He was a driven perfectionist, putting himself on a self-proclaimed 'King of Pop' pedestal from which he was doomed to fall.  Icons like Michael Jackson are destined to self-destruct because they simply can't live up to an inflated image that is never supported by a fulfilled, and filled life.

Looking at Michael Jackson's last swan song  was bittersweet, for not only did we see, after many years absence, a trendsetting artist making a remarkable comeback, but we witnessed the end of a life, the stilling of a voice that made us dance as we grew up together.  We look at 'Stars' and think that they have everything.  Michael Jackson was just another in a long line of megastars that were caught in an existence without grounded reality or inner substance.   Watching MJ, I couldn't help but mourn that darling, sparkling little boy who had such a bright future ahead of him., but who instead became a victim of the isolation and darkness that so often comes with fame.  I'm choosing to remember Michael as that uncorrupted kid, still fresh and untainted by a dream gone wrong.

Cult Status for my Musical!

"Marilyn, An American Fable" - the musical I co-wrote with Norman Thalheimer (with Kenny Ortega making his Broadway directorial debut) was named "a cult musical" by a reader/member of BroadwayWorld.com! Cult status....is that a good or a bad thing??!!!!

Veteran Songwriter Scores Barbra Streisand!

Here's a flash - DON'T EVER GIVE UP YOUR DREAMS!

My dear friend, Phyllis Molinary just got a cut on Barbra Streisand's new CD, with her classic song "Here's To Life". It was written with Artie Butler, who wrote lovely music, but it's really Phyllis' enduring lyric that makes the song.

Phyllis is a veteran songwriter who used to teach songwriting in L.A., and really knows her craft. Through the years she's written some great songs, gotten some cuts, and missed some big ones (welcome to the music business!). How thrilled I am that after all these years, she's scored A BIG ONE. You can't get much bigger than Streisand.

So, don't give up! Keep living your passion even when it's difficult, frustrating and sometimes unrewarding. I believe that the reward is knowing that you hung in there, did your best, and were true to your artistic vision. Okay, so that's idealistic, but as artists, what else do we have but Idealism and Optimism? Aren't those the hallmark of a creative visionary? As Phyllis' lyric aptly puts it

'No complaints and no regrets, I still believe in chasing dreams and placing bets, but I have learned that all you give is what you get'.

If my friend, Ms. Molinary ever dreamed of icing on her lyricist cake, this is it. For all you artists out there waiting for your own double fudge frosting, I say ''Go for it! Live your dream! Here's to Life!'

Just Plain Folks Music Award Nomination!!

I've got exciting news - my song, 'My Heart's An Open Door' (co-written by Norman Thalheimer, and from the musical 'Marilyn An American Fable') was nominated for a Just Plain Folks music award in the Cabaret category! It's featured on the CD 'Flash' with the inventor of the EWI, musical genius Nyle Steiner. Awards are in Nashville this month!!