The Professional Singer's Handbook: The Complete Guidebook for Becoming a Successful Singer [Paperback]

Gloria Rusch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1998

This book realistically prepares a singer for life in the world of professional music. Author Gloria Rusch gives candid advice on topics including: getting started, finding a vocal coach, defining one's voice, learning correct breathing, conquering stage fright, microphone techniques, connecting with an audience, common vocal ailments, recording studio pointers, finding a band, landing a record deal, and much more. The book includes extensive interviews with Kevon Edmonds of the group After 7, stage and television producer Ken Kragen, Janis Siegel of Manhattan Transfer, multi-platinum songwriter Andy Goldmark, and other knowledgeable session singers, sound engineers, and arrangers. 212 pages, 9" x 12"

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0793588510
• ISBN-13: 978-0793588510
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,395,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for the aspiring professional, April 21, 2000

By 

macandjack - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Professional Singer's Handbook: The Complete Guidebook for Becoming a Successful Singer (Paperback)

Gloria Rusch's book "The Professional Singer's Handbook" is a must for anyone seriously pursuing a career as a singer. It addresses all the questions that the average singer with a dream wonders about. The music industry is such a mystical unknown for those of us dreaming of becoming part of it. So often we are left to trial and error to discover the road to success by falling in our own potholes (and many of us are left in the ditch, downtrodden and discouraged). Gloria speaks to the reader as though she is speaking to one of her own students, taking an active interest in seeing you succeed and laying the truth out on the line when you need it. She discusses topics such as how to know if you have what it takes, selecting a vocal coach, stage presence and how to develop it, how to stay healthy including specific remedies when you need to sing sick, how to select microphones and equipment, the difference between singing live and singing in a studio and how to be successful at each, as well as the business side of the business--selecting a manager (when to and how to), the ins-and-outs of getting a record deal, different ways to make money with your voice and who to contact when you're ready, etc. Gloria also recommends other books she found helpful as she made her way in the industry which will explore specific topics in more detail. Finally, the book includes interviews with other successful people in the industry from singers to managers, songwriters, producers, etc--all aimed at helping the reader "make it". Gloria speaks in a very down-to-earth manner that anyone can relate to and understand. After reading this book, I felt I had a handful of friends in the industry willing to give me a chance. I found myself mesmerized, absorbing her information like a sponge, thinking "so THAT'S how you go about it!" This book doesn't go into super-specific detail about each subject, but it gives you a solid foundation with specific instruction on where to go next. The perfect foundation to help you CREATE your own success rather than waiting to be one of the lucky few who magically get "discovered". As I said in the first line, this book is a must-read for anyone serious about making it as a singer.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading for Singers who Mean Business!, December 3, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Professional Singer's Handbook: The Complete Guidebook for Becoming a Successful Singer (Paperback)

This book is a great introduction to what it takes to be successful as a professional singer. Covers topics such as:

*Getting Started as a Singer *Finding the Right Vocal Coach *Handling Breathing Problems *Improving Vocal Technique *Improving Microphone Technique *Improving Musicianship *Knowing and Captivating Your Audience *Choosing the Right Microphone *Find a Band *Working in a Recording Studio *Getting a Record Deal *Dealing With Record Companies

The last third of the book contains interviews and advice from successful recording artists, producers, backup singers, etc. There is also ordering information for the author's vocal exercise tape series for further building the voice. This book is a great resource and I would highly recommend it to anyone sercious about performing as a singer.

*For independent vocal study, I would also recommend "The Contemporary Vocalist Improvement Course" by Jeannie Deva. (Also available from Amazon). That course is the best non-classical training course I have found so far. That teacher is from Berkley School of Music and uses a rib-cage expansion method for singing popular styles. The information in there was something no other voice teacher has ever told me. Check it out!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A helpful TEXT- covers your fundamentals book, October 16, 2001

By 

Honor Glow (Seattle area, WA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Professional Singer's Handbook: The Complete Guidebook for Becoming a Successful Singer (Paperback)

The way I gauge the practicality of all my vocal text is obviously to see how often I implement the techniques into my 'arsenal' of vocal practices or performances. To make this a book of 5 star calibre rating however I would have extremely liked an accompaniment CD to obtain a better understanding on some of her concepts. In addition, as stated before, the chapters do not go into in depth detail but provide general overviews. Nevertheless, I've been using the Rusch techniques in this book for 5 months now, and not only have I been able to hear a difference in my ability but companions that have had the chance to hear my have noticed a steady improvement. Three sections I found most useful are the Record copying, breath control and health tips on caring for your voice; of which I found the breath control technique being the most effective and quick to in getting results. In addition, this book was fairly entertaining to read as well, as Rusch pulled from her own personal experience without a sense of haughtiness. Definitely a book to encourage all singers on becoming more serious in approaching singing and the performance of singing a bit more professionally.