The professional vocalist today must have a wide variety of skills: Everything from running a smooth rehearsal with a band and arranging songs to best fit their style to managing finances and booking gigs. This course is designed to give you all the tools you’ll need to start building and sustain a career as a professional vocalist.
We’ll discuss various career options and revenue streams for today’s vocalist and how to create a sustainable career. We’ll also explore how to manage other musicians in rehearsals and shows, to make the most out of every working opportunity. We’ll employ music tools like notation and recording software to accomplish our goals as professionals in today’s music industry. Finally, we’ll talk about business strategies to be on top of our daily needs as musicians. After completing this course, you will have not only the skills, but also the confidence you’ll need to build your career as a professional vocalist.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Perform basic musicianship skills necessary for effective communication with and leadership of a band
- Create professional quality lead sheets
- Effectively lead a rehearsal with a band and/or rhythm section
- Identify revenue streams for vocalists
- Choose career options based on your specific circumstances
- Create a résumé and other materials necessary for securing employment
- Create and organize a budget, daily schedule, and business plan to achieve career goals
- Develop a plan for getting gigs as a vocalist
Syllabus
Lesson 1: Career Options and Revenue Streams for Vocalists
- Exploring Career Options
- Revenue Streams
- Choosing Potential Career Options
- Using the WOOP Method to Plan
- The Entrepreneurial Vocalist
- Assignment 1: Planning Your Career as a Professional Singer
Lesson 2: What Is a Professional Vocalist?
- What Is the Difference between an Amateur and a Professional?
- What Skills Do You Have? What Skills Do You Need?
- How to Develop Your Skills
- Artist Spotlight and Career Story
- Assignment 2: Your Skills as a Professional Singer
Lesson 3: Building a Home Studio
- Creating a Simple Demo with an App
- Equipment for Home Studio
- Incorporating Home Studio into Your Budget
- Other Considerations: Posting Covers vs. Originals
- Choosing a DAW
- Assignment 3: Recording with Your Current Home Studio Setup
Lesson 4: The Vocalist’s Role in the Music
- Analyzing a Song
- Writing a Chord Chart
- Choosing the Best Key for You
- Creating a Guide Track for Remote Recording/Rehearsal
- Assignment 4: Creating a Chord Chart and a Guide Track
Lesson 5: What Are You Hearing?
- Roles of the Rhythm Section
- Pulse, Time Signature/Meter, Subdivisions, and Tempo
- Oral Transcriptions: Textures, Timbres, and Subdivisions
- Mimicking Instruments
- Communicating with Your Rhythm Section
- Assignment 5: Understanding and Communicating a Piece of Music
Lesson 6: Grooves
- Duple/Quadruple Straight Eighth and Straight Sixteenth Grooves
- Duple/Quadruple Swing Eighth and Swing Sixteenth Grooves
- Triplet Grooves
- Transcribing Grooves and the Grooves Bible
- Assignment 6: Identifying Rhythms and Grooves
Lesson 7: Writing Music: Lead Sheets, Scores, Sheet Music, and More
- Types of Charts
- Writing by Hand vs. Software
- Creating Templates
- Transposition
- Converting Sheet Music to a Lead Sheet
- Arrangement and Rhythm
- The Feel and the Melody
- The Finishing Touches
- Assignment 7: Writing a Lead Sheet
Lesson 8: Piano Skills
- Playing a Bass Line
- Playing a Chord Chart
- Playing a Lead Sheet with 7th Chords
- Basics of Self-Accompanying
- Assignment 8: Performing from Lead Sheet (Voice and Keyboard)
Lesson 9: Leading a Band
- Preparation and Rehearsal Checklists
- Setting Expectations and Creating a Vibe
- Verbal and Nonverbal Cues and Count Offs
- Rehearsing the Rhythm Section
- Giving and Receiving Feedback
- Logistics: Cost, Rehearsal Space, Scheduling
- Assignment 9: Planning a Band Rehearsal
Lesson 10: Gigging and Performance
- Basic Performance Skills: Musicianship and Stage Presence
- Gigging for Exposure or Money
- Contracts, Agents, and Promoters: What You Need to Know and Ask
- Securing and Organizing Your Gig
- Assignment 10: Booking Your Gig
Lesson 11: Financial and Daily Management
- Managing and Organizing Your Time Based on Your Career Choices and SMART Goals
- Assess Your Own Time-Management Habits
- Voice Maintenance and Organizing Practice Routines
- Creating a Budget for Your Goals and Tax Considerations
- Building Your Résumé and Finding Employment
- Assignment 11: Getting Ready for a Job Opportunity
Lesson 12: Business Plan
- What to Include in Your Business Plan
- Writing a Summary, Writing Your Bio
- Organizing Goals and Objectives
- Market Research and Strategy for Presenting Your Service or Product
- Organizing and Editing the Final Business Plan
- Assignment 12: Final Career Plan
Requirements
Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements
Prerequisite Courses, Knowledge, and/or Skills
- Completion of Music Theory 101 or equivalent knowledge and experience is required.
Recording
- Students are required to record video for their assignments. Options for recording video include:
- Smartphone
- Digital camera
- Webcam (using either video recording software, or the video recording tool that is built into the learning environment)
Software
- Students are required to create notation and submit it in PDF format. Options include:
- Notation software (recommended option), such as Finale, Sibelius, Dorico, MuseScore (free), etc.
- Handwritten notation captured by a digital camera or a scanner can be used in lieu of notation software.
- Recommended: Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Free options, such as GarageBand (Mac) or Cakewalk by BandLab (PC), are acceptable.
- Recommended: iReal Pro (Mac or iOS/Android app)
- Recommended: Application that allows you to change the speed of an audio file without changing the pitch, as well as set custom loop points, such as Moises, Amazing Slow Downer, most DAWs, etc.
Instrument
- Piano or keyboard instrument with at least 49 full-size keys (61 or more recommended) and a sustain pedal
- If using a MIDI keyboard controller, a high-quality piano software instrument is also required.
- If using a digital piano or keyboard workstation without built in speakers, an audio interface or amplifier is also required.
Hardware
- Students are required to capture their performance, as well as monitor audio output. Options include:
- Input (one required):
- XLR microphone and audio interface (recommended option)
- USB microphone
- Built-in computer/mobile device microphone
- Output (one required):
- Headphones (required if multitracking and/or input monitoring)
- Studio monitors and audio interface
- Built-in or external speakers
- Input (one required):
- Note: Depending on your setup, you may also need an XLR cable, microphone stand, and pop filter.
Other
- Metronome (hardware or software/app)
Student Deals
After enrolling, be sure to check out our Student Deals page for various offers on software, hardware, and more. Please contact support@online.berklee.edu with any questions.
General Course Requirements
Below are the minimum requirements to access the course environment and participate in Live Classes. Please make sure to also check the Prerequisites and Course-Specific Requirements section above, and ensure your computer meets or exceeds the minimum system requirements for all software needed for your course.
Mac Users
PC Users
All Users
- Latest version of Google Chrome
- Zoom meeting software
- Webcam
- Speakers or headphones
- External or internal microphone
- Broadband Internet connection
Instructors
Author & Instructor
Ashlee Varner has toured throughout the world with numerous groups as a pianist and vocalist, and is best known for her unique vocal arrangements. In 2014, she won DownBeat magazine’s award for Best Graduate College Jazz Vocal Soloist. Her latest recording work is featured on Kenneth Brown’s album, 3 Down, produced by Donald Brown and featuring Jeremy Pelt on trumpet and Greg Tardy on sax. The album has received international radio play (France, England, and the United States) and appeared at No. 27 in Jazz Week’s Top 50 chart.
What's Next?
When taken for credit, Music Career Essentials for the Professional Singer can be applied towards the completion of these related programs:
Related Certificate Programs
Related Degree Major
Questions?
Contact our Academic Advisors by phone at 1-866-BERKLEE (U.S.), 1-617-747-2146 (INT'L), or by email at advisors@online.berklee.edu.
