I know you might be thinking, “Hey, why aren't people commenting on my posts? Why am I not being nominated in the top 15 or top 6?”
Guess what: it’s not because you've got a horrible voice or you can't sing. It’s just because there are so many factors judges and people generally consider when watching a performance. And if you've been nominated before or even possibly won the grand prize prior to now, these tips will go a long way. As long as you're an artist, trust me — this is for you.
First
- Good background:
Yeah, yeah, I know music is all about having a good voice and all, but a good background attracts people who might not even have interest in checking out your video. They might sneak in a look. Sometimes, when I scroll down looking for performances to watch, I notice I get attracted to videos with beautiful backgrounds, good lighting and all that. I mean, there are over 300 videos to watch, so I have to narrow it down. I can't click on all the videos, you know? So a cool background with clear, adequate lighting tends to draw a lot more people to your video.
Source
2)Nice dressing:
Appearance matters a lot, and that’s why on music shows like American Idol, the contestants dress really nice, according to the song they’re to perform. A good outfit compliments a good background. You wouldn’t want to have a nice background only to be the odd thing in the video, or would you? Nah, don’t think so. So style your hair, earrings, shirt, hat — however you deem fit.
One tip: your dressing should complement your music style. It’s an added bonus — except, of course, you've got a unique concept you wish to apply. Then cool!
3)Originality:
I know you might think I mean crafting your own song or lyrics, but no! That’s not what I mean. In as much as you’re performing covers of mainstream artists, people want to see you in that performance. They’ve watched Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love over a million times, so what makes you think singing it again is gonna make them want to listen? Well, the trick is — you don’t necessarily have to replicate Beyoncé’s version.
Add a little bit of riffs in certain straight notes; when she sings certain parts on a low pitch, you can make yours slightly higher. That way, the audience expects more as the video progresses. It keeps them eager to see what surprise you have waiting for them toward the end of the video, creating a form of suspense. But once they notice you’re replicating Beyoncé’s version in the first half of your entry, they lose interest and skip the video. Hope that makes sense?
4)Facial expressions:
Every good artist should have good facial expressions. Why? Your expressions are what connects the audience to your performance. If you display a blank, motionless face while singing a deeply emotional song, then we’ll probably stare at you the same way, creating a dull ambience. Watch James Arthur’s first audition on The X Factor and observe his perfect bodily and facial expressions, then compare it to what would have happened if he stood still, wearing a blank face while performing. Maybe then you’ll get better clarity on what I’m saying.
5)Song choice:
Sing songs that match your voice. Not all songs are meant for you. Some songs are tougher to sing than others, while some songs amplify your voice. You can’t sing Bruno Mars’ Finesse when you’re not built for a funky-type genre of music — except you want to task yourself, then feel free to go ahead.
These are the basic things we check out for when choosing an entry to watch. It may not be all, but it’s surely 70 percent of what a good artist should do or possess.
I hope to see a better Week 43, even though this was a really interesting week. But the goal is to become better with each passing week... so what are we waiting for? Let’s get on it!!!