Hi guys,
I’m working on a project at the moment, and can’t decide if I want to go the instrumental route or do vocals. I dont sing personally and not many of my friends do on the level I would require. What are your experiences with hired vocalists, especially on the internet? Is there a good alternative?
Thanks
i did a lot of my experimentations at college. If there is a college near you then post a notice on thier board asking if anyone is interested in being part of your project. This is what i used to do with my String players. Tell them there is no pay for the rehearsals (ie. the stage you are at), but if the project develops interest and is successful then you will book them and pay them pro-rata for these sessions.
That’s a good idea, I may try that.
Try paying them.Make a post on Craigslist or a college BB as suggested. You’ll likely get a better caliber, and will have more to chose from and they’ll do a mental "buy in " for your project.also. Everybody respects getting paid even if only a little bit. All you need to give is $25 - $50 for a student/casual singer and they’ll likely do a rehearsal and recording. Also ask responders if they have anything posted online for you to hear. Otherwise ask them to sing something on the phone if they call.
Wow, thats a long time ago. I remember BAM and the annual Bammies awards show they would have here in SF . As a person who’s spent the last 30 in publishing all of those local mags are pretty much gone. All a casualty of Craigslist or other online connect site. The San Francisco Chronicle used to have a bustling want ad section and the music columns were prime ways to connect with bands or sell/buy gear. All put to sleep by CL.
The digital penetration into book mag sales is why I’m unemployed.
Thanks guys for your input. I live about half an hour away from a nice community college, so I may stick an ad in and see who’s interested. Another good thing is that I live like 2hrs away from Nashville (Music City USA). So I know there have to be some capable musicians that do this sort of thing around this area, it’s just a matter of locating them.
Don’t forget to check out any local vocal coaches too… we’ve found quite a few decent vocalists that way.
You really don’t know Oakland at all
Movoto just rated Oakland as the most exciting city to live in, in the US.
Just saying theres lots of different parts.Some could be exciting for the million dollar homes (Oakland Hills) ,fantastic gourmet sections (Temescal section) or trendy new neighborhoods (Glenview) .Other parts could just be exciting to see how fast you can run.Just like anywhere else
That was you? 
Anyway…hope the OP found his vocalist >
Hey don’t worry, this is what the lounge is for. 
I may put in an ad at some music stores over in Nashville, or may ask some folks I know or encounter around there. Preferably the vocalist would be able to record in his own environment. Meanwhile, the song is still in its early stages so it may be another month or two till I actually need vocals.
I read (yet another) list of “Worst Cities to Live In” and Sacramento was near the top of the list Which kinda surprised me – I was under the impression that Sac was a nice place. However, I’ve never been there, just driven around it on the beltway, on my way to SF
Bane – of course it’s your decision, but I would try to sing them yourself. I believe almost anyone can become a decent vocalist with some practice. There are all sorts of on-line tutorials, especially at YouTube. I am a FAR better singer today than I was even a few years back, and the difference was simply the same thing most things in life require – PRACTICE. The biggest key to my improvement has been to learn to really focus on what I’m doing while singing, as well as to learn the technique of relaxing when using vibrato. Just a thought 
