How to Become a Lounge Singer

You want to be a lounge singer and belt out pop tunes in nightclubs. Many opportunities exist for lounge singers, but to land them you must distinguish yourself from the stiff competition. Here's how it's done.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Take vocal lessons. No matter how good your voice is, it can always be better. It's going to be one in a million to get anywhere without vocal lessons.
2. keep taking vocal lessons. That's right, stick with the voice instruction. Ask your instructor what level you're at, and take his/her advice seriously. When your voice teacher tells you you've got a competent voice, then you know you're ready to try for the big-time.
3. Adopt a persona/stage name/fashion etc. Some lounge singers, like Andy Kauffman's alter ego Tony Clifton, trade more on drama and grit than actual singing. It is possible to make waves in the entertainment world with "performance art", but you'll have to decide what you really want: to be an actual singer, or a vaudevillian entertainer.
4. Find connections. Locate venues where you can be heard. You can't be a lounge singer if you can't envision a few lounges that would be right for you. Also, it helps to have friends in the industry, but either way, you'll have to start humbly. If larger venues won't listen to you, book smaller until you find the right fit.
5. Get a gig. Don't wait for the perfect job to fall out of the sky. Being a lounge singer can be a job like any other, requiring toil and dedication. In the end, like most entertaining jobs, the result will be established by a complex combination of skill, energy, commitment, and Lady Luck.

Tips & Warnings

• Many lounge singers like to wear sparkly clothes or other extreme fashions to call attention to themselves on stage.
• Smiling a lot is one way to work an audience. Perfect your singing grin to win over listeners.
• Look out for the waiters. Lounge singers traditionally remind guests to tip the wait staff at their venues. This collaboration helps with networking if you want to do return gigs.

Who Can Help:

• Earn an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix
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