How do I get a Singing agent?

Do you need a demo CD to get an agent? (singing)?

• Hey! i will be 19 on monday and for my birthday i think i want a recording session.... only if i need it.... i already have headshots and a resume i just need to get an agent.... do they require demo CD's? i dont write songs, i would be singing a famous song.... also, how many songs would i need and can it be a mix of rock/pop, opera and broadway? lol i know, unique mix.... a friend of mine just opened for a band and she has an agent. i would like to do something like that aswell... my voice coach has been pushing for me to go to the next level really hard (ie move to either New York or LA but im not ready for that yet lol, i just started college). next semester, i can move my classes around to give me more time to sing.... i just wanna get started lol

• Answer:

  A demo CD is almost certainly a requirement. Many agents aren't going to have the time to listen to the hundreds of singers who want their time and think that they can make it. Make a demo CD. I would suggest it be an original work if you want to pursue a career as an original artist in any way. It should be no more than two or three songs, because no agent is going to wade through 15 tracks of material, and your best performance should always be on the first track. They say that if the first 15 to 30 seconds of the first song doesn't grab you by the throat, then the disc is worthless. Keep that in mind. Studio time can cost between 50 and 150$ an hour. You almost always get what you pay for. A demo strictly have to be the highest quality, but your voice should be as clear and intelligible as possible if you want to highlight your capability as a singer. If the studio does not have a condensor microphone costing at least 600-100$, then I would go elsewhere, honestly. I would strongly suggest you try recording yourself outside of a studio first. It is truly a different experience, if you haven't had any chances to practice singing to recordings played over headphones. It takes some time to get used to, so its best to get that time done with when its not costing you a few dollars for every take! Likewise, if you can get any form of stage time now before you try and go make it, it will help you greatly. Getting over stage fright, performance anxiety, and developing stage presence and confidence goes a long way towards getting an edge on the hundreds of other hopefuls who don't. Anyways, good luck! Saul