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Well my name is Yaz Alexander, I’m a professional vocalist, or so people tell me. I’ve been working with Pato Banton for 13 years now as a backing vocalist and I’ve taken quite a few years being a vocalist that works sessionally with different groups and bands and other artists and musicians, so I do a lot studio recording and live performances.
Well that was because we went on tour I think it was two, three years ago with Pato who were in America for about five, six weeks…and I think he had a fantastic idea of giving back, basically, ‘cos he spent 16 years on the road. And I spent a lot of time with him and he was just started talking about giving back what he knows in the form of teaching others what he knew so he suggested I come on board with him along with a few others and get a teaching qualification so we took teacher training 7307 certificate, did a quick fast track course in between touring and set up a school of musical art and technology in Birmingham and started teaching once a week, a two hour class and that’s how I basically got into it and I’ve got a bug for it and I cant stop myself (giggles).
Its not so much audition, I just need to have a little bit of information as to what sort of vocal ability that you have you know, is that you might have only been singing in the bathroom, or have you got some experience and you might sing with your friends down at school or the local community centre, or in church? Or you might sing along to stuff on the radio and not realise you have got more ability than you think, you know, more potential? So I just really need to hear that people can hold a note, whether it’s original or singing along to something that they know.
The qualities I think that would help somebody as a vocalist, to be a successful vocal performer would be self belief, that’s the first thing, a tuneful voice which is very, very important; a good image so that you can present yourself, a good stage presentation. Probably not being so self-conscious of nerves, if somebody shows that they really enjoy what they’re doing, that really, really does help.
It’s about finding the person’s voice, and not so much necessarily as, saying, this is only for people who are definitely going to become professional vocalists. My courses, especially in the beginning, the introduction and stage one, are for people who are undecided. After you’ve decided and if you’re still with me, and you’re enjoying what you’re doing, it would seem quite obvious to me that you’re more serious about being a vocalist. So if you decide that you want to be learning more and you come on to stage two, this is where the professionalism starts to kick in. But people who don’t wanna be professional, it’s still OK for them to learn enough about being a vocalist in the introduction and in stage one.
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