What's the essence of being a singer?

For me, it was never about becoming famous or rich. Music was, and will forever be in my heart, and in my case, singing was something I needed to express myself and help keep my stress level down, much like exercise helps others. Making great money when I was on the road and while an entertainer was definately a perk, as well as the many places I have traveled and seen in my career, but having fans, and people in general tell me how I may have touched thier life or made them happy when I sang, is priceless. I still sing, but just not professionally anymore, but I have moved from singer/entertainer/musician to promoter/publicity/management because I can not bare to be away from the industry altogether. It would kill me, in a slow terrible way. So I have to stay connected to everything and everyone I know, by necessity more than choice. I do miss performing very much tho, and wish I was still healthy enough to still be able to do it. Performing, whether singing or playing music, is a hard and tough job, and the hours one puts into it can be long long long, but it is worth it, and it is the one thing I know best out of everything else. Now I get my satisfaction from helping and managing others with thier careers, and that is almost as fulfilling as performing myself. It gives me great joy when one of my bands or artists does well, especially if I have played a major factor in it. Bottom line, a singer is the heart of a band, or a song, without a good singer, the band or song will fail, but with a great singer, even a not so good band can get by. Of course most of my work has been with bands rather than solo artists, but regardless, a good singer, with a professional stage presence can make any song or band great. Even a great band with a great singer will lose its pizazz if you change the singer, the singer has always been the key element in all songwriting, solo or otherwise. Case in point, What is Queen without Freddy Mercury, just a bunch of good musicians. What was Van Halen without David Lee Roth, well you figure that one out, I dont want to offend anyone one on that one with my personal opinion LOL (wink) but I am sure you get my point all the same. Peace

I basically sing indian stuffs and have some rather classicaly indian music background. I have not formally or properly learnt it but the little i have made my singing skills reach a certain level that is appreciated by many( especially when i sing some bollywood songs.)I think that i am just addicted to singing just for the pure pleasure it involves- i mean feeling the resonances in the voice, the weight and sweetness it has at times, the way i am able to deliver the emotions, or do certain modulations, or the pure bliss of improvising on the spot! May be a bit narcissistic- i dont' know. i really have fun when i am singing and this then gets contagious. when i c the people appreciating i like it- who doesn't like the attention. But at the same time i set my own standards and feel satisfied that i have been as good as i expected or worked for. at times people might jsut love what i haev done but i did not. Perfectionism? I don't know. maybe i perform classical dance on stage and that is why i feel this. waht do you think? At times, it is very strange. has it ever happened to anyone that there are some hurdles in your way whenever you are to sign in a place where you have a chance to gain lots of popularity if you sing? What do you think?

I think to be a singer and a musician in general shows your creative side. Of course the song writers and composers and arrangers are sometiems considered to be more creative, but the singer has a lot to do with the success of the song after being penned. Recording artists are the people who can breathe life into a song. And the singers are the ones who get to put the emotion into it. To be a singer you get to be creative. It fuels you to know that you can take a song and a message and reach someone else. I am a singer and I love when I can sing something that makes people sit up and listen and that gets some attention. I would love to be famous and all that someday, but we'll see. The money is not as important to me, but it's just being able to get out there and know that you can reach a large group of people, and know that people respect and appreciate what you do.