Welcome to another episode of metal, Mastermind, your host and co-host. I guess. I'm both right. Jason Stallworth and also host and co-host can CD. What's up, dude? And we have a special guest again today. A link in here, the clamps. We do staff instead of claps right there we go. Get away from y'all. Niggas wit suppose that'd be a good. Good 80s, ballad can't get away from you.
Yeah awesome. So guys today we got some very cool discussions coming up. I we're going to talk about from a vocal perspective and just performing in general live versus in the studio, right? Because there's two different things, I mean, those are almost two, completely separate talents and things you have to work on and then we will wrap it up going over some of our favorite musicians. Vocalist/guitarist drummers because you guys know Ken is an awesome metal drummer back there.
So we're going to talk about that towards the end and you know what makes them great. So Ellie, you know, we'll just started out with you just a quick rundown. Like what are your what are some of the core differences between singing live with a band or solo act versus being in the studio? The first thing that comes to mind I would say is the adrenaline that you get on stage you just get like so much from the crowd and from your band mates around.
Around you so that energy, I feel like plays a huge part in your performance overall and then trying to bring that same energy into the studio and especially as a vocalist you kind of like confined in this little vocal booth, right? So sometimes it can be like a little difficult to do that and you have to kind of figure out tips and tricks and just kind of like I don't know mental tricks to kind of get yourself into that element. That makes perfect sense.
Yeah, I get the adrenaline because I'm you guys, know I sing live Acoustic solo shows, which is little bit different from being in a full band. There is a different energy with a full band when people were there to see you versus being a solo act. Where a lot of times places I play, I'm kind of back ground music, but still there's that Adrenaline Rush. Getting ready for the show, you know, setting up performing and talking to people, you know,
that sort of thing, that's cool. And that's something that's really hard to replicate. Like you said, in the Udo and that has a lot to do with your performance to write. So I mean it would probably benefit you to try to get into that mindset. Hey, I'm playing live when you're in the studio so you can deliver that same type of performance. What are some of the things you do for that? Like when I'm playing live?
Yeah. Well, I feel like there's like, I guess different challenges when you're trying to play live and then when you're in the studio, I feel like maybe they're Polar Opposites. You know, challenges and some people feel very natural in one setting versus another or they feel very comfortable in both, you know, everybody's like different especially when you're a beginner and you're still trying to like figure out your stage Persona and maybe the studio is a little bit more comfortable.
It's a little more intimate kind of reminds you more of, like, practicing in your bedroom that kind of thing that privacy. So everyone really is like different or me like growing up kind of like being on stage quite often.
I found myself like you know, really trying to reach to get comfortable like in the studio and in my early twenties, like I just remember like trying to like figure it out and taking a few like takes and the vocal booth until like I really kind of got that emotion across in my voice. And now I feel like I kind of got it down to like, a good. That works for me and it's something that I share with other people to just like tips and tricks to feel more
comfortable in the vocal booth. And I have a few of those, for the stage as well. But yeah, they're both very different atmospheres. Yeah, I kind of feel like older records were more like recording live performances in the studio. Yeah, because everyone was playing at the same time, wasn't like I did really right and there was like a technological difference to. It's like if you're going to record to tape, you know, you kind of have to just get it,
right? So, I feel like with the amount of limited, you know, chances of doing overdubs and stuff like that. I mean, like, you were able to do overdubs, but it's like, you had to be really really careful about overdubs and made sure that they were in sync with the previous performances because it's like you can't just like splice a little Out of tape. You know you have to splice the
whole thing. So totally I feel like we're a lot more comfortable because of the technology that we have today, it's so easy to stick another take and you're not wasting physical material by doing so but still you want to come to the studio just as prepared as if you only had one take to get it right? Because there's a so much more that you need to to add that if you I don't know your parts to well like the melody or the lyrics.
If you don't really have that like ingrained in your brain, you won't have the opportunity to add that extra element that you need to make it sound like a fantastic take, that's cold right there because you're talking about something that is sort of this magical element to a performance, which captivates an audience, right? But that can only ever be achieved if you are absolutely prepared to die. Liver. So I yeah, that's a, that's a
fantastic point. And I'm glad you brought that up. Yeah. And the other was that excuse is free-style stuff by the way, because that's it. That's a whole different vibe. But yeah, you know what I'm saying? We're seeing what we're saying, guys, is don't write your song in the studio. If you're going into the studio to record, be prepared. Don't like get there and say, oh yeah, I forgot the lyrics are all. We haven't figured out this guitar part, quite yet, know,
all that stuff. Before you start, it's best. If you're paying right, if you're going into To professional studio and you're paying for that when you're home was a little different. But to your point Ellie and both can, you know, you want to know the material before you start recording in your home because you can get into this circle to where you just you never finish anything.
You're like, well, I don't quite know this yet it could be better and you just change it and it could be better going to change it. And then five years goes by still, no single, no album, no nothing. So I think you have to be careful with the luxury that we have, because it's not expensive. He's got an interface connected to their computer with monitors and you can just keep recording and tracking as much as you possibly want, but you can run real fast, but not go anywhere,
right? So, I think it is important to kneel your song down. Like, this is the song then go in there and do your best to nail the, the performance, as well. Well, to be very clear about something. I think it's important to distinct about Going to the studio and going to record your album. Versus being, let's say at your home studio and composing. Your album, right? Is those are because those are two different types of like
phases, right? We're talking about okay, like, you can absolutely be home and, you know, compose on your record. I think we all do that but when you're like, okay now it's time to achieve like the quality sound that I've been looking for for this album. Like I know I know what the songs are at this point. They're all written out now. It's time to take it to the next
level. Like for example like right now like a you I have my drums back here but I don't have any I don't have any microphones to record them the way I want to just yet. So I have to still go to another Studio to even execute that but I can still absolutely right, you know, and I would rehearse and I would get myself ready and then take that next step. And that's that step that we're talking about that we want to say.
A, how you take this live performance aspect of being in the moment being a captivating performer, all that Juju and putting that into your music and recording that in capturing that for, you know, the final. Take anything perfect sense. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
Sorry, yeah. Only the only thing to add to this one more thing is just like I think it's just important to have a little bit of life experience so that you are you know, playing at At your Peak. Yeah, I actually wrote a couple notes on, just some tricks to bring into the studio as a vocalist. I don't know if you guys want to hear that Lily. Okay cool.
So yeah just going into the studio and laying down some vocal tracks, just like a couple tips to kind of bring with you so that you know, you feel prepared, the first one like I guess some of them feel a little bit obvious but explain a little bit More? Why they're important. But the first one is memorizing. Your lyrics. But still have those lyrics printed out. So if you don't know your lyrics to. Well, you are using brain capacity by reading lyrics and
they won't come off. Like there's always something that needs to kind of compensate, so if you're too busy like reading lyrics, then that emotion won't be there, or those little extra details that you want to add a vocal technique and often go out the door when you're too focused on reading lyrics. So that's really important.
Memorize your lyrics but also have them printed out and having two copies is great, especially if you have a vocal producer or other bandmates in there with you, like just have somebody outside of the vocal booth following along with you, so they know like where you're at, and the song and it's so much easier to kind of navigate like, hey, let's take it from the top of this. It's right there and it's all labeled nicely. It just makes like the workflow,
go more efficiently. My other tip would be for your copy of the lyrics. I would suggest making a little symbols and marks to for you. So, you know what, kind of vocal technique and vocal registers you want to use in certain parts. So for example if there's like a line where I'm like I want to sing this softly, I know that underlining that for me means Let's sing this softly.
So everything that's underlined in my lyrics, I noticing that softly or I'm growling this part, or I can write pronounciations, you know, remember to sing this vowel long. So I'll spell it out like, phonetically how I want to pronounce it when I sing it. So that's why those lyrics are important to mark, up your page and write those notes for you as a guide in the studio booth. And then my last tip would be To bring that element of performance into a small confined space like a vocal
booth. So figure out what it is that you need to do. Take a minute to meditate. Like, you know, make sure that you eat well in the morning, eat a nice breakfast and drink, plenty of water, bring some hot tea with you, do anything? That's like meditative that will get you into that element so that you can feel very comfortable in the vocal booth. So those are my three tips there. Yeah, those are very good. Good because they help to at least kind of clarify.
Like I can almost see myself be in the studio right there and then as a vocalist just getting ready to do this performance and that's a great tip. And it feels very, very well-structured to me to to kind of think of it in this way.
It's almost like did I did I check this off and my Ready for today's performance kind of way, because it's easily, you know, being in the studio the day of can be very, very anxiety-inducing and Selena. Wrecking wonder, you're just like, oh my God and lacks a little beforehand, you don't want to rush, you know or like a date or something.
I'm glad you mentioned like meditation to, because meditating can be a very good way to just kind of take a step to, you know, step back and just breathe for a second because everything's going to be okay, you know. Oh yeah, I got an audio engineer that told me to run around the block two times, and then get back in because I just I need that energy. So, you know, anything that you can do to get into that. It fits hope, that's cool. I like that. Oh, that's great.
Yeah, I mean that's that's really I love the fact. You said yes. Memorize your lyrics. It's important because you can focus on the performance and your brain is not focused on crap, was that next line, but you also said, bring the lyrics with you and make the notes and all that. That's kind of like your security blanket. If you want to call it that, right, when you're in the stable and then goes, like, for you to mark up the page, like, you know, whatever you need in
there. But yeah, that's cool. And this is a Also, very interesting too, because I'll now I'm thinking about it, you know, in the, in the sense of a live performance to, right? If we're going to go and do live, one thing that I've noticed is a lot of bands, and I think mostly because it's easier to do it this way, but most bands they, when they rehearse a bit of music for a while.
And then when they're, when it's new music, of course and then they get into a live performance in the like, okay, let's play for the audience and see how they feel about it. But I also think, at the same time, it's a Way for them to kind of test out how the energy from the whole band as a cohesive whole being on stage with that kind of song that new song that they just created feels. And that's a way to pay attention to how that's going to translate into the record as well.
Because now, you've got, like, this whole big sound system and it's all out there for the audience to hear. It's just a thing that I noticed here and I'm wondering what our kind of some some notes that preparing for. Live show, how would they be sort of, you know, similar and a little different to let's say what you were doing in the
studio. Because you mentioned a couple really good things that I think are also translatable to live, but I think in some different capacity with the performance, it's not so much. Bringing lyrics with you and marking up a page. You don't really have anything in your hands. You don't want to be like staring at a set list on the floor that you wrote a small. Small note on, you don't want to read lyrics off your hand.
I did that once when I was like 19 and then I got really sweaty on stage because it was hot and all of my lyrics got smeared on my hand and I could about the words. So let's bring the same tip over to life before men's memorize your lyrics. It Was a new song at the time. So I just remember being like kind of freaked out that I wouldn't get the verse right? Oh I just realized okay Zoom is doing weird, things for me. Okay cool. But yeah like memorizing your lyrics feeling very comfortable.
I would even say like have that conversation if it's an it was a new song that you just wrote that week or something have that like serious conversation with your band like is this song Ready for performance and if it's one of those kind of shows where it's like more like laid back and fun like that's just do it. This is a good way to you know just kind of try it out, then go for it if it's that Vibe.
But if it's something where you really want everything to be like, Paula, Hushed and ready to go for a show. Definitely like consider if a song is ready for your life set because you know there might be some like mistakes or pickups that you could go over in a few rehearsals right versus on the stage. So yeah, memorizing your lyrics. That's yeah. That's actually yeah.
That's a huge one that you just mentioned because it almost I didn't even think about it this way too but it's like testing your new song Live is also a great way to see whether or not it's ready. He recorded two. Yeah, open mics and stuff. That's like what it's for, you know, use that utilize that or just like, you know, more local gigs or smaller gigs or regular. Venues those kind of things where you can kind of like play a little bit more.
Like those are, you know, good opportunities because even then there's things that you can cover that you can't really do in a rehearsal. Space just having that audience there, that feedback there, it really is up to the band, but it's good to just have that conversation. Even when there is a new song that you are performing and I would say also like bringing that energy to the stage. I just, you know, everyone's different with how they perform.
Like everyone has a different kind of like stage Persona. You know, there's people that are a lot more like active and they really move around, they dance a lot and it's more like height music and there's like more like slow gloomy kind of like serious kind of music so it really Hands on that and really understanding the vibe of your sound, understanding your audience and like matching that energy.
So I guess I could bring that over from The Studio tips, we're taking that moment before your show to meditate and really like, lock in to the, you know, just getting all those elements in for your performance, it's great Inez. I like to, I like to, you know, clear the head and those those of you who were wondering about meditation, Really all were saying is just clear your mind. Don't let. Yeah, the stuff come into your head.
Sometimes we can think. Well, I wonder if they're gonna like me. I wonder if it's going to sound good. I hope I don't screw up. You know, I wonder if I'm going to sound as good as so. And so, whatever. All this stuff we can make up all kind of garbage in her head to tell ourselves and that will build a few allow it to. So, you know, meditation and
clearing your head real quick. So I want to just revisit we, you know, we're talking about the studio here, you know, a lot of our listeners they're probably not going to Professional studio to record some of you might but the majority of you are probably just going to record in your bedroom where your home studio is and you know, canid mention there's a big difference between composing and writing verses because you know, we're doing things. We're composing the song versus. Okay.
Now I'm ready to record the song and I would venture to say, make sure those two moments are separate, make sure that when you're in the composing mode and writing mode that you're in that mode, but have some kind of stopping point where you say, Say, okay, this is ready to go. Now, I'm in the recording mode, I'm not composing anymore and I only say that, guys, because we can, we can spend that will and just get nowhere.
Really, really fast. So, now, back to the performance part though, do you have some tips in your home studio? Elizabeth like is going into the Pro Studio. We talked about, you know, getting into that mindset and you would do the same here but it's a little different in your home studio though. I mean, what are some challenges
there? Oh, I love this question so much because like Transformation that my home studio went through just like in the past decade I feel like I've I've been in every scenario where I've tried to make the space. That was in work somehow and sound good. Now, I am fortunate enough to have a really good like ISO box. Hope will booth and and my studio space is treated but that didn't happen overnight. That's a years of just being like, this is what I need is, you know, this is good gear.
This is not good gear. This is what I need to make my stuff sound good and being able to afford it, saving up. So I did get to that point and that took a long time to get there, and I'm really confident in the vocal tracks that I can do in my home studio, but I just get these flashbacks of, like, when I first started getting into producing my own music at home, I would go into the closet because all my clothes were in there. I would get my sm58.
Microphone because it's like all, you know, it's a good microphone but it was the only microphone I had and it was affordable so I can get it and I put that in there with my little folks, right? And I had this mattress is like a cot. So it was like a thinner twin size mattress and I just like shoved it in there with me and I
was like cool vocal booth. You know, so get those mattresses in your closet and make a vocal booth if you have nothing, just start there because that creativity Really comes in handy when it's time for you to really build a serious face for yourself for yourself because things can get like expensive to. So if you can get creative, you know, like making your own bass traps, making your own like, you know, absorption like all that stuff really does come in handy
when it's time for you to build that serious like Studio space. But yeah, I hope that answers your question. There's a lot of can say about all of the different types of treatment I've tried throughout the years. I love what you mentioned. You know, guys, in here everybody. Listening right now. Don't obsess over what you don't have. Use what you have right? Yes. Yeah that's absolutely important because that's that's many times going to be the limiting factor. It's honestly just yourself.
That's preventing it from moving forward. So if you have that, just focus of saying, this is what I have and having that just a little creativity like Elizabeth just mentioned a little bit of creativity, just to get it done. Right. Yeah, we have the internet figure out what people are doing, you know.
Yeah yeah. And I think the same thing as Jason mentioned before of separating the moment of when you're saying okay I'm in my writing phase or I'm in my recording phase, you know, those are actually Paramount for putting it into your mind that this is going to be the take that you're going to keep. And you have to commit to saying, this has to be the final version of Because after a
certain point, right? It kind of all gets a little bit foggy and, you know, you don't really get, everything's a blur years. It's like what's, what is this process? You know, you, you meant meld everything together and it just becomes unclear and then you just don't know where you kind of stand. So, you have to, it takes a little bit of, it's a little bit
fearful though, right? Because when you say that, it's like, oh man, I have to commit to saying, this is my final take and it's like, yeah, Yeah, you do. Because at some point, it's got to exit your bedroom and it's got to be out there in the world. Right? So you have to say where is the moment that you just stop and just let it go.
Yeah, that's a big problem for me and like, you can be like, yeah, this is great after the first take or you can be like, no, I need 100 more takes and it's okay to have a hundred takes. I would recommend knowing how to organize those takes like understanding, how to use a play. List and not having 100 tracks open, that's a whole other thing.
But you know, like I know, for example like Billy eilish like she has 100 takes of the same like vocal Melody and she'll like put a bunch of them together or splice from like all of those takes to make one perfect take so figure out your formula if you want to do it that way. There's no wrong way to do it. Figure out what works for you and then just stick to that formula, you know?
No ma'am, I don't know. Say real quick For You, guitar players out there is we're writing and the writing phase and your and your the vocalist as well. This is a mistake. I made last album. Make sure you can sing and play your songs at the same time. If you're going to perform them live and I say that because a lot of times, you know, because we have this luxury of being in a studio where we can just track our guitars. You may write you may write The rhythms first and get that out
there. Get that recorded. Then you may go back and write lyrics to that. You're Along with it. And I did this on my last album Masterpiece and there's there's like two parts into songs where I'm like, crap I'm having a very hard time singing and playing
the same time. So make sure if you plan to go live with this, in which we encourage you to write, make sure you can play it and sing at the same time because you might have to go back to the drawing board on some things when you start doing that and you find it. Certain parts are just kind of too hard for you to sing and play at the same time. Great Point great point.
Because now you're thinking about Just how your writing affects the live end of this performance because we have all this overdubbing technology and we forget that, you know, we actually have to play this at some point for people. So, don't let that hold you back, either, because I've seen some incident, I have some students that say, okay, I do all these cool effects when I record it, like I can't perform this live. How do I perform this live?
Or if you're if you're recording sounds, so Different from how it would sound, if it was just you and your guitar. That's okay. Don't let that hold you back. If you could figure out how to get the same sound over to the stage, go for it, if that's what you want. But if you want like a an exclusive live acoustic version of the same song, that's pretty cool too.
Because some people want to go out and see like, oh, let's see what the live performance of the song sounds like, and it's like, you know, it's something special because it's exclusive for the stage. So if you can't get that exact sound, like don't let that hold you back. Back like work with it, you know like you would you just mentioned like the like the next project I work on after I finish the one I'm working on now is my my goal was to write, you know,
a rock and metal album. But also to write the songs in a manner that I can easily have an acoustic version of those, like, some song of songs, I've written is kind of difficult to do that. So, I kind of want to have, and this is me, personally, I'm not saying you should or shouldn't do this, but like I want an album where I've got the album in its metal, but I've got an acoustic version. Every song on that album or most of them at least. So it's just so cool. Yeah. I love that like ever.
See like a like a punk band do like a kind of like a reggae version of their song. I've seen that a few times every like I used to go see Misfits and like they like totally slow down like back in like when they would perform b.b. King's. I forgot what it was but they
slow down a song completely. And like did look kind of their reggae version of it. I've never heard it in my life and I just remember that moment being so special because I'm just Like this is like exclusive for the audience right now, so that's super cool. You know it's a good mood.
Yeah a lot of bands. Do that to one of my favorite bands, ghost did a strip down unplugged version of their set as well but I think that's like that's a total organic thing that, you know, I respect for have a lot of respect, for a lot of bands that do that for a small audience to do like an unplugged version of their acoustic. Yeah. And if you're said is something
that's like big a gargantuan. With all these types of sounds, then you know that takes a little bit more planning to do and that can be kind of tricky to write because like if we're talking about the other side of the spectrum getting in like all your samples. Because let's say you're as like me and Elizabeth, we actually react, some symphonic metal type
of music. So getting that to be translatable to the live stage will take a lot more planning and I think you just have to be a little bit more patient. You have to be a little bit more methodical. You have to acquire are certain pieces of gear to make that happen? Yeah. Like dolls and synthesizers and yeah, it's got a like yeah, creative with that 100%. And and that that becomes like a, an entire technical hurdle that has to be accomplished.
Hmm, I have a question regarding that and you guys are the perfect ones to answer this because you know how America symphonic metal and Elizabeth. I know you do a lot of that as well. Can you get by? You know, we're talking about, okay, here's what's on the CD. When I sound old the album because people don't do CD, some people listen to CDs still, but here's on the album. Yeah, I do too sometimes. Here's what's on the album, but we're going to perform the live version of it.
And I always think the live version is going to be a little different anyway. You're gonna have some nuances and caveats and things, but can you pull off, symphonic metal? If you have a keyboard player, connect keyboard player, maybe with two or three different keyboards. Pull that off without having to play with any tracks or any effects. Or sound effects that you would have to bring in outside of the band. Is that possible and what it sound good.
Yeah I think I'll go for it. Can I mean my simple answer is it depends on how the song was written with a keyboardist in mind. Because if your intention was that this was going to be played by keyboardist, those symphonic elements tend to be a little bit more simpler so that in keyboardist can actually do that. Like for example Nightwish they do a lot of this stuff.
Where they'll actually do you know kind of segmented orchestra leader instrumentation where you know, one sections kind of like highlighting more strings and then maybe two at a time, if anything? Because you'll have two different tambor's that you can play with two hands. You know, ones like brass one strings, or one Squire, one strings, or something like that. And that can be a way that they can imbue the to on a live performance.
But bands like, you know, Children of Bodom or more specifically, Like keyboard Centric type of sounds that emulate symphonic stuff, but they're not symphonic, like orchestral Arrangements. Per se a bad like Nightwish is much more orchestral first and then it's symphonic. I'm keyboards are kind of secondary to that and most of the time, the keyboard is playing like an actual piano sound and an accompaniment to the orchestral, sounds and side
note. I know for a fact night which does play with playback tracks in order to get those sounds out on stage, right? And they imbue that with the keyboard is as they're playing and, you know, they'll do the things that are live that are like, you know, embellishments and stuff like that to flavor it up and all that good stuff. I love my wishes favorite band. So so can do they have like a click track to start and song because obviously you have to be in time. Was that track who?
Yes I guess the drummer has a click track in there or the whole being has it in there in tears or something like that. Yeah, so yeah. Yeah, at a band like night which would definitely play Within ears and you'll have their monitor engineer, be someone separate, and you actually have a playback technician, who accompanies the monitors, and the front-of-house purely operates, the DAW.
And basically, it's like, okay, once they receive the signal, they press the play button and that play button triggers to click track, that counts them off into the song. That's interesting, man. This is because again, there's My favorite bands. I've seen them live several times. I'm waiting for them to come back to Tampa Orlando area here soon. I hope. Anyway, nice, but thanks for that because that was always wondered about that.
I know there was there were some article or video or whatever. I don't remember the name of the band, but their laptops went down. So they couldn't even play the show, and I'm just wondering what bands would do. I obviously Nightwish has probably got a backup for everything. I don't think they would ever have that issue, but you're a small band, let's say you're a small symphonic, metal band and you know, you've got to Show. But all of a sudden. Okay, you're backing traps for
whatever reason. You have, no way to play them. Your laptop goes down your dog. Dropped in the water dog ate at something like that. What would you do? I got a this is a great question because as you know I know you guys have known but you know, for other people who haven't heard about my background, I used to work on Good Morning America which was right all broadcast and we always, always always had a backup to the artist. So what they would do is many times the artist would bring
their own laptop, right? And sometimes they were bring to, but we already know computers are very finicky and Pro Tools, it's even more finicky. And that's what that's most of the most of the time, the data that were using Burleigh show. So what we would also do is, we would say, okay, that's lovely. We love that you have your own
backing track. We want you to give us a bounce and give us a copy, so that we have it on our own computer where we're actually recording it and we're going to have it as a standby play button. So that if something goes wrong on your end, we still have a copy that works. So it's, you know, this can be something that you can do. Very, very simply. There's a, you know, you have your, let's say you have your fully fleshed-out version on your dog that you want to set for your live show.
That's great. Now also have a separate device, that's not just a computer, but there are actual, you know, just let's say devices were it's just a playback device. You put in a little flash drive, it has the track, you know, on one end in mono and the other side is a click track and so you have your left and right, right? And you just send that out to your, to your console as a backup, right? So if that goes down the main playback track system, you have
another set device. Just says okay no worries, here's a mono source of just everything that we did because honestly in live you can get away with mono because everything has to come out to the speakers in a way that the entire audience can hear so Manos, a great solution for them. So you have mono for all your orchestral stuff. And the other side is just your Clique, which only goes to the bank. And then, there you go, you're all set to go. You're like, no even know hiccup at all.
Yes, you don't have all the intricacies of, you know, balancing the mix. But would you rather not Have a show you have that backup down to a science where it's just like, oh other stuff went down with the fader and it's like it's smooth right? No freaking out back here you
got you covered. Ya know cuz like love that lives will live sound is the keyword to life sound has always been redundancy so and this is like, you know, you can you know put this into the concept of somebody who's just performing right redundantly right? Just keep practicing. I'm practicing until you got to a point, you're so comfortable that you get to on stage and you can execute.
But you know, if you're going to do something, that is a little more sophisticated, that needs a more complicated set of because of the style of music that you're playing, well, you need to make sure that you have a backup to the backup so that you can continue to perform the same concept. But, you know, I play with the wireless and it is just a simplify everything for everyone listening. I play with the wireless on stage, but if something were to happen, And that wireless craps out.
Well, I can reach over my bag and I've got a cable and actually got more than one cable. So like I said, back up on top of a backup, guys, I want to switch gears over to who Elizabeth favorite vocalist is and why. Okay? Cool. I have two that come to mind difficult question obviously because there's so much out there for different reasons to but Mike Patton and Devin And have always been two of my favorites. Nice, those are awesome. What reasons Obadiah?
And I went what gets to you like, you know, in here, in those, in hearing, their voices, or performance, or whatever. Thank like, it has to be like the, the first to CDs I ever bought. When I had my first car, it just hit me right in the right age the right time that point of like Freedom you know, my first to CDs was the mr. Bungle self-titled album. Um, and then Addicted by Devin Townsend, and I just have it memorized.
And also Mudvayne to that was like a CD that I have that memorized to those like the three CDs I had. And I played them on a loop in my, in my little car, back in the day, and there's a something like, you know, for different reasons like Mike Patton. I just love like his stage / Persona so much, and he's just so weird. And he inspired me to be like, okay, I'm a musician and I like to try different things. I'm not going to confine myself
to one sound. I feel like doing this kind of album album, I feel like doing this kind of album, like every one of his albums could be ever have like a month where you just go through his whole discography, you're going to. It's all different types of stuff. And that's what I really like about it because it inspired me to be like, oh, I like so many different types of music. I'm like, a hybrid of many things I can try.
I different things, if I want to, you know, I'm not confined to just being a part of like one band and only doing this like, genres for the rest of my life or do what people like expect from me quote unquote, because that's not real, you know, I can try different things, so he really inspired me to do that, and I just always really enjoyed his music so much and his interviews from the 90s are hilarious. And then Devin Townsend. Like his stage performance is
just like Dad jokes. And then he just comes out with these like Godly vocals and crazy guitar riffs, and all of his music is very just like euphoric and a huge like inspiration to like the stuff I could post today. So yeah those are two very important. People is this shit in my life. Devin Devin is amazing. He's kind of like you saw in his to like even more and I love that for him. Yeah, and I feel like he's kind of if he's kind of he's on the fine.
Kind of signed artist versus Independent Artists on a fine line there, but he's really at the Pinnacle of what like what an independent person can really do with their career. Yeah, you know, and passed with his own label and I just I really see that like blowing up like in the best way for him. Like he's kind of like reaching a point that maybe he's always wanted to reach his music career and yeah it's so cool. Of that problem too and path. It's so good. I recommend it. Yeah, yeah.
And Mike Patton is, he's also a record label owner to, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. He is. He's got a lot of, you know, kind of a lot of different multifaceted talents around that guy. He's pretty incredible to a mr. Buggs, amazing band. Yeah, what about you Jason? What are you in? Yeah. What's yours, like the first thing? Because this changes from day to day, right? And you're like, I love Of this day.
I love that tomorrow. Of course, I'm a big Nightwish fan, and I love floor jansen's vocals, but one of my favorite vocalists, it comes to mind is Tony kakko from Sonata Arctica. He's just he's all over the place. I love his vocals, but he also has a lot of personality and character behind his voice as well. You know, you've got a lot of phenomenal vocalist out there and not taking anything away from anyone, but sometimes they can kind of just sound the same. It's like, okay, you've got a
really amazing high voice. Hi range and all that. But Tony has this unique sound to his vocals and it's almost like he's telling you a story but he's he's got the range and all that good stuff as well and he's got the accent to their finished band. But yeah I love them and I love Tom England from Evergreen, he's one of my favorite vocalist as well. His music is just I don't know. It's just one of a kind. It's almost like he created his own genre with Evergreen. Wow.
Those are some of my things give you what I guess. Like, what age where you at? That when you really got into them because I feel like that plays like a role in it too. It does. And you would think that that's when I got into metal. But remember, guys, I'm older, I'll be 48 this month by the way. It is. So like I grew up with the old Metallica Satriani. Still one of my favorite guitar
players. Of course, I love head feels voice and you know, Slayer, you know, Dave Mustaine all those guys, but I got into more of the European metal. It was probably around. I want to say the mid 2000's, one of my close friends introduced me to I believe a snot Arctica and I want to see them live their here in Tampa, this is yeah. Sometime in the mid 2000s and I really started getting more into bands like archenemy Amon Amarth like, said ever grace. Not a night, wish to lay.
Nice. Didn't want us. All night. Wish I was really hooked. I'm like, whoa, delaying open up for them and I never heard the lane before and I'm like, okay, so I started digging into them and it just opened this This new world of more, the European metal. Yeah, okay, so it's more introductory to this new genre, the only reason why I asked about like the age thing is because, like, I noticed that the music that you really like binge, like, from like your
early 20s. Like, I guess like those years and your first like, really, like an adult and you're kind of more free. They really stick with you or at least they like, Inspire the music that you, you know, are into You get older to, it's kind of like the foundation of the things that you enjoy, you know. That that's why I asked that. Those are like typical years to really know you're right? I still love all the time bands, so I was into the Hair Band.
So, you know, the Metallica Slayer but also, you know, weren't and Def Leppard and all those bands, Bon Jovi. I love Bon Jovi. I mean, I admit it Angelo. Yeah, are nostalgic to you. There are, you know, and I get why some people might say they're cheesy, but I see a different perspective I guess. And again a lot of It just kind of like it's what I was rooted in. So it's funny you ask that though and that's that's great because I do love all that stuff and I still listen to it this
day. Actually, I cover a lot of hair band stuff even though I have no here at my live acoustic shows, I'll do an acoustic version but but the European metal, I find myself kind of writing. As I as I write music, is more of a mix between that, and in some of the older stuff as well. So it's, you know, we talked about this last week when you were saying how important it is Ellie to, to really Find your own style and we talked about that. Can that's what metal Mastermind is all about guys.
We want you, everybody listening to this right now. We want you to develop your own style and sound, don't chase someone else's, it's already done, just find your own and develop your own. So all that said that kind of comes through the influences that we've had. Yeah, absolutely. Haven't you can? Good question. I tend to gravitate towards more Prague on this side of the spectrum. When it comes to Vocalist. I think one of my favorite is
Neal Morse to be honest. Yeah, Neal Morse is so good. I love Neal Morse. Yeah, very, very musical vocalist. He's got a lot of there's a lot of Christian rock right. He does do a lot of Christian rock and I'm not necessarily a hardcore. Christian at all. I'm more agnostic than anything else, but it's just, I love the. The tonal tamper in control of his voice. I think it's a very, he's very easy to listen to. And, you know, you can kind of He's kind of swallowed up and is in his technique.
But another person that I like to listen to is also Simone Simmons from Epica. Jesus very very operatic, you know sort of like soaring type of vocals and she's got like perfect technique because she's like an opera singer and all this kind of stuff. So it's easy to just like be wowed and yeah I think in terms of You know, even like heavier type of vocals, I'm a big fan of, I don't know his name off the top of my head, but I really love the vocalist from
amorphous. Yes. Dude, he has like this, like really like hard-hitting, like growl type of vocals that just like, kind of hit you in the gut. I don't know if it's necessarily guttural, but it's just like it's very deep. And it's very, very forward, but very controlled.
It's kind of similar to Singer from OPEC s. He's also he's another great vocalist who also has like this Dynamic Talent of being able to growl and also sing like these beautiful melodic Melodies. That's who is why I love the workbook in my corset. Like really makes you talk about the music that like inspires you because its first of all, it's
just so fun to talk about. Like I just saw your eyes light up when you talk about like you know, the style of vocals You know it's like a fun conversation you could really figure out what you like and what makes up the music that you create from your inspiration. Do you know its own podcast to? I can go. There's like 10 other musicians in my head now and I think we can we can do this again as well. Yeah, your course, I real quick so metal. Vocal virtuoso, guys, that is on
metal. Mastermind.com go to the website, middle Mastermind, Come click on courses and you'll see all over courses, but scroll down and find metal vocal virtuoso that courses out there. It is help so many other vocalists, not only get better at singing but really find their own voice. And, like we said before, guys, this is what this is all about. It's all about helping you develop your own style and be your absolute best and Elizabeth you do a phenomenal job of doing that in that cork you.
So, hung over there and Elizabeth you do coaching on metal Mastermind as well, so that that's not him. The coaching goes hand-in-hand with the course I think I really want to like see you guys get to know you and figure out where you're at, purchasing purchasing the course. And you know, just wanna meet you guys and help you out along the way as much as I can. So the coaching is, were to do that, for sure. Yeah. Coaching is very much kind of this ongoing learning.
So if you're like at a point where you've kind of taken the course, or if you haven't taken the course, but you're like I still feel like I need something that's a little more. Or to specifically trying to do that. I think it makes perfect sense. Yeah. Anything it definitely makes the whole experience a lot more one-on-one and personal for sure. Yeah. So guys head over to Middle Mastermind.com grab Elizabeth's course middle vocal virtuoso.
And again she also does one-on-one lessons as well. My personal take I like the idea of getting the course and going through those Basics and in scheduling a call with a little bit, With and getting on her calendar because then you've kind of got some of the foundation. So when you meet you, maybe you're a little bit further ahead, right? Yeah, exactly really figure out. Oh, I need more improvement with this and make a note of it. And then we can kind of chat about it.
Whatever it is that you think you need, you know, I'm here for you. That's perfect. Well, Ellie, thank you so much for being on. It's always a pleasure to have you on. Thank you, we appreciate it. And guys, until the next episode, Thank you, by the way, for being a part of metal Mastermind. All of you listening right now, we appreciate that until the next episode, remember to always create your own sound.