Ever wonder what it might be like to write, record and release a couple of records and yet never have set foot on a nightclub stage to sing your material, or even sing into a microphone while performing live? Maybe not, but that was the case with me, Jim Allio, the writer of this blog and the singer-songwriter responsible for two CDs, "Better Late Than Never" (2007) and this year's "Second Chance." I'd been asked to perform several times in the past couple of months, and last Saturday, I bit the bullet and did a two-song set at Club Sapphire in San Francisco. What was it like? I'll tell you all about it, but for those who don't know, here's a brief history:
1 - My friend, Martin, is moving and sells me his 4-track tape recorder for $100, showing me how I can use it to create up to four vocal tracks. I start playing with it, doubling my voice or singing one man harmony duets with myself. When I play them back, I think, "Huh...I used to sing better than that."
2 - I take a Voice class at Laney College with Professor Lucy Kinchen. She teaches vocal technique and encourages students to perform one of the five songs she has her class learn each semester. Terrified, but wanting to get the full experience, I do "Moon River" at the end of the semester and am shocked when I get a great response. I continue taking the class.
3 - I start running into folks who have taken the class with me, and who ask me to sing background on their records, or do duets or trios with them, or even adlib with their jazz band. I begin to feel encouraged, although I notice every time I get up to sing, it's a crap shoot whether I will let the fear overwhelm me. Each semester I sing for the class and in Laney open mikes.
4 - I begin hanging out with a local Oakland hiphop hopeful, Skarlo Paine. We drive around town playing new beats and tracks he is creating for his first record. For some reason, I'm not shy around him, and I riff off the cuff lyrics or just vocalese as we drive. It's fun.
5 - Paine learns I have a whole book of poems or lyrics lying around and looks at some of them, then asks me to consider writing a lyric for one of this tracks and then sing it. This becomes the song, "Help Me," which he includes on his 2005 record, "Distorted Melodies," and, surprisingly, it becomes the best received tune on the record.
6 - Paine next suggests I do my own record, with him producing, creating beats and tracks, and collaborating with me on the melodies. I'm not scared. I'm excited. We record off and on for a year and a half and in February 2007, "Better Late Than Never" is released and receives a good review in the East Bay Express.
7 - I continue taking Voice with Ms. Kinchen and perform several of the songs from my CD for the class and at Laney College open mikes. Stage fright is real but I keep getting up.
8 - I start work on my second CD, this time producing and arranging it as well as writing the lyrics and melodies. It becomes "Second Chance" and is released in February 2009. Friends begin helping me make videos of songs from the record to put on YouTube and that process begins making cracks in the wall of my stage fright. I also realize that people are genuinely digging some of the songs and that bolsters my confidence as well.
9 - Through a series of flukes and coincidences that, in hindsight, were obviously meant to be, I meet the rap star, Deadlee, and spend several nights hanging out with him and talking about everything under the sun, with a big emphasis on music and performing. He advises me to perform anywhere I can and to take an acting class. He has a heavy personal impact on me and my confidence inexplicably grows even more. Later he tells me he loves my CD and plans to write a review on it, and that sincere encouragement pushes me to the next level.
10 - Friends begin introducing me to other musicians and performers as Jim Allio, the recording artist, and I don't shy away. I begin to be asked to perform. At first I demur, but then I remember what Deadlee recommended, and I recognize that these doors are opening so I can walk through them, and I accept my first gig.
So here I am, at Club Sapphire on Sacramento Street, at a video shoot and birthday party for a Burmese pop star, Zadanya, a friend of my homie, writer-activist Randy Wong. I bring tracks for five songs with the vocals wiped and it is decided I will sing a couple of them between band sets. I'm nervous but not unreasonably so. This isn't ghetto Laney. This is a big party, 200 guests, all dressed up, and the only folks I know are Randy, Zadanya and another singer, Buschie. I realize with a start that I've never sung live with a microphone but decide to cross that bridge when they hand the mic to me.
Soon I'm sitting on stage waiting for them to cue my first song, "Wonderful Life." I get up and just start singing. I'm surprised that I'm not all that nervous now. The mic is no problem. I look around at the crowd. Shit. Most of them ain't payin' me NO mind, dog! This doesn't piss me off. It has the opposite effect. It relaxes me. I let go and just blow. I know the set is being filmed and I even play to the camera a bit. Buschie steps onstage and hands me a rose. I'm so surprised it doesn't dawn on me to kiss her on the cheek so I just say thanks, don't miss a beat and keep singing.
My second number is my most ambitious, "Little Boy Lost," a six minute ballad that changes tempo several times and requires me to go within and sing from my soul. I discover I'm able to go there, and I notice peripherally some folks appreciating what I am doing. Zadanya approaches the stage twice thinking the song is over and I tell him, "Not yet, almost" and keep going. It feels wonderful. I reach the end of the song and hold the last note a little longer than I do on the record. The crowd applauds warmly and I'm done.
I feel great. Later I see the videos and I'm okay with them. I learn that the chewing on hard candy has to go, but overall for my first time I am happy. I know I can do this and now my next challenge is to find other places to sing and do it on the regular. And I will.
The past few months I've been writing lyrics like crazy. My notebook is already half full and is my most constant companion. Some melodies are coming and I've started a few tracks. Record #3 is beginning to shape itself, but it won't be out until 2011. Until then, I will continue singing my songs in public and honing my performance skills. Now I know I can do this!
Videos of my live performances can be found on YouTube. Just search for "Jim Allio" and you'll see them.
No comments:
Post a Comment