My first ‘Everest’ was to learn to write good songs. I had started writing songs at age 13 but they were the typical floaty folk songs that showed promise but were not going to cut it in the grown up world.
By this time I had quit my full time job in favor of part time so I could have time to write, learn about singing and learn about the industry. There was so much I wanted to learn.
I wrestled with songwriting structure, pulling apart pop songs like a child with an old watch. I would look at how all the parts work and then try to put in all back together again.
At the same time I found my first singing teacher. She was the local teacher to the stars and I had six lessons with her. She said that there wasn’t much more she could teach me. I had been singing for about 5 years at this point and I was starting to get pretty good but I knew there were holes in my technique. I was a bit of a belter (still am) and I really don’t think she knew what to do with me.
I then found a classical teacher. This was a bit of a mistake but in hind site but there was no other option. We have great modern singing techniques now but they just didn’t exist back then. God I made some awful sounds with her. One day, she stopped me in mid squawk and said. “Look I don’t know what you’re trying to do. Can you just sing?” So I did and it was good. I had some weird idea of what she wanted and it was just over the top.
I was 18 months with this teacher and she straightened me out a bit. But the times were a changing. There were these new fangled drum machines and guitars were on the outer and keyboards were King. The 1980’s were starting to kick. © 2009 Riley Jordan All Rights Reserved
