Don Cornelius

I have been very fortunate to have traveled and met with and hung out with people from Janis Joplin to Hugh Hefner to Frank Valli.The list is long.

One evening in 1975, I met Don after my gig at the Chicago Playboy Club. This tall man, with a big afro walked over to me. He was instantly recognizable and started a conversation.

Not a typical pick up line… I’ve heard a few. I was with some of the guys from my band Commonwealth, so it was more of a “Are you with anyone?” I explained that we were a house band at Playboy and I knew who he was.

Deep Dish - Chicago Style

We didn’t dance, I am not a drinker. I seem to remember he wasn’t a drinker, either. We sat and listened to the music, and we clicked a little.

Don and I stayed for hours. In those days, one stayed out all night, slept all day, and then went to work in the evening. We were hungry and he said, “I know the best deep-dish pizza place and it’s open all night.” I felt safe with Don and told my band mates where I was going.

We went to this crazy crowded pizza place, and ate until we were in pain! Don and I talked about Soul Train moving to Los Angeles, but he considered Chicago home so kept a penthouse apartment. He asked if I would like to see it before I went to my hotel. I said “Yes, of course I would love too.”

We didn’t have a chemistry of that sort where he was going to try anything with me. We just visited the penthouse apartment, and enjoyed the spectacular view. I remember the furniture like it was yesterday. It  was white and beige, and immaculate.

Chicago at night

As I started to tire, he said, “You are welcome to stay or I will take you home.” I said I should go home, as the band had a whole night ahead of shows at the club. He drove me back, kissed me on the cheek, very sweetly, and I asked him to try to come and see us.

I have never forgotten my one night of intelligent, lovely, conversation with this entertainment icon. To hear of his suicide, today, was both sad and shocking.

I am one of the lucky ones. I spent a lovely night in Chicago with this fabulous, interesting, and soft-spoken man.

Rest In Peace Sweet Don. I will never forget your kindness, your manners, and your role in American musical history. Bringing Soul Train, its guest performers, the Soul Train Dancers and the Scramble Board had a tremendous impact on a generation… and then some.

Love, Peace & Soul!

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

X-Factor meltdown

I tuned in for the X-Factor semi-finals. I wasn’t knocked out by the performances, but thought that 13-year-old Rachel Crow deserved to be in the finals. She was up against a young man, perhaps 18, Marcus Canty. His performance was weak and out of tune. When the judges gave their save votes, Simon and Paula choose Rachel to stay. Wow, nice surprise. However the other judges, L.A. Reid voted for a male singer and Nicole gave up her vote because she couldn’t cut Rachel. Nicole was crying over it.

Then the Host read the ‘viewers vote’ and as he announced Rachel was leaving, she crumpled to the floor as though fainting. Her mic still on, she was hysterical. Her mother, Simon and Paula all came up and tried to soothe her, but she was out of control. Then saying to her mother “You promised!” …

Excuse me, but promised what!!?? You led your 13-year-old daughter to believe she would win this show? I was very upset, remembering my daughter in pre-school losing a costume contest and her tears welling up on stage, and swore to never put my daughter in that situation again.

The idea of removing age minimums or limits may have seemed like a good idea; however, watching this young girl come apart, before my eyes, was way too much in the name of entertainment.

The X-Factor last night, for me, was not entertainment. It was excruciating pain.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

“Now, being a coach, I realize, I would have been a better singer than I am if I had a good coach.”

~ Jessica Marciel

It is better to have no coach than a bad one. I have had many students come to me after four or five vocal coaches, and I hear the same thing. “They never taught me how to breathe.”

We all know how to breathe, we do it all day long. The difference in singing is the need for more air than you need, just to speak, and understanding when to breathe, within the context of the lyrics. I have students who will struggle with a high note. I say, bend down over and make an L-shape and sing to the floor. The note comes out easily. When you do breathing exercises it helps you hold and control notes.

Again, when my students go in the studio, my producer Tom Marolda insists I be there, because he is unable to work the engineer board, and explain what he needs from the singer. A phrase like “How Does it Feel” becomes fell, as we soften the ‘E’. The emotion has to come through. A singer isn’t seen on a CD so one must make the listener feel what the vocalist is feeling.

The texture and colors of a song are important. You cannot sing a song the same way all through it, or it becomes monotone. My student Marine aka Lou White is recording her album, and we are concentrating on her dynamics, because this is an important project. I wanted her to almost whisper a part and then bam, when the band comes back in, it explodes and really is quite effective.

Tom wanted her voice to sound a little raspy. This is not the way she sings , so I took an hour with her and wore her out. I put her through the hardest exercises I could think of, and trashed her voice. Tom came back in and we proceeded with the song and it was more funky and a little more sexy, with a few words that had a rasp.
This isn’t something I suggest be done often, because it is hard on the vocal chords. Afterwards, we gave her warm water and honey and I had her hum gently, which soothes the throat.

Another student, Dayna, just recorded a fantastic song for an up coming film. We had to make sure she had the right timber in her voice, the right tone. Tom believes a lot of people make mistakes not including coaches during recording sessions. Vocal coaches can explain things that producers and writers can’t.

A good coach is hard to find. I will be the first to say, I was not that good, I was just learning to be able to explain how to get the voice moving and the right way to warm up. I know that Brett Manning helped me a lot. He has a great method that works for pop, R&B and country, blues, rock, metal, you name it. I have my own methods that adds some emotional connection to the music. I can help by telling a singer, where to take a breath, where to sing softly, where to punch it, etc.

Our throats are our instruments, we have no piano case, no guitar case, nothing!, we need to be, well, Diva’s! Only because to protect our throats, we need rest, water, warm up’, and special attention to our health.

I believe if you find a coach you can connect to, one that will really help you find your voice, you are lucky. It is nearly impossible to get signed now by a label. With so many independent labels and producers making you pay for your own albums before they will shop you.

There is no point in spending a lot of money unless you have the right material, producer, and connections to shop the product. It is a different time than when I recorded. They paid for everything. Now, you make your own album and then if you are lucky, you can get someone to shop you to labels. They wont listen to anything unsolicited. So, don’t waste your money unless you think YouTube will help you get discovered. It does happen, but not very often.

When and if you decide on a coach, make sure every moment of your money is well spent. I mean, they really work you, like a personal trainer would. I also believe in homework. Get a CD to take home and practice with, everyday. You don’t use your voice, you lose it.

Good luck, and hopefully this information helped

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

The latest audition was a story I just had to share with you. Ken is a strong singer and presence, tall, dark, handsome, ex military, good contestant. I will admit, at first, I thought The X Factor would be something different. The clips on YouTube , from its UK edition were impressive. But, when the show announced that Paula Abdul was joining Simon, I thought “Uh Oh, here we go again…”

Well, my Uh Oh moment came true.  Before I even get to my students audition, The show became unwatchable when they had the American Idol-like, bad singers, and a guy who actually DROPPED his pants in front of the live audience. ENOUGH! I am sorry, I am no prude, but you turn away thousands of good singers for this nonsense?

My student Ken (pictured far right, with another contestant, Javon), and his wife Michelle, flew to Los Angeles, waited six and a half hours, just to get the tickets! The next day , they waited in the rain, until 7pm. Ken made it through to the next day’s rounds. That meant, another night of lodging expenses, and Michelle and Ken missing work. Something the X-Factor Producers couldn’t care less about.

Now the third day, second round of auditions,  He got his golden ticket, and they stayed over again. This time, the security was very rude to Ken’s wife, literally pushing her back.

Ken wasn’t really upset he didn’t make this third round, BUT, he was surprised that some very good singers were passed over. They took 35 people all under 35 years of age from the Los Angeles auditions. Ken is good, and he was better than the man they did take with the oxygen tank. Just sayin’…

These shows are all scripted and calculated. I wouldn’t bet your career on any of these shows.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

A couple of years ago, I had some students who were right there at the doorstep of being signed by a major label. They had the right manager with connections and some of the best writers… two of whom are now very famous and have gone out on their own as performers. They had videos and me as a coach, and stylists. What went wrong? At that crucial moment they were to do a showcase, they decided that the direction the of the songs, were, well, not the way they wanted to go! What?? When did they decide this?

After a YEAR of recording, pictures, videos, choreography, and going to Los Angeles for a showcase, suddenly, they were not happy with the material? One must realize, that to even have a realistic shot in the recording industry, today, you have to know someone.

Where are these artists now? In a lawsuit with the former manager, waiting for their day in court, hopefully, to be set free to do their own thing. Whatever that will be. Meanwhile the years are going by and their youth is going by.

Then, you must have the material, already produced. It is essential to look great AND young, and be molded and controlled by a record label. Case in point: Kelly Clarkson won American Idol and had to do that stupid movie with Justin-whoever-he-was, and then she hated her music. She had become a big star, but clashed with Clive Davis and went on to produce her next CD without him. It tanked… big time.

Young, new singers, need to listen to the big boys. They know what it takes. If you think you know it all, you have another thing coming.

If you really are a serious artist, you need to be a serious contender. You have to be ready for rejection, and failure. You need a backup plan. Sheryl Crow was a backup singer for Michael Jackson. She first played the really decrepit Huntridge Theater the first time her band was in Vegas. It took time, and the right song before her dream came true.

Have a dream, but have a plan, but listen to those who have been in the business before you, and trust them. Believe me, you cannot do it on your own!

Good Luck

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

He is a natural, has appeared in many musical productions. Recently, I sent him to the brilliant pianist Billy Taggessor. The result is breathtaking.

You must hear this rendition of the song “Very Unusual Way“ from the show “Nine” You will get goose bumps, and want to play it over and over again. I love Rob’s voice, and hope you do too! Nicole Kidman, eat your heart out, and shame on you.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Well, I don’t know David, and couldn’t get her CD to him. So we carried on, she grew up, and her voice got a little stronger. About this time, I started to send students to Tom Marolda. He needed a Spanish translation of a dance club tune that had rapper “Deejon” on it. I never in a million years would think of Jess for a Club/dance singer! She is fifteen, and I didn”t even think of that style for her. But Tom, He is a visionary. He heard something I did not. They recorded a great, hip, dance percussion filled song. I was thrilled. Then he wrote her, well, they wrote together, another song, more suited for her age , a song called “Torn“.

I helped her with this song, to make it her own, find her emotion, and she nailed it. Now we have these two great songs, each quite different from the other.

I am so proud of her, and I truly believe when people hear this, she has a shot of being in the game.

When I became a coach, my goal was not to get people recording contracts, or demos or anything except to make them better singers. But when you hear something, when you feel someone has a certain something, you can’t help but mentor them and get involved. My life has changed. My students are blossoming, and becoming so good, that it just blows me away.

I can’t wait til you take a listen at the two songs Jess and tom have done. Enjoy them and I think you will agree, just because someone has a high voice,  it cannot stop them , they can be all things musically, and be in the game as much as a soul singer can, maybe even more!

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Tommy Marolda is a songwriting legend. He writes with Richie Sambora, had many albums under the name “The Toms”, and most recently, in the past few decades, has written music for, Stayin’ Alive, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Rocky Balboa, The Starter Wife, multiple Lifetime TV movies, and so many films.

It seems, that he moved here, records all the music at his home studio and has 8,000 songs in a catalogue, which music supervisors all over choose from for films and TV.

They don’t always want to pay royalties for a Rhianna or Sade, for example. So, Tom is always looking for singers, for projects.
FAST FORWARD, Tom researched me well, he knew more about me than I knew, it seemed. Actually, he is still finding out things, but he really did his homework.

I have some great students, no, really, I have some winners. Lou White, My student from Paris, she is just knocking it out the park, recorded a new CD, call Rebirth of Soul. Marissa McCoy is doing Musical theatre everywhere, and killed as Tracy in Hairspray, Tiffanne LeMay, is a knockout wherever she sings. Too many to name, I am so fortunate to work with the best singers around.

One of them, Joey Miceli. He has knocked-me-out, from the first note I heard. He starred in The Rainbow Company Production “How I Became a Pirate”,  last month. He had the lead role.

So I emailed Tom, a recording of Joey’s voice. He was hooked. They had a meeting, and decided to write a song together. Since Joey is 12 years old, they decided on a style similar to what Bruno Mars might do. It seems that every one of his songs is very different from the other.

The song turned out to be I Wanna Do Everything (sample).  I was with him at the session and was so proud of him. Joey took to the process right away. I took photos and made an album on Facebook of the session.

When you listen to this song, you wind up humming it all day. Tom is, and I rarely use this word, a genius! The man cranks out great song after great song, like a cook making burgers. He is a Hitmaker! A term we used to use back-in-the-day. When I was 12, I also was recording. It was different in those days, I recorded at Capitol Records in Studio C, a huge studio, with an orchestra, three back up singers, and we did it all together, live, later on, they started to record music first, and the singer came in and sang to the track. Things have really changed. The business has changed, but Tom Marolda, can write for rapper Deejon or anyone, anytime.

Joey Miceli is a contender. This young man is not just a great singer with a crazy range, he is a great person. When my daughter moved to Chicago, Joey gave me a framed portrait of he and I, and a card telling me not to be sad, that he is here for me. I was in tears at the maturity and compassion of this so talented singer.

I am certain, that with this song, and soon, the next, it is just a matter of time that I can say, Yes, he was 9 when I started working with him. Yes, he is amazing, and Yes, I was privileged to a part of the beginning of his career success.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Now that you know Joeys story, listen to his song and enjoy!