Jingle Writing !! 159Hire professional, flexible, and cooperative singers.Because clarity
and expression are important, it is common for the agency creatives and/
or the music producer to record multiple vocal takes. They might request
minor changes or request that the parts be rearranged. For instance, a cre-
ative might say, ‘‘I can’t hear the ’t’ on the word it,’’ or, ‘‘The background
vocals are masking certain lyrics.’’ Jingle singers anticipate comments of
this nature and are diplomatic when communicating with music produc-
ers and agency creatives. Hire background singers whose voices blend.
Lead singers are not necessarily skilled background singers and vice versa.
If needed, ask the singers for recommendations.
Hire musicians who are experienced in recording jingles.They are
generally accustomed to the pressure of working quickly and accurately.
Some studio players who play only on records are not as fast. The longer
it takes to record, the more the session costs. The overage is generally
deducted from the music company’s budget.
Find out the technical format required by the agency to be used for
the final ‘‘playback’’ of music onto the film/tape.DAT (digital audiotape)
used to be the preferred format but has been replaced by burning data,
such as AIFF or wave files, on a CD or DVD. Many files are sent via the
Internet.
The following is my interview with Dr. Patricia Fleitas, director of cho-
ral studies at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida:
MZ: How does a nonsinger learn to coach a singer?
Patricia: From a stylistic standpoint and a musical standpoint, [it is
advantageous] if the singer has technical knowledge. If the per-
son knows what they are doing with their voice, then the musi-
cian who is a nonsinger can still coach in the musical aspect of
the production. For example, a jazz specialist doesn’t have to be
a vocalist to teach and coach a jazz-style production, the same
way that in classical music the vocal coach, most of the time, is a
nonsinger.
MZ: How do you approach singers who are not technically
trained?
Patricia: There is a lot of natural talent. [The singer should be] accu-
rate for the style, sing in tune, and the production of the voice
[should be] nonoffensive. A lot of the times when singers have
intonation problems, the issue is technical. You have to under-
stand the instrument to negotiate the music... to accommodate
the score.
MZ: How do you help a singer improve their intonation?
Patricia: The first thing to look for is what they are doing physi-
cally. Look at breath support... on how they are inhaling the
breath and how they are supporting the voice. The next thing is
how the mechanics [of voice] are working. A depressed larynx