Day in the life of
Vocalist – Angelica Allen
My name is Angelica Allen and I’m an Artist and Entrepreneur that creates music, meditations, and fashion for the historically marginalized. I also work as a Freelance Vocalist recording vocals and music for advertisements around the world. I work with different Producers and companies globally to create spots for various advertisements.
My typical day
There are various types of “typical” days as a vocalist.
Most days I get up early, exercise, and then begin work around 8 or 8.30. In the early part of the day, I’m doing administrative work so sending out invoices, emailing to get new clients, or emailing and staying in contact with current clients. I try to warm up my voice while I’m doing this.
A couple of hours later I’ll begin recording and production for advertisements and sample packs. Commercials have a hard deadline which is usually quite quick, but sample packs can drag on as you work on spec and aren’t paid upfront so I have to be pretty proactive about that.
Then honestly I could be recording and singing for the rest of the day until I wrap up during which I tackle emails again. I make it a rule not to have my phone or internet on during recording. Getting in the flow is important and constantly going in and out to respond to a text message makes work incredibly slow.
After work, I’ll spend some time checking out e-courses on the equipment I have to stay on top of things and hone my skills or to record my own work where I can experiment and find the best workflow for my freelance projects. That’s a typical day at home.
Days when touring with a band
If I’m working as a vocalist for a band or outside project, the day varies greatly by the personality of the band and what we’re doing. Touring is always fun but can be intense time-wise. I’ve sung at shows where we weren’t even billed to play until 4am so getting up early isn’t really possible during tours.
During the day you’re typically traveling to your destination so you you have to maximize your time and get any production or recording done on the go. A home and travel mobile studio set up is absolutely necessary.
After reaching our destination we’d settle in, have lunch, and then usually head to sound check. After that, we have time until the show to explore or finish up any projects we’re working on until about 1 or 2 hours before showtime when we’re back at the venue getting ready until showtime.
After the show, we’re usually pretty hyped so we tend to hang out for a bit and then crash pretty late and do it all again the next day. Definitely not a sustainable lifestyle but it can work for a few weeks to a few months at a time!
Pros
- I’m doing something I love! However, doing something you love doesn’t always mean you’re going to do it the way you like. As a freelance vocalist, I have to be 100% open to how my clients and bands I work with want me to sound and even look for shows/recordings. Be open-minded and be able to play and experiment with your sound and image.
- Flexibility! I hate doing the same thing over and over again. Working freelance ensures you’re going to have quite a lot of different jobs and styles to tackle. Yes, I’m singing, writing, and producing each day but the projects change so much that it keeps it fresh and fun.
- Travel. When you’re touring it’s such a great opportunity to see the world. I’ve traveled around the world and seen all kinds of places I never imagined I would have the chance to visit.
Cons
- As I mentioned before you can’t have your idea of what you’re going to even sound like each day set in stone. You have to be open to working with producers and music directors to give them the sound they’re looking for at that moment. This isn’t a con necessarily, but it can take some time to get used to taking instruction and working with all the parts of your voice to create new shapes and sounds.
- If your personality type doesn’t do too well with constant change you might struggle in this career. You need to be okay with and even crave constant motion. That said, you always have to be on top of the administrative side of the job so it’s important to temper your personality a bit to be successful in this field.
- Travel (once again). As I mentioned previously it’s incredible to see so many places when working on the road, however. Sometimes the schedule is so packed or the venue is so far away that you don’t even get to see the places you’re visiting! Also, as I touched on, touring can be so draining that sometimes you really just sleep most of your free time so you have energy for the show. It’s important to manage your expectations and time so you’re not let down. You are, after all, traveling for work! A well-planned tour will give you time to see some sights but be prepared to take a quicker, cursory tour of some places. You can always come back on vacation.
Advice to aspiring vocalists
The best prep is of course, making sure you love this vocation and be willing to commit to your health. As a vocalist, your instrument is inside your body so it can be intense to maintain vocal and physical health to be able to perform under stress and deadlines. Vocal lessons from trusted teachers can be important for vocal maintenance and health.
Studying music and the music business in college/university or online can be incredibly important for making this a career and not a hobby. Learning music theory can be helpful and insightful if you don’t have the best ear but honestly it’s all up to you. Confidence in your skills goes a long way in this industry but you need to be able to back it up!
Also, learning music production software like Logic Pro X or Ableton is necessary. You won’t be taken seriously as a vocalist if you don’t know how to record, edit, and produce yourself. There are tons of incredible courses to learn these tools online. One in general, you have to balance an intense love of singing and music with the business side and “less-fun” parts of the job, but it’s totally worth it!
