What Do Singers Listen To?

It is no doubt that music plays a huge part in the lives of many performers, as we strive to create art (or at least entertainment) ourselves. There exist musicians of all genres, singers and dancers alike, and it would be impossible to cover all of the types of music out there. We can, however, touch on a select few, the genres that are the most prominent today for aspiring performers.

Classical: although not as popular as it was five decades or so ago, classical music appeals to many singers and dancers. And although we are seeing less and less classical work being performed than before, nearly every performer is originally trained in classical singing/dancing before moving on to more modern types of music. Thus, many performers are, or at least should be, well-versed in famous operas like La Boheme or Carmen, as well as dances like those of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, to name a few of the most important and popular. Classical training helps keep a performer committed and focused, using more precise muscles to accomplish a beautifully flowing lyric or dance move. Without this kind of appreciation for the older styles, we lose a great depth to modern art.

Pop is still just as big as it was in the 80's, although one can argue that not only has the quality of a lot of pop music been in serious decline since then, but also that there is no longer a single "pop" genre, and instead has broken into several smaller groups, such as alternative pop like No Doubt or Jewel, "teen" pop like N'Sync or Jessica Simpson, and classic pop like Billy Joel or the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. Since pop only means "popular music," there isn't really a set classification for this. Still, you will find a lot of music referred to as "pop," and it is still a very important genre. A lot of young singers focus their attention to this type of music, mostly because it is the best way to cut a record and get noticed (just look at all the new pop idols of the 90's and auts).