Are you a young hopeful singer looking to make your mark in the entertainment business? Here is some advice that you might find useful.

It's not as important as it once was to have an abundance of singing talent. You do need to have some ability but there are now many more things that can affect your rise to stardom than just talent. You do need to have good voice, the basic raw ability to sing confidently and in tune. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because a lot of people say you are an amazing singer that this alone will get you where you want to be. I can tell you that the world is full of amazing singers, people who can mesmerize an audience singing through the phonebook!

Firstly, don't think of yourself as a singer. Think of yourself as a MUSICIAN. The human voice is merely an instrument like many others and it takes dedication and skill to use it. If you want the kind of voice that will stop traffic, the kind of range that lets you sing in almost any key, the sort of voice that most people would die for then you have to build it yourself. Lots of raw talent is not enough in most cases and it can sometimes be a disadvantage. Why?. Because it can make you complacent and lead you to believe that the world revolves around you and the greatness you are bound to enjoy if only the world would listen.

As a singer you need to develop musical judgment. Yes, you will need to make good musical decisions every time you open your mouth to sing. Deciding how to sing a phrase, whether to build up a particular section or to lay back your timing into the bridge or if you should sing out the end chorus an octave higher with lots of licks all takes musical taste and judgment that you are not born with. If you think of yourself as a musician first then you will be able to recognize these skills in other musicians and you will be able to learn from them.

This is why singers should always be looking to push themselves. Expand your horizons by learning other instruments like guitar and keyboards or bass, drums or saxophone. The mere act of learning to play a bit on another instrument will teach you much about singing. It will also help immensely with your songwriting, but that is another rave.

Expand your horizons in other directions musically. If you sing hip hop sing a bit of country or jazz. Force yourself into areas you know nothing about, throw yourself into the deep end of the pool until you feel the water flow over your head!

Don't fall for the old argument that you are an original artist and you don't want to dilute your 'sound' with outside influences. The truth is that influences are what make you the singer you are and the great singer you will become. You must absorb all the information you can, pick as many brains as you can find, listen to the old players and try to figure out why they did what they did. Above all, make this journey your passion. Leave no stone unturned in your quest to be a better musician and a great singer.

So, should you rush out and get singing lessons I hear you ask...

Initially no. What you should be doing is hanging out with other musicians, preferably better ones than you. Don't spend all your time with friends who are hacks with no intentions of doing anything meaningful with their music after the school holidays. This can be difficult if you have strong relationships with people you enjoy making music with but it is a necessary step in your musical education and growth. You must find great players to learn from. Most accomplished musicians actually enjoy mentoring young hopefuls with ability and drive. Finding some good players to learn from is the single most important thing you will ever do for your musical career.

Then, when you are ready, look to improve your vocal technique with some singing lessons. We can always use better technique but remember this. Vocal technique is important but it is a relatively small part of becoming a great singer. Most singing teachers teach similar techniques. They get you to sing exercises that help expand your range, improve your vocal control and agility which ultimately helps increase your confidence to sing. In an ideal world you will be able to find an excellent singing teacher right around the corner from where you live and you will be able to easily afford the lessons. This, unfortunately is not always the case.

Finding a singing teacher can be a difficult and time consuming problem. Don't forget that you are the one who decides if that teacher is right for you. It's important to have a rapport with that teacher. They need to be someone you can learn more than just technique from. Remember that 'musical judgment' I mentioned earlier? Find a singing teacher who can not only guide your vocal technique but can give you some insights into improving your musicianship, some advice in making those musical decisions.

Remember to be humble and realize that singing is an art that you can master with patience and great guidance. The most important thing is for you to bring out your own unique voice, not what your singing teacher wants, but the voice that you have inside of you.

If you cannot find a good singing teacher then consider doing an online singing course. Online singing lessons are more abundant now and there are a some good ones. Of course I would like you to try exploreyourvoice.com but also look around to see what courses there are available. Explore Your Voice is a completely online singing course that gets you singing right away. You pay a small monthly subscription and just login to do your lessons. There are many detailed audio tutorials with the course that will allow you to develop that musicianship and know how to get your singing career going. Just steer clear of things like singing review sites - they usually recommend only the products they get commission for selling and are not to be trusted.

Above all, set your sights high but your expectations low. You must strive always to be better and not be afraid of change. Test yourself with new challenges and concepts, meet lots of like minded people and don't waste time. It's a precious thing that you cant recover and your willingness to set goals and achieve them will help create that singing career that you desire.