Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments. Singing is often done in a group of other musicians, such as in a choir of singers with different voice ranges, or in an ensemble with instrumentalists, such as a rock group or baroque ensemble. As in many respects human song is a form of sustained speech, nearly anyone able to speak can also sing. Singing can be formal or informal, arranged or improvised. It may be done for pleasure, comfort, ritual, education, or profit. Excellence in singing requires time, dedication, instruction, and regular practice. Professional singers usually build their careers around one specific musical genre, such as classical or rock. They typically take voice training provided by voice teachers or vocal coaches throughout their career.

The human voice

In its physical aspect, singing has a well-defined technique that depends on the use of the lungs, which act as an air supply, or bellows; on the larynx, which acts as a reed or vibrator; on the chest and head cavities, which have the function of an amplifier, as the tube in a wind instrument; and on the tongue, which together with the palate, teeth, and lips articulate and impose consonants and vowels on the amplified sound. Though these four mechanisms function independently, they are nevertheless coordinated in the establishment of a vocal technique and are made to interact upon one another. During passive breathing, air is inhaled with the diaphragm while exhalation occurs without any effort. Exhalation may be aided by the abdominal, internal intercostal and lower pelvic muscles. Inhalation is aided by use of external intercostals, scalenes and sternocleidomastoid muscles. The pitch is altered with the vocal cords. With the lips closed, this is called humming.

The sound of each individual's singing voice is entirely unique not only because of the actual shape and size of an individual's vocal cords but also due to the size and shape of the rest of that person's body. Humans have vocal folds which can loosen, tighten, or change their thickness, and over which breath can be transferred at varying pressures. The shape of the chest and neck, the position of the tongue, and the tightness of otherwise unrelated muscles can be altered. Any one of these actions results in a change in pitch, volume, timbre, or tone of the sound produced. Sound also resonates within different parts of the body, and an individual's size and bone structure can affect the sound produced by an individual.

Singers can also learn to project sound in certain ways so that it resonates better within their vocal tract. This is known as vocal resonation. Another major influence on vocal sound and production is the function of the larynx which people can manipulate in different ways to produce different sounds. These different kinds of laryngeal function are described as different kinds of vocal registers. The primary method for singers to accomplish this is through the use of the Singer's Formant; which has been shown to match particularly well to the most sensitive part of the ear's frequency range.

Vocal registration

Vocal registration refers to the system of vocal registers within the human voice. A register in the human voice is a particular series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, and possessing the same quality. Registers originate in laryngeal function. They occur because the vocal folds are capable of producing several different vibratory patterns. Each of these vibratory patterns appears within a particular range of pitches and produces certain characteristic sounds. The term "register" can be somewhat confusing as it encompasses several aspects of the human voice. The term register can be used to refer to any of the following:

A particular part of the vocal range such as the upper, middle, or lower registers.

A resonance area such as chest voice or head voice.

A phonatory process (phonation is the process of producing vocal sound by the vibration of the vocal folds that is in turn modified by the resonance of the vocal tract)

A certain vocal timbre or vocal "colour"

A region of the voice which is defined or delimited by vocal breaks.

In linguistics, a register language is a language which combines tone and vowel phonation into a single phonological system. Within speech pathology the term vocal register has three constituent elements: a certain vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, a certain series of pitches, and a certain type of sound. Speech pathologists identify four vocal registers based on the physiology of laryngeal function: the vocal fry register, the modal register, the falsetto register, and the whistle register. This view is also adopted by many vocal pedagogists.

Vocal resonation

Vocal resonation is the process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. Various terms related to the resonation process include amplification, enrichment, enlargement, improvement, intensification, and prolongation, although in strictly scientific usage acoustic authorities would question most of them. The main point to be drawn from these terms by a singer or speaker is that the end result of resonation is, or should be, to make a better sound. There are seven areas that may be listed as possible vocal resonators. In sequence from the lowest within the body to the highest, these areas are the chest, the tracheal tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, and the sinuses.

Chest voice and head voice

Chest voice and head voice are terms used within vocal music. The use of these terms varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regards to these terms. Chest voice can be used in relation to a particular part of the vocal range or type of vocal register; a vocal resonance area; or a specific vocal timbre. Head voice can be used in relation to a particular part of the vocal range or type of vocal register or a vocal resonance area.

History and development

The first recorded mention of the terms chest voice and head voice was around the 13th century, when it was distinguished from the "throat voice" (pectoris, guttoris, capitis — at this time it is likely that head voice referred to the falsetto register) by the writers Johannes de Garlandia and Jerome of Moravia. The terms were later adopted within bel canto, the Italian opera singing method, where chest voice was identified as the lowest and head voice the highest of three vocal registers: the chest, passagio and head registers. This approach is still taught by some vocal pedagogists today. Another current popular approach that is based on the bel canto model is to divide both men and women's voices into three registers. Men's voices are divided into "chest register", "head register", and "falsetto register" and woman's voices into "chest register", "middle register", and "head register". Such pedagogists teach that the head register is a vocal technique used in singing to describe the resonance felt in the singer's head.

However as knowledge of human physiology has increased over the past two hundred years, so has the understanding of the physical process of singing and vocal production. As a result, many vocal pedagogists, such as Ralph Appelman at Indiana University and William Vennard at the University of Southern California, have redefined or even abandoned the use of the terms chest voice and head voice. In particular, the use of the terms ''chest register'' and ''head register'' have become controversial since vocal registration is more commonly seen today as a product of laryngeal function that is unrelated to the physiology of the chest, lungs, and head. For this reason, many vocal pedagogists argue that it is meaningless to speak of registers being produced in the chest or head. They argue that the vibratory sensations which are felt in these areas are resonance phenomena and should be described in terms related to vocal resonance, not to registers. These vocal pedagogists prefer the terms ''chest voice'' and ''head voice'' over the term register. This view believes that the problems which people identify as register problems are really problems of resonance adjustment. This view is also in alignment with the views of other academic fields that study vocal registration including: speech pathology, phonetics, and linguistics. Although both methods are still in use, current vocal pedagogical practice tends to adopt the newer more scientific view. Also, some vocal pedagogists take ideas from both viewpoints.

The contemporary use of the term chest voice often refers to a specific kind of vocal coloration or vocal timbre. In classical singing, its use is limited entirely to the lower part of the modal register or normal voice. Within other forms of singing, chest voice is often applied throughout the modal register. Chest timbre can add a wonderful array of sounds to a singer's vocal interpretive palette. However, the use of overly strong chest voice in the higher registers in an attempt to hit higher notes in the chest can lead to forcing. Forcing can lead consequently to vocal deterioration.

Classifying singing voices

In European classical music and opera, voices are treated like musical instruments. Composers who write vocal music must have an understanding of the skills, talents, and vocal properties of singers. Voice classification is the process by which human singing voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types. These qualities include but are not limited to: vocal range, vocal weight, vocal tessitura, vocal timbre, and vocal transition points such as breaks and lifts within the voice. Other considerations are physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal registration. The science behind voice classification developed within European classical music has been slow in adapting to more modern forms of singing. Voice classification is often used within opera to associate possible roles with potential voices. There are currently several different systems in use within classical music including: the German ''Fach'' system and the choral music system among many others. No system is universally applied or accepted.

However, most classical music systems acknowledge seven different major voice categories. Women are typically divided into three groups: soprano, mezzo-soprano, and contralto. Men are usually divided into four groups: countertenor, tenor, baritone, and bass. When considering voices of pre-pubescent children an eighth term, treble, can be applied. Within each of these major categories there are several sub-categories that identify specific vocal qualities like coloratura facility and vocal weight to differentiate between voices.

It should be noted that within choral music, singers' voices are divided solely on the basis of vocal range. Choral music most commonly divides vocal parts into high and low voices within each sex (SATB, or soprano, alto, tenor, and bass). As a result, the typical choral situation affords many opportunities for misclassification to occur. Since most people have medium voices, they must be assigned to a part that is either too high or too low for them; the mezzo-soprano must sing soprano or alto and the baritone must sing tenor or bass. Either option can present problems for the singer, but for most singers there are fewer dangers in singing too low than in singing too high.

Within contemporary forms of music (sometimes referred to as Contemporary Commercial Music), singers are classified by the style of music they sing, such as jazz, pop, blues, soul, country, folk, and rock styles. There is currently no authoritative voice classification system within non-classical music. Attempts have been made to adopt classical voice type terms to other forms of singing but such attempts have been met with controversy. The development of voice categorizations were made with the understanding that the singer would be using classical vocal technique within a specified range using unamplified (no microphones) vocal production. Since contemporary musicians use different vocal techniques, microphones, and are not forced to fit into a specific vocal role, applying such terms as soprano, tenor, baritone, etc. can be misleading or even inaccurate.

Vocal pedagogy

Vocal pedagogy is the study of the teaching of singing. The art and science of vocal pedagogy has a long history that began in Ancient Greece and continues to develop and change today. Professions that practice the art and science of vocal pedagogy include vocal coaches, choral directors, vocal music educators, opera directors, and other teachers of singing.

Vocal pedagogy concepts are a part of developing proper vocal technique. Typical areas of study include the following:

Human anatomy and physiology as it relates to the physical process of singing

*Vocal health and voice disorders related to singing

*Breathing and air support for singing

*Phonation

* Vocal resonation or Voice projection

*Vocal registration: a particular series of tones, produced in the same vibratory pattern of the vocal folds, and possessing the same quality, which originate in laryngeal function, because each of these vibratory patterns appears within a particular range of pitches and produces certain characteristic sounds.

* Voice classification

Vocal styles: for Classical singers, this includes styles ranging from Lieder to opera; for pop singers, styles can include "belted out" a blues ballads; for jazz singers, styles can include Swing ballads and scatting.

* Techniques used in styles such as sostenuto and legato, range extension, tone quality, vibrato, and coloratura

Vocal technique

Singing when done with proper vocal technique is an integrated and coordinated act that effectively coordinates the physical processes of singing. There are four physical processes involved in producing vocal sound: respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation. These processes occur in the following sequence: #Breath is taken #Sound is initiated in the larynx #The vocal resonators receive the sound and influence it #The articulators shape the sound into recognizable units Although these four processes are often considered separately when studied, in actual practice they merge into one coordinated function. With an effective singer or speaker, one should rarely be reminded of the process involved as their mind and body are so coordinated that one only perceives the resulting unified function. Many vocal problems result from a lack of coordination within this process.

Since singing is a coordinated act, it is difficult to discuss any of the individual technical areas and processes without relating them to the others. For example, phonation only comes into perspective when it is connected with respiration; the articulators affect resonance; the resonators affect the vocal folds; the vocal folds affect breath control; and so forth. Vocal problems are often a result of a breakdown in one part of this coordinated process which causes voice teachers to frequently focus in intensively on one area of the process with their student until that issue is resolved. However, some areas of the art of singing are so much the result of coordinated functions that it is hard to discuss them under a traditional heading like phonation, resonation, articulation, or respiration.

Once the voice student has become aware of the physical processes that make up the act of singing and of how those processes function, the student begins the task of trying to coordinate them. Inevitably, students and teachers will become more concerned with one area of the technique than another. The various processes may progress at different rates, with a resulting imbalance or lack of coordination. The areas of vocal technique which seem to depend most strongly on the student's ability to coordinate various functions are: : #Extending the vocal range to its maximum potential #Developing consistent vocal production with a consistent tone quality #Developing flexibility and agility #Achieving a balanced vibrato

Developing the singing voice

Singing is a skill that requires highly developed muscle reflexes. Singing does not require much muscle strength but it does require a high degree of muscle coordination. Individuals can develop their voices further through the careful and systematic practice of both songs and vocal exercises. Vocal pedagogists instruct their students to exercise their voices in an intelligent manner. Singers should be thinking constantly about the kind of sound they are making and the kind of sensations they are feeling while they are singing. Vocal exercises have several purposes, including warming up the voice; extending the vocal range; "lining up" the voice horizontally and vertically; and acquiring vocal techniques such as legato, staccato, control of dynamics, rapid figurations, learning to sing wide intervals comfortably, singing trills, singing melismas and correcting vocal faults.

Extending vocal range

An important goal of vocal development is to learn to sing to the natural limits of one's vocal range without any obvious or distracting changes of quality or technique. Vocal pedagogists teach that a singer can only achieve this goal when all of the physical processes involved in singing (such as laryngeal action, breath support, resonance adjustment, and articulatory movement) are effectively working together. Most vocal pedagogists believe in coordinating these processes by (1) establishing good vocal habits in the most comfortable tessitura of the voice, and then (2) slowly expanding the range.

There are three factors that significantly affect the ability to sing higher or lower:

# The ''energy'' factor — "energy" has several connotations. It refers to the total response of the body to the making of sound; to a dynamic relationship between the breathing-in muscles and the breathing-out muscles known as the breath support mechanism; to the amount of breath pressure delivered to the vocal folds and their resistance to that pressure; and to the dynamic level of the sound. # The ''space'' factor — "space" refers to the size of the inside of the mouth and the position of the palate and larynx. Generally speaking, a singer's mouth should be opened wider the higher he or she sings. The internal space or position of the soft palate and larynx can be widened by relaxing the throat. Vocal pedagogists describe this as feeling like the "beginning of a yawn". # The ''depth'' factor — "depth" has two connotations. It refers to the actual physical sensations of depth in the body and vocal mechanism, and to mental concepts of depth that are related to tone quality.

McKinney says, "These three factors can be expressed in three basic rules: (1) As you sing higher, you must use more energy; as you sing lower, you must use less. (2) As you sing higher, you must use more space; as you sing lower, you must use less. (3) As you sing higher, you must use more depth; as you sing lower, you must use less."

Posture

The singing process functions best when certain physical conditions of the body exist. The ability to move air in and out of the body freely and to obtain the needed quantity of air can be seriously affected by the posture of the various parts of the breathing mechanism. A sunken chest position will limit the capacity of the lungs, and a tense abdominal wall will inhibit the downward travel of the diaphragm. Good posture allows the breathing mechanism to fulfill its basic function efficiently without any undue expenditure of energy. Good posture also makes it easier to initiate phonation and to tune the resonators as proper alignment prevents unnecessary tension in the body. Vocal pedagogists have also noted that when singers assume good posture it often provides them with a greater sense of self assurance and poise while performing. Audiences also tend to respond better to singers with good posture. Habitual good posture also ultimately improves the overall health of the body by enabling better blood circulation and preventing fatigue and stress on the body.

There are eight components of the ideal singing posture:

# Feet slightly apart # Legs straight but knees unlocked # Hips facing straight forward # Spine aligned # Abdomen flat # Chest comfortably forward # Shoulders down and back # Head facing straight forward

Breathing and breath support

Natural breathing has three stages: a breathing-in period, a breathing out period, and a resting or recovery period; these stages are not usually consciously controlled. Within singing there are four stages of breathing: a breathing-in period (inhalation); a setting up controls period (suspension);a controlled exhalation period (phonation); and a recovery period.

These stages must be under conscious control by the singer until they become conditioned reflexes. Many singers abandon conscious controls before their reflexes are fully conditioned which ultimately leads to chronic vocal problems.

Vibrato

Vibrato is used by singers (and many instrumentalists; for instance, string instruments that are played with a bow can produce vibrato tones) in which a sustained note wavers very quickly and consistently between a higher and a lower pitch, giving the note a slight quaver. Vibrato is the pulse or wave in a sustained tone. Vibrato occurs naturally, and is the result of proper breath support and a relaxed vocal apparatus. Some singers use vibrato as a means of expression. Many successful artists have built a career on deep, rich vibrato.

Vocal music

Vocal music is music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Vocal music is probably the oldest form of music, since it does not require any instrument besides the human voice. All musical cultures have some form of vocal music and there are many long standing singing traditions throughout the world's cultures.

Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered as instrumental music. For example, some blues rock songs may have a simple call-and-response chorus, but the emphasis in the song is on the instrumental melodies and improvisation. Vocal music typically features sung words called lyrics, although there are notable examples of vocal music that are performed using non-linguistic syllables or noises, sometimes as musical onomatopoeia. A short piece of vocal music with lyrics is broadly termed a song.

Genres of vocal music

Vocal music is written in many different forms and styles which are often labeled within a particular genre of music. These genres include: Art music, Popular music, Traditional music, regional and national music, and fusions of those genres. Within these larger genres are many sub-genres. For example, popular music would encompass blues, jazz, country music, easy listening, hip hop, rock music, and several other genres. There may also be a sub-genre within a sub-genre such as vocalese and scat singing in jazz.

Popular and traditional music

In many modern pop musical groups, a lead singer performs the primary vocals or melody of a song, as opposed to a backing singer who sings backup vocals or the harmony of a song. Backing vocalists sing some, but usually not all, parts of the song often singing only in a song's refrain or humming in the background. An exception is five-part gospel a cappella music, where the lead is the highest of the five voices and sings a descant, and not the melody. Some artists may sing both the lead and backing vocals on audio recordings by overlapping recorded vocal tracks.

Popular music includes a range of vocal styles. Hip-hop uses rapping, the rhythmic delivery of rhymes in a rhythmic speech over a beat or without accompaniment. Some types of rapping consist mostly or entirely of speech and chanting, like the Jamaican "toasting". In some types of rapping, the performers may interpolate short sung or half-sung passages. Blues singing is based on the use of the blue notes–notes sung at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. In heavy metal and hardcore punk subgenres, vocal styles can include techniques such as screams, shouts, and unusual sounds such as the "death growl".

One difference between live performances in the popular and Classical genres is that whereas Classical performers often sing without amplification in small- to mid-size halls, in popular music, a microphone and PA system (amplifier and speakers) are used in almost all performance venues, even a small coffee house. The use of the microphone has had several impacts on popular music. For one, it facilitated the development of intimate, expressive singing styles such as "crooning" which would not have enough projection and volume if done without a microphone. As well, pop singers who use microphones can do a range of other vocal styles that would not project without amplification, such as making whispering sounds, humming, and mixing half-sung and sung tones. As well, some performers use the microphone's response patterns to create effects, such as bringing the mic very close to the mouth to get an enhanced bass response, or, in the case of hip-hop beatboxers, doing plosive "p" and "b" sounds into the mic to create percussive effects.

While some bands use backup singers who only sing when they are onstage, it is common for backup singers in popular music to have other roles. In many rock and metal bands, the musicians doing backup vocals also play instruments, such as rhythm guitar, electric bass, or drums. In Latin or Afro-Cuban groups, backup singers may play percussion instruments or shakers while singing. In some pop and hip-hop groups and in musical theater, the backup singers may be required to perform elaborately choreographed dance routines while they sing through headset microphones.

Careers in singing

The salaries and working conditions for vocalists vary a great deal. While jobs in other music fields such as music education tend to be based on full-time, salaried positions, singing jobs tend to be based on contracts for individual shows or performances, or for a sequence of shows (e.g., a two-week series of performances of an opera or musical theater show). Since income from singing jobs can be unsteady, singers often supplement their performing income with other singing-related jobs, such as vocal coaching, voice lessons, or as working as a choral director in a church. Due to the large number of aspiring vocalists, it can be very competitive to get jobs in singing. Church choir soloists can make from $30 to $500 per performance (all figures in US dollars). Performers in a community choral group can earn from $200–$3,000 yearly; members of a professional concert choral group can make $80 and up per performance. Singers who perform on radio or TV shows can make $75 and up per show on a local station and $125 and up per national network show (e.g., CBS or NBC). Jazz or pop singers who perform with dance bands or nightclub show groups can make $225 and up per week. Professional opera chorus singers can make from $350–$750 per week. Opera soloists, for which the number of job openings is very limited, can make from $350 to $20,000 per performance for the most elite performers. Classical concert soloists, for which the number of job openings is very limited, have approximate earnings of $350 per performance and up.

Aspiring singers and vocalists must have musical talent and skill, an excellent voice, the ability to work with people, and a sense of showmanship and drama. Additionally, singers need to have the ambition and drive to continually study and improve, because the process of studying singing does not end after an initial diploma or degree is finished-even decades after finishing their initial training, professional singers continue to seek out vocal coaching to hone their skills, extend their range, and learn new styles. As well, aspiring singers need to gain specialized skills in the vocal techniques used to interpret songs, learn about the vocal literature from their chosen style of music, and gain skills in choral music techniques, sight singing and memorizing songs, and basic skills at the piano, to aid in learning new songs and in ear training or vocal exercises. In Classical singing and in some other genres, a knowledge of foreign languages such as French, Italian, German, or other languages, is needed. Prior to college or university training, aspiring singers should learn to read music, study basic piano, and gain experience with singing, both in choirs and in solo settings.

College or university degrees are "not always required but the equivalent training is usually necessary". Post-secondary training in singing is available for both Classical and non-Classical singers. In the Classical stream, singing can be studied at conservatories and university music programs; credentials that are available range from diplomas and Bachelor's degrees to Master's degrees and the Doctor of Musical Arts. In popular and jazz styles, college and university degrees are also available, though there are fewer programs.

Once aspiring vocalists have completed their professional training, they must then take steps to market themselves to buyers of vocal talent, by doing auditions in front of an opera director, choirmaster, or conductor. Depending on the style of vocal music that a person has trained in, the "talent buyers" that they seek out may be record company A&R; representatives, opera or musical theater directors, choir directors, nightclub managers, or concert promoters. In addition preparing a resume or CV listing their training and performance experience, singers typically prepare a promotional kit that includes professionally taken photographs (head shots); a CD or DVD with excerpts of vocal performances; and copies of reviews from music critics or journalists. Some singers hire an agent or manager to help them to seek out engagements and other performance opportunities; the agent or manager is often paid by receiving a percentage of the fees that the singer gets from performing onstage.

Health benefits

Scientific studies suggest that singing can have positive effects on people's health. A preliminary study based on self-reported data from a survey of students participating in choral singing found perceived benefits including increased lung capacity, improved mood, stress reduction, as well as perceived social and spiritual benefits. However, one much older study of lung capacity compared those with professional vocal training to those without, and failed to back up the claims of increased lung capacity. Singing may positively influence the immune system through the reduction of stress. One study found that both singing and listening to choral music reduces the level of stress hormones and increases immune function. A multinational collaboration to study the connection between singing and health was established in 2009, called ''Advancing Interdisciplinary Research in Singing'' (AIRS).

Singing in non-human species

Scholars agree that singing is strongly present in many non-human species. Wide dispersal of singing behavior among very different animal species (like birds, gibbons, whales, and humans) strongly suggests that singing appeared independently in different species. Currently there are about 5400 species of animals that can sing. At least some singing species demonstrate the ability to learn their songs, to improvise and even to compose new melodies. In some animal species singing is a group activity (see, for example, singing in gibbon families.)

Singing in different natural environments

Joseph Jordania suggested that singing behavior is very unevenly distributed among animal species, living in different environments (on the ground, in the water, in trees). Most of the singing species live on the trees (like many bird species, or gibbons), some live in the water (whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions), and there are no animal species who live on the ground and sing except for humans. This uneven distribution of singing can be crucial for our understanding of the origins of the singing behavior in animals and humans. Jordania explains this fact as the result of the pressure from natural selection. Singing is a very costly behavior, not only because of the energy to produce sounds, but primarily for the security reasons, as all the possible predators can easily learn the whereabouts of a singing animal. Singing species that live on the trees are in a much more favourable situation, as trees allow different species to live according to their body weight. So different animals with different body weight live on different "levels" of the tree branches. For example, a 50 kilo leopard can see and hear the sounds produced by a 15 kilo monkey, but as a lighter monkey can live much higher on the tree branches, it is out of reach of a heavier leopard. Therefore tree living (or arboreal) species feel quite secure to sing or to communicate with a wide range of vocal signals. On the other hand, all the ground living (or terrestrial) animal species, despite the huge weight differences between them (ranging from rabbits to lions and elephants) live on the same "ground level", and maintaining silence is crucially important for them. Even most of the birds, the most ardent singers, stop singing and producing other sounds when they sit on the ground. Therefore, predator threat might be a primary reason why tree living species are generally much noisier than ground living species.

See also: art music

A cappella

Aria

Bel canto

Chanson

Chiaroscuro (music)

Choral music

Fach

Group singing

Human voice

Opera

Overtone singing

Recitative

Singer–songwriter

Sprechgesang

Throat singing

Voice pedagogy

Voice projection

Voice type

Yodeling

Winsingad

See also: popular music

Beat boxing

Belt (music)

Death growl

Humming

Lead vocalist

Rapping

Screaming (music)

Vocoder

References

External links

A Brief History of Singing

Category:Occupations in music *

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name	The Voca People
background	group_or_band
origin	Israel
instrument	Vocals
genre	A Cappella
years active	2009–present
website	}}

The Voca People () are an Israel-based ensemble performing vocal theater combining a cappella and beat box vocals to reproduce the sounds of an entire orchestra.

The Voca People are supposed to be aliens from another planet where they communicate with sounds. Dressed completely white in appearance except their lips, which are red, they float around in space in their ship, which is powered by nothing more than music. They arrive on Earth which has a great repertoire of music. They have performed in: Spain, New York, Italy, France, England, Israel and many other places. They incorporate the public into their songs and change or add bits depending on which country they are in (e.g. If they were in Spain they would perform songs in Spanish and incorporate the Spanish public into their performance.)

The creators, Lior Kalfo and Shai Fishman envisioned a group of performers dressed completely in white with red lips. The Voca People claim to come from the Planet Voca (somewhere behind the sun) where all communication is based on music and vocal expressions. Their motto is: "Life is music and music is life."

In Italy they became famous through a clip on YouTube which won over 15 million hits in less than one year and a series of television appearances. Their first appearance in an Italian TV show was ''Ale e Franz'' on 28 September 2009. Later they also appeared on ''Domenica In'' and the Italian ''X Factor''.

The Voca People sometimes mingle with crowds, singing performances, improvising and playing with passers-by. Their appearance and performances have been compared to Blue Man Group.

In 2010 they brought their show to Italy with stops in Rome, Bari, Milan, Florence, Padua, Naples and Turin. They returned in February 2011 to Aosta.

Troupe members

Beat On - Boaz Ben David / Chen Zimerman

Scratcher - Inon Ben David/ Ofir Tal

Tubas - Eyal Cohen / Shimon Smith

Bari-tone - Oded Goldstein / Moran Sofer

Tenoro - Gilan Shahaf / Ashot Gasparian

Alta - Adi Kozlovsky / Maya Pennington

Mezzo - Naama Levy / Vered Sasportas

Soprana - Rahmin Liraz / Alona Alexander / Liran Saporta / Michelle Green / Doris Nemni

See also

Music in Israel

Dance in Israel

Culture in Israel

References

External links

Official Site

Category:Israeli musical groups Category:Professional a cappella groups

de:The Voca People es:The Voca People fr:The Voca People it:The Voca People he:ווקה פיפל pt:The Voca People

background	solo_singer
birthname	David Lee Roth
alias	Diamond Dave
born	October 10, 1953 Bloomington, Indiana, United States
genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
occupation	Musician, songwriter, paramedic, producer, author
years active	1969–present
label	Warner Bros., Magna Carta, CMH
associated acts	The David Lee Roth Band, Van Halen
website	}}

David Lee Roth (born October 10, 1953) is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by ''Hit Parader'' on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time.

Roth's date of birth is confusing. Some sources have him listed as being born in 1955 or 1954. In reality, he was born in 1953. The reason for this discrepancy is, when Van Halen was first launched, the band members lied about their age, to give the group a more youthful image.

Roth is best known as the original and current lead singer of the southern California-based hard rock outfit Van Halen. After departing Van Halen in 1985 Roth first enjoyed a successful career as a solo artist, which originated while still a member of that band and yielded several RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum records. After more than two decades apart, Roth rejoined Van Halen in 2007 for a North American tour that became the most successful in the band's history and one of the highest grossing of that year. Roth has remained the lead singer of Van Halen since his 2007 return and has recently completed recording new material with the band for their first album since 1998.

Early life

Roth was born October 10, 1953 in Bloomington, Indiana. He is the son of Nathan Roth, an ophthalmologist, and Sibyl Roth. He is the brother of Allison and Lisa Roth. David's paternal and maternal grandparents emigrated from Azores Islands, Portugal and Russia to Indiana. David's family is Jewish. Many members of his family were surgeons: Roth has an uncle, Dave, who is a neurosurgeon; an uncle, Marty, who is an orthopedic surgeon; and a grandfather who was a surgeon. Roth's uncle, Manny Roth, is an influential New York City nightclub owner and entertainment entrepreneur who built and owned the New York establishment Cafe Wha? in the early 1960s, where the likes of Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix were performing and hanging out. Seven-year-old David Lee got his first taste of, and desire for, show business from the inside by hanging out at Cafe Wha?, as mentioned in his book "Crazy from the Heat" numerous times. His uncle would be one of David's first guests on his short-lived radio show on New York's 92.3 Free-FM.

After living in Bloomington and in Swampscott, Massachusetts, Roth moved to Pasadena, California in his teens. Roth stated he bounced around to too many schools and spent three years going to a psychiatrist. He eventually attended a ranch for troubled teens where he cared for a horse to build a sense of responsibility. He was educated at The Webb Schools in Claremont, California and John Muir High School in Pasadena. He later attended Pasadena City College where he met the Van Halen brothers, Eddie and Alex, although he did not graduate. During this period, Roth worked as a hospital orderly.

With Van Halen

By the time Roth was in his late teens, he was singing solo as well as with a group called the Red Ball Jets. Another Los Angeles area group, Mammoth (featuring Alex Van Halen on drums and Edward Van Halen singing and playing lead guitar), occasionally rented the Red Ball Jets' PA system. Roth would eventually be invited to join Mammoth as lead singer, an invitation he quickly accepted. In 1974, the band was informed that another act was already using the name Mammoth, and, at Roth's urging, they opted to rename themselves Van Halen.

Performing both original songs and established tunes, Van Halen eventually gained local success, becoming a regular feature at the Starwood Club, the West Coast's portal to fame. It was during their four-month stint there that they were first discovered. In 1976, Gene Simmons took note of the band (in particular Eddie Van Halen, who Simmons secretly hoped to recruit for his own band, KISS) and assisted them in producing their first demo tape. Although featuring many of the songs that would be included on their future debut album, the tape did little to garner them any major label attention at the time. In early 1977, Warner Brothers' Ted Templeman came to the Starwood, heard the group, and immediately signed them to a contract with his label. During this period Roth's stage persona was heavily influenced by that of Black Oak Arkansas vocalist Jim "Dandy" Mangrum.

Released in 1978, the band's first album, ''Van Halen'', earned the band significant national attention. The album was a smashing success, with more than two million copies sold, and the original Van Halen went on to release five more successful albums over the next seven years. Roth is often credited with promoting Van Halen's image as the quintessential rock band, one devoted to a lifestyle described by David Fricke in Rolling Stone as "a nonstop booze-and-babes party train." Despite this wild image, Roth earned applause for his abilities as a lyricist and singer. The generally simple lyrics worked in harmony with the musical scores composed by Edward Van Halen to create the band's trademark tunes, tunes that helped transform Van Halen, in Fricke's words, into "the monster rock action squad that ruled the charts and the airwaves for seven years."

In early 1985, while still a member of Van Halen, Roth released "Crazy From the Heat", a popular solo EP of off-beat standards. Singles for "California Girls" and "Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" succeeded largely due to their innovative music videos (produced by Jerry Kramer and co-produced by Glenn Goodwin), which featured ridiculous characters created by Roth's manager and Creative Chief Director, Pete Angelus (who directed Van Halen's Roth-era videos, before directing the videos from Roth's early solo career) along with some assistance by Roth.

On April 1, 1985, Roth and Van Halen parted ways. In his 1998 autobiography, ''Crazy From The Heat'', Roth characterized Van Halen's music just before his 1985 departure as "morose". Roth wished to record an album quickly, tour, and then shoot a movie (the latter never coming to fruition).

Solo career

In late 1985, Roth assembled a backing band, consisting of guitarist Steve Vai, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Gregg Bissonette. With veteran Van Halen producer Ted Templeman handling the production, Roth released his debut full-length solo album, ''Eat 'Em and Smile'' in July 1986. The album saw Roth return to hard rock music, and met with huge commercial and critical success, charting at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 for 1986.

In January 1988, Roth released ''Skyscraper'', a more commercial recording featuring the hit single "Just Like Paradise." ''Skyscraper'' was co-produced by Roth and Steve Vai and was certified Platinum (1 million in sales). At the time of its release, ''Skyscraper'' peaked at #6 on the Billboard album chart. Soon after ''Skyscraper'''s release, Billy Sheehan left Roth's band due to musical differences. He was replaced in time for the album's support tour with bassist Matt Bissonette. The tour was a major production featuring, at various points, Roth surfing above the audience on a surfboard suspended on wires, and in a boxing ring. Both parts of the stage show were featured in the "Just Like Paradise" music video. The show also featured the band in a calypso segment playing Caribbean steel drums and in an unplugged segment where the band performed acoustic covers of some rock and roll classics.

Following the tour for ''Skyscraper'', Steve Vai left the band to pursue a solo career and record and tour with Whitesnake. Roth replaced him with then-unknown guitar virtuoso Jason Becker to record his third solo LP, ''A Little Ain't Enough''. A more mainstream hard rock album produced by Bob Rock, ''A Little Ain't Enough'' achieved RIAA gold status. Shortly before the support tour for the album, Becker was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, which rendered him unable to perform. Roth replaced Becker with guitarist Joe Holmes for the tour. The emergence of grunge had altered musical tastes at the time and the tour did not do as well financially as its predecessors, marking the last solo arena tour for Roth.

In April 1993, Roth was arrested in New York City's Washington Square Park for buying what he described as "$10 worth of Jamaican bunk reefer" from an undercover police officer. The arrest made headlines and became a late-night television punch-line. When asked by Howard Stern whether the bust was a publicity stunt, Roth said, "Howard, in New York City this small of a bust is a $35 traffic citation. It literally says 'Buick, Chevy, Other'. Your dog poops on the sidewalk, it's $50. If I was looking for publicity, I would have pooped on the sidewalk."

In March 1994, Roth released ''Your Filthy Little Mouth'', a more musically-eclectic album produced by Nile Rodgers. The album failed to achieve positive critical or commercial success, proving to be Roth's first solo effort not to reach Gold or Platinum status. The support tour found Roth playing considerably smaller venues than where he had played previously. Although out of print for over ten years prior, ''Your Filthy Little Mouth'' saw a remastered re-release in 2007.

In 1995, Roth returned with an adult lounge act, performing largely in Las Vegas casinos, with a brass band that featured Nile Rodgers, Edgar Winter, and members of the Miami Sound Machine. It also featured several exotic dancers, who in Roth's words were "so sweet, I bet they shit sugar!"

By the late 1990s, Roth trained as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and worked as one for some time. He occasionally told stories about his experiences as an EMT on his radio show.

Career explorations

In June 1996, Roth reunited with Van Halen for a brief time and to great public fanfare. He recorded two new songs for Van Halen's ''Best of Vol. 1'' album, "Can't Get This Stuff No More" and "Me Wise Magic." After an infamous appearance on September 5, 1996, at the MTV Video Music Awards during which Roth and Eddie Van Halen reportedly threatened each other, Roth was passed over for Van Halen's new lead vocalist job in favor of Gary Cherone. (Cherone's previous band, Extreme, had opened for Roth in 1991).

In 1997, Roth wrote a well-received memoir, entitled ''Crazy From the Heat''. The 359-page book was whittled down from over 1,200 pages of monologues, which were recorded and transcribed by a Princeton University graduate who followed Roth around for almost a year. The book received mostly positive critical reaction and spent time on the New York Times Bestseller list.

In 2001, rumors swirled that Roth and the members of Van Halen had recorded several new songs together and were in the process of attempting yet another reunion. Roth later confirmed this, but nothing became of the music. A box set was also rumored, but never materialized. Instead, Warner Bros. re-released remastered versions of all six early Van Halen studio albums.

In 2002, Roth's Heavyweights of Rock and Roll Tour with Sammy Hagar revived his career somewhat. Despite this, Roth's future with Van Halen seemed uncertain.

"Yankee Rose" appeared in the 2002 videogame ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'', playing on rock station V-Rock.

In 2003, Roth released ''Diamond Dave'', an album of (mostly) classic rock cover songs ("If 6 Was 9", "Soul Kitchen," and a solo/big band version of "Ice Cream Man").

In 2003, On December 31, Roth played a one night sold out New Year's Eve show at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA consisting of Van Halen era songs as well as Roth era songs, and some drunken midgets roaming about the stage.

In 2004, he appeared on ''The Sopranos'' as a poker-playing guest of Tony Soprano, to which Roth was quoted on his website as saying, "Mom says I'm going to look like Lee Marvin in 10 years whether I'm in movies or not, so I might as well get after it!"

On July 4 2004, Roth performed with the Boston Pops at Boston's annual ''Pops Goes the Fourth'' celebration.

Roth's website has stated that he is also working on the book ''The Tao of Dave: Rock 'n' Roll Philosophy with David Lee Roth'', a follow-up to his autobiography.

On May 25, 2006 in an interview with Billboard magazine, Roth predicted a classic Van Halen reunion. "There's contact between the two camps..." says Roth, and "To me, it's not rocket surgery. It's very simple to put together. And as far as hurt feelings and water under the dam, like what's-her-name says to what's-her-name at the end of the movie". Strummin' With The Devil: The Southern Side of Van Halen'' - A Tribute was released on CMH Records. This album consists of tributes to Van Halen performed by David Lee Roth, The John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band, Blue Highway, Mountain Heart, The John Cowan Band, Iron Horse, David Grisman and Sons.

Radio show

On January 3, 2006, Roth began a career as a radio personality, hosting ''The David Lee Roth Show'' which replaced satellite radio-bound Howard Stern in the morning drive slot on CBS Radio stations in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and West Palm Beach. Roth stated in an October 2005 interview with Stern that his show would be political, but at the same time, not overly serious.

Roth's show developed into a mix of music reviews, interviews with porn stars and strippers, political discussions, and guests from many walks of life. Roth's show featured an in-studio guitarist, Brian Young, referred to on air as B. Young.

On February 27, 2006, the Dallas, Boston, and Philadelphia affiliates started airing local programming in Roth's morning time slot, rather than repeat airings of "Best of Roth" while Roth was on vacation. When ratings were released on February 28, 2006, certain entertainment bloggers suggested Roth's hiatus would become permanent. However, on March 6, 2006, Roth returned as scheduled, and he continued to broadcast on weekday mornings. On March 8 and 9, Roth blasted his management on the air, explaining to his audience that they had asked him to stop catering towards ethnic groups and women, and instead focus on 35-year-old white males. On his March 10 show, he announced that things between him and the management had been settled "for the time being." During the week of March 27, Roth Radio took its show on the road for the first time, broadcasting from Miami, Florida.

On March 29, 2006, Roth was taken off the air by CBS; affiliates were told to find other programming to air. That day, Karen Mateo of CBS Radio released a statement saying that David Lee Roth would return to the airwaves from New York on March 31. Upon Roth's return on March 31, the format of his show had changed drastically. Many of the show's callers expressed dislike of the new format, saying they felt that the show had "lost its edge." One caller aired his opinion that Roth's tendency to laugh at one-liners was annoying. Starting April 10, 2006, the Dallas affiliate (now KRLD-FM) moved Roth up one hour from 6-10 central to 5-9 by running the show live instead of on an hour delay. The extra hour was given to the newly acquired ''Jagger Show'', hosted by Chris Jagger.

On April 10, 2006, the ''New York Post'' reported that CBS Radio would replace Roth with the team of Opie and Anthony "within weeks." On the morning of April 21, 2006, about halfway through the show, Roth began complaining that his show was not able to take calls or emails. He then went on to read the news stories, only getting halfway through a story before commenting that he did not care about it and going on to the next one. Following a commercial break, Roth chose to play only songs because of his frustration with CBS radio. At 8 AM, Roth returned to the air to interview car salesman Chop, and then at 9 AM he interviewed actor Jeff Bridges. Roth made an agreement with CBS to address the situation with 15 minutes left in the show; however, when that time came, CBS pulled the plug on him, and did not allow him to say good-bye to his fans.

As of April 22, 2006, David Lee Roth was rumored to be in talks with Sirius Satellite Radio to do an afternoon show. This was later denied by Howard Stern and Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin, who stated, "Mr. Roth is still under contract and unable to go to another radio medium while still being paid by CBS Radio." Roth is also expected to pursue his full one year payout of approximately $4 million. Stern has come to Roth's defense, claiming that he should have been allowed time to grow an audience.

On April 24, 2006, the rumor about ''The David Lee Roth Show'' being replaced by Opie and Anthony was confirmed. The duo filled Roth's former timeslot on April 26, 2006. Two days later, an article appeared in the ''Boston Herald'', which stated that CBS, supposedly, never intended for Roth to replace Stern permanently. Reportedly, the company wanted Opie and Anthony to replace Stern all along; however, because of a public feud between Stern and the duo, they selected Roth to 'go first,' so as bear the brunt of fan outrage, and thus ensure Opie and Anthony's success.

During a brief war with Howard Stern in 1988, Stern was expecting Roth to show up at his K-Rock WXRK (in New York) station ''The Howard Stern Show'', but when Roth failed to appear, Stern declared war on Roth and told his listeners to call him David "Weave" Roth. When Stern and Roth reconciled, Roth appeared on Stern's show to prove that he was not wearing a weave by having Stern pull on Roth's hair to confirm the claim.

Relationship with the Howard 100 News

During the course of Roth's radio show, he maintained a relationship with Howard Stern News Department reporter Steve Langford. Roth and Langford met frequently after shows, with Langford bringing tape back to Howard of Roth's complaints towards WXRK's management. Issues included Roth's firing, the missing podcast, and his show being cut off early. Langford and Roth met last on Roth's final day, April 21, 2006, Roth performed the Rolling Stones song "You Can't Always Get What You Want" for Howard and discussed an impending lawsuit against CBS.

Recent events

On December 28, 2006, David Lee Roth warned that a reunion with Van Halen could result in a "NASCAR-style wreck."

On January 24, 2007, after much anticipation, Billboard.com reported that David Lee Roth would rejoin Van Halen for a 40-date amphitheater tour in Summer 2007. This report, among many others, was confirmed with an official press release posted on the official Van Halen website on Feb. 2, 2007.

On Feb. 2, 2007 The Official Van Halen Web Site released information that David Lee Roth had rejoined the band along with current members Alex, Eddie, along with Eddie and Valerie Bertinelli's teenage son, Wolfgang Van Halen. Michael Anthony, Van Halen's original and only bass player up to now (excluding Eddie, who played bass himself on some of Van Halen III and on all the new songs on the Best of Both Worlds compilation), was fired by Eddie before the summer 2004 tour with Sammy Hagar and played that tour under a 'hired gun' contract. Michael Anthony's website confirms his firing. David Lee Roth's website has a fan poll asking if Michael's absence will detract from a "reunion" tour. On March 8 the official Van Halen website posted a letter from Eddie Van Halen stating that Ed was entering rehab and that the tour with Roth had been indefinitely postponed.

In March 2007 five members of Van Halen, the four original members and Sammy Hagar were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Van Halen brothers did not attend due to Eddie's condition. Roth was to perform with the band Velvet Revolver; however, conflict with the band caused his part to be canceled. Roth subsequently did not attend the induction, leaving only Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar to represent Van Halen. Both Anthony and Hagar thanked Roth publicly for his contribution to the band during the awards acceptance.

The conflict was rumored to be based on song selection. Roth wanted to perform "Jump", the band's highest charting song, but Velvet Revolver would only agree to play "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love" or "You Really Got Me". When it was finally agreed upon that Paul Shaffer would perform "Jump", Roth claimed that there was no longer enough time to rehearse and opted not to attend the ceremony.

On G4's show Code Monkeys, Dave is shown giving an inspirational speech to keep the others from taking up jobs at Bellecovision and asks "Would David Lee Roth leave Van Halen?" The show takes place in the 1980s.

On August 13, 2007, 6 months after the initial reunion tour was postponed, it was finally confirmed by Van Halen with Roth at a press conference in Los Angeles that they would start the tour back up again and schedule it starting in September 2007. At that conference, Eddie Van Halen stated that he and Roth were "like brothers" now. Calling Van Halen a "real band", both Edward and Roth spoke of the possibility of further worldwide touring and a new album in mind for the future.

On June 5, 2008, Van Halen announced the 2007-2008 tour with Roth grossed more than $93 million, a record for the rock band. Van Halen played to nearly one million people during 74 arena shows throughout the United States and Canada, beginning September 27, 2007 in Charlotte, N.C. and wrapping June 3, 2008 in Quebec City, QC for the 400th anniversary of the city. Although currently inactive, it is rumored that the band will release an album of new material following Eddie Van Halen's marriage in June 2009 and allowing Wolfgang Van Halen to graduate high school before embarking on any further ventures.

When asked about the recent Rolling Stone blurb concerning Eddie Van Halen jamming again with Wolfgang and Alex Van Halen, David Lee Roth mentioned "Oh, I'm just waiting for a call you know. We've got no new songs yet, no new lyrics but we've got forward momentum and that's the key. (Alex Van Halen)'s got this idea to use the kid from the '84 album grown up for the cover art though. Who knows? I'm gonna have to start hittin' the snooze button and not set an alarm, 'cause I'm expecting ''that'' call at any minute." On Sept 5th 2010, David Lee Roth was spotted at the 145th annual Scottish Gathering & Games in Pleasanton, California. When asked by a longtime fan when we will expect to hear from the band again, Roth said you could expect to hear from us within the next 7–8 months. This seems to confirm the recent press release from Warner/Chappell about Van Halen being in the studio working on a new CD with David Lee Roth (in spite of no confirmation either way from the band).

In January 2011 Rolling Stone reported that Van Halen was back in the studio recording their first studio album with David Lee Roth in 27 years. It was noted that Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang is playing bass, instead of the original Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony.

Solo band members

Guitars

Brian Young and Toshi Hiketa (2006)

Toshi Hiketa (2003–2005)

Brian Young (2002–2003)

Bart Walsh (1999, 2001)

Mike Hartman and John Lowery (1998)

Steve Hunter (1997)

Terry Kilgore (1994)

Terry Kilgore and Rocket Ritchotte (1993–1994)

Joe Holmes and Steve Hunter (1991–1992)

Jason Becker and Steve Hunter (1990–1991)

Steve Vai (1985–1989)

Peter Lewis (1990–1991)

Electric Moccasin

Bass

Todd Jensen (1990–1991, 1999–2000, 2004–2006)

James LoMenzo (2001–2004)

B'urbon Bob (1998)

John Regan (1994)

James Hunting (1993–1994)

Matt Bissonette (1988–1990)

Billy Sheehan (1985–1988)

Drums

Jimmy DeGrasso (2006)

Ray Luzier (1997–2000, 2001–2005)

Ron Wikso (1993–1994)

Gregg Bissonette (1985–1992)

Keyboards

Marcus Margand II (2000–2001)

Patrick Howard I (1998–1999)

Richard Hilton (1994–1995)

Brett Tuggle (1988–1994, 1997)

Jesse Harms (1986)

Discography

;Albums with Van Halen

''Van Halen'' (1978)

''Van Halen II'' (1979)

''Women and Children First'' (1980)

''Fair Warning'' (1981)

''Diver Down'' (1982)

''1984'' (1984)

''TBA'' (2011)

;Studio albums/EPs

''Crazy from the Heat'' EP (1985)

''Eat 'Em and Smile'' (1986)

''Skyscraper'' (1988)

''A Little Ain't Enough'' (1991)

''Your Filthy Little Mouth'' (1994)

''DLR Band'' (1998)

''Diamond Dave'' (2003)

Notes

Bibliography

David Lee Roth (1997). ''Crazy From the Heat''. ISBN 0-7868-6339-0

External links

Official website

David Lee Roth Army

Official Van Halen website

Van Halen News Desk

David Lee Roth News Desk

Category:1954 births Category:American rock singers Category:American male singers Category:American tenors Category:American radio personalities Category:Musicians from Indiana Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Jewish singers Category:Living people Category:People from Bloomington, Indiana Category:People from Essex County, Massachusetts Category:People from Pasadena, California Category:Van Halen members Category:American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent Category:American Jews

cs:David Lee Roth da:David Lee Roth de:David Lee Roth es:David Lee Roth fa:دی�?ید لی راث fr:David Lee Roth hr:David Lee Roth io:David Lee Roth id:David Lee Roth it:David Lee Roth nl:David Lee Roth ja:�?�イ�?�ィ�??�?��?��?��?��?��?�ス no:David Lee Roth pl:David Lee Roth pt:David Lee Roth ru:Рот, Дэвид Ли sq:David Lee Roth sk:David Lee Roth fi:David Lee Roth sv:David Lee Roth

name	Avicii
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Tim Bergling
alias	Avicii, Tim Berg, Tom Hangs
birth date	September 08, 1989
origin	Stockholm, Sweden
genre	House, electro house, progressive house
occupation	Electronic musician, DJ, record producer
years active	2008–''present''
label	Strike Recordings, Joia Records, Vicious Vinyl, Ministry of Sound Australia
website
notable instruments	}}

Tim Bergling (born 8 September 1989), known professionally as Avicii (pronounced as uh-VEE-chee), Tim Berg and Tom Hangs, is a Swedish DJ, remixer, and record producer. His single "Bromance" (recorded under the pseudonym Tim Berg) has charted in the top 20 on the national single charts of Belgium, the Netherlands, and his native Sweden. A lyricized version titled "Seek Bromance" was released shortly thereafter, charting on the UK Singles Chart and reaching number one on the international Beatport chart. Other singles include "Levels" (also known as "ID" and sampling the song "Something's Got a Hold On Me" by "Etta James"), "Fade Into Darkness" (sampling the song "Perpetuum Mobile" by "Penguin Cafe Orchestra,"), "My Feelings for You," "Street Dancer," and "Tweet It" among others. Currently he is releasing music under the recording studio "Ministry of Sound".

Personal background

Avicii was born on 8 September 1989 in Stockholm, Sweden. His birth name is Tim Bergling, while he is known professionally as both Avicii and Tim Berg. Explaining his "Avicii" moniker, Berg states,

Avici is kind of like Dante's Inferno ... it's the lowest level of hell in Buddhism. A friend of mine told me about it, and it stuck in my head. I was going to make up a name for my MySpace page for the first time, and I just kind of went for it. I tried a couple of other [names] before, but they were all taken (laughing). I kind of ended up with Avicii, and then I got really attached to it.

—Tim Berg

Professional background

Avicii emerged in the music industry in 2008, when he was 18 years old, compiling a remix of the theme song to the Commodore 64 video game ''Lazy Jones''. This led to his first release on Strike Recordings, entitled "Lazy Lace."

In 2010, Avicii released a collaboration with fellow Swedish DJ John Dahlbäck, titled "Don't Hold Back." He is additionally working on projects with internationally-recognized DJs Tiësto and Sebastian Ingrosso. While his work is primarily electronic synthetic tracks, EMI released a vocal version of his track "Bromance," titled "Seek Bromance."

In October 2010, Avicii signed with the European A&R; team with EMI Music Publishing. Based in London and New York, EMI is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies and a member of the RIAA.

Influences

Avicii's influences include Laidback Luke, Sebastian Ingrosso, Steve Angello, Axwell, Eric Prydz, and Daft Punk.

"I’ve always been into music and growing up with older siblings. I’ve also had loads of different influences when it comes to my music taste. There are loads of other people that have influenced me but I think the biggest inspirations I’ve had aside from my manager has been the Swedish House Mafia guys and Eric Prydz, they were the ones who first got me into house!" Avicii - April 2011

His first big track, "Manman," was released on Pete Tong's label, Bedroom Bedlam, after winning Pete Tong's Fast Trax with 70 percent of the votes.

Touring

In 2010, Avicii embarked on his first world tour, primarily encompassing North America and Western Europe.

In North America, he played at Club Glow in Washington, D.C.; SET and Nikki Beach in Miami; Club Pacha in New York; Electric Zoo Festival at Randall's Island in New York; Ultra Music Festival in Miami; Electric Daisy Carnival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; Ruby Skye in San Francisco; Vision Night Club in Chicago; The Guvernment in Toronto; Beta in Waterloo, Ontario; Stages in Kingston, Ontario; Muzique in Montreal; Club Mansion in London, Ontario, The Majestic in Madison, Wisconsin, Congress Theater in Chicago, Illinois,Wet Republic's Daylife in Las Vegas and The Edmonton Event Center in Edmonton, among other locations.

European cities and venues include Space in Ibiza; Monaco International Clubbing Show at Grimaldi Forum in Monaco; Fabulous Festival in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands; Ms Connexion in Mannheim; Aquarius Zrće in Novalja; La Dune in Toulouse; Illusions at Festivalpark Complex in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic; AF-Borgen in, Sweden; and Mach 1 in Nuremberg.

Several of his concerts have been recorded for Sirius XM Radio's Trance and Progressive House channel. On 23 October 2010, in support of his world tour, Avicii presented his work in an exclusive hour-long set on Channel 38 of the Electric Area on Sirius XM Radio.

Avicii also played at Tara's in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on July 8, 2011, at Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on July 9, 2011, Governors Island, NYC on July 17, 2011 and at Tomorrowland in Boom, Belgium on July 23, 2011.

Avicii will be performing on September 7, 2011 at Brock University in St. Catharines, Canada. On September 11th, he will be performing in London, Ontario as part of the O-Week celebration for The University of Western Ontario. On October 15. he will be performing in Slovenia, Ljubljana at the INTERNATIONAL FOAM FESTIVAL with David Morales and Ian Carey. On September 11, 2011 he will be performing at Syracuse University.

Discography

Singles

Year	Song	Peak chart positions							Album
		!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"	!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"	!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"	!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"	!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"	!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"	!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"
		—	—	—	30	—	—	—
	13	1	4	2	13	3	1
	37	—	—	24	46	4	7
	16	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

As featured artist

Year	Song	Peak chart positions	Album
		!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"
2011	align="left"	—	''Glass Heart''

Other charted songs

Year	Song	Peak chart positions	Album
		!style="width:4em;font-size:85%;"
		67
	92

Remixes

Year
rowspan="5"	2009	"Escape Me" (Avicii's Remix At Night)	Tiesto ft. CC Sheffield
>"Holiday (Dizzee Rascal song)	Holiday" (Avicii Remix)	Dizzee Rascal ft. Chrome
	"New New New" (Avicii Remix)	Bob Sinclar
	"One Love" (Avicii Remix)	David Guetta ft. Estelle
	"Remedy" (Avicii Remix)	Little Boots
rowspan="10"	2010	Seek Bromance>Bromance" (Avicii Arena Mix)
	"Can't Fight This Feeling" (Avicii Universe Mix)	Junior Caldera ft. Sophie Ellis-Bextor
	"Cookies with a Smile" (Avicii Remix)	Dada Life
	"Gettin' Over You" (Avicii Vocal Mix)	David Guetta ft. Chris Willis, Fergie (singer)
	"[[Hang with Me" (Avicii Exclusive Club Mix)	Robyn
	"I Feel Love" (Avicii's Forgotten Mix)	Rhythm Masters & MYNC ft. Wynter Gordon
	"I Like It" (Avicii Remix)	Enrique Iglesias ft. Pitbull (rapper)>Pitbull
	"Make My Heart" (Avicii's Replacer Remix)	Toni Braxton
	"Rapture" (Avicii New Generation Mix)	Nadia Ali
	"Set Me Free" (Avicii Remix)	Phonat
rowspan="5"	2011	"Derezzed" (Avicii Remix)
	"Drowning" (Avicii Unnamed Mix)	Armin Van Buuren ft. Laura V
	"Blessed" (Avicii Edit)	Tom Hangs feat. Shermanology
	"Revolver" (Avicii Remix)	Philter (band)>Philter
	"Dropzone" (Avicii Remix)	Michael Woods (producer)>Michael Woods

Guest appearances

! Year	! Song	! Album
2011		''Nothing but the Beat''

References

External links

Interview Avicii - Actualites Electroniques Interview Avicii - Actualites Electroniques

Category:Living people Category:Remixers Category:Swedish house musicians Category:Swedish record producers Category:1989 births Category:FL Studio users

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