Making Your Own Mark

How do you make a song your own?

It's the mark of every professional singer, in fact, every professional musician, and it's something that sets apart the good from the great. It's called interpretation.

Have you ever wondered why there are one hundred or so 'jazz standards' that jazz artists and bands seem to be happy to play, over and over again, at gigs, on recordings, and no one seems to get tired of them? Have you ever heard a cover of one of your favourite songs, and heard it in an entirely different light? In fact - have you seen those talent shows on TV, such as The X Factor and Glee, and found yourself singing along with one of the tunes - tunes that the mentors have picked for their protegés, but we've heard a thousand times before on the radio, in musical theatre, on MTV, or online?

Why don't we mind hearing them yet again?

The answer? The singers and musicians make their own interpretations of the music.

Interpretation is making your own mark on a piece of music. It's presenting something familiar in a new light, repackaging the old into the new, and astounding your listeners with the result.

As singers, our job is to convey emotions through the medium of our voices. So there's ample opportunity for us to interpret and put our own style on any song. And it's a fantastic chance to explore our own artistic side.

When thinking about making a song your own, try listening to lots of different versions of it. Listen to the way the singer conveys emotional power through their voice, even if they're just scatting (Youtube is great for watching how they do it as well). Then - and don't worry about feeling silly about this - try dancing to the music. Feel the emotional tone of the piece and, quite literally, get in the mood of the song.

If you think a song can't sound different to its original version, check out Mark Ronson, our recent master of interpretation, or do a search for Rihanna's 'Umbrella' - there are tons of different interpretations, from ska bands and metal outfits to the R n B groove of the original!