Look, I know I often come across as some sort of asshole, but, seriously, lady - step outside of yourself for a minute, look at the following, & perhaps I can explain it in better, friendlier-sounding terms.
The 1st thing I noticed on your profile was "no audio available," right there at the top of your page, where it belongs. That's a red flag, for sure, but I gave you a chance & read on, thinking that maybe, since you just joined up, that it was pending, to be up in a day or two.
Next, I saw that you're "just" a singer. That tells me that you may not understand a lot about music, you can't contribute in any way other than vocal. That limits you a bit, quite frankly, so your voice best be damned good - but I have no way of knowing that, do I?
After that I saw your age, so I though maybe you'd be pretty on a stage & attract ppl, but there's no pics.
Then there was this lil gem that I simply must quote -
"I am probably the only person you will ever work with who can work a stage in this god forsaken city because I am originally from the St Louis metro area home of Nothing Still and Our First Summer"
Are you a stripper or a singer? How you gonna know how to work a stage with less than 10 gigs' experience?
Gee...you don't like the area, you think the locals are lesser quality performers than those you've left behind. Add to that the two bands you've listed. Were you IN either of them? Evidently not, from the text of your profile. In fact, you don't make mention of ANY ACTUAL EXPERIENCE at all, other than saying that you have "under 10" gigs under your belt. Doesn't tend to give me any confidence in you, but at least I'm hoping you're being honest & have a couple, anyway. But, if you're so "excellent," I would think that ppl would be clamoring to have you back on stage...so why less than 10 gigs?
So, I look under your "influences" & see "Pat Benetar, Ozzy, Rob Zombie, Pink, Brandy, Broadway musicals, and all of the late 90's angry chick singers and no I'm not kidding."
Well, you might be angry enough, & you might have "tude" but you have no experience...okay...howzabout equipment?
"I have my voice and that's all I carry with me. Besides its my instrument."
WRONG!!!! The combination of the mic & your voice is your instrument, just as the pickup's are such a big part of a guitarist's instrument. Do you know which type of mic you prefer? Not with this kind of experience. Can you use the dynamics of the mic? Do you know what that question means? When you get feedback, will you tend to cover the mic with your hand like a dumb amateur, or back away from it like a pro?
Ppl tend to think that what we do as musicians requires little real skill, that any idiot off the street can do it. That pisses me off, & if you were ever to audition for me, I'd give you lessons that would show you how little you know, in about 3 minutes' time as you "auditioned."
From what your profile indicates, when combined with the difficulties of being a performing mother of two, I'd have to say "I'll pass," no matter how great your voice might be at your local karaoke club.
A side note - when I moved here to WV, I expected far less than I found, when it comes to good musicians. I met MORE here than I did back in Annapolis, MD, without even trying hard. Oh, I kidded around about suffering from a "lack of culture shock," but you know what? These out-lying areas are where the artists go to write, to paint, to make their stained glass. They go to the city to sell their wares, but they would rather live in the outskirts more than in the rat race.
Don't be so quick to put down anyone, esp when the ground you stand upon is so frikken shaky.
You need to be HUMBLY asking for advice on how to break into music. You need to back off on the overblown "excellent" self-assessments, because we pros are not so easily fooled by you upstarts. We've been there, done that, gotten & SOLD the frikken t-shirts & MADE GOOD MONEY DOIN' IT.
Now, since I'm in such a giving mood - here's some advice you CAN use.
Get some experience. Keep going to the karaoke bars, but also go to open mics. Meet as many real musicians as you can. Go to music stores & ask for voice lessons - don't be so proud as to think they won't help or that you don't need them. Buy yourself a small PA & a Shure SM58 (that's a microphone, which is sorta the industry standard for band work) & practice using it at various levels. Experiment on the different sounds you get using it at varying distances & angles to your face, with various amounts of your power. Record yourself in any way possible to assess how good you are, REALLY, in your own mind, then approach others with your enhanced abilities. WORK at it, cuz it's WORK. Talent will only take you so far. DEVELOPED talent will take you farther. Listen to the ppl who don't know you, who are kind enough to give you HONEST feedback. They'll be far better for your development than your friends & relatives. Do NOT neglect your role as mother while you do all the above, cuz frankly, you're getting a rather late start on a musical career, & your family needs you more than you need the musical career, & the musical world doesn't need you at all. Keep that in mind at all times. There are a gazillion great performers out there who will never "make it." Todays' music world has a glut of the best performers, more than at any time in the history of mankind. No one needs you but your kids & your man, if you have one. You wanna try? TRY! But do it right, with the right attitude, & the knowledge that NO ONE is necessary in the world of music. NO ONE. No matter how good you get, there'll be hundreds if not thousands that can do it better, & quite a few of them will live within a 20 mile radius of anywhere you decide to live in the civilized world.
