Book excerpt: (Book). To be a great singer, talent and technique are obviously important, as are having excellent songs and being able to move an audience. But there's more to it than that, including two critical skills that are rarely, if ever, addressed in vocal training: managing the technology on stage and in the studio, and interacting with the people who run it. No matter how fantastic your voice is or how much money is behind you, if you don't know how to work with performing and recording technology, you're in for a tough ride. Countless phenomenal singers stagnate professionally and even leave the business because they can't figure out how to deliver when using studio headphones and stage monitors, or how to communicate their needs to producers and engineers. And many less-capable singers get ahead because they can. The Art of Singing on Stage and in the Studio is the only book that comprehensively addresses these critical issues in an easy-to-read, accessible style. Starting with a discussion of the evolution of technology and the voice in our culture, it also explores the root causes of anxiety-related performance issues and, more importantly, how to overcome them. Singers, performers, producers, and engineers will all come away from this book more knowledgeable about the origins of their fields, empowered in the tools of their trade, and clearer on how to best communicate with one another.