Micah Plissner
micahprovocals.com
Singer-Songwriter Turned Vocal Coach: In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Micah Plissner was playing punk-edged rock and power pop in various Los Angeles bands when he got signed to a popular indie label as a singer-songwriter. When the record company dropped the proverbial ball on his career, he got offers to sing in numerous Westside metal bands, but declined them. While continuing to pursue more punk and avant-garde music, Micah started helping friends improve their vocal chops—an endeavor that led him to much greater and more impactful success than he ever could have imagined as one of the industry’s most renowned and versatile multi-genre vocal coaches.
“I was literally teaching people who couldn’t sing how to sing hard and high,” Micah says. “Many of these clients got signed to metal and pop labels—and soon there was this dichotomy in my life of being this singer in a punk band working as a vocal coach for pop, rock and R&B artists.”
Within a year, he had to move from giving lessons in his apartment to a dedicated studio. Over the past 25 years, he has worked with thousands of singers at all levels in a multitude of genres—including pop, R&B, hip-hop, rock, indie, electronica, dance, folk, country, experimental, goth, metal, industrial and underground music.
Strengths, Weaknesses and Authenticity: One of Micah’s trademarks as a vocal coach is that he’s never had a blank, one-size-fits-all technique; rather, he’s always tailored everything to what a singer is doing or aspiring to on an individual basis. Working with major and indie labels and artists, he uses his technique to bring out the most excitement and personal style that makes a singer a true artist.
At the beginning of each vocal lesson, he helps locate the client’s strengths and weaknesses and he teaches concepts and techniques to facilitate immediate breakthroughs, which he in turn aims to convert to habits that sink into cognitive and muscle memory. In addition to solo artists and lead singers, Micah has also worked extensively with band musicians who are asked to sing backup on tour behind their famous frontmen.
Quote from Micah: “What makes me unique is that I have a music industry perspective and approach,” he says. “Working for many years with artists, labels and managers has given me a strong understanding of what makes a singer exciting to their audience, and I have developed a unique approach to make that happen. An artist at heart, I am always working to get the unique vibe and authenticity of a singer. It’s about extracting the gold and removing any obstacles that may hinder their personal freedom and commercial success. Whether a singer is a seasoned artist or relative newbie, I make sure they are mastering the fundamentals of singing by having a strong, reliable foundation of technique.”
Producing: Micah is currently producing tracks for PIERA (pieramusic.net), a dark synth-pop duo he formed with Piera Klein that he describes as “electronic music fused with psychedelic indie electronic pop.” Their underground, beat-driven sound is informed by a combination of their diverse backgrounds and features haunting vocals produced by Micah.
Contact Micah Plissner, 323-273-3532
