Punk and Gospel Choir Singer Turned Vocal Coach: Over 10 years have passed since CBS News Los Angeles proclaimed Micah’s Pro Vocals as the “Best Voice Lessons in L.A.,” and Micah Plissner is still at the top of his game, taking indie and major label singers in every genre to the next level and preparing them for major performances, tours, recording sessions, and TV and film appearances while also offering general vocal development and keeping voices in shape between touring and recording. Having started out playing punk and power-pop in L.A. bands and signing to a prominent indie label (while also singing in gospel choirs), Micah understands the journey and exactly what vocalists need to succeed in a competitive industry. Benefitting from great vocal coaches himself, and ultimately not wanting to pursue a career as an artist in the mainstream climate, he began focusing on vocal coaching after casually helping a female singer who hired him for her band. She began to sing so powerfully and develop so quickly that she was signed. Word got around and Micah opened for business in his apartment in West Hollywood—until his own quick success necessitated a move to a studio setting on Sunset.
An Intense, Direct Approach: While he’s an amiable guy who creates a welcoming environment, when it comes to working with vocalists, he’s no-nonsense and super-direct in tailoring his approach to what each individual singer is doing or aspiring to achieve. As he says, “From the start, I was intense. If you’re a guy, you’d hit high C or above and girls would hit what I call a ‘Christina’ E-flat and above.” Having worked with the great icons of the music industry for the past 25 years (see client list: micahsvocalcoaching.com/clients), Micah is now bringing his experience to a younger generation of singers signed to independent and major labels. With all clients, he emphasizes the importance of vocal power and excitement, often superimposing what he once did to get attention as an artist to convey a sense of urgency. Micah helps locate the client’s strengths and weaknesses and imparts specific exercises to facilitate immediate breakthroughs. The goal is always to create habits that become cognitive and muscle memory.
The Ever-Evolving Industry: Since launching his vocal coaching business in the mid-'90s, the music industry and how artists interact with it have undergone constant changes—from social media platforms, YouTube and TikTok, to A.I., Micah says, “The metric of followers on socials now is what having a huge draw to your live show used to be. Yet the fundamentals of developing and maintaining a voice for a sustainable career in music are the same. Most singers come from nowhere and need attention to generate excitement from managers, labels, and fans. There are simply more avenues to do that now. Because young singers can go viral with posts of themselves singing original songs online, there’s less traditional production and development happening. But despite the presence of A.I. vocalists and A.I. vocal enhancements, the foundational element remains the power of human creativity. Your style, attitude, stories and persona, and how you express yourself personally on stage and in the studio are the most important things. I’m very much into helping you discover your power and personality to get results.”
Contact scheduling@micahprovocals.com
