UNITED STATES — In the president’s phased plan to reopen the country, phase three, the last one, includes large venues, which would include concerts.
On Friday, Channel 2’s Wendy Corona spoke with one of the premiere voice coaches in the music industry. Normally, he’s on the road with the biggest stars, but now, he’s coming to terms with when entertainment for all of us may return.
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Voice coach Robert “RAab” Stevenson, like so many of us, is currently working from home.
His work as the voice coach to Justin Timberlake, Dave Matthews, Rihanna and Brandi Carlisle, to name a few, keeps him on the road. That is, until the coronavirus sent everyone home.
“Five weeks ago, Thursday, I was in New York with Dave Matthews and several other artists doing a benefit concert, a charity concert. Love Rocks,” Stevenson said.
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It was one of the first to cancel out its audience. Venues have been silent since, and around the country we’ve watched the number of COVID-19 cases climb.
“The last one that we just did, some people fell ill from it,” Stevenson said.
Now, with large gatherings and venues in the president’s final phase to reopen the country, Stevenson sees no reason to rush, despite the far-reaching financial impact.
“Safety first, and not just for the artists, but for everyone,” he said. “My job as a voice coach, it’s all about the artist being healthy. If the artist isn’t healthy, (if) they get sick, the show gets canceled. Simple as that.”
Stevenson handled vocal arrangements for Timberlake’s Prince-inspired Super Bowl halftime performance.
Artists want to create and while everyone is sitting out, he says fans should get ready.
“They’re training, staying in shape, (and) they're going to come out even stronger vocally,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson said he is keeping busy with online teaching and that this time off the road has been great for his family and for new talent development.
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