Gordon Grody

Introduction: Rock/R&B/Pop experienced voice/vocal coach 4 LADY GAGA, RACHEL PLATTEN, ALICIA KEYS. & many others/ Skype too ($145 per hr) . Gordon Grody is a proud recipient of Thumbtack's Best Professionals of 2015 Award. HI. My name is Gordon Grody, I'm a skilled, dedicated and focused vocal/songwriting/performance coach. I coached Ms. Keys on a previous J album. Most notably on the Grammy winning hit song "If I A'int Got You" before she recorded her final vocal. Vocal coached and collaborated for about a year with the superstar of the 21st century and sensational talent and social activist Lady Gaga whose singles "Just Dance" #1 "Poker Face" #1 "Bad Romance" #1 "Born This Way" #1 were huge hits as you know (she's on Interscope and has had a lot more smash hits and Grammys as well (Tony Bennet). Lots of new label/publishing deal signings of students of mine (especially Rachel Platten "Fight Song") which went all the way to #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 and moved fast almost to the very top and remains high up on the charts but more on the amazing Rachel P. in a sec. Huge things happening right now for another amazing artist/singer/songwriter named Parson James. We've been working together for over 3 years now. He's signed to Lorde's Mgmt. Co. Last week RCA released and he is the featured lead vocalist and co-writer on remix/producer sensation Kygo's new single called "We Stole The Show". They have over 200 million downloads on Spotify. With millions of views of the official RCA video on YouTube. It sounds very Hitbound and is #1 in several countries in Europe already and just charting in lots of others so go and download it and hear the next International Superstar. His other single where he's featured with Audien "Insomnia" went to #1 on the Billboard dance chart the week of 6/6/15. His solo record on RCA too will be coming out real soon all over the world. His team is deciding when to put it out while he rides on this big wave because it's only a matter of time before "We Stole The Show" or "Insomnia" are all over the radio. He also co-wrote the single for Damien called ("Soldier") who was a finalist and performed the song on 2014's "The Voice". Co-wrote it with Max Martin and Max Martin produced it as well. Major stuff. Adam Levine loved it and chose it for Damien and it charted.1st week out and was #74 on Billboard's Hot 100! He's been recording his debut album all over the world (collaborated with Iggy Azalea too). But back to the biggest news is crazy talented artist singer songwriter Rachel Platten who's recently signed with Columbia Records, got the deal she deserved so much. First single "The Fight Song" is out now and is everywhere. She is astounding and has so much to say and what a voice. Taylor Swift has been featuring Rachel in lots of her arena gigs (watch them on Youtube) and they sing "Fight Song" together. Swift loves Rachel and the song and is doing everything she can to push it to #1 on the Hot 100. They're just new gal pals. The record is charting real well all over the world too of course. Rachel knocked it out of the park on Good Morning America 5/15/15. The whole audience knew her and the song real well and went wild (it's also Ford's new theme song on all their TV ads). She'll be a superstar shortly and I have always way loved vocal and performance coaching her. Re my rate: It is $145 per hr. but If I really see and hear star potential in a new student I have been known to lower my rate to an amount that's doable for both of us. Also if you see me regularly more than once per week I will lower my rate for you too. I have no rules re: how often a student must work with me so U should consider seeing me less often. Spending more and getting a whole lot more than most of the ridiculous vocal coaches & teachers out there and I'll be giving you plenty of home work for practicing. OK? Also work as a vocal coach and vocal co-producer for various artists with my super talented friends Dan and Brandon whose production company is called Robopop. They had a worldwide smash hit as co-writers and co-producers of Gym Class Heroes' song "Stereo Hearts" featuring Adam Levine. They're incredibly talented and great guys as well and I always love working with them and for them with any artist they're working with. Thrilled for more of my artists who recently signed real good label recording contracts. Been working with killer gorgeous female lead vocalist/songwriter/performer Ulliana of slammin' hard rock band called "Cilver". They just got signed to major deals (label and publishing) and are in Chicago working on their debut LP with multiple Hit making producer Johnny K. Check out his many credits and "Cilver" online. Just finished coaching and co-producing lead vocals, co-writing and even sang some BG voices on the first album for Kaya who was one of the top 10 in the last year of "X-Factor" USA. She and her team Gian Stone and Ben Rice are making really soulful records (real instruments and everything) And Khaya sings and writes her face off in an old school soul but still contemporary way. She's fierce. You might remember her from "X-Factor". She's way hard to forget and will be everywhere soon. Moxie (Laura) Raia got signed by Capitol in 2014. I've worked with Moxie since she was 13 or 14. She wrote her first song with me, recorded for the first time with me. All vocal training with me including teaching her piano first and guitar second. She's been living in L.A. for a while now. Is 22. She has worked so very hard at this and deserves it so much. So talented and beautiful. Go Moxie!!! Also gotta check out Manny Vocalz, another student/artist of mine who will soon be signing a major recording deal and is 21. Check him out on his YouTube pages (Manny Vocalz). He has over 2 million views and you will see and hear a huge superstar in the making. I am not saying which major label he's signing with because I'm a bit superstitious about these things. Been coaching emerging incredibly talented Andrea Rosario whose single "We Own The Night" went all the way to #7 on Billboard's top 25 dance chart and was played in all the clubs and lots of Radio stations all over the U.S. I introduced her to her producers the Berman Brothers (music biz veteran Grammy winning producers "Who Let The Dogs Out" and several other big hits. I have been hired by hundreds of students through Thumbtack. The reason I don't ask them to write reviews about our working together or for me to inform Thumbtack that I'd been hired is that I get hired from lots of places and simply don't have the time and would much rather focus on the student's vocal/musical needs and careers. I think my credits in the music biz speak for themselves. They should?. Had a total blast working for old friend Paul Schaffer (Dave Letterman's side kick) singing and performing background vocals during Elvis week on Letterman. If you wanna watch me perform on Letterman just go to YouTube and enter in the search box (Dave Letterman Show 2/8/13 Ben Portsmouth Elvis) and click on the first box which says pretty much what you entered in the search box. If you are an Elvis fan or not you can't miss this amazing live TV production number. Just so you will know which of the 4 male singers is me, When the four of us male BG singers make our vocal entrance, I am the 2nd guy and I'm wearing a Black Real Deal Cowboy Shirt hand stitched and embroidered in white and I'm also seen a lot in this segment ( FYI that as of 4/26/13 has 470,000 hits/plays on YouTube) I'm right behind and slightly to the left of Ben P. (the amazing Elvis imperson-ator). I've also worked for Paul Shaffer many times: Singing lead and background vocals on the "Strangers With Candy" movie soundtrack a few years ago as well as performing a number of times singing BG vocs on Letterman for Paul with Fat Boy Slim, Willie Nelson and others. Have Coached Patti Scialfa Springsteen (Bruce's wife). She had a Columbia album out and still has been touring worldwide with the E Street Band. I worked with her while she was doing TV gigs promoting her last LP (Play It As It Lays) Performing on Conan, The View, Letterman, Today, etc. Just finished co-producing 2 tracks and vocal producing 4 other tracks for Matt Johnson who had been filming in LA for Disney. He was one of the 5 finalists for Disney's "The Next Big Thing" contest. His 9 or 10 day segment aired on the Disney channel and Disney radio in late November 2011. I co-produced, arranged, co-wrote, sang background vocals, played some guitar on what looks like the main song. If you'd like to hear some of the work I've done with this amazingly talented 14 year old (then) you can visit his website mattjmusic.com or go to myspace.com/mcjentertainment. I also had been vocal coaching and guitar coaching/teaching Matt for about 2 years. Sang and arranged BG vocals on Keli Price (of the Naked Brothers) new tracks produced by Kiyanu Kim (formerly band member and co-writer with Gwen Stefani) and have completed all vocal production/singing BGs with Michael Lombardi (co-star of FXs hit series Rescue Me) for his band Apache Stone was featured in the show's last season. The album was released and you can check them out on the net. I've been vocal producing/ coaching and collaborating with contemporary rock/pop/dance recording artist/producer/writer Freddy Wexler who completed his LP for a large Swedish Record Label, a huge European deal. If you'd like to check him out go to his websiteoperationfreddy.com and you can hear some of our recorded work together. Freddy had been involved in a media blitz through Kidd Kraddick a huge rock radio DJ at his website (check Freddy out at (Kiddlive.com) in Dallas where he is still being billed as the greatest unsigned artist (left Virgin due to creative differences) who deserves a second chance. Because of all this attention he had been #1 and sometimes #2 on Sirius radio Hits Hit Bound list beating Coldplay (Viva La Vida), Rhianna, Fergie etc. #1 and #2 for 7 weeks exploding with a song we collaborated on called "Defying Gravity". Recently finished producing all vocals and singing BG vocs. Worked with Alexa Ray Joel (Billy's daughter) as producer/arranger/co-writer and had been her voice coach for over a year. (thankfully had nothing to do with her EP sold at Target). You can check her out on alexarayjoel.com. Worked for a couple of years coaching Reni Lane who's album on Motown/Custard was produced by Linda Perry who's produced and co-written huge hits for Pink (I'm Coming Out) and Christina Aguilerra (Beautiful) and David Patillo. For B'way singers who need assistance in the auditioning with contemporary material process I can really help you folks and have done so. Coached Jamie Linn Sigler (Meadow on the Sopranos) for her Broadway debut in Beauty and the Beast and John Tartaglia of Avenue Q. as well as folks in Passing Strange, Caroline Or Change and Grey Gardens. If you'd like to take a look at some of my credits as a NY. L.A. London session singer, enter Gordon Grody (artist) on allmusic.com and after my name comes up then click on "credits" which are above and to the right and a new page and long list will appear or just do a Google search on me. I've sung live and on records for David Bowie, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, John and Yoko, Peabo Bryson, George Benson, Sting, Debbie Harry, Gene Simmons (Kiss) Phil Collins, Bebel Gilberto, Lea Lorien, Cyndi Lauper, LMNT, Carly Simon, Bonham and many, many more. I also performed a character named Riot on a well known TV cartoon show called Jem and the Holograms. I was trained vocally by Julluiard's astounding classical teachers named Beverley Johnson (who is no longer with us) and therefore have a very serious bel canto background. I studied with Mrs. Johnson privately for 10 years (1985-1995) and used to often by co-incidence have my lesson back to back with Beverley's international superstar and long time student soprano Renee Fleming. That was certainly a thrill. My hourly rate is $145.00 per hr. (But I have been known to make exceptions and be negotiable and I say more about that if you keep reading). I play guitar and piano and offer varied services to suit the artists' specific needs. I'm looking for serious students who want or have recording deals and need someone to help them achieve any creative aspect of their goals. My extensive time in recording studios as an artist myself (made albums on RCA, SBK and Arista) gives me a real edge over other voice coaches especially in Rock, R&B and Pop. If you'd like to hear some of my past recorded and released lead vocals in several vocal styles go to You Tube and enter Gordon Grody and my pages will come up and you can listen to me singing lead on a lot of only released albums mostly on Major Labels 1) Zinc "This Is Where The Love Is". I was the lead vocalist and the band Zinc was released on Arista and was just re-released on a European Label !. 2) You'll see a pop/rock song from a Euro band called Silence 2 where again I was the lead vocalist called "The Beast In Me". 3) Same album check me out on "Moonlight Shadow" 4) Enter Starcruiser "Holding Back" which I co-wrote and I was the lead singer of this band as well 5) Enter The Rock Gazers "I Believe In Love" I was also the lead singer of this Disco band and there's lots of other lead vocs of mine from different albums on Youtube including several lead vocs I sang as the character Riot in the huge hit animation TV series call Jem And The Hollograms. I'm also still a working singer in the pop music field (lead and backing vocals on numerous TV and radio jingles (Maybe It's Maybelline) and records). Sang and arranged BG vocals on Keli Price (of the Naked Brothers) new tracks produced by Kiyanu Kim (formerly band member and co-writer with Gwen Stefani) . I was also a member of David Bowie's Band for a short but amazing time playing keyboards and singing background vocs. This Superstar, Icon is a brilliant man and way cool. David really wanted me to do his next world tour with him back then. The tour was called "Serious Moonlight" following his huge #1 pop hit "Let's Dance". I so much wanted to tour the world with Bowie but a lot was happening in my career in NYC including the fact that Tommy Mottola was my manager, so I really did not and really could not do his year long tour. Bummer. If you'd like to watch me performing in Bowie's Band playing keys and singing BG vocals; go to YouTube and enter in the search box (David Bowie 1980 The Tonight Show) and you'll see and hear me working it on "Ashes To Ashes" and "Life On Mars" and David looks and sounds awesome. I strongly believe that vocal excersizes, of which I have plenty are not really useful unless they can be directly integrated into the artist's material and performance. Unlike other coaches, I don't do the same thing with each and every student. I don't believe in that and make sure I give each student tools that they and I agree are what's needed to achieve genuine results. It takes more work and concentration but it I think it yields better results. I really focus with nearly every one I work with on vowel consistency and voice placement (the right and best spots). When it comes to singing, I believe that effort and struggle are two very different things. Let's increase effort and reduce struggle together. I have recently relocated in Brooklyn but I continue to work and teach in Manhattan as well. Also I have been teaching students from all over using the internet and Skype which is an online video phone. It really looks and sounds great. Although my hourly rate is $145 an hour (often if we're really into it and working and we go 10-15 mins. over I don't charge extra) And the first time I meet with a student the first 30 minutes are free of charge. During that time I get to meet you, listen to you sing, talk about your strengths and weaknesses, come up with a game plan and get to work and you will see, feel and hear results after the very 1st lesson unlike the other clowns who charge double what I charge and you basically are told that if you do their excersizes for 5 months you'll be great singing your songs or other peoples' songs one day. I actually integrate technique into songs from day one. Because I can and they cannot. I also do not book people back to back because I need to take a minute between artists and clear my head so I can provide the next student with everything that they really need. Also, I have been known to sometimes lower my rate for some extraordinary artists/talents who can not afford what I charge. I have no requirements regarding how often a student has to work with me. That's up to you but your lessons will be recorded and you will have a lot of homework and practicing to do. Finally , I have been hired by Thumbtack clients hundreds of times. They say 6 times. Well, I get into doing the work and I don't focus and waste time on how many times I've ben hired by Thumbtack clients. Get over 100 requests a week from Thumbtack and simply do not have the time to inform them that I've been hired, plus I get hired by record labels and managers, etc. directly a whole lot. Thanks. Gordon It has been my great fortune to have this career for so many years and I have worked with so many legends and artists I have admired. I especially enjoy taking singers from a kinda nowhere starting point and transform them into real artists and some into pop stars. Couldn't ask for a better gig.