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On the V oice
On the Voice

Matthew Hoch, editor <mrh0032@auburn.edu>

Preparing for a Career as a Professional Session Singer:
An Interview with Sally Stevens

by Micah Bland

The entertainment and recording industry was es- major recording projects throughout the 1960s and
tablished during the early part of the twentieth century. 70s as a member of the Ron Hicklin Singers, and per-
This led to new professional opportunities for singers in formed with notable artists such as Neil Diamond, Ray
film, television, radio, and recorded audio. These vo- Charles, Sonny and Cher, Dean Martin, Ray Conniff,
cal professionals are commonly referred to as “session Frank Sinatra, Johnny Cash, Placido Domingo, Elvis
singers” who perform in recording studios as either fea- Presley, Michael Jackson, and Burt Bacharach.
tured or auxiliary musicians. As recorded audio oppor- In the 1980s, Stevens found success as a vocal con-
tunities continue to expand in the twenty-first century, tractor for film and television, working closely with
aspiring professional choral singers should consider composers such as John Williams, Danny Elfman, Alan
session singing as a viable career path. To help these Silvestri, and James Newton Howard. Throughout her
aspiring musicians understand the responsibilities, op- career, Stevens has performed or contracted vocals for
portunities, and challenges of session work, the follow- hundreds of film and television productions, including
ing interview was conducted with professional singer The Sound of Music (1965), Beauty and the Beast (1991),
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Sally Stevens in September 2023. and twenty-one seasons of Family Guy (1999–2022).
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As one of the preeminent ses- Possibly Stevens’ most iconic credit includes the main
sion musicians of this generation, theme from The Simpsons, which features Stevens; her
Stevens has worked in the record- daughter, Susie; and composer Danny Elfman (750 ep-
ing industry for over sixty years as a isodes to date). In 2022, Stevens published a detailed
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session singer and vocal contractor. memoir of her life and professional experience titled, I
Throughout her career, Stevens has Sang That: A Memoir from Hollywood. 5
advocated for industry musicians
while serving on the national board What are the musical skills a singer needs to be
of the American Federation of Television and Radio successful as a session singer?
Artists (AFTRA) for forty-five years and the Screen
Actors Guild (SAG) board of directors for eighteen To do any choral or ensemble work, you must have
years. As a professional singer, Stevens performed on excellent sight-reading skills. You also need to have
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CHORAL JOURNAL June/July 2025 Volume 65 Number 9 35