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Acting in Plays, Singing/auditions, vocal range (of course)

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Expert: - 11/6/2008


Question
I am 16 with a range from a (thin) high C to a (doable) low F, and i know my
range is pretty adequate from choir directors and the like, but I am not sure
on what to classify myself as. G on the staff and above to about the next G is
a good range, but from an F on the staff and down to about middle C gets
airy. all the low stuff from C down is great, but I am feeling a little limited by
the issues in the middle there. So, with this knowledge, I ask: what would i be
classified as? And, what songs should I be looking at for audition pieces, or
where should I be looking for audition songs? I have an audition in the distant
future for the part of Winifred in Once Upon a Mattress and would like some
pieces in mind for that. And finally, what are some good duets for Baritone/
Tenor and my range, whatever that turns out to be? Anything would be
helpful there. Thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi, Tylinn –

Thank you for the question.

I appreciate all the information about your range.  Essentially what you are saying is that you access tones between Low F and High C – a range of 2 octaves plus a major 5th – and that your voice fades out between Middle C and 1st-space F.  That can indicate a number of things, but the discussion starts with HOW you are producing and working the notes within that range. Do you have any samples of your voice that you can send me or something on-line that I can access?

In the meantime, it's very possible you are a mezzo-soprano, perhaps even on the lower side – the problem being how to balance the middle register with the upper and lower.  Again, I have to hear what you are doing to make an ultimate determination about your vocal category.  And at 16, there are a lot of variables that come into play.  The standard range of a mezzo-soprano is Low A to High A.  What that really means is – in a live performance, without a microphone, and the critics sitting in Row A  All my mezzo-sopranos exercise between Low F and High C.  Thus, they are performance-ready when it comes time to audition, perform, or record an aria or song from the mezzo-soprano repertoire.

The role of "Winnifred" belongs to a strong belter.  Whoever plays her must also be a natural comedienne, specifically – a clown.  Carol Burnett got the role because she is exactly THAT.  Is this who you are?  If so, then consider "Nobody Does It Like Me" for your audition.  Click on or paste the URL below to purchase the sheet music on-line:

"Nobody Does It Like Me" – from SEESAW (by Cy Coleman)
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/store/smp_detail.html?item=1326480&cart=3200128512...

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  To book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/914262689.html
I am also the fine arts critc for SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.

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Acting in Plays, Singing

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Sean Martinfield

Expertise

I am a professional vocal coach in San Francisco. In addition to answers from a previous web site (Askme.com - where my "tag" was "VocalCoach") I have published over 2000 responses related to vocal training - particularly as it relates to Musical Theatre and Opera. I have 24 years of experience as Personal Trainer to singers and actors in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sang professionally for 20 years and know what it means to live the life of a musician. I can determine your voice category, i.e., Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Alto Belter, etc., and how to broaden and strengthen your range. Need an audition song for a Broadway Musical? I will give you suggestions that are appropriate to your vocal category and to requirements specified in the audition notice. I have also created a vocal methodology, "The Belter`s Method". It will enable those in Musical Theatre to practice more efficiently because it focuses on the demands of professional performers as well as to those auditioning for school and community productions, and as University and Conservatory performing arts majors. If what you want is a better voice and more control over your career moves and choices, contact me. Also, as the Editor of SanFranciscoSentinel.com, it is my privilege to review productions at the San Francisco Opera, Ballet and Symphony, as well as Broadway National Tours booked into San Francisco's Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatres. I also review works by A.C.T (the American Conservatory Theatre) and Magic Theatre. I cover select films, tributes and retrospects, and various international film festivals – particulary those booked into The City's opulent Castro Theatre – including the LGBT Frameline Festival, International Film Festival, Silent Film Festival, Jewish Film Festival, etc. For private vocal instruction, I can be contacted through SanFranciscoSentinel.com. Look under: Seán Martinfield, Sentinel Editor and Publisher.

Experience

As a vocal coach, I work primarily with singers and actors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from absolute beginners to working professionals, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. The vast majority of my clients come to me through recommendation. I know how to identify any singer's vocal category, i.e., soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, etc. I know how to muscle-up every singer's vocal range and to expand it beyond conventional definitions. I have developed a vocal methodology for those who want to know how to belt, THE BELTER'S METHOD. As a singer who spent half of his career doing Bel Canto, I know that classical or Italian methodologies do not work in Standard American music. Bel Canto cannot be "adapted" to meet the needs of contemporary American music, including the demands of the Musical Theatre. There are a number of major components to my work as a vocal coach. The first is to identify the client's vocal category and to strengthen and maximize the vocal range accordingly. Then it's about teaching a reliable vocal workout that will enable the client to gain better control of their musicianship. That includes scale work to expand the vocal range and to improve placement, breath control, and diction. Then we work on material for the audition portfolio, the immediate job or assignment, a recording session, etc. My task to is to better equip singers and actors who are hoping to or relying upon their performance skills and vocal endurance to maintain a career in the Performing Arts. My clients regularly appear in cabarets and musical productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some have worked in New York and gone on National Tours. For more information, Contact me at: Broadwaybelters@yahoo.com

Education/Credentials
San Francisco State University – BA in Theatre Arts; graduate work in Theatre, Philosophy, and Comparative Reiligion. Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley – Graduate work in Ethics

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