Expert: Wanda Reinholdt - 2/8/2008

Question
Hello Wanda!I had auditions for my upcoming High School production of The
Wiz and i was prepping with all of my might. My directors wanted a very jazzy
sound for some and a classic musical style sound for others. I could only sing
one way for all of my life, it was, and still is, very very good and has
definitley helped over the years. As i was practicing, this jazzy voice came out
once (i think, or at least it feels like) I opened my throat more than usual.
With my other voice, it seems as if i'm straining my throat now. I love both of
my voices, but i would absolutley love to just have my jazzy one. My problem,
you see, is that I can't switch to my new voice unless i'm singing a jazzy song.
I would like to know how exactly to make my jazzy voice my only voice, how to
get to it, and really if my other voice is better than my new one, for my throat
this is. Everyone who has heard it just loves it! Thank You for your knowledge
and time!


Answer
hi there.  and thanks for writing.  

What do you think you are doing differently when you sing jazz?
Is it the placement of the sound?  Is it the breathiness of the sound?  

what I would do is try to decipher the difference and do that.  If you cannot find the difference then work with a voice teacher to help.  

does that help?

Wanda