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Acting in Plays, Singing/Problems with Range/Voice Type

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Expert: - 1/29/2009


Question
Hello,
My name is Elizabeth and I'm 18 years old.  All throughout my life, I have classified myself as a soprano who belts.  I can sing amazingly high notes (B6..C6 on a good day), but I feel most comfortable with  belting.  I've played soprano lead roles in operas and musicals, but I occassionally am cast in the belty, meaty roles as well.  I have been belting my whole life, and I know that I have a healthy voice.  However, lately when I try to sing belt songs ('what it means to be a friend' (13), 'out here on my own' (fame), 'a way back to then' (title of show)), it hurts because I can't hit some of the LOW notes in the songs.  Why does sustaining A3 (and notes in that area) hurt so much?  If you could please answer this or give me some suggestions on how to extend my lower range, I'd really appreciate it.  Also, if you know any songs (musical theatre) that cater to my voice type, that would be extremely helpful as well.

Answer
Hi, Elizabeth –

Thank you for the question.

Your descriptions are all over the map.  What you don't mention is your training.  Many singers tag themselves with vocal IDs that are mis-informed.  My job as a professional vocal coach is to correctly identify your vocal category and to then train you accordingly.  Although a true soprano and a standard belter have some notes in common – the way they are produced and where they sit within their separate range is a totally different experience.

Every singer can gain flexibility, but in the world of opera and musical theatre the "Absolutes" start with the vocal category.  At 18 – and through your various singing experiences – you know something is missing in your technique and it's starting to hurt you physically.  There are no songs that "cater" to or can circumvent what are clearly a variety of vocal problems.  You can sing any song you want as long as it is placed in the key that best suits your vocal category.  However, a song that's designed for the deeper-voiced and aggressive alto/belter will never have the same theatrical impact intended by the composer if sung by a soprano.  Moreover, a soprano risks ruining her voice trying to sound like a mezzo-soprano.

Do you have a recording of yourself on-line?  Is there something you can link me to where I can listen to you sing?  If so, I will be happy to give you some feedback.

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  When you want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1005488187.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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