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Acting in Plays, Singing/young coloratura
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Question
My daughter is 12 years old and is a coloratura. She is able to sing to a high D (6) with ease, but was recently told by a voice tutor that at her age she should not sing higher than an F (5) or it could damage her young vocal chords.
Another vocal coach told her that if she doesn't use it she will lose it. Needless to say, we are confused. What is your opinion? Should she be allowed to sing her full range, or not?
Thanks!
Hello, Brenda –
Thank you for the question. My apologies for the delay.
There are always exceptions when it comes to time-tested advice. My question to you is – who taught her how to hit High D? Who labeled her as a "coloratura"?
Simply because some variety of tone that measures up to High D is falling out of your daughter's mouth tells me nothing. Nor should she be slotted into a particular vocal category accordingly.
My job as a professional vocal coach is to identify the client's vocal category, i.e., soprano, mezzo, etc. Once that is determined, then the training begins. At twelve years old your daughter is not going to be out in public demonstrating the repertoire of a coloratura, especially anything that might allow for optional High Ds. Thus, it's a non-issue. Assuming that both you and she are leaning toward Classical literature – for example, opera, oratorio, arts songs, the symphonic works, etc.– then her needs would be best served by being involved with an organization such as the San Francisco Girls Chorus. These girls are prepared to be the best musicians possible in order to be available as needed for productions by the San Francisco Opera and Symphony. By the time they graduate from high school, their training and performance experience is so advanced that any of them would be eligible to apply to a world class music conservatory. Along the way, by 15 or 16, some of them – along with the teachers and conductors – might realize their passion for classical music and their potentials as a coloratura soprano. It's around that time that the nature of the training changes, including cultivating the upper register.
If you have samples of your daughter's work on-line, I would be happy to listen to it and give you some feedback.
Impress upon your daughter the need to become the best musician in town. For singers, that includes knowing how to play the piano. No one expects her to enter the Tchaikovsky Competition. But, she must be able to read in any key, to play at least her own vocal line, and to read a chord chart. Without that knowledge, she will always be trailing behind those who can.
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/1155066319.html
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Answers by Expert:
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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