Acting in Plays, Singing/Performance Tips

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Expert: Sean Martinfield - 6/18/2009


Question
Thank you for reading my question, Mr. Martinfield.

I'm 16 years old and would consider myself a Baritone or Bass-Baritone. My range is approximately an F#2 to an F4, but as far as I know it is not fully developed. If it helps at all, I have an older-sounding voice; I can't make the "pop baritone" sound I'm told is used in musicals like Godspell and Footloose. I've been acting and singing since 4th grade, and do a handful of productions every year.

This summer, I'm in a youth production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" as the Prince. I'm really happy to have gotten the role, and really like the music, but I'm having a lot of difficulty singing "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful"?

The part in general does not sit in an uncomfortable range for me. However the phrase "Are you the sweet invention of a lover's dream?" always seems to knock me off balance. The combination of the E being at the end of the phrase and being on an "E" vowel seems to be what's making me trip.

I don't know if this song is considered hard, or it's just me, but I'm at a loss of what to do. The director tells me it sounds fine, but it always sounds strained to me. Do you have any advice that might help?

Thank you so much for reading my question. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Much thanks,

Michael  

Answer
Hi, Michael –

Thank you for the question. There are far worse things than not being available for GODSPELL and FOOTLOOSE. Maybe WICKED.

At 16 – and speaking in treble clef – if you have an audible and balanced range between your nearly two-octave stretch between Low F# and High F, that’s damn good.  All my bass-baritones exercise between Low E-flat and High G, some go lower and higher.  All my baritones exercise between Low F and High A, some go lower and higher.

The role of the Prince in CINDERELLA can be sung by either a high baritone or a second tenor.  The 4th-space E at the end of “lover’s dream” can be a challenge for a lot of untrained singers.

As a professional vocal coach I know that a reliable and daily workout is the key to a successful performance.  Run 8-tone scales everyday throughout your range and until you’re blue in the face. Then go back and work them on the vowel sound “ee” and at volume of no more than mezzo-forte.  Notice that the placement of the 4th-space E sits on the roof of your mouth. Work a series of 3-tone scales below it, i.e., B-flat to D, to start really feeling that sweet spot. Be patient. Then progress by half-steps until you’re working the High F. Don’t pull your lips back into a smile on the E. Rather, come forward with the lips.  Hold it.  The sound of the vowel E should be crisp and clear, not muffled.  You’ll get it.

When you come to the phrase, “lover’s dream”, pronounce it “lover sdream”.  Attach the S-sound onto the dre-sound, like “stream”.  Know ahead that you are going to sustain that final E-sound right where you placed it through the scales – on the roof of your mouth.  That way, you don’t have to blast the note to loud or “forte” and risk cracking it. That placement and method of phrasing will carry the note to the back row and you will look great in the process.

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. This week’s connection is: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1223869393.html
I am also the Editor and Publisher of www.SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews about the Performing Arts provide a link to my personal e-mail.

Download Carmen Milagro’s BlogTalkRadio interview with Seán Martinfield and jazz composer/pianist Terry Disley: Women and Legends Who Really Rock, 6/12/2009

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Best regards,
Seán Martinfield

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Sean Martinfield

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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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