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Acting in Plays, Singing/Audition Song - Need Guidance
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Question
Hello!!
My name is Amber Iman. Im a 23 year old, auditioning for the role of "The Girl with a Date" in "Blues in the Night" - They are asking for a Blues song, of course. I'm a Mezzo-Sop. Any suggestions? I realized I don't have any Blues Songs in My audition Book! Any guidance will be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks You!!!
Hello, Amber –
Thank you for the question.
Listen to on-line samples of the Original Cast recording of BLUES IN THE NIGHT. Then you will understand exactly what the Producers need to hear.
Whatever you sing, place the song in the key that best fits your vocal category and allows you to really work the style of the music to your best advantage.
Consider “Cake Walking Babies From Home” as your up-tempo.
Look at either “Hard Time Blues” or “Lost Your Head Blues” for a moderate or slow ballad.
These and other great blues are contained in the following anthology. Just click on or paste into your browser the following URL:
BESSIE SMITH SONGBOOK
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/2901833
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/1393021765.html I am also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com. All my articles and interviews about the Performing Arts provide a link to my personal e-mail.
Download Carmen Milagro’s BlogTalkRadio and her recent interview with Seán Martinfield. It’s all about singing and the 2009/10 San Francisco Opera Season:
Women and Legends Who Really Rock, 9/11/2009
Take a look at my You Tubes:
Lorena Feijóo - A Look at "Giselle" with Seán Martinfield
SAMSON & DELILAH – Meet Seán Martinfield
CA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES – A Preview Look with Seán Martinfield
Below are links to my recent interviews and articles about what's happening on San Francisco's cultural scene:
CD – THE PLANETS, A Mind-Blowing Meditation
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=44236
SF ARTS COMMISSION – Catalogue of Posters from the 2008 Art On Market Street Public Art Program
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=44122
SF OPERA’S “Abduction From The Seraglio” – The Trills and Frills of Captivity
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=43985
SOUTH PACIFIC – A Total Winner In San Francisco
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ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO – Now At SF Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=43611
SOUTH PACIFIC – Now At San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre
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IL TRITTICO – Patricia Racette Debuts In Puccini’s Trio of One-Act Operas
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IL TROVATORE – Opening Night A Stunning Success For San Francisco Opera
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MAURICE SENDAK – At the Contemporary Jewish Museum
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AT LAST! – ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY – An Interview with Seán Martinfield
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CHAGALL AND THE ARTISTS OF THE RUSSIAN JEWISH THEATER, 1919-1949 – Now AT San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum
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Best regards,
Seán Martinfield
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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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