Acting in Plays, Singing/Song for Agent Showcase!

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Expert: - 1/13/2010


Question
Hey I am a senior in College and a musical theater major. I am looking for a song for a showcase in both L.A. and New York. I am looking for a song for a  contemporary soprano song that shows belting, mixed voice, and head voice. I would really love to showcase all three aspects and would love something with beautiful imagery. Please help if you can.

Answer
Hello, Shelby –

Thank you for the question.

What kind of a showcase is it? Do you have any samples of your work available on-line?

It’s always a good idea to consider material that has proved successful before. No matter what you choose, try it out in front of a few friends and work with an accompanist. You can sing anything you want as long as the key works for you.

In the Broadway repertoire, consider:

“The song that goes like this” – MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT
This is available as a download and can be adjusted to the key that you need to maximize all your diverse talents.

“I am loved” – OUT OF THIS WORLD, by Cole Porter

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  When you are in the Bay Area and want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List. This week’s connection is:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1524777568.html
You may also contact me through my website: http://www.thebeltersmethod.com/The_Belters_Method/Welcome.html
I am 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:
”Embraceable You” – Gershwin and Rodin at the Legion of Honor
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:
NATHAN GUNN – A Hit At The Herbst
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=56056

CONTEMPORARY JEWISH MUSEUM – Our Struggle: Responding to Mein Kampf
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=55889

HELGI TOMASSON’S 25th ANNIVERSARY – SF Ballet Gala, January 20th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=55822

NATHAN GUNN – In Recital At The Herbst Theatre, January 12th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=54863

100th ANNIVERSARY – A Landmark Celebration for the American Conservatory Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=55040

SF FRINGE FESTIVAL – Now Accepting Applications For 2010
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HARVEY FIERSTEIN – Is “Tevye” in Fiddler On The Roof
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CRITIC’S CHOICE: CD – MICHAEL MANIACI: Mozart Arias For Male Soprano
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NEW ORGAN SERIES – Premiers January 17th at Davies Symphony Hall
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SF SILENT FILM FESTIVAL – One Day Only, Saturday, December 12th
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THREE GRAMMY® AWARD NOMINATIONS – SF Symphony Is The Best
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PETER, THE WOLF, THE AX, a 5th, and HOLIDAY PIPES
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=50376

HOB NOB ON THE HILL – Annual Gala at the Fairmont Hotel
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=50108

TOY TRAINS – An Interactive Holiday Tradition at the Main Library
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BACH’S CHRISTMAS ORATORIO – This Week at San Francisco Symphony
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=49864

CARTIER – Exclusive Exhibit at the Legion of Honor
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=49806

ON THE ORGAN – At the Legion of Honor
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AMISH ABSTRACTIONS – Fabulous Quilt Exhibit Now at the de Young Museum
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LOWER 24th STREET IN THE MISSION – Gets The Artistic Touch
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VERY POST MORTEM: Mummies and Medicine
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NUTCRACKER VIDEO CONTEST – Enter Now!
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JAN WAHL – Action! Monday Night at New Conservatory Theatre Center
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CD – THE PLANETS, A Mind-Blowing Meditation
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NOEL COWARD’S BRIEF ENCOUNTER – Opens September 16th At A.C.T.
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SALLY KELLERMAN – Hot Lips for Hot Hits at The Rrazz Room
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TUTANKHAMUN – And The Golden Age Of Pharaohs
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AT LAST! – ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY – An Interview with Seán Martinfield
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A Conversation with Ruben Martin, Principal Dancer with SF Ballet
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Best regards,
Séan Martinfield

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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