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Acting in Plays, Singing/Audition Piece Advice :)
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Hi Mr. Martinfield!
My name is Cassandra, and I am a senior in high school intent on and excited about trying out for out school's spring musical. This year, the production is Beauty and the Beast, and we are required to audition with a piece from a Broadway production. Unfortunately, I have already auditioned with what would be a perfect song for me (considering the "Disney" feel and the requirements) last year - "Part of Your World" from Little Mermaid. I consider myself a mezzo; I can't hit the lower notes without great effort, and I can hit soprano notes, just perhaps not without it sounding airy and more forced. I was considering "For Good" from Wicked, but this would not showcase any of the higher notes that I can actually hit strongly.
My question is...would you have any suggestions for a good song to use trying out for Belle (or really any character) in this Disney production that would showcase my range while not being too risky? (I tend to get nervous at auditions and it is more difficult to hit notes I am not completely comfortable with!) Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Many thanks,
Cassandra
Hi, Cassandra –
Thank you for the question.
You get nervous because you're not secure with your vocal technique.
My job as a professional vocal coach is to provide you with the skills you need to compete for a job. That includes being able to sing your material effectively when under the pressures of an audition. Most performance-type nerves are about not being sure of what's coming next.
If you want the role of "Belle" then you must sing something that matches not only her vocal demands but reflects her determination and vulnerability. Belle is not the Little Mermaid with that irritating Little Mermaid voice. She is more like an operetta heroine. With a ballgown! And your presentation must be better than that of whoever you think your competition may be.
Anyone can sing "Part of Your World".
Some folks are sick of it.
And some professional audition notices state NOTHING FROM WICKED.
Consider the following songs for your audition:
It’s A Most Unusual Day – A DATE WITH JUDY
Out Of My Dreams – OKLAHOMA
Dear Friend – SHE LOVES ME
With A Smile And A Song – SNOW WHITE, etc.
Whatever material you choose, your job is to prove your Pop vocal chops and to come out like a candidate for Miss America.
I'm a vocal coach to working singers in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com. All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.
Below are links to my articles and youtubes on San Francisco's entertainment and cultural scene:
PLÁCIDO DOMINGO – An Interview with the Tenor turned Baritone for “Cyrano”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=93275
"Would You Like A Souvenir?" – Sean Martinfield and Janet Roitz explore a song from Film Noir classic NORA PRENTISS (1947)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOiqTp0tjvg
JAPANESQUE – At the Legion of Honor, Japanese Prints in the Era of Impressionism
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=92923
BEYOND GOLDEN CLOUDS – At the Asian Art Museum
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=92699
SCHEHERAZADE – A Spectacular Opening Night for Alonzo King Lines Ballet
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=92361
FLEET WEEK – Souvenirs From the Party At Pier 39
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=92106
MADAMA BUTTERFLY – A Beautiful Ensemble At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=91730
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT – World Premiere of Five Shakespeare Sonnets, November 11–13
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=91632
SCHEHERAZADE – Alonzo King LINES Ballet at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=91228
MADAMA BUTTERFLY – Opens at SF Opera, Tuesday 10/12
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=91101
Dr. ELISA STEPHENS – My Visit with the President
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=90791
WEST SIDE STORY – Opens At The Orpheum, 10/27
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=90603
ANITA BRYANT DIED FOR YOUR SINS – At NCTC through October 24th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=90289
TALES OF THE CITY – Casting for A.C.T. Workshop Announced
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=90166
Carey Bell and Jean-Frédéric Neuburger – At Davies Hall
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89908
VAN GOGH, GAUGUIN, CÉZANNE & BEYOND – A San Francisco Must-See Experience
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89802
MARIA CALLAS EXHIBIT – A Rare Collection At the Italian Cultural Institute
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89563
MARRIAGE OF FIGARO – Now At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89358
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES – A Sparkling Hit at Broadway By The Bay
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89305
A.C.T. Extends "Scapin" – Through 10/17
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88628
AT THE DE YOUNG – Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne and Beyond
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=89086
PHILHARMONIA BAROQUE ORCHESTRA – 30th Anniversary Gala, 9/24
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88961
TENOR RAMÓN VARGAS – A Worthy “Werther” At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88856
AÏDA – Spectacular Opening Night At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88247
JERRY SPRINGER THE OPERA – Now At The Victoria Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=88014
OPENING NIGHT AT SF SYMPHONY – A Mixed Bag
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=87772
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – Opens 9/21 at San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=87283
WERTHER – French Classic At San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=86829
SF FRINGE FESTIVAL – Preview Coming Attractions
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=86425
DREAMGIRLS – High Gloss and Not Much Soul
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=86316
CUBAN BALLET – An Interview with Octavio Roca
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=86049
A Look At "Giselle" with Ballerina Lorena Feijóo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33-a6Oa-0j4
DOLORA ZAJICK – Internationally Acclaimed Mezzo To Receive Merola Distinguished Alumni Award
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=85363
OPERA – Opening Night, September 10th, Verdi's AÏDA
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=85323
BLACK SABBATH – The Secret Musical History of Black-Jewish Relations
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=85115
DON’T ASK and DIVALICIOUS — Now at the New Conservatory Theatre Center
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84593
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES – 45th Anniversary Celebration at Broadway By The Bay
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84971
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST – At San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84933
HAIL CAESAR! – Gymnast Dreya Weber is “Cleopatra” at Teatro ZinZanni
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84775
CD: SONIDOS LATINOS – Guitarist, David Russell
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84374
EAT PRAY LOVE – Julia Roberts Is Gorgeous
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84196
JAMES LEVINE – Celebrating 40 Years at the Metropoitan Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=84017
BILL IRWIN – Opens A.C.T.’s 2010/11 Season as Molière’s “Scapin”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=83672
SAN FRANCISCO OPERA – Broadcasts Return to KQED
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=83505
CD: GREAT STRAUSS SCENES – Christine Brewer, Soprano
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=83425
19th ANNUAL SAN FRANCISCO FRINGE FESTIVAL – Begins September 8th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=83168
“L’ELISIR D’AMORE” – Members of the Merola Opera Program, this week at Fort Mason
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82920
ANGELA CADELAGO – Debuts With Festival Opera as “Lucia di Lammermoor”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82899
DIVALICIOUS – Leanne Borghesi Raises The Roof At New Conservatory Theatre Center
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82831
OPENING NIGHT – SF SYMPHONY, Tuesday, September 7th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82620
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE – Swashbuckling At SF's Yerba Buena Center For the Arts
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=82738
MATTHEW SHILVOCK – Appointed Associate General Director of San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81723
AÏDA – Verdi’s Masterpiece To Open SF Opera, September 10th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81526
NORMA TALMADGE & GILBERT ROLAND – “A Woman Disputed” At The Castro Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81297
“PSYCHO” – SF Symphony Accompanies Screening of Hitchcock’s Classic, Saturday Night, 7/17
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=81083
THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE – A Sweeping Bore
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80896
JULIAN COX – Appointed Chief Curator of the de Young Museum and Founding Curator of Photography
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80803
MEROLA OPERA PROGRAM – Schwabacher Summer Concerts At The Herbst and Yerba Buena Gardens
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80667
BACH & FRIENDS – West Coast Premiere At The Kabuki, 7/14
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80577
JONAH HENDRICKSON – Sculptor of Harvey Milk Bust At City Hall
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80449
DREAMGIRLS — Coming to SF, Box Office Opens on Sunday, 7/11
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80404
IMPRESSIONISM AT TWILIGHT – Impressive Dining At the DeYoung
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80296
STONEWALL UPRISING – New Documentary Captures Pivotal Moment in the Gay Rights Movement
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=80102
SILENT FILM FESTIVAL – Opens Thursday, July 15th, At the Castro Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79834
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN – "Puttin' On The Ritz" At the Golden Gate Theatre
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79580
DIE WALKÜRE and LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST – Final Performances Tonight and Friday
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79383
SF PRIDE, 2010 – Videos of Ambassador James Hormel, Retired Navy Captain Joan E. Darrah, and Dykes On Bikes
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=79239
FROM BEGINNING TO END – At the Castro Theatre, FRAMELINE34
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=78854
THE STRANGER IN US – At the Castro Theatre, FRAMELINE34
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=78809
MARIA KALMAN – Coming to the Contemporary Jewish Museum, July 1st
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=78261
DEBORAH VOIGT – A Captivating "Fanciulla del West"
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=77858
IMPRESSIONIST PARIS: CITY OF LIGHT – At the Legion of Honor
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=77477
SABINA ALLEMANN – Former SF Ballet Ballerina Returns In A.C.T.'s "The Tosca Project"
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=76516
CD/DVD Release: CAMERON LIVE! – Organist Cameron Carpenter
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=76093
THE RUFFATTI ORGAN & CAMERON CARPENTER at DAVIES HALL
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=76169
JEANETTE MacDONALD – Hollywood Diva Remembered at the War Memorial Opera House
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=75637
GOUNOD’S “FAUST” – To Open SF Opera’s Summer Season, June 5th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=75046
FRAMELINE34 – LGBT Film Festival Opens June 17th
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=74894
BIRTH OF IMPRESSIONISM – Now at the de Young Museum
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=74024
LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST – Opens June 9th at San Francisco Opera
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=73126
IN THE HEIGHTS – Hits the heights in San Francisco
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=72988
ROMEO AND JULIET – Poetic Finale at SF Ballet
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=71635
TEATRO ZINZANNI – A Tenth Anniversary Gala Celebration
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=71054
AMANDA McBROOM – A rose for new CD, "CHANSON"
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=68879
CAMERON CARPENTER – Stellar Organist Returns to San Francisco May 2nd
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=68311
HANDEL'S "ORLANDO" – TONIGHT AT THE HERBST. An Interview with Conductor Nicholas McGagen
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=67774
WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY – An Interview with Director Don Hahn and Producer Peter Schneider
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=66140
THE LITTLE MERMAID – “This Girl’s Got Everything!”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=65498
CAMERON CARPENTER – At Davies Symphony Hall, May 2nd
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=64126
PEARLS OVER SHANGHAI – An Interview with Russell Blackwood
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=63625
PIANIST MISHA DICHTER – A Conversation
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=59695
ZUILL BAILEY – A Conversation
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=58241
CREATION – A Challenging Film Biography on Charles Darwin
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=57307
DAVID PERRY – On the “Dos and Don’ts of Social Media”
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=56487
NATHAN GUNN – Sings Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=56056
CRITIC’S CHOICE: CD – MICHAEL MANIACI: Mozart Arias For Male Soprano
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=54523
THE 39 STEPS – Hitchcock To Stage Is Too Fabulous
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=52598
CAMINOS FLAMENCOS – A Conversation with Yaelisa
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=51761
A CONVERSATION WITH LUCIE ARNAZ – This Week At The Rrazz Room
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=51605
ON THE ORGAN – At the Legion of Honor
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=49615
JANE MONHEIT – This Sunday At The Empire Ballroom
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=48083
FLEET WEEK – A Conversation with Airshow Pilot Tim Weber
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=45460
NORMA SHEARER – Hollywood Dreams Made Real
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=38082
THE EGYPTIAN (1954) – A Swords & Sandals Cultural Encounter at the de Young Museum
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=37554
DIANE BAKER – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=32007
CAMERON CARPENTER – An Interview with Seán Martinfield
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=24462
AT LAST! – ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY – An Interview with Seán Martinfield
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=27122
A Conversation with Ruben Martin Cintas, Principal Dancer with SF Ballet
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=22107
Best regards,
Seán Martinfield
SanFranciscoSentinel.com
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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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