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Acting in Plays, Singing/Audition Song
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Question
Hi, I'm Jessica and I'm 16 years old. I'm technically a soprano (I think!) and
have a range from F below middle C to E 2 octaves above middle C (think
Glitter and Be Gay) I'm average height, blonde and have blue eyes so I'm
almost always type casted in an ingenue role or someone like Sarah Brown. I
can however belt to a B and have a strong chest and mixed voice. I consider
myself more of a singer/actress rather than a singer/dancer but I can dance
and pick things up quickly.
My specific question relates to my audition at Stagedoor Manor Performing
Arts Training Center in upstate NY. There I won't know what shows they are
casting for until they announce the cast list. They know I'm a soprano and
have cast me as such (Amalia Balash in She Loves Me, Sarah Brown Guys and
Dolls) but this year I would love to be cast in a "meatier" role! Unfortunately
most of those roles are more of an alto range and the competition for altos is
steep so I need an amazing audition song. I need to sing about 18 bars or no
longer than 40 seconds. If you could help me search an appropriate song that
would be lovely!
Thank you :)
Hi, Jessica –
Thank you for the question.
Your job at this audition is to show the producers who have worked with you before how much you have developed since your last audition and performance. Sopranos and Mezzo-sopranos with a belt are two totally different beings. What you are telling me is that you are one half-step shy of having a 3-octave range. The proof of that is what can be heard out in the house without a microphone.
Sopranos aren't paid to sing down to Low F. Moreover, the middle register (where the bulk of most sings sit) of a Mezzo-soprano is about a major third lower than that of a Soprano. No matter how enthusiastic you may be in the acting department, the Soprano voice does not have nor can it sustain the dynamic in the middle and lower register of a Mezzo-soprano over a long stretch of rehearsals and performances. And as you say, the competition for (genuine) altos is steep.
Consider adding these songs to your audition portfolio:
Love For Sale – COLE
Green Finch and Linnet Bird – SWEENEY TODD
On The Steps Of The Palace – INTO THE WOODS
Love, Look Away – FLOWER DRUM SONG
Too Much In Love To Care – SUNSET BOULEVARD (excerpt from duet)
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.
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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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