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Acting in Plays, Singing/Maintenance of Throat
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Question
Dear Sean, I am richard, I am in church choir team, they classified my voice as BASS, at times I feel my voice is cracking.
at times out of breath, at times it is wavering. When I sleep
and get up my voice sounds more rough. pl advice me how to
maintain my throat. I am not drinker, non smoker, I dont eat
deep oil fry, I dont drink cold water or aerated water either.
The team seem to rely on me for lead role. please guide me......
..........Richard
Hello, Richard –
Thank you for the question.
You are singing bass in a church choir.
Were you a bass prior to joining the choir?
How do you know you are a bass?
A great deal of music for religious ensembles is described as: SATB
Soprano / Alto / Tenor / Bass
That means – every guy who is not a tenor sits in the other section. The "B" section, therefore, is filled with all kinds of baritones with a good high register, bass-baritones who are divided into camps marked "more on the baritone side" or "more on the bass side", and then the same is true for basses. All my basses sing to Bass C. My baritones sing to High A, some go higher.
All of these details matter to choral singers. Religious choirs depend on the loyalty and flexibility of its members. The ensemble IS whoever is there. It's not always about the ideal voice in every section. It's about the music and the reason you are singing it. If your upper register isn't developed and you sound lower than the other guy in Section B – "Sit here! Sing bass." It doesn't mean you ARE a bass. Whatever your real situation may be, cracking is usually about bad placement. With simple 3-tone scales, practice your voice around those problem notes. A lot! You must warm-up your vocal range before you learn or rehearse your material. My job is to show you how. It's always about scales. Just like a pianist.
Then it's about breath control, sustaining pitch, and placement. Keep yourself in Olympic condition and you'll never run out of breath when you're running your scales.
I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco. When you come to 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/1663489068.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.
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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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