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Acting in Plays, Singing/falsetto voice problem
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Question
Hey there. I'm having a small problem with my falsetto. This past year was my first year of college. Being with a large number of people for an extended period of time, I unfortunately did not sing as much as normal (I'm "vocally insecure" I guess...kinda shy). Before this time, and during the beginning, I could sing E3 - F6 (and higher if my voice was feeling confident) in my falsetto comfortably. And, it was comfortable to sing those higher notes. But as the year went on and I practiced less and less, I noticed my range getting smaller. Losing my range without practicing didn't surprise me that much...but I lost about an octave. Now, I can comfortably sing to D5 in falsetto; the highest I can muster now is a C6, and it's not comfortable (so I won't try for it any time soon). At around E or Eb though, I feel almost a resonance shift. I can access the E and Eb comfortably when I sing more nasal vowels, but the nice open vowels which I used to enjoy singing in my falsetto quit on me. I'm also getting a strange sensation where I'll hit a note (starting at Eb or E) and it will very rapidly vibrate, almost like gargling...It's hard for me to describe...It's like a fast clicking in-and-out thing and it's uncomfortable.
So I guess my questions are something like:
Is my range permanently lost?
Is my voice damaged?
I'm 18, turning 19 in a couple of weeks. My natural voice is unclassified because I'm young (as in, I'm not sure if I'm a tenor, baritone, or bass). It doesn't seem to me that this would be a natural maturation thing (though it could be I guess) because my voice feels unnaturally limited. As if I know exactly how to execute the notes but that my voice forgot.
In any case, I know that correct vocal habits and daily voice exercises will still be helpful, and hopefully they will restore my falsetto voice.
Thanks a bunch
Hello, Jacob –
Thank you for the question. And for answering it.
You're right! It's all about practice. That boy-falsetto thing you used to do is gone forever. Now you have to deal with an on-going surge of hormones that will change everything about you, including your access to and control over the falsetto. My job as a professional vocal coach is to show you how.
If you are looking to pursue a career as a Classical countertenor, then you need to be in a world class Conservatory such as the one we have here in San Francisco. The day of the countertenor is back and the competition is growing.
Find a place to practice.
I am a vocal coach to working singers in the San Francisco Bay Area. When you want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List. This week’s connection is: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1801247904.html 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,
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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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