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Acting in Plays, Singing/Is it possible to become a broadway singer with a coloratura voice ?
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Question
Hello.
I've been having voice lessons for years and I'm a lyric coloratura soprano. I love Broadway and Opera, though I can't really decide which direction to chose. My vocal teachers said to me that there are only a few roles on Broadway for sopranos and my lower range isn't strong. Is this real ? Should I instead turn to Opera - which I perform more easily ?
Hello, Emmanuelle –
Thank you for the question.
Your teacher is right about job opportunities for coloratura sopranos in musical theatre. This should not be news to you.
Your job as a career-minded soprano – of any variety – is to know the soprano repertoire. You don't have to go to a teacher for that kind of knowledge.
My job as a professional vocal coach is to point out to anyone who dreams of being a professional opera singer is that they must first have a degree as a vocal major from a world class university or Music Conservatory such as the one we have here in San Francisco. Without such education, training, and performance experience there is little chance of competing successfully against those who do. The demands of the Classical world are too great. Moreover, coloratura sopranos are a dime-a-dozen. Those who succeed have competed against other super-educated, super-trained coloraturas from all over the world. And there are only so many jobs, vocal prizes, and internships available from season to season for all those anxious coloraturas.
What coloratura roles do you know? Which arias or scenes have you performed? What symphonic repertoire do you know? The Classical world holds a wealth of material for the dedicated soprano. But she must first be the most informed musician on the block and have professional representation behind her. How close are you to any of this?
If you want to be on Broadway and if you are a true soprano, then you need to work with a coach such as myself who can develop your lower register as it applies to the Broadway soprano repertoire. When an audition opportunity comes up, you must prove your Broadway Soprano chops through your chosen material. Your song choices must reflect the style of the composer and the vocal demands of the soprano role you want. Most often you will be asked to sing 16-measures or less. Behind you will be every other soprano in town with similar or better qualifications. After the vocal audition comes the dance audition, sometimes it's the reverse.
What songs are in your Broadway audition portfolio? Are you ready to demonstrate your dancing skills to the choreographer?
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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