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Acting in Plays, Singing/Pop audition song
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Question
Hello, Mr. Martinfield!
I am auditioning for an a cappella group at my college, and was wondering if you had any suggestions for a song I could sing. I'm an alto, with a pretty good range, but I suppose that doesn't matter since I will be singing it a cappella, so it can be in any key I like. They told us we could sing a piece from any genre of music, but I would prefer to sing a musical theater piece with a little bit of soul, or some belting. Perhaps something along the lines of "Til We Reach That Day" from Ragtime (I would use this song, but there's only a very small solo at the beginning.) I know this question sounds a bit vague, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask.
Thanks for your help.
Hello, Maya:
Thank you for the question.
A cappella groups are all about maintaining perfect pitch and blending. Your job at the audition is to prove your vocal range as an alto and to stay on key. An excerpt from "Till We Reach That Day" [RAGTIME] is not your best choice – considering that there will probably be more altos than any other voice-type showing up to the audition. Moreover, most a cappella groups don't concentrate on Broadway material – especially not as the song would be presented in the show, except unaccompanied. However, there are plenty of Broadway songs that quickly became standard jazz favorites and which have been arranged for various ensembles.
Consider any of the following:
But Not For Me
Cheek To Cheek
I'm Beginning to See the Light
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
You can find these and other songs in the anthology listed below. Just click on the URL to order on-line:
ELLA FITZGERALD, Original Keys for Singers
http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/Ella-Fitzgerald/5403766
I am 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,
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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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