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Acting in Plays, Singing/Can a late-starting dancer still be a musical theatre major?

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Expert: - 10/7/2011


Question
Hi Sean,
I know you're not a dance teacher but you have an excellent knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the business, so I've come to you with my question.
I'm currently in tenth grade and musical theatre obsessed. I have been studying acting for four years and formally trained in singing for three. (Predominately musical theatre songs but I love classical and do standardised classical examinations, plus some pop/rock songs because I know that being able to sing pop is basically essential for the modern musical theare performer!) I've loved music my whole life, can sight read and have a good understanding of theory. Once I finish school, I would love more than anything to study musical theatre at a college or conservatorium. But the problem is: I am not an experienced dancer. I started dance only about a month ago (taking between four and seven hours of classes a week - ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, broadway, hip hop - plus practicing/stretching at home too whenever I can). I'm not very good yet, though improving all the time. I am serious about theatre as a career and very concerned that I won't be able to gain sufficient dance ability in time for college auditions, especially since my competition will have practically been dancing since the womb! Do you think that if I continue to apply myself over the next three years and perhaps increase my hours of dance per week, I could get myself up to the standard of a college audition?

Answer
SEAN MARTINFIELD, Vocal Coach
SEAN MARTINFIELD, Voca  
Hi, Eve –

Thank you for the question.

I'm sure your dedication will pay off for you come the day of your audition. Keep in mind that academic auditions are not like talent contests. No one is "the winner". Moreover, your judging panel will want to have a good sense of what you as an individual will bring to the department and how you will fit into the program.

Between now and the time you will be applying, make sure you know what your true vocal category is, i.e., soprano, mezzo-soprano, etc., and concentrate on the repertoire written for it. Study the Business of musical theatre – don't be a lamb in the woods. You need to know more about what is going on than any agency that might represent you.

There is nothing more useless than a degree in the performing arts. In the real world, there are absolutely no guarantees that you will be working as an actress, singer, or dancer after you graduate. Anyone appearing in a Broadway production or national tour must be a member of Actors Equity Association. For the vast majority of young performers, it may take a number of years – working for nothing – to earn the required points in order to become a member of the union. How will you sustain yourself during that period?

Find every performance opportunity you can outside your school environment. Build your audition portfolio with material suitable to your voice and appropriate for all kinds of occasions.

Below are links to my articles and youtubes on San Francisco's entertainment and cultural scene:

I am a vocal coach to working singers in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm also the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.

Check out my recent interview with popular TV host, David Perry, on "Ten Percent":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKeeTYTYMAI

Below are links to my articles and youtubes on San Francisco's entertainment and cultural scene:

"ONCE IN A LIFETIME" – 1930 Comedy Open's 2011-12 Season at A.C.T.
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=153488

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AT LAST! – ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY – An Interview with Seán Martinfield
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Best regards,
Seán Martinfield
SanFranciscoSentinel.com
http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?cat=65

Acting in Plays, Singing

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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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