<p>I just want to say that I look at professional audition notices all the time and they often ask for a legit soprano. Because my daughter is a high belter with a pop/rock sound, she would never go to an audition for a legit soprano...at least not until she gets the proper training in that area. There are clearly many roles for legit sopranos, though. I haven't heard many other kids at auditions, so I don't know which style has the most competition. If every other kid has a strong, powerful belt, then my daughter will have a harder time standing out...</p>
<p>Not everyone will have a TRUE strong, powerful belt. This talent I have found is very rare and most people think they have it - but they don't and a lot of faking goes on, as schools teach belting and try and give people a certain sound. I hear it all the time. So if your daughter has been blessed with the gift of being a true belter (like the Basseys of the world) - she will stand out nevertheless.</p>
<p>Well, I certainly hope so :)
But, I would like to address something that I don't think has been addressed here before...and that is the "luck" factor.
I am bringing up a true story about American Idol, and although it may seem off-topic, I think it may relate to college auditions. One of my daughter's friends is a very talented guy with teen-idol looks and great talent. His mother told me in great length about his audition for American Idol (a past season) which opened my eyes to auditions in general. First of all, he was all set to enter NYU in Cap 21 when he decided to audition. He went to the first city and sang his song on the field in front of one of the producers and was cut immediately. His mom told me that that day they were looking for strong gospel singers, and almost every black gospel-type singer made it past the first round. She said that many people, who were amazing, making the crowd cheer, were cut immediately. So, he went to the second city on the audition tour. He obviously got a different producer to sing for. He made it past the first cut. This time, no gospel-type singers made it past the first round. They were looking for something different on that day. Anyway, he came back two weeks later, and made it to every single callback - 6 I believe - until he was cut by Nigel (the executive producer) right before he would have sung for Paula and Randy and Simon. He was soooo close. They were right in the next room. Out of tens of thousands who auditioned, there were only about 60 left, and many of them were the "joke" auditions. Anyway, Nigel cut him most likely because they already had one his type for that year (David Archuletta). He told him to come back next year, they loved him, etc., but he didn't. He has decided to go to NYU Cap 21, instead, although he spent this past summer touring the country as the opening act for a famous pop star. So, what I am trying to say is that, I truly believe that luck has more than a little to do with this whole business. Which particular faculty member did you audition for? What were they looking for that day? That year? Who was your competition that day? Who sang immediately before you? If they see 10 belters in a row, and then a beautiful legit soprano walks in, she's got it made. If they see 10 beautiful sopranos in a morning and then a power belter walks through the door, he or she stands out. There is so much that is out of our kids' control. All they can do is do their best and not let anyone break their spirit - no matter how many rejections. Some of the most talented kids in the country will no doubtedly slip through the cracks at some of these schools, especially because they can only take a handful.</p>
<p>Very wisely summed up, I totally agree.</p>
<p>I defer to the voice teachers on the forum, but as for legit vs. belt, I agree with what JIJane said previously. There are very few natural belters. Instead, most girls go for a mix where more of the chest voice is carried through the natural break. While "mixing" can be done in a healthy manner, many kids have damaged their voices trying to "belt" improperly. (It is most noticeable when they try to sing legit in their upper registers. They have a very breathy, almost brittle sound.) While it is always great to be versatile, it is also important to know your type and to protect your natural voice. You can't be both a Kelli O'Hara and an Idina Menzel, for example.</p>
<p>Can you explain to me a little about "mix"? This may sound a little crazy, but I have no idea what that is.</p>
<p>Again, I defer to the voice teachers, but I understand that "mix" refers to a seamless blending of the chest and head voice (heavier on the chest voice) and using natural resonance to achieve a bigger belt-type sound.</p>
<p>Thank you for your quick reply. I'm still not sure, though, if you are saying that it is better to have a "mix" or not. And, I'm not sure if my daughter has a mix. Is this something all belters must have?</p>
<p>Tina, I don't think Anne is saying it is better to have a mix. I think she is saying that the "non-belters"....like the ones who are more of a legit soprano type, may be better off using a mix voice, than belting and ruining their voice. For some songs, your D too might use a mix. But for a song that requires a true belt, and your D has one, she would belt. Like Anne says, some are more a Kelli O'Hara type and some (like your D and mine) are more of the Idina Menzel voice type. If you have a true belt, then you would belt a belty song. And if you have a high belt, you'd belt the high notes if the song required it. Someone who doesn't really have a true belt, would likely sing the same song using a mix voice. </p>
<p>By the way, I agree with all you wrote about the element of "luck". Getting into a BFA program or being cast professionally isn't only about talent. You must have talent, no question. But way more have the requisite talent for a program or for a cast than can be chosen and often your type and your look come into play and an element of luck. The field is full of rejection, even for the most talented people. Those who have made it in this industry have also had many rejections along the way. One must be resilient, realistic, and believe in themselves. Lastly, besides singing, acting, and dancing skills, I feel there is a fourth area that you really can't train so much in....you kinda have it or you don't....and that is the "it" factor....stage presence.</p>
<p>Thanks, Susan. I agree with everything you say. You somehow know how to articulate everthing about this process perfectly. I want to ask you for some advice about my daughter's college options, so I will email you privately.</p>
<p>Yes, thanks for a better explanation, Susan. As for the "luck" element, a local actor put it best for me, "You may be an apple and they want an orange."</p>
<p>Anne, thank you, too, for helping me understand what a mix is. You explained it great. It's my fault that I didn't get it. :)</p>
<p>That last sentence in soozievt's last post really summed it all up. As a coach/director, I can tell you that the "it" factor is like the gorilla in those current commercials -- you can pretend it's not there, or try to ignore it -- but it may be the most important factor of all when deciding who is going to get a role. Some actors seem to draw your attention naturally -- and they aren't always the ones with the most beautiful voice, the biggest belt, or the best dance skills.</p>
<p>Onstage....yeah. I think too many get wrapped up in who has the best voice to make it. You definitely have to have a good voice in MT. But there is so much more to it than being able to sing well. How you act the song really matters. I'd rather see someone who can act and draw my attention on stage than the best singer who simply sings well. Also, if you ever look at the ensemble....say even in a youth/college production, there will be certain kids who draw your attention, even if they are not singing solo. That "it" factor really can't be taught.</p>
<p>If any of you watched the show "Legally Blonde, The Search for Elle," you would have seen how much this is true on Broadway. When it came down to the two finalists, they actually chose the one who wasn't as strong of a singer. Bernie Telsey, the casting director, agreed that the second place contestant had the better voice, but they went with the one who had "it."</p>
<p>My D who has been told by several voice teachers she is a natural belter says her belt voice is not her head voice or her chest voice. The way she described it was more an abdominal voice that has a nasal component.</p>
<p>Hooiser Mom - Now I'm curious!! :) Belting and mixing is my area of medical voice research, and I don't know of an "abdominal voice", although there are many vocal resonanting chambers in the body, which is how head and chest voices got their names. If she is a natural belter, your daughter is probably either using her chest voice or mixing - which, btw, is more identified by the sound than the actual physiology of what is happening, since no one has yet defined what a mix is physiologically. (Belt and legit are both clearly defined in the scientific literature.) Most "high belters" are mixing at a certain point in their ranges (usually E5 and above) - not ALL, but MOST. (Idina Menzel, for example, mixes the very end of Defying Gravity - she's not in a "true belt.") In the end, it rarely matters to audiences or if a female singing is belting or using a "power mix", because the aural (sound) effect is so similar - in other words, audiences love either one!</p>
<p>Well Coach I told her about this thread and then was questioning her. And since I'm not inside her body I could only relate what she said. My singing is very limited - I've always sung with my abdominal muscles as did my Mother whose vocal teacher was the same as Jane Powell. But as far as terminlogy I'm lost in this. Passing along what she said maybe you can figure out what she does far better than I can.</p>
<p>Ah I see - abdominal muscles being as part of breath coordination - very true! :) That how breathing physiology works, for sure.</p>
<p>What is the normal belting range for a tenor voice? The normal range of a tenor is from C3-C5. What would the typical highest belt note be?</p>