<p>I can't get myself past an A above middle C yet. I was wondering, if I improve the projection and tone of my mixed voice and have a mostly flawless transition from chest voice to mixed, is it still necessary to get my chest voice up much higher? I have just begun my musical theater training, as I have been a classical singer for the past five years, and I know that more practice will help me improve. However, I'm just afraid that I won't have as much control over my chest voice in the upper ranges.</p>
<p>Are there any musical theater majors out there who are able to get by with a very strong mixed voice? Am I doomed because my chest voice doesn't have very good range?</p>
<p>I am not the best person to answer this question as I am just a freshman and my voice is still growing, but I typically do not belt above a C5. From a B up, I like to mix completely and I have had many people (instructors, auditioners, and guest artists) who have told me mixing is becoming the new big thing. In fact, at CCU we are currently interviewing candidates for new faculty positions at the school and I’ve been lucky enough to do master classes with some of them. On Thursday one of them said something to be about how strong my mixed voice is and said “If you can mix it just as strongly, why belt it?” I’m not saying it’s always the best alternative and it’s certainly not what every director wants, but there is plenty of work out there for mixers!</p>
<p>If you continue to strengthen ALL of the parts of your voice you will have the best chance of being accepted into schools. Girls who can belt/mix strongly AND sing legit soprano are the ones who get the most acceptances because they are the most versatile. Basically, no! You are not doomed. Work what you got, and you’ll be just fine. :)</p>
<p>It isn’t clear from your post whether you’re working with a voice teacher or not, but as a voice therapist, I’m going to encourage - no, beg! - you to make sure you DO work with a teacher who is truly knowledgeable about everything MT girls need to do vocally. Almost all “belting” above E/F (the ones just a few notes above middle C) has SOME mix in it. You need someone to guide you through the different gradations of belt, mix, and head voice singing - if you don’t have this, you are very likely to vocally injure yourself trying to increase your belt range, no matter how good your classical training is. </p>
<p>From an audition competitiveness perspective, you also need to make sure your mix is not too much of a legit mix, or it won’t show enough facility with contemporary pop-rock and pop-rock MT songs. As Alexa says, the girls who can do both belt or a VERY belty mix and a solid legit are generally the most competitive in the college audition process.</p>
<p>I assume that since you are posting this now, you are a junior in high school. Not having your belt at this exact moment is not the end of the world. I did not get my belt until right before college auditions (I worked with a vocal coach for 3 months to get it). Your voice is still changing and naturally will develop so don’t push it or there is a good change you will end up permanently damaging your vocal chords. </p>
<p>You basically have a year between now and your college auditions. Start going to a “musical theatre” teacher and tell him or her specifically what you want to train. You wont see results immediately, so be patient. Make sure you shop around when looking for a teacher, as the first person you meet might not always be the right one for you. Don’t be afraid to speak up when in your voice lesson - if your voice teacher is starting to stray from your wishes that is not a good thing. Remember, you have to hold yourself accountable for meeting the goal of a high belt so don’t let anything stand in your way.</p>
<p>And FYI - I didn’t have a mix until this year and it is the hardest thing for me. So applaud yourself for having that naturally and don’t be so hard on yourself :)! Mixing is very current and I know that it is preferred over “screaming” which some people do because they think it is a belt. Don’t do it. In the end, you’ll know if you feel better presenting your mix or your belt for auditions.</p>
- you to make sure you DO work with a teacher who is truly knowledgeable about everything MT girls need to do vocally. Almost all “belting” above E/F (the ones just a few notes above middle C) has SOME mix in it. You need someone to guide you through the different gradations of belt, mix, and head voice singing - if you don’t have this, you are very likely to vocally injure yourself trying to increase your belt range, no matter how good your classical training is. </p>