Method

A Healthy Belt

I was trained classically at the Manhattan School of Music (MSM) and I am very grateful for that training. However, the classical technique does not necessarily translate well to the Musical Theatre or Pop music of today. You do not approach Brahms in the same way you would Cole Porter or Gershwin like you would a current pop artist. There must be adjustments made to the technique to allow the singer to create the colors that will best celebrate the modern composers/songwriters and bring to life what is on the written page.

My understanding is first hand. When I graduated MSM (1978), I was lucky enough to start working immediately, but not as a Classical singer – as a Theatre and Cabaret performer. Not knowing anything about Belting or Mixing, I just had this big voice and “yelted” out those C’s and D’s not knowing what I was doing. Well, no muscle can be abused without consequence. And I quickly found myself in deep vocal trouble. After a 3-month silence (not so easy, especially if you know me), the cords were back to a healthy place. My adventure was to learn how to make THAT SOUND and NOT injure myself. I did just that, and 35 years later I have never had a vocal issue since that experience. The tools that I teach have allowed my students to sing 8 shows a week with ease.

It’s the understanding of the space in the resonating cavity – the different colors that can be produced in the passagio (the break), a free and healthy upper register, vowel modifications and the ALL important and very often misunderstood use of BREATH. I must say all these concepts are based upon the Bel Canto technique.

I feel it is so important for my students to understand intellectually and be able to verbalize what they are doing.

• What do you feel?

• Where do you feel it?

• What were you thinking?

For many this tool is a very powerful one, especially if the student plans to teach one day. I tell my students that “I will take the joy out of singing for a while.” I feel as a responsible teacher I MUST stop and correct. Technique is the knowledge behind the gift. When the technique becomes second nature and A PART OF YOU, then the music flows and the joy of singing is so much richer and more gratifying. I believe a singer uses the entire body to sing and should have a clear understanding of the muscles involved. The human body IS the instrument so a singer must understand how the body works. It’s an art form that takes patience from both the teacher and the student.

Besides technique I also work on creating a strong audition book, Song Interpretation, Performance/audition skills and everything in between. Oh, and we can’t forget the fun and laughter that goes along with it all!

Enjoying the process of being an artist…a life long journey.