MezzoGirl
Los Angeles, CA
Female, 29
I sing beautiful music -- primarily opera -- but I also do concert work, church music, studio/scoring sessions, and whatever other performance opportunities I can get my hands on.
Singers are notorious for having a million 'tricks of the trade' for what to drink, what to eat and what not to drink or eat. But, of course, it's all what works for you individually. Keeping well hydrated with plain ole water is probably the most universal answer. Personally, I like to have hot lemon water morning and night if my throat is feeling raw from allergies or anything. Some people need to avoid caffeine. Others (like me), need it! Throat coat tea is well loved by many singers, although I don't like it myself. Avoiding alcohol the night before a performance and the day of is advisable, especially if you have reflux issues. Plus, if you haven't seen the 'drunk Carmen' clip on YouTube, check it out and you'll never take medication nor drink before a performance again. I really don't know what happened there, but I hope some drug was involved.
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There are so many differences in not only the vocal style, but the career of an opera singer verses a pop singer. I'm not sure how to answer as far as challenges go. But as an opera singer, you have to be more commited to the live performance aspect, being in full control of your vocal production at all times. Pop singers can frequently rely on auto-tuning or lip synching. And as far as live performances go, if the pop singer is expected to jump around and dance, I understand why the standard is to lip sync those songs. There are also many lifestyle differences between an opera singer and a pop artist. A pop artist can stay out all night partying and it's part of their job (getting photographed, networking, etc), but if an opera singer did that, our voices wouldn't be in their best condition the next day, so we have to be more careful of over-talking, drinking, getting enough sleep, etc. I'm sure this is the case of pop singers who are focused more on their music than their fame, but fame is a more important element in the career of a pop artist than for an opera singer. Opera is just not as 'of the moment' as pop music is. Longevity should be a goal in both careers of course, but the opera singer will look daily at longevity to make career decisions. I feel that this answer is a bit generalized, but hopefully it helps!
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I'd be wary of giving you exercises without hearing you & seeing what your doing. But, in general, good cardio fitness will strengthen your body and help with breath. Seeing a teacher is the best way to move forward with exercises specific to your voice. Check out http://www.nats.org to find a teacher in your area. Bel Canto technique is the most recognized form of healthy singing technique. Finding a bel canto teacher who's a real technician is ideal. Here are some of the great opera singers discussing bel canto. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Beocer7gbLI It might not be what you're looking for, but you'll hear and see what they're doing to produce healthy tones.
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You can extend your vocal range through training. Through proper training, you'll explore and see what the color, quality and range of your voice is and what you'll be able to do with it. If your voice naturally likes to sing in the higher range, most likely you'll be a soprano or tenor. If it's naturally lower, you'll probably be an alto, mezzo soprano, baritone or bass. Yet, many singers start training thinking that they're one voice type and develop into another. When I did music theater, I thought I was a soprano. Through training, I realized that I was a mezzo soprano. Developing my voice in the proper quality, my range has extended both lower and higher than I'd originally been able to sing.
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It could, but if it's something that you're passionate about and feels that it represents you well, then you'll have to do what is best for you. And, there is occasionally nudity in opera, especially in Europe, so if they find that you're open to it, it may work to your advantage. But since everything is online nowadays, get final approvals on what's posted, if you can. Otherwise, it could be something that could effect future opportunities. Good luck with your decision!
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I feel that Jackie Evancho is a lovely, talented girl and I am so glad that she is able to share her gifts and inspire people through music. But, she's very young to judge as an opera singer. She's not technically an opera singer at this point anyway. She's a young girl, who sings beautifully as a young girl (young voices frequently have more straight-tone than developed voices. I'm glad to hear that she's not forcing vibrato too often, but seems to incorporate it in her lower register). Her pitch and tone are lovely for the concert work she's doing. An opera singer doesn't use microphones and has to perform roles rather than just songs. From the little that I have seen of her however, I do think she is one of the "pop-era" singers who is actually learning and using classical technique and is putting a great deal of emotion and musicality into her work. Learning songs and working on technique is exactly the right path for someone who is her age now (I'd only recommend starting classical vocal technique around 13 or 14 and doing choral music before that). If she studies with a great teacher and wants to do the work, I don't see a reason that she wouldn't develop into an opera singer.
That being said, we as opera singers work our butts off to do what we do, so it's hard for some of us when people call Jackie Evancho or Josh Groban opera singers. Even though I don't consider what they do 'opera,' I'm very glad that they are introducing a larger audience to music that can be a gateway for more classical music and opera.
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Hi! Thanks for the compliment. It's my pleasure. Although- this one I feel is one that I think is best addressed by a teacher one-on-one. Vibrato should be a natural result of proper breath and support. Warm up with a few exercises to get your breath moving with proper support. The one exercise I'd think would help most is to sing "oo" at 2 note intervals (ie F-G, F#-G#, and on up the keys and down). Start slowly, almost 'sliding' between the notes- keeping the connection legato rather than singing them as 'separate' or staccato notes. Pick up the pace gradually until you're trilling betwen the notes. While trill isn't vibrato, it may help you get used to the sensation of oscillation. And it's a healthy vocal exercise regardless that will help you with pitch, support, legato and trilling.
I'm going to leave the belting question to your teacher as it's VERY important to have a healthy technique to belt. You can do a lot of vocal damage if you're not careful, the worst being vocal nodules that have to be surgically removed. Belting isn't the only way to get nodes- any lack of technique and too much singing (or even shouting, talking loudly etc) can cause noduals to form depending on the person's vocal health. But belting is definitely one of the areas of singing that really needs specific attention to the individual singer and would have to be addressed in person for vocal health.
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