THE FIRST TOPIC OF THIS SERIES IS: THE OPERA SINGER. Each of the following topics, The Classical Singer (Lieder), Broadway Singer, Pop Singer and Mariachi will be published each Sunday night. Please join the forums.
Learning to sing, no matter what style of singing that you choose, is a difficult road. Starting at a young age is always helpful, but along with that, the future singer has to have the tools necessary for a distinguished career in this field.
The life of an opera singer is a wonderful life, with lots of travelling, carrying of lots of luggage, books, cooking utensils and clothes with you. Basically, the life of a singer is the life of the Gypsy, going hither and yon plying the goods of the trade you have chosen. There are operas to perform, operas to learn, rehearsals to attend, fittings, there are concerts, lectures, recordings, the adulation of fans, the wonderful press releases, the glowing reviews......ah! what a life! There is nothing more satisfying than being on stage and singing so wonderfully that you have the audience in the palm of your hands, and then the cheering....
To get there one needs: A voice!
Make sure you have talent. One ingredient I feel is so necessary is "soul". Soul means so many things to many people, but what I mean is that you need to have the facility to interpret and feel what you are singing and performing from the heart.
I often get calls from parents wanting their 6 year old to take voice lessons. This is definitely too young to start voice lessons. They need to be in a chorus, perhaps at school or at some church. Kids need to sing naturally and not be pushed in a series of voice lessons. The youngest students that I take is usually about 10 years old, but only if they are talented. By that I mean that they can match pitches, have a pleasant voice, but most importantly, being sure that they love to sing and not be pushed into voice lessons by mothers and fathers. With these students I work on just singing, with little technique training. Since I only teach hour lessons, sometimes these kids are tired at the end of the lesson. I take some time to talk about styles of music, explore those styles and find out where their interest lie. Usually, at this age, its Disney songs, or pop tunes, so I sing a lot with these kids, with a close eye on technique along the way, like building a good strong head register first and then work on the chest voice later on. The reason for this is that the passaggio for all students is at e and f just above middle c on the piano. One has to take care that no chest register is pushed into that area (see blog on Registration).
The earliest recommendation from most teachers for voice lessons is after the voice changes, around 13 or 14 years of age. The problem with that is that some singers have, by the time they are twelve or thirteen they already have gone through the voice change. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate each student individually and make the right recommendation.
To get there one needs: Drive!
No, I don't mean a car.....I mean personal ambition, wanting, thirsting for knowledge. How many times do singers come into my studio without any drive, don't know what they want. Knowing that these singers will never get anywhere unless I push, pull, nudge, cajole, hoping for a breakthrough in their "drive mechanism". I don't know where I got the drive, but I know that early on I did not have much of it, until I finished college. I knew about drive and ambition, and hard work, and I finally put them to good use. As parents and voice teachers, we have to reach way back and find something to light a fire under these kids. Sometimes, these kids have this fantastic voice, but I can't alone get them there. I guess they need to find what's important in their life, go at it 100 percent and try not to be second. Take chances, work hard, practice, learn about your craft by reading, attending lectures, recitals, watch videos of operas, get involved.
To get there one needs: Piano Skills!
In order to be a first class musician, you really have to have some piano skills. Practice scales so you can play your own music instead of having someone else teach you the parts. This is so lame. Although learning the piano is best for singers, you can learn other instruments if you choose, but it all comes back to the piano. If you can play your own melody, you don't need anyone to help you out. Spend some time with a piano teacher. Learn the piano. You don't have to be a virtuoso, but hone your piano skills enough to keep your head above water. It is so necessary. Yes, its hard playing the piano, but the rewards will come very soon.
To get there one needs: VOCAL TRAINING!
If you have followed my previous posts, you know how I feel about voice lessons. Don't be lazy! Commit to better yourself so that you have the opportunity to become a great singer. I know that there are those out there saying that you don't need a voice teacher and that they are a waste of time and money. I have actually heard this! Yes, there are pros and cons to this subject, and there are those good voice teachers and bad voice teachers, like there are good doctors and bad doctors, etc. And, yes, I know that there are those teachers who are a menace to unsuspecting young voices but get off the couch and get involved. Take Voice lessons.....you could only get better. Always be aware of these pitfals and "caveat emptor"....buyer beware. But take a chance, and if that teacher is not moving in the direction you want to go, go elsewhere. There are a lot of great voice teachers out there. Ask other students, friends, comrades.
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