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Belting Is Beautiful - Welcoming The Musical Theater Singer Into PDF
Belting Is Beautiful - Welcoming The Musical Theater Singer Into PDF
Belting Is Beautiful - Welcoming The Musical Theater Singer Into PDF
2014
Recommended Citation
Jennings, Colleen Ann. "Belting is beautiful : welcoming the musical theater singer into the classical voice studio." DMA (Doctor of
Musical Arts) thesis, University of Iowa, 2014.
http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1340.
by
Colleen Ann Jennings
August 2014
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Copyright by
2014
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Graduate College
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
_______________________
D.M.A. ESSAY
_______________
__________________________________
John Muriello
__________________________________
Stephen Swanson
__________________________________
L. Kevin Kastens
__________________________________
William LaRue Jones
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
and Dr. Jones, all of you have been very supportive in seeing me through this
process, and I have enjoyed working with each of you. Dr. Joselson, in particular,
you have been my staunch supporter and have been invaluable in propelling me
Thank you to my mother and sisters and their families, for their
encouragement and the healthy competition only a house with three sopranos in
it would generate.
Marguerite Gignac Hedges, Renee Skrevanos Root, Virginia Croskery, and Shari
Thank you to Pauline Wieland Plowman and the Graduate College staff,
James Ogburn, Amy Galbraith Ogburn, Parvati Mani, Yavet Boyadjiev, Paul
Thank you to my readers Dr. Cynthia Schmidt, Prof. Shari Rhoads, and
To friends from The University of Iowa, thank you for your friendship!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES.............................................................................................................. v
LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................................................... vi
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Pedagogical...................................................................................................66
Repertoire .....................................................................................................71
BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................88
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LIST OF TABLES
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Table 1: “Roxie” from Chicago. ......................................................................................50
Table 2: “On the Steps of the Palace” from Into the Woods........................................52
Table 4: “Always a Bridesmaid” from I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. .....56
Table 5: “I Know the Truth” from Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida.........................57
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LIST OF FIGURES
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Figure 1: An open glottis from Henry Gray, Anatomy: Descriptive and ....................5
Surgical, 20th ed. (Grammercy Books, New York, 1918):
Figure 956. The 20th edition of Gray’s Anatomy is available in
public domain in the USA.
Figure 2: Jo Estill’s comparison of spectra for three qualities: speech, opera, ........6
and belting at five frequencies: 196, 294, 392, 587, and 784 Hz.
Each envelope represents the average of all tokens for that
condition. The horizontal line in each cell is the amplitude of the
fundamental. The hatched vertical line is the 3 kHz marker for the
area in the spectrum to which the ear is most sensitive. Acoustic
energy where the two lines intersect is a measure of relative
loudness. From “Belting and Classic Voice Quality Some
Physiological Differences ,” Medical Problems of Performing Artists
Volume 3, March 1988, page 39. Used with permission from the
publisher. Permission in Appendix C.
Figure 9: The author in profile singing classical style, taken by Brian ..................45
Kastens with Nikon D-60. July 21, 2014. Photography Copyright
Release in Appendix C.
Figure 10: The author in profile, singing belt style, taken by Brian Kastens ........46
with Nikon D-60. July 21, 2014. Photography Copyright Release
in Appendix C.
Figure 11: The author singing classical style, taken by Brian Kastens with...........46
Nikon D-60. July 21, 2014. Photography Copyright Release in
Appendix C.
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Figure 12: The author singing belting style, taken by Brian Kastens with.............47
Nikon D-60. July 21, 2014. Photography Copyright Release in
Appendix C.
Figure 13: The aryepiglottic fold, Henry Gray, Anatomy: Descriptive and...............48
Surgical, 20th ed. (Grammercy Books, New York, 1918): Figure
953. The 20th edition of Gray’s Anatomy is available in public
domain in the USA.
Figure 14: The larynx, Henry Gray, Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical, 20th..........70
ed. (Grammercy Books, New York, 1918): Figure 959. The 20th
edition of Gray’s Anatomy is available in public domain in the
USA
Figure 15: Additional vocalises for belting. Use [æ] or [i]. .......................................87
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CHAPTER 1
the past 100 years or more to be a more important and respected component of
classical singing. CCM styles are cabaret, country, experimental, gospel, jazz,
musical theater, pop, rock, and rhythm and blues. “The term was developed to
call CCM styles by what they are rather than what they are not – non-classical.”1
It has also, to some extent, crept into modern classical music. This essay will
establish the importance of belting on today’s musical scene, dispel certain fears
associated with belting, and offer a basic methodology for teaching belting
technique.
singer. The American public’s ear has become accustomed to various styles of
has expanded a new standard of what many consider “beautiful” singing and
has become an important area for research. In a study conducted in 2003, LoVetri
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1
Hall, Karen Sue, “Music Theater Vocal Pedagogy and Styles: An Introductory Teaching
Guide for Experienced Classical Singing Teachers” (Ed.D. diss., Columbia University, 2006): 14.
2
Both are founders of Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) Vocal Pedagogy
Institute at Shenandoah Conservatory.
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experience or training in this style of singing, and while 66 percent use the term,
The demand for belting, and for singers who can belt, continues to grow.
Singers who are only classically trained are often at a disadvantage in the job
music industry in general – is currently promoting the idea that “bigger” and
“more powerful” are better when it comes to vocal production. The key driver of
this idea is the wave of massively popular televised reality shows and talent
contests (American Idol, The Voice, et al.) whose judges have little or no musical
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3
Edrie Means Weekly and Jeannette LoVetri, “Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM)
Survey: Who’s Teaching What in Nonclassical Music,” Journal of Voice 17, no. 2 (June 2003): 208-9.
4
Lebon. The Professional Vocalist: A Handbook for Commercial Singers and
Teachers. Lanham, Md. and London: The Scarecrow Press, 1999: 117.
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shows have placed too many misconceptions in the minds of many young
singers. Aspiring young singers are guided only by these TV shows, or by star
judges, many of whom proclaim themselves vocal experts. A lack of sound vocal
training can result in bad habits and vocal problems. The popularity of these
television reality illustrates the need for better training in belting. A thorough
theater.
As a result of the demand for the big and powerful, as well as the ever-
rising popularity of show tunes and popular songs that require the technique,
term. A large number of experienced vocal coaches and voice teachers disparage
belting, believing that it will damage the voice, lead to bad singing habits, and is
demanding,” writes singing technique pioneer Joan Melton. “It requires the
ability to handle a wide variety of vocal genres, as well as the robust good health
to do eight shows a week on a regular basis.”5 Musical theater is the only singing
singers and singers of other Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) styles such
as pop, rock, rhythm and blues (R & B), and country schedule days off during
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5
Joan Melton, Singing in Musical Theatre: The Training and Singing of Singers and Actors,
(New York, New York: Allworth Press, 2007): xiii.
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their performance weeks. Many vocal pedagogy texts6 are classically focused
intense technique of vocal production used for dramatic effect. It is a vocal skill
that must be cultivated with the discipline required of classical singers. Jeannette
Many pedagogues, including LoVetri, Karen S. Hall, Anne Peckham, and Mary
as “a tense, rough, driving, bright, vibrato-less, assertive yell.”8 Beth Miles and
Harry Hollien, authors of the article “Whither Belting?,” describe belting “as a
mode of singing that is typified by unusually loud heavy phonation that exhibits
little or no vibrato but a high level of nasality.”9 Harm K. Shutte and Donald G.
! 7
Jeannette LoVetri, “Voice Pedagogy: Female Chest Voice,” Journal of Singing 60, no. 2
(November/December 2003): 162.
8
Susan D. Boardman, Voice Training for the Musical Theater Singer, (Ann Arbor, Mich.:
UMI Research Press, 1987), 25.
9
Beth Miles and Harry Hollien, “Whither Belting?” in Journal of Voice. 4:1 (March 1990),
69.
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match the first formant with the second harmonic on open (high F1) vowels, that
Figure 1: An open glottis from Henry Gray, Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical,
20th ed. (Grammercy Books, New York, 1918): Figure 956. The 20th edition of
This process is known as formant tuning. Rachel Lebon, Professor of Jazz Vocal
belting as “vocal production that proceeds out of the speaking range, with the
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10
Harm K. Schutte and Donald G. Miller, “Belting and Pop, Nonclassical Approaches
to the Female Middle Voice: Some Preliminary Considerations,” in Journal of Voice 7:2 (1993), 147.
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aggressiveness.”11 (Figure 2)
Figure 2: Jo Estill’s comparison of spectra for three qualities: speech, opera, and
belting at five frequencies: 196, 294, 392, 587, and 784 Hz. Each envelope
represents the average of all tokens for that condition. The horizontal line in each
cell is the amplitude of the fundamental. The hatched vertical line is the 3 kHz
marker for the area in the spectrum to which the ear is most sensitive. Acoustic
energy where the two lines intersect is a measure of relative loudness. From
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11
Rachel L. Lebon, “The Effects of a Pedagogical Approach Incorporating Videotaped
Demonstrations on the Development of Female Vocalists “Belted” Vocal Technique.” PhD. Diss.
University of Miami, 1986, 80.
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Problems of Performing Artists Volume 3, March 1988, page 39. Used with
• A louder sound – a clearer sound. Strong and loud, but clear, not
distorted.”
• “Chest voice – loud singing– big voice – musical
comedy.”
• “Broadway, but not legit – chest voice – more
forward.”
• “I’m scared of the word – I really tense up.”
• “Whenever I try to belt or hear someone trying it,
it sounds like they’re yelling and pushing – I
think of nodes.”
• “Pop style – Broadway.”
• “Loud projection – powerful.”
• “Loud, sometimes strident – a real musical
comedy type of sound.”
• “Musical theatre – very straight tone.”
• “Stretching chest voice up to where it should be
head – screaming.”
• “Something negative – pushed – heavy sound.12
study of voice for musical theater students. “As more and more classical singers
consider the possibility of branching out into non-classical singing and as actors
acknowledge the very real possibility of getting more work if they can sing
groups,” Melton writes.13 Belting, with proper instruction, can be sung without
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12
Ibid. (These responses are not credited to specific students in the dissertation.)
13
Melton, xiii.
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This essay provides an historical perspective on the art of belting, reviews
establish that belting increases the stamina and strength of the classical singer,
and reinforces the benefit of classical vocal training for musical theater singers.
One major goal of this essay is to mitigate the fears associated with belting, both
from the perspective of voice quality and vocal technique. Another goal is to
provide a teaching method for belting, develop neutral terminology, and review
university vocal training programs and the stylistic and technical demands
21st century, vocalists must perform in a variety of styles and idioms. Female
singers must be able to not only sing in head voice, but to belt, if they aspire to
sing musical theater. Versatile ”crossover” artists have many more employment
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14
Bethany Barber, “Pedagogical Approaches to ‘Belting’”, D.M. diss., Indiana University,
2011, 4.
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Musical theater has absorbed many musical and cultural influences in the
American opera companies. This brief overview will introduce several theater
and commercial music genres that have influenced the art of belting.
and early 1900s, were the earliest forerunners of the American musical. Shows of
in the 1890s, the foremost “coon shouter” of her time. Coon shouters were
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15
William Vennard. Singing: The Mechanism and Technic. (New York: Carl Fischer, Inc,
1967): 89.
16
Lebon, Ph.D. diss., 9.
17
“Burlesque,” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, [website]
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/burlesque Accessed
March 12, 2014.
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dating electronic amplification, the vocal delivery was shouted and aggressive.
Irwin was a versatile and gifted performer, not limited to such roles. She
recorded several Broadway hit numbers from the 1890s to 1900s in other vocal
styles and influenced future musical theater belters such as Celeste Holm and
Bernadette Peters.18
of Tin Pan Alley music publishers. The name refers to a neighborhood in New
York City, where many of these publishers had offices. Songs performed by May
Irwin or Sophie Tucker emphasized the consonants and clarity of vowels rather
Cultural Changes
Before the 1920s, the lines between opera, operetta, musical theater, and
popular music were not as clearly drawn as they later became. Metropolitan
Opera divas were the celebrated popular music singers of the day. Between the
1930s and 1950s, the stars of the Met often crossed over into musical theater and
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18
Mark N. Grant, The Rise and Fall of the Broadway Musical (Boston: Northeastern
University Press, 2004), 20.
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20
Robin Lee Morales, “A Performer’s Guide to the American Musical Theater Songs of
Kurt Weill (1900-1950),” DMA University of Arizona, 2008, 41.
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theater. The average American had become more interested in jazz, radio, and
the latest dances. Plot started to play a more important part of musical theater,
and song lyrics became more integral to the story line. The works of Victor
Herbert, Sigmund Romberg, and Rudolf Friml had featured an operatic singing
style. In the 1920s, Broadway shows gave way to a more natural and speech-like
way of singing.22 This necessitated the lowering of vocal range and tessitura. In
musicals of the late 1800s and early 1900s, higher tessitura were composed for
women and men. Consonants were less audible, especially for sopranos, and the
melody. While Friml, Romberg, and Herbert wrote soaring vocal lines, George
primarily the piano’s white keys in C major). These songs were free of intervallic
leaps with little chromaticism. While this style was prevalent in 19th-century folk
songs, Cohan, Berlin, and other Tin Pan Alley composers constructed their songs
perhaps the best example. This novel style is called riff-songwriting,23 and many
examples of the riff song survive from this era. Berlin’s “Alexander’s Ragtime
Band” although not from a musical, has an initial four-note motive repeated
twice, then again three times at a higher pitch. Riff songs could be described as
George M. Cohan’s World War I anthem “Over There,” Vincent Youman’s “Tea
for Two,” and “I Wish I Were in Love Again,” in which Richard Rodgers repeats
the same riff six times in the opening. In each of these songs, the tessitura lies in
Berlin, Rodgers, Jerome Kern, and George Gershwin took Herbert’s cue by
simplifying the melody and developing riff songs influenced by operatic style.
Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek” begins with a riff he borrowed from Chopin’s A-flat
major Polonaise Op. 53. He repeats the riff, then uses soaring lines similar to
Rodgers’ “Johnny One Note,” a belter’s staple, uses pure riffs interspersed with
gradually larger vocal leaps.24 Although memorable, riff songs lack vocal power
perfected over ensuing decades, transformed both popular music and musical
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23
Grant, 29.
24
Ibid. 30.
25
Ibid.
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theater. The microphone gained currency in the 1920s and projection became less
of a necessity. Singing styles became relaxed and more speech-like, lyrics gained
importance, and songs were more often written in keys that centered in the
speaking range, regardless of voice type. The approach to singing became more
personalized, with singers adding variations that reflected their own style.26
The period from 1927-1966 is considered the golden age of the Broadway
musical and saw the heyday of some of the greatest singing actors. Jazz
Ethel Merman was the iconic belter of this era, recognizable by her personalized
style. Critics often described her belting style as brassy. “Merman’s chest voice
was highly unusual in not being dusky but rather bright and almost a spinto
She made her Broadway debut in 1930 with Gershwin’s Girl Crazy, and
belting style legitimate during her 40-year singing career. In 1970, Walter Kerr
The golden age of Broadway musicals paralleled the rise of the great
signature pop song stylists. During the Big Band Era of the 1930s-1950s, singers
who sang with the top bands gained celebrity status. This era represents the
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26
Lebon, Ph.D. diss., 10.
27
Grant. 44.
28
Ibid. 38.
29
Brian Kellow, Ethel Merman: A Life (New York: Viking, 2007), 223.
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past 30 years, musical theater has become the repository for every popular music
style on the market.30 Shows such as Mamma Mia!, Movin’ Out, The Look of Love,
and American Idiot are straightforward revues of the music of ABBA, Billy Joel,
Burt Bacharach, and Green Day respectively. Many pop singers have graced the
Broadway stage in the past 40 years, including Sting (The Last Ship); Adam Pascal
(Rent, Aida, Cabaret); Reba McIntyre (Annie Get Your Gun); Carly Rae Jepsen
(Cinderella); Elton John (Composer of The Lion King, Aida, Billy Elliott: The
Musical); U2 (Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark); Tommy Shaw of STYX and Kevin
Cronin of REO Speedwagon (both appearing in Rock of Ages). During this time,
Rock singing may be described as modern day bel canto. In the mid-
nineteenth century the school of bel canto became the measuring stick of vocal
ornamentation and the delivery of broad strokes of emotion, and places the main
focus on vocal style – draws attention away from the plot of the song. This is a
attention to the singer and away from the character. Both rock singing and bel
canto have this in common. The performer’s emotion can become “prefabricated,
Sondheim, require the singer to subordinate their personal style to the demands
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30
Grant. 45.
31
Ibid. 46.
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of the music. Megamusicals, such as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s the Phantom of the
made it possible for voices to compete with the amplified instruments of a rock
vast musical theater repertoire of the past. Singing in musical theater can be
distinguished from other popular music idioms in that the singer typically does
not perform directly on microphone. There have been many shifts in style from
the origins of musical theater to the present. Belting has changed from the coon
shouters of the early 20th century, to the “riff” songs of the 1920s, to the soaring
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
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476/@!-3<5643!723@!593!3AB3974!.:!723!597!8>!-3?7.:C!5:/!D@!8=:!735<2.:C!254!-33:!
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Rachel Lebon
Miami. She has written two books: The Professional Vocalist and The Versatile
phonation, and articulation. Lebon is an advocate for the exercise and use of the
entire vocal range, including falsetto for men, and whistle register for women.
Vennard describes these as the unused registers. Blend and equalize the registers
Many students and performers of the mass music idioms believe head
voice is not a useful tool for development. Lebon advocates for integration of
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head voice or mixed voice into the singer’s speaking range. No integration
register builds strength, flexibility, facilitates equalization of the voice, and helps
vocal preservation.
Lebon also notes that the manner in which a singer uses chest voice is
significant. Much popular music emanates from the speaking or modal register.
She makes a distinction between chest voice and modal register, as head voice
resonance and tone focus can be used in modal register. Modal register is used
most frequently in speech and singing in most languages. Chest voice, however,
excludes head resonance. Lebon believes a good belt voice will coordinate with
head voice and mixed voice, rather than a chest voice that is too heavily
Manchester, Ethel Merman, and Linda Ronstadt, use more head and mixed voice
speaking voice will help the singer transfer this type of balance in singing that
is a beneficial way to counteract the exertion required of the vocalis muscle when
belting. In covered voice, the soft palate is arched and the larynx is lowered.
Moreover, the vocal cords do not lengthen as the pitch rises, and are shorter,
thinner, and more relaxed. Covered voice, or voce piena in testa, means the proper
acoustical space and balance with a relaxed tongue to navigate the passaggio.
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Covered voice is very similar to belt voice, except in belting the vowel is not
darkened.
Successful belters will direct resonance sensations away from the throat
and aim these sensations toward the teeth and head cavities. Lebon considers it a
fundamental dimension of vocal efficiency. This strategy also helps to relieve the
natural tension in the throat and neck experienced during belting. The palate
It has been shown since Lebon wrote her dissertation that the larynx is
slightly raised when belting, but this is in comparison to the lower position of the
larynx for classical singing. A neutral larynx may prove better for belting, as
some singers may press to try to raise the larynx. Release the larynx when
inhaling. Not releasing will cause vocal fatigue. This allows for a moment of rest
between phrases.
There has also been some research involving the Closed Quotient (CQ) of
the vocal folds during belting. Vocal folds produce sound by oscillation, and the
vocal folds are more closed – up to 70 percent closed – thus producing less
oscillation and less airflow. Lebon effectively addresses this in her discussion of
respiration and intensity. She believes the voice should be efficiently produced,
belting. However, the book is a good resource for any classical voice teacher with
questions about teaching any of the CCM idioms. Much of the section on musical
production that proceeds out of the speaking range, with the prosody of speech,
spoken exercises to teach inflection and projection, but no vocalises. She does not
Contrasting Styles and Idioms, she mentions belting only twice. This book contains
information on popular singing styles, voice use with microphone, and singing
in ensembles.
very important aspect for developing technique. Belting feels different, as there is
more vertical timbre, while belting is more horizontal. Vocalises addressing these
Karen S. Hall
N.M. She is associate editor for the Journal of Singing for the “Independent
Teacher” column. This summer Scarecrow Press will publish her book, So You
Want to Sing Music Theater. This book is based on research completed for her
Teaching Guide for Experienced Classical Singing Teachers.” Hall chose to focus
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32
Lebon, The Professional Vocalist, 112.
33
Dr. Karen S. Hall and I taught together briefly at Mahidol University in Bangkok,
Thailand in the summer of 2010.
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tension in a singer’s voice and body is one of the critical skills, Hall says. One of
the biggest challenges for musical theater singing teachers is helping their
students sing with functional freedom. Note that functional freedom does not
mean singing without tension. Especially helpful is a chart that details stylistic
pages 132 and 133. Also helpful are examples of the character physical types
found in musical theater and on page 134 gives an example role for each type.
Hall explains that classical and musical theater students both learn
abdominal breathing. Musical theater students will have had varying degrees of
dance training. Dancers are trained to pull in the abdominal muscles to create a
strong core in the body. This causes high intake of air into the lungs, resulting in
clavicular breathing. Teach these students to release the lower abdominals on the
intake of air. 34
She also notes that less airflow is used during belt singing, as the closed
phase of the glottis is longer. She recognizes that voices have different weights,
colors, and ranges. This knowledge informs her technique for belting: the lighter
the voice, the lighter the belt. Hall notes that more airflow is present in lighter
She believes that posture is essentially the same in classical singing and
musical theater singing. It is vitally important that the head and neck be free of
tension. Head position may be different in musical theater. In belting, the larynx
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
34
Hall, 136.
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rises and the singer may tilt the head upward to accommodate this laryngeal
position. In classical singing, the female singer tilts her head upward in whistle
tone.35 Whistle register is the highest phonational register. Vibration of the vocal
folds occurs only in the anterior portions. The epiglottis closes over the larynx
Hall describes the use of chest and head registers as the defining
difference between musical theater and classical singing. Female musical theater
singing requires more use of chest register, especially in the middle voice.
She also stresses that mixed voice has a very different meaning in musical
mixed register, she explains, is a blend of head and chest registers with a
singing voix mixte.37 She also notes that perceptual results will be different
depending on the weight of the voice. She recommends belting only on occasion
and to emphasize dramatic parts in the music or story line. The healthy balance
uses more mixed voice and belt voice for emphasis. However some singers
successfully use more belt voice than mixed. This is an area for further study by
voice scientists. Most musical theater singers will use more head voice as they
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
35
Ibid.
36
McKinney.
37
Hall. 138.
38
Ibid. 139.
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resonance. The vowel shape is altered to a more forward, but not nasal
placement. The shape of the mouth is horizontal in musical theater singing and
theater singing, rather than stretched for classical singing. The text or style of a
The range is also lower for both men and women in most musical theater
pieces. In some of the literature for men, the range is actually higher than in
classical singing and encompasses the tenor, baritone, and bari-tenor tessitura.
Contemporary composers often look for non-classical sounds in the high range,
such as falsetto and belt.39 Much of the tessitura is written in the middle range,
country, folk, gospel, jazz/swing, pop, rock, and R&B. Hall gives the definitions
of these styles and describes them in their purest form. These sub-genres are not
musical theater forms; rather, musical theater has adapted them. The teacher
must listen to and understand these styles of singing in their original form. Hall
between musical theater and classical singing as the basis for pedagogy, and
points out the areas of difference (use of larynx, pharynx, and articulators). She
stresses that experimentation and creativity with technique and styles is a must,
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
39
Ibid. 141.
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just as much as continual study and knowledge of the current and rapidly
changing repertoire.40
and does not account for current research in this area. Although the parallel she
draws between the head positions for belting and whistle register are interesting.
There is also a parallel in the function of the epiglottis between whistle register
and belting. As the epiglottis closes over the larynx, it is difficult to film the
Robert Edwin
column “The Bach to Rock Connection” (1985-2002) was the first column in the
NATS Bulletin (which became the NATS Journal of Singing), to address CCM or
Singing for the “Popular Song and Music Theater” column. He is also a member
include CCM voice technique and repertoire in the syllabus. College and
singers, as it is commonly believed that “If you learn to sing classically, you can
sing anything.”41 Edwin disputes this idea by drawing a sports analogy: “if you
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
40
Ibid. 152.
41
Robert Edwin, “Popular Song and Music Theater: Contemporary Music Theater:
Louder Than Words,” Journal of Singing, 61:3 January/February 2005, 291-292.
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can learn to play tennis, you can play any sport.”42 Edwin urges less disparity
Edwin states that by singing with less vocal intensity, the student cannot
master non-classical singing styles. The student will find measurable differences
in vibrato, mouth positions, and loudness levels between classical and non-
classical vocalizations. He advises that when preparing to cross over into non-
sing that new style spontaneously and naturally. Many classical singers do not
classical singers. Classical singers should not decrease their sound when using a
microphone for non-classical singing, he argues, or they will hold back their
emotions as well.43 Many classical singers discover that they need to acquire new
communication skills with a different emotional base when crossing over to non-
classical singing. Style is more that just sound. Vocal technique, characterization,
use of language, point of view, traditional expectations of the audience, and the
desire to tell a story honestly and entertainingly: these all inform style.44
themselves in the music, the literature, and the culture of non-classical genres
music. If teachers are not willing to commit to the scholarship necessary to teach
non-classical singing, he says, they should not try to teach it. A teacher imposing
classical vocal technique by using low larynx, long mouth, and full vowels can
vocal tone will have a chiaroscuro fullness, the vowels and consonants will have
clarity of sound that is more sung than spoken, and the vibrato will be active
the Italian singing technique known as bel canto, it incorporates vocal brilliance
(chiaro) with a dark timbre or color (oscuro).46 Traditional legit favors a sound that
Carousel. Contemporary legit is less formal and more speech-like in sound, and
will include pop or rock-influenced sounds.47 Traditional belt predates rock and
roll and is sung with a fuller tone quality. It has minimum use of vocal
ornaments (melismatic runs, growls, slides) associated with pop, rock, R&B, jazz,
and gospel. Contemporary belt appears prominently in The Who’s rock opera,
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
45
This is summarized from the following article: Robert Edwin, “The Bach to Rock
Connection: Apples and Oranges: Belting Revisited,” Journal of Singing 57:2 November 2000 44.
! %'!Daniel
Orama, “The School of Singing”, [website]
http://www.theschoolofsinging.com/chiaroscuro/ Accessed July 20, 2014.
47
Robert Edwin. “A Broader Broadway,” Journal of Singing 59:5 May 2003 431.
! #'!
Tommy. Voice qualities can be breathy, raspy, whiny, and nasal. Belt ranges are
used in musicals and then provide the vocal technique, performance skills, and
repertoire to help their students be successful in the style they wish to sing. One-
more diverse.
The supply of singing teachers is not keeping up with the demand of the
CCM vocal community. Many singers do not receive assistance with CCM
technique and repertoire from their private and independent teachers.48 Edwin
urges voice teachers to have good belting sounds stored in their aural memory.
Belting is not chest voice singing, though it is chest voice dominant. Singers
trying to belt by carrying their chest voice up through the lower passaggio with a
classical vocal posture put a tremendous strain on the vocal mechanism. This is
more common for females than for males. Male belting is closer in vocal function
performers. Cross training is good vocal pedagogy. Edwin relates the story of a
classically trained DMA student who came to him to study principles of belt
voice with the permission of her classical teacher. The agreement was that if the
lessons with Edwin compromised her classical vocal technique in any way the
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
48
Robert Edwin, “Popular Song and Music Theater: What’s Going on on Broadway?,”
Journal of Singing 66:1 September 2009, 71.
49
Robert Edwin, “The Bach to Rock Connection: Belting 101, Part 2,” Journal of Singing,
55:2, November 1998, 61.
! #(!
lessons would end. The opposite happened. The student’s voice and overall
healthy, critically acclaimed belters, and teachers who teach them. Belting’s
“Should belting be considered a legitimate use of the voice?” but “How can we
Edwin advises that just as classical singers listen to their vocal idols like
Luciano Pavarotti, Renée Fleming, Sherrill Milnes, and Lily Pons, the belter-to-be
should acquire belting vocal models such as Christina Aguilera, Tina Turner, Eric
Clapton, Barbra Streisand, Sutton Foster, Linda Eder, Idina Menzel, and Adam
Pascal. He advises that role types be physically and emotionally similar to the
size of the singer’s own instrument He further recommends exploring the new
sound of belting under the guidance of a voice teacher or colleague who can
Edwin divides the study of belt voice into three categories: sound, feel,
and look. The sound of belt voice, using a chiaroscuro scale, is very chiaro, using
bright, speech-like, colloquial vowels in contrast to the taller, fuller, more formal
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
50
Robert Edwin, “Popular Song and Music Teacher: Cross Training for the Voice,”
Journal of Singing, 65:1, September 2008, 76.
51
Robert Edwin, “The Bach to Rock Connection: Belting 101,” Journal of Singing, 55:1,
September 1998, 53.
! #)!
some singers will choose to lower the soft palate to introduce nasality to the belt
voice.
classical singers, since both male classical singers and male belt singers
singing teachers state that the only belters are altos and baritones. Female belters
difference in non-classical female vocal production and often draws the most
Modern voice science has shown that most vocal activity is shared muscle
activity, and that the TA and CT muscle groups work together, closing and
For the beginning female belter, the increased TA activity and the longer
closed phase of the vocal folds produces the effect of less air escaping. This
throat. In belting, the vocal adjustment is radical. Edwin (and other teachers such
as Mary Saunders Barton and Joan Melton) have found the best way to introduce
the novice belter to the sound and feel of belting is through the use of the [æ]
in an exaggerated fashion, the twangy, bright [æ] vowel virtually assures the
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
52
Robert Edwin, “Popular Song and Music Theater: Belt Yourself,” Journal of Singing,
60:3, January 2004, 286.
53
Ibid.
! #*!
discourages the singer from producing full, formal, classical vowels in the TA-
dominant voice, and prevents the singer from introducing a personally familiar
producing a more balanced, less twangy belt tone. Belt voice will inherently
this quality helps boost vocal resonance and helps develop the singer’s formant.
Imitating ducks quacking or cats yowling are great exercises to access and
develop this quality. Belting does have a look: The mouth will be in a horizontal,
narrow position with more teeth showing, especially when ascending in pitch.
Edwin warns new belters that they might tire easily because belting
limited until the student develops the stamina to deal with the new muscle
activity. Allow for diversity: There is no one belt sound, just as there is no one
them twangy, forward, and bright. Some classical teachers will use the term
dominant, loud, and high singing can be done in a healthy manner and this is the
type of belting the CCM world wants to hear. Edwin advises beginning belters to
get acquainted with the look, feel, and sound of their own belting through the
use of mirrors and audio/video recording. Early guidance from a trusted teacher
Conclusions: This author asserts that Edwin has much to offer as a leading
a lack of diversity of technique in many vocal studios. Still, the use of similar
Anne Peckham
Anne Peckham is chair of voice for Berklee College of Music and the
author of Elements of Vocal Technique for the Contemporary Singer and Vocal
Workouts for the Contemporary Singer. Peckham’s books provide good basic
singers. They are suitable for beginning voice classes. The information on belting
singing.
books help this type of singer. However, it is recommended they be used with
Jeannette LoVetri
becoming the dominant force in musical theater. However, few institutes exist
! $"!
where the student can learn to sing, teach, and adjudicate CCM singing. The lack
sound before dealing with issues of the filter. The vocal tract, including its
function of the vocal folds, the student will not understand the actions of the
• As long as teachers of singing look for one type of vocal behavior or one type of
This leads to confusion about belting as a quality, and is one reason why many
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
54
Jeannette LoVetri, “Contemporary Commercial Music: More Than One Way to Use the
Vocal Tract,” Journal of Singing, 58:3, January 2002, 249.
55
“Jeannette LoVetri. “A Conversation with Jeannette LoVetri.” interview by Joan
Melton (New York City, 2004), In Singing in Musical Theatre: The Training of Singers and Actors
(New York: Allworth Press, 2007), 47.
56
Ibid. 250.
! $#!
opera singers are unsuccessful as pop singers. When changing registration, the
physiological response. Register qualities cannot all be treated the same. LoVetri
insists that chest-dominant vocal production should feel different from head-
dominant production – and that this is not a bad thing.57 The differences between
registers lie not just in style, but also in physiological processes. Although
changes in breathing, posture, nasality, or resonance will change the sound, the
registration (meaning the function) of the source will not change. LoVetri
emphasizes that this information is vital to any classical teacher wanting to take
on non-classical students.
Lisa Popeil
experts in singing. She is the creator of the Voiceworks Method and the Total
Singer instructional DVD. In her teaching, Popeil has made the conscious choice
to sidestep the terms ”head voice” and ”chest voice.” Instead, she focuses on an
visceral and direct connection with voice registers, she states, by directing
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
57
Ibid.
! $$!
Popeil notes that the singer will find many timbres of belt in musical
theater, and that this sonic diversity can be used as a teaching tool. The different
heavy belt can convey age and anger; nasal belt is used for heightened projection
and conviction; twangy belt is penetrating and is used in comedic settings or for
confident and mature characters; speech-like belt is used for pleasant, natural,
and sincere characters. Popeil believes style choices in musical theater should be
character-driven rather than based on the singer’s limitations. The more versatile
Popeil has found that the biggest challenge for a classical teacher new to
The sung sound will not have residual sympathetic vibrations in the head. The
Music Theater: The Multiplicity of Belting,” Popeil gives good aural examples of
each belt type. These are particularly helpful to the classical teacher. Popeil also
reminds the classical singing teacher that vocal beauty is not the primary goal of
In the same column, Popeil lists the qualities that characterize belt
production:
of breath-holding during the belt, plus heightened activity of jaw and extrinsic
laryngeal muscles, possible pulling forward of the hyoid bone, higher larynx
position (yet with the ability to lift and lower the larynx), a more horizontal
refers to the epiglottic vallecula, which is just behind the root of the tongue
between the folds in the throat. It serves as a spit trap to prevent inhalation of
preconceived notions of vocal beauty and become more aware of CCM singing
beauty is not a primary goal for musical theater singing. Voice teachers want
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
58
Lisa Popeil, “Popular Song and Music Theater: The Multiplicity of Belting,” Journal of
Singing, 64:1, September 2007, 80.
! &*!!Ibid.!
! $&!
Ingo Titze
University of Iowa and executive director of the National Center for Voice and
Speech, explains why the larynx is higher in belted singing. In his column,
published in the Journal of Singing in May 2007, Titze states that in belting,
with pitch.”60 He also stresses that singers who wish to perform in multiple styles
Titze also found it very likely that singers will seek out certain vocal tract shapes
to reinforce the sound source for a style of singing, but the hypothesis needs
more support, especially in how the pharyngeal and epilaryngeal portions of the
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
60
Ingo Titze, “Voice Research and Technology: Belting and a High Larynx Position,”
Journal of Voice 63:5, May 2007, 557.
! $'!
CHAPTER 3
Back to Basics
advanced teacher or singer, but it is essential to start with the basics. This
First Steps
registers completely so that they possess equal vigor. By bringing parity to the
two registers, one fosters mixed voice. Once able to sustain a mixed voice at a
mezzoforte dynamic, the singer may advance to belt voice training. When
different for classical singers and belters. Classical singers modify vowels by
lengthening the space in the mouth (long, tall vowels). Belters modify by
widening that space. (Figures 4-9.) It is difficult to advance mixed or belt voice
training using the classical singing standard. Belters with longevity have voices
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
61
Julie E. Balog, “Popular Song and Music Theater: A Guide to Evaluating Music Theater
Singing for the Classical Teacher,” Journal of Voice 61, no. 4 (March 2005), 404.
! $(!
that are well developed across the full vocal range, including chest, mixed, and
head voice.
Mismanagement of breath can create too much or too little subglottic pressure
and create muscular tensions, producing inadequate tone, and, in worst cases,
on their own.
perform lying down, dancing, and bent over while singing. Full body awareness
and optimal function are essential. Singers are required to dance and freely move
about the stage. Flexibility and grace is essential for healthy breath/vibration
freedom and can lead to more flexibility and clarity in the voice. Exercises such
as circular arm swinging while rising on the toes, or the rag doll exercise are
useful to establish a buoyant feeling while singing. In the rag doll exercise, the
! $)!
torso becomes limp and moves around as if attached to a string, thus avoiding
posture. “Noble” posture for singing consisting of a lifted sternum and expanded
rib cage. This allows for strong yet flexible interactions between the upper chest,
spreading the arms when approaching a high note. This also allows for flexible
interactions between the large muscle groups listed above and counterbalances
gravity’s effects. This can be an important tool to achieve a clean, grounded belt
sound.
the head on the Atlanto-Occipital (A-O) Joint. When belting, the head tends to jut
discomfort. Singers sometimes tuck the jaw down to achieve the feeling of an
open throat. Practical experience involving the optimal function of the A-O Joint
allows singers to free their neck and laryngeal muscles by slightly tilting the
Surgical, 20th ed. (Grammercy Books, New York, 1918): Figure 305. The 20th
This author asserts that flexible and elastic balance between inhalatory
optimal for belting. The singer achieves finer control via muscular antagonism
! %+!
serratus posterior superior, and latissimus dorsi) stay active in order to delay the
feeling of holding the breath in, which creates unnecessary muscular tension.
Body mapping, the study of brain maps or the conception of the structure,
function, and size of our own bodies and how that conception affects the use of
our bodies,63 may be a useful tool for students unaware of the location of these
muscles. Balanced breathing avoids the collapse of the ribcage and high position
of the diaphragm and is essential for healthy vocal function in all styles of
singing.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
! 62
Richard Miller, Training Soprano Voices, London: Oxford University Press, 2000: 36.
63
Amy Likar, “Musicians as Movers: Body Mapping and the Alexander Technique for
Musicians and Music Educators” [website] available from http://bodymap.org/main/?p=301
Accessed June 10, 2014.
! %"!
vocalises train muscle memory and strength for mixed voice and belted
production.
1. Calling-Voice Exercise
produce a bright, clear tone at a high pitch level. Vowels such as [æ] and [i] (as in
the word “taxi”) are most effective. Singers might experience a” buzzy”
2. Siren Exercise
are especially effective for developing the high belt sound required in a song like
“Fly, Fly Away” from Catch Me If You Can, or “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. A
exercises are effective in teaching all singers, but are especially suited to giving
lighter classical soprano voices better access to the belt. The siren exercise helps
to smooth the transition between registers. If, initially, the sirens are too stressful
– if for example you experience excessive cracking (which is tiring and abusive to
the voice), try singing cross-register scales on a lip buzz or tongue trill. (Figure 4)
! %#!
!
!
!
3. Cross-Register Arpeggios
than pass directly
through them. Extending overlap between the registers is
Establishing mixed voice is easier in the lower part of register overlap. (Figure 5)
Figure 5:
Cross-register
arpeggios.
!
!
!
Messa di voce exercises are
excellent
exploration
for of
the
transitions
between the different timbres required for musical theater singing. Choose one
note in an easy, conversational register on the vowel [æ] or [i], beginning with a
! %$!
soft, balanced onset and increasing volume, with the apex of the crescendo
!
!
!
Pay special attention to breath management. The use of a resistance band can
help counteract this: The student pulls the two ends of the band apart during the
crescendo, but not so much that the band gets thin and rigid, thus helping the
student physicalize and visualize the transverse and oblique action of the
intercostals required for smooth vocal transitions. This extends the range of the
moves back and forth between belted and operatic vocal production – such as
selections from Wicked. This allows the singer to understand the technical
demands of both the belt and operatic voice. Using fragments as études helps
pedagogical study has been devoted to mouth position. Familiarity with and
ability to model the technique allows beginning belters to benefit from good
aural examples.
Classical singers are trained to use the inside smile which raises the soft
palate. Belters need to actually smile. The horizontal mouth shape brings the
shape, even to the back of the pharynx, provides the edginess required of a
belted sound.
In Figures 7 and through 12, note the clear contrast between the classical
and belting postures, head positions, facial expressions, and mouth position.
When belting, the head is positioned higher, the eyebrows are not raised, and the
Kastens with Nikon D-60. July 21, 2014. Photography Copyright Release in
Appendix C.
!
! %&!
!
!
Kastens with Nikon D-60. July 21, 2014. Photography Copyright Release in
Appendix C.
!
!
Figure 9: The author in profile singing classical style, taken by Brian Kastens with
!
! %'!
!
!
Figure 10: The author in profile, singing belt style, taken by Brian Kastens with
!
!
! %(!
Figure 11: The author singing classical style, taken by Brian Kastens with Nikon
!
!
!
! %)!
Figure 12: The author singing belting style, taken by Brian Kastens with Nikon
!
!
!
Twang Resonance
which amplifies the resonances at about 3 kHz, also known as the singer’s
formant. The throat should not feel constricted. Constricted twang will likely feel
brittle or stuck. The bridge of the nose and area above the upper lip are focus
Figure 13: The aryepiglottic fold, Henry Gray, Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical,
20th ed. (Grammercy Books, New York, 1918): Figure 953. The 20th edition of
!
!
!
selections. Appendix C contains the references for the source scores used for
study.
This song is recommended for the beginning student, as its range is not
extensive and the belted parts are not extremely high, even though the role as
whole is challenging when one considers the acting, dancing, and singing
requirements. Although the range is low for a soprano, belt emanates from
speech. A young soprano for whom the range is problematic can speak-sing the
beginning line from mm. 4-8. In mm. 10, the singer will find an opportunity to
introduce mixed voice on the first syllable of “rakin’.” The first chance to belt
comes in mm. 28-30 on the word “art.” Belted production also comes back at the
end, from mm. 67 beginning with the words “And Sophie Tucker’ll shit.” This
song possesses so much joie de vivre, and thus an uninformed choice would be to
belt the entire piece. Keep in mind, though, that the purpose of belting is to
underscore the drama. The voice teacher has an obligation to young students to
guide them by identifying areas of rest where less vocal intensity is required.
(Table 1)
! &"!
!
Table 1: “Roxie” from Chicago.
!
!
“On the Steps of the Palace” is appropriate for a young, slightly more
advanced singer because of range, tessitura, intervallic leaps, and both rhythmic
and comedic timing required. The intervallic leaps often require a sudden change
of register. Good musicianship, and acting skills are also required. The singer
will use a combination of mixed voice (CT dominant) or head voice (CT
dominant) for a majority of the song. The few opportunities to use belt voice
occur in mm. 63, on the second syllable of the word “scary,” to mm. 72 on the
word “steps,” and mm. 105 to mm. 107. In these ending measures, it is important
to keep the CT engaged while belting so that the vocal folds will have the
necessary length. The singer will encounter a few places where the mixed voice
mixed voice will have more emphasis on head rather than chest voice. These
occur in mm. 3-4, mm. 9-21, as an option in mm. 27-29, mm. 30-34, and as an
! &#!
where the singer is required to shift quickly between mixed voice that is TA
(Table 2)
! &$!
dominant)
but does require a good sense of comedic timing and the ability to act. Good
musicianship skills are important because the vocal line is often exposed. The
ability to change vocal style between sung and spoken text quickly, as in mm. 8-9
and 29 is important. In the effort to portray having a cold for most of the show, it
is also important not to lose the integrity of the mixed or belt voice. Regular
recommended. Loesser gives the instruction “with sweet meditation” in mm. 35,
This is one of the greatest character pieces in the repertoire. Scott Simon,
“Here’s a girl who’s got a cold all through the play and she
says she has a cold ‘cause somebody isn’t going to marry
her. That’s a very rich comic notion. And she’s got these
hilarious punch lines. You know, “if she’s getting a kind of
a name for herself and the name ain’t his; if she’s tired of
getting the fish eye from the hotel clerk.” Every line in it is
worth something. It means something; has impact. It has
vitality. It has humor and charm and appropriateness.
And I don’t know how you can get much better than that.”65
(Table 3)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
64
Scott Simon (host). “Creation of the musical Guys and Dolls, Weekend Edition Saturday,
National Public Radio, November 25, 2000. [website] Accessed June 22, 2014. Clip 14
http://www.npr.org/programs/weekend-editionsaturday/2000/11/25/13003410/
65
Ibid.
! &&!
Repeat: end of 29-9b A-flat to B-flat (ascending) Mix (TA dominant), top B-
flat could be belted
Repeat: 10b-13b A-flat to G natural Mix (TA dominant)
Repeat: end of 13b – 16b E-flat to repeated A-flat Belt (TA Dominant)
!
Table 3: “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys and Dolls.
beginning belters whose head voice is relatively undeveloped. The song has a
helpful in strengthening the belt voice. A more advanced belter will appreciate
this song for acting and comedic possibilities. At times it is quite low for a
soprano, with a G-sharp and F-sharp in mm.24 and mm. 25. This is a great
! &'!
!
Measures Range Registration
!
Table 4: “Always a Bridesmaid” from I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now
Change.
! &)!
5. “I Know the Truth” from Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida
This is appropriate for a young singer comfortable with rhythm and blues
style and improvisation. R & B is sung slightly behind the beat. The
improvisations can be sung in the CCM genre that best suits the voice, such as
gospel or pop/rock, and most improvisations will occur at the end of a vocal line
or with a note substitution. This author recommends the song begin and end
dominant alternation between belt and mixed voice for the middle section. Most
R & B improvisation is recommended for the middle section between mm. 41-47.
The musical is based on Giuseppe Verdi’s opera of the same name and the
interval)
End of 29-31 B octave Head (CT dominant)
!
! Table 5: “I Know the Truth” from Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida
! &*!
range is high when sung in Gershwin’s original key of D-flat major. Any note
that may be too high to belt could be sung in head voice with similar vowel
quality and vibrato rate. There are opportunities for improvisation, based on
Ethel Merman’s iconic interpretation of the song, in the repeat from mm. 29b-
44b.
The song has become a jazz standard. Its chord progression, known as
“rhythm changes,” can be called in any key. The form of the refrain is a 32-bar
This song is appropriate for the beginning belter as the range not
(mm. 38-53, 71-78, and the end of mm. 82 to the beginning of mm. 83) if the belt
voice is not fully developed. This is a fun song, but not musically demanding.
The original stage version lyrics reference former teen idol Sal Mineo. He was
stabbed to death one year before 1978 film began production, so the line was
!
Table 7: “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” from Grease.
! '"!
skills due the exposed nature of the vocal line. A common pitfall to be avoided is
and belt voice TA dominant production and there are several opportunities to
employ speak-singing in mm. 19-23, 49-50, and 53-54. The song appears as a duet
between Sally and Schroeder with a guest appearance by Lucy at the end in the
show. The composer Andrew Lippa, as a solo version for publication, created the
belt voice as the range is quite high. A charismatic performer with the ability to
command the stage as a singer, actor, and dancer is recommended. The song
begins with speak-singing in mm. 1-8 then regularly alternates between belt and
technique could sing the highest notes in head voice with similar vowel quality
64-76 A to C (ascending 10 )
th
Belt (TA dominant)
!
Table 9: “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” from Anything Goes.
This ballad could fall into the “overdone” category and is recommended
issues. It is suggested that the young singer begin and end the song in CT
dominant head voice, mm. 7-17 and 51-55. It is recommended the singer be
!
! 15-?3!"+E!FG:!H@!G=:I!>98D!"#$!%&$'()*+#$,
! '&!
CHAPTER 4
CONCLUSION
wide spectrum of repertoire, which is one reason why the term is confusing for
professionals. Jeannette LoVetri states: “it is simply not true that there is one way
to make a ‘belt’ sound, any more than there is one way to sing a classical
source and filter, different activities in the articulators, and use of the breath.”66
and other features specific to belting and flexibility of style. A variety of such
symbols can be seen in nonwestern music notation (Japanese, Korean, etc.) and
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
66
LoVetri, “More Than One Way to Use the Vocal Tract,” 250-251.
! 67
Correspondence with Dr. Cynthia Schmidt regarding Non-Western notation methods,
June 27, 2014.
! ''!
that university voice teachers engage to familiarize themselves with the sounds,
APPENDIX A
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Pedagogical
a very loud sound in the upper-middle part of the vocal range. This range is
professionals. It can mean a vocal register, part of the vocal range, a vocal
resonance area, or a specific vocal timbre.69 For the purpose of this essay, chest
of the larynx, resulting in excessive resonance in the lower formants. The vocal
production may be perceived as “heavy.” Chest voice is used more regularly and
carried higher through the vocal range in musical theater singing than in classical
singing.
makes up the bulk of the vocal fold. Also called the vocalis muscle, it is the
primary muscle for producing the lower pitches of the singing voice.70 In musical
theater singing, this muscle is used at higher pitches than in classical singing.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
68
Karyn O’Connor, “Sing Wise”, [website] http://www.singwise.com/cgi-
bin/main.pl?section=articles&doc=BeltingTechnique Accessed July 19, 2014
69
McKinney.
70
Ibid.
! ')!
Head voice denotes a particular part of the vocal range, type of vocal
produced primarily by the cricothyroid (CT) muscles of the throat. Head voice
head area felt when singing higher pitches. It is produced in the larynx. Classical
that are used primarily to control the vocal folds and help the vocal folds to
vibrate by stretching them. In the classical female voice, the vocal production is
head voice (CT) dominant, while much of the singing for the musical theater
female voice is chest voice (TA) dominant. The CT muscle also helps to control
Mixed voice is more difficult to define than head and chest voice. However,
it is an important vocal technique for any musical theater singer and is the most
common vocal technique used today. It is a blend between chest and head voice,
and is an important transitional technique between the two. While scant research
muscles, balanced via vowel and resonance tuning to smooth the transition
between head and chest voice. This concept is controversial, as some voice
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
71
Ibid.
72
This definition is drawn from two sources, Karyn O’Connor, “The Larynx: Structure
and Function: Intrinsic Muscles of the Larynx” Singwise [website] available from:
http://www.singwise.com/cgibin/main.pl?section=articles&doc=LarynxStructureAndFunction
&page=2 Accessed 12 October 2012 and Mary Saunders Barton, “Bel Canto, Can Belto: Teaching
Women to Sing Music Theater” producer Penn State Public Broadcasting, Penn State Media Sales,
2007, DVD video.
! '*!
critical variable for register manipulation. The shape of the vocal fold medial
moves into head voice. This is due to decreasing contraction of the TA muscle.73
The primary function of the larynx is to protect the trachea from food aspiration.
Breathing and sound production are spandrels. This organ houses the vocal
folds, which are essential for phonation.74 Sound is generated in the larynx and
that is where pitch and volume are manipulated. The larynx is capable of
much scientific investigation. Some scientific data show the larynx assumes a
The pharynx is part of both the digestive and respiratory systems and is the
region directly above the larynx, below the velum (soft palate) and posterior to
the oral cavity. It is a flexible tube that can both stretch and constrict. In classical
slightly lowered.
The vocal folds are a paired system of ligaments in the larynx that oscillate
vocal folds are a complex tensing and relaxing system; they can shorten, contract
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
73
Boardman. 2.
74
McKinney.
! (+!
laterally, and vary in length and thickness during vibration. Part of them can
Closed Quotient (CQ) refers to the duration of the closed phase of the
vibratory cycle in which the vocal folds close the glottis. Generally, in classical
(CT) vocal production,77 the CQ is less than 40 percent. Fifty-two percent is the
marker for chest voice (TD) production while belters can exhibit a CQ as high as
70 percent.
amplitudes shape the radiated spectrum. To achieve the best sound, singers
regularly modify the dimensions of the vocal tract, adjusting the resonance
frequencies of the vocal tract to amplify certain harmonics of the voice source.
Resonance strategies are well documented for classical singing; they have not
consisting of strong third, fourth, and fifth formants. This cluster results from the
frequency spectra of trained singing voices only. This formant, which seems to be
independent of the particular vowel and pitch, adds brilliance and carrying
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
76
Boardman. 2.
77
Generally, belting is a Thyroarytenoid dominant type of vocal production, and
classical singing is a more Cricothyroid dominant type of vocal production.
78
Schutte and Besterbreurtje, 194.
79
O’Connor.
! ("!
Figure 14: The larynx, Henry Gray, Anatomy: Descriptive and Surgical, 20th ed.
(Grammercy Books, New York, 1918): Figure 959. The 20th edition of Gray’s
!
!
!
! (#!
!
!
!
Repertoire
Ballad is a term used in CCM and describes a song in a slower tempo. All
styles of musical theater repertoire that employ a slow tempo are ballads.80
tempo.81
Triple threat is a term used in theater to describe someone who can sing,
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
80
Lebon. 34. Most musical theater auditions require a singer to come prepared with 16
bars of a ballad and 16 bars of an up-tempo selection to demonstrate vocal and stylistic contrast.
In the past, there was no distinction of genre or style, but that is changing.
81
Ibid.
! ($!
APPENDIX B
singers of the time acquired their skill and training by performing with big bands
and listening to each other’s shows and recordings. Female big band singers of
the time included Billie Holliday, performing with Count Basie and Artie Shaw;
Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb and Duke Ellingtion; Sarah Vaughan with Billy
Eckstine; and Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman. Two of the marquee82male
Rock and roll, and the emergence of rhythm and blues, dominated the
period from 1950-1960. The term “rhythm and blues” (R&B) became vernacular
in the 1940s when Billboard magazine used it as a substitution for the term “race
records.” The use of electric guitars distinguished the idiom. Due to the
amplification and the pervasive dance rhythms, singers of rock and roll and R&B
impact rather than content. B.B. King, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard were the
leading artists in this style and influenced the future British rock invasion.83
white artists, and became popular with white youth. This style, dominated by
male performers like Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, is rock and roll. Top female
performers during this time – including Connie Francis, Patti Page, Rosemary
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
! 82
A marquee performer is the main performer in a show, whose name will attract the
most attendance.
83
Lebon, 12.
! (%!
Clooney, and Doris Day – sang in an understated style. Not many female R & B
Washington and Della Reese. Washington and Reese performed with a more
aggressive singing style associated with male R & B performers. Several all-
female groups also performed in this style, including the Crystals, the Ronnettes,
more powerful belted vocal delivery. Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee,
and Loretta Lynn all sang within their speaking range, with regional accents. The
incorporation of “vocal cry” (a sob-like style) was one important aspect in their
interpretations. The merger of country and R&B produced country rock and
rockabilly, typified by the musical styles of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and Jerry
Lee Lewis.85
Another important vocal development was the arrival of the “teen idol“: a
crooner with a large teenage fan base. These heartthrobs included Fabian, Bobby
Rydell, Bobby Vee, Paul Anka, and Frankie Avalon. Television became an
important medium for the development of hit tunes. By the early 1960s, the
American musicians such as Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters became popular in
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
84
Ibid. 30.
85
Ibid. 31.
86
Ibid.
! (&!
the USA, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and the Who. The
leading British female vocalists of that time, such as Petula Clark, Lulu, and
By the late 1960s, the sought-after vocal style sought was aggressive
belting. Rock music incorporated stylistic elements from soul, folk, country, and
jazz, resulting in hybrid forms such as jazz-fusion, country rock, and funk.
Leading female artists of this time included Grace Slick, Janis Joplin, Linda
company, was the heartbeat of an entire style that provided the connection
between gospel and popular music. Characteristics of the soul vocal style include
slurring into the beginning of the vocal line; improvisations and ornamentations
of words; wide vibrato; and the use of falsetto, growls, screams, wails, and
shouts.89
The 1970s also brought more sophisticated studio equipment, plus the
Notable artists of that era include Donna Summer, a belter, and Steven Tyler of
The 1980s continued the high-level wave of vocal exertion. Popular male
belting artists such as Steve Perry of Journey and Lou Gramm of Foreigner had
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
87
Ibid.
88
Ibid.
89
Ibid.
! ('!
high, edgy voices. Their exploration of chest voice belted to their highest limits
was an inspired progression from the high falsetto singing of the Bee Gees.
Female belters of this era included Irene Cara, Juice Newton, Laura Branigan,
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
90
Ibid.
! ((!
APPENDIX C
REPRESENTATIVE VIDEOGRAPHY
!
When this author was first asked to teach musical theater and belting
years ago, there were few pedagogical resources. The belting technique was self-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-_HTUapDQo
natural speaking voice to her advantage with very little visible tension. Note the
Renee Zellweger had not studied voice before appearing in the film
2. “On the Steps of the Palace” from Into the Woods performed by Kim Crosby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NV_Cd3csTA
Summary: Notice Kim Crosby’s lovely mixed voice quality (CT dominant)
in the opening sung measures. Crosby uses this quality to move easily into her
head voice for the higher pitches. Also employing the natural resonance of her
Into the Woods has been produced many times since its premiere in San
Diego in 1986. The musical intertwines several Brothers Grimm Fairytales and
follows them to explore the characters wishes and quests. It has also been
adapted to a “junior” version suitable for schools with the entire 2nd act removed,
allowing it to fit into a 60- to 80-minute performance time versus the original 3
hours. The song keys are also transposed to be more suitable for young voices.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovsb8_vjWLE&feature=kp
Summary: Vivian Blaine uses forward placement while keeping the naso-
pharyngeal port closed. The soft palate is highly placed. Mostly sung in mixed
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
! *"!Andrew Gans, “Diva Talk: A Chat with Renee Zellweger, the ‘Hart’ of ‘Chicago’, plus
Diva News”, Playbill [website] http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/77137-DIVA-
TALK-A-Chat-with-Rene-Zellweger-the-Hart-of-Chicago-PLUS-Diva-News Accessed July 27,
2014.
! (*!
voice that is either TA or CT dominant until the last page where she employs TA
The role of Adelaide was specifically created for Vivian Blaine after she
was not chosen to portray Sarah Brown. The ability to do a dialect could be
helpful as well, dependant upon director’s choice. It’s a great piece for anyone
beginning to belt; on the other hand, the character should be cast a bit older for
the show, since Adelaide has been engaged to Nathan Detroit for 15 years. This
4. “Always a Bridesmaid” from I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change performed
by Traci Laborde
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhMIvVfmYyA
horizontal shape with lots of teeth showing. She is able to employ the twang
resonance required of the style without using full nasal resonance. Observe the
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is the second longest running Off-
Broadway musical. It closed at the Westside Theater on July 27, 2008 after a run
of 5,003 performances.92 The musical has been translated into at least fourteen
languages.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
92
Andrew Gans, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change Ends NYC Run After More Than
a Decade July 27” [website] http://www.playbill.com/news/article/119818-LAST-CHANCE-
Playbillcoms-Reminder-of-NYC-Shows-Closing-July-27 Accessed June 22, 2014.
! )+!
5. “I Know the Truth” from Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida performed by Sherie
René Scott
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dw0yt8it134
the intervallic leaps more accessible. Sung in R & B style, slightly behind the beat.
Scott moves into a TA dominant belt in the second refrain. She also employs
typical R & B ornaments. Scott ends the song in the same registration in which
Disney had acquired the rights for an animated feature film, but the
project was shelved. The source material for the film developed into the
Broadway musical. This song appears in Act II; the singer, Amneris, is trying to
face the fact that her upcoming marriage to Radames is bogus. Sherie René Scott
originated the role of Amneris and received the award for Most Promising
Actress in 2000 for her performance. Notable replacements for the role include
6. “I Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy or Crazy for You performed by Ethel Merman
belt. Easily moving into her upper register. Very clear articulation and phrasing.
of her introduction:
The song is also included in the 1992 Broadway show, Crazy for You.
7. “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” from Grease performed by Stockard Channing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz5D-D7VYmY
speaking voice to her advantage. She mostly uses TA dominant mixed voice,
The score of Grease recreates the sound of early 1950s rock and roll. It is
named for the 1950s working class youth subculture known as greasers.
good example of this conflict. In the stage musical the song happens at a picnic.
Betty Rizzo is making fun of Danny Zuko for falling in love with a girl like Sandy
Dumbrowski comparing her to the virtuous teenage screen ingénue Sandra Dee.
In the film, this scene is at Frenchy’s pajama party where Rizzo makes fun of
Sandy after she falls ill from trying a cigarette, alcohol and getting her ears
pierced by Frenchy. The musical was first performed in 1971 in Chicago. It has
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
93
Ethel Merman, A Musical Autobiography, Decca DXB 153.
! )#!
Manhattan in 1972 and was deemed eligible for the 1972 Tony Awards. The first
contracts. The film was produced in 1978. The film version of this song was also
8. “My New Philosophy” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown performed by
Kristin Chenoweth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRa7WNmRakY
speaking voice to move easily between belt, mixed, and head voice. Observe the
This song, composed by Andrew Lippa, is from the 1999 revival of You’re
vignettes with a musical number for each one. In the revival, the character of
Patty was replaced with Sally Brown. Kristin Chenoweth created the character,
and her performance won her the 1999 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in
a Musical. Bruce Brantley, reviewer for The New York Times, wrote, “Kristin
Chenoweth’s performance as Sally will be the part that should seal her
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
94
Ben Brantley, “Theater Review: Your Sister’s Gutsy, Charlie Brown,” [website]
http://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/05/movies/theater-review-your-sisters-gutsy-charlie-
brown.html Accessed June 22, 2014
! )$!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-Ql-fduIdM
Summary: Sutton Foster begins the song with the “belter’s mouth.” She
also employs more twang resonance to move easily between the very low range
and the middle range. Notice Foster’s very centered, non-athletic breathing in the
dance section in the middle. She conserves breath energy and does not sound
winded in her sung entrance after the dance portion. There is no clavicular
breathing.
Ethel Merman (1937), Patti LuPone (Drama Desk Award 1987), Elaine
Paige (Nominated for Laurence Olivier Award 1989), and Sutton Foster (Tony
Award 2011) have created and re-created the role of Reno Sweeney. This
character is confident, sassy, and sexy. This song should also be assigned to a
triple threat singer who is an excellent tap dancer. In an interview for Dance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjfmP7h3gBw
voice. She uses contemporary pop inflection and phrasing when the song begins.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
! 95
Sylviane Gold, “She’s the Top,” Dance Magazine December 2011 [website]
http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/december-2011/Shes-the-Top Accessed June 27, 2014
! )%!
Salonga employs TA dominant for the first in the bridge section. She uses
clavicular breathing for dramatic effect on “All my life I’ve only been
pretending.” Notice her vowel modification on “known” at the end of the song.
One of the most famous songs from this show, this is Éponine’s solo. Les
initial reviews were negative. Literary scholars condemned the project for
converting a literary classic into a musical. The public disagreed: “Les Miz” put
up record numbers at the box office. As of November 2013, the show has
received 11,603 performances in the West End and it is still running. The
APPENDIX D
1. “Roxie” from Chicago Music: John Kander, Lyrics: Fred Ebb in The Singer’s
Musical Theatre Anthology, Volume 4, Mezzo-Soprano/Belter, Milwaukee, WI:
Hal Leonard Corp.
2. “On the Steps of the Palace” from Into the Woods Music and Lyrics: Stephen
Sondheim in The Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology, Volume 4, Soprano,
Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.
3. “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys and Dolls Music and Lyrics: Frank Loesser in
The Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology, Volume 2, Mezzo-Soprano/Belter,
Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.
4. “Always a Bridesmaid” from I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change Music:
Jimmy Roberts, Lyrics and Book: Joe DiPietro in The Singer’s Musical Theatre
Anthology, Volume 3, Mezzo-Soprano/Belter, Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.
5. “I Know the Truth” from Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida Music: Elton John,
Lyrics: Tim Rice in The Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology, Volume 4, Mezzo-
Soprano/Belter, Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.
6. “I Got Rhythm” from Girl Crazy or Crazy for You Music: George Gershwin,
Lyrics: Ira Gershwin in The New York Times: Gershwin: Years in Song, New York:
Quadrangle: The New York Times Book Co.
7. “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” from Grease Music, Lyrics, and Book: Jim Jacobs
and Warren Casey in The Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology, Volume 2, Mezzo-
Soprano/Belter, Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.
8. “My New Philosophy” from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown Music, Lyrics,
and Book: Clark Gesner; Andrew Lippa added songs for the Broadway revival in
The Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology, Volume 3, Mezzo-Soprano/Belter,
Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.
9. “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” from Anything Goes Music and Lyrics: Cole Porter in
Anything Goes: Vocal Selections: Revival Edition New York: Warner Bros.
Publications, Inc.
10. “On My Own” from Les Misérables Music: Claude-Michel Schönberg, Lyrics:
Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil in The Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology,
Volume 2, Mezzo-Soprano/Belter, Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corp.
! )'!
APPENDIX E
PERMISSIONS
Material:
Figure: page 39 (Fig 2)
Article: Belting and classic voice quality: some physiologic differences.
Estill J.
Med Probl Perform Art 3 (1): 37, March 1988.
4. This permission does not include the right to grant others permission to
re-use or reproduce this material in other formats or publications [except
for versions made by non-profit organizations for use by the blind or
handicapped persons].
https://email.uiowa.edu/owa/?ae=Item&t=IPM.Note&id=RgAAAACXvK…WejMJ4Y99fAABofW0eAAAJ&a=Print&pspid=_1403197108519_41095330 Page 1 of 2
! )(!
!
))!
APPENDIX F
ADDITIONAL VOCALISES FOR BELTING
!
These exercises can be sung on the vowel of choice. For beginning belters,
closed vowels allow for more facility.96 Sing these on [æ] or [i].
!
!
!
!
!!
J.C693!"&E!K//.7.8:5?!;8<5?.434!>89!-3?7.:C0!L43!MNO!89!M.O0
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*'!Based on exercises from Mary Saunders Barton’s “Bel Canto, Can Belto”.
! )*!
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