How long would it take for a classical singer to sing a different genre?
How (long would it take /) hard would it be for a classical singer to sing a different genre ?
(Assuming similar difficulty level)
What i wish to find out is if the classical singers are really that versatile / not .
since we have trained for a good long while to achieve the sounds we make ( we aren’t miked), it takes a while to re-think the vocal apparatus for pop singing. I happen to think that the major changes occur in the vocal tract, that is, inside the mouth and throat area. We classicals are always searching for ways to create more space inside there ( yes, there are definite physical limitations, but we are searching for the optimal levels) in order to find the areas of most resonance. This makes a mike unnecessary. Obviously, with a mike to do that work, it becomes easier.
How long it takes? Depends on how necessary it is?
October 31st, 2009 at 6:10 pm
It depends on the genre. It’s not somethng that’s mastered overnight.
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October 31st, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Well, you have it backwards. It is harder to sing classical than anything else, even jazz. That is because the vocal techniques required to sing classical correctly cannot be learned or developed in any but the most studious and talented of singers. However, to answer the question, I have a friend who was trained in both Classical and Pop by my mother who taught for 25 years (and was classically-trained herself). My friend sings everything from "Nessun Dorma" from Puccini’s Turandot down to most kinds of pop both U.S. and foreign, and changes gears quite well.
Some of this difficulty on the part of a Classical singer to adapt might have something to do with whether the classsical musician was (no pun intended) in tune with/liked pop, Broadway, Rock, Jazz, etc. Those that were classical purists and didn’t would have a tougher going than those like my friend who loves all music types (except rap and hip-hop).
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My personal life with music, both as an arranger, composer both in pop and classical, friends in the business, my mom and other family members, various fellow students of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music who sang both styles
October 31st, 2009 at 6:45 pm
since we have trained for a good long while to achieve the sounds we make ( we aren’t miked), it takes a while to re-think the vocal apparatus for pop singing. I happen to think that the major changes occur in the vocal tract, that is, inside the mouth and throat area. We classicals are always searching for ways to create more space inside there ( yes, there are definite physical limitations, but we are searching for the optimal levels) in order to find the areas of most resonance. This makes a mike unnecessary. Obviously, with a mike to do that work, it becomes easier.
How long it takes? Depends on how necessary it is?
References :
25 professional opera singer 7 years teaching
October 31st, 2009 at 7:29 pm
It depends on the singer. I know Opera singers who cannot modify their sound to sing in another genre and I know opera singers who can modify their sound to sing in another genre.
I have always been able to switch genres (I had a teacher at Julliard who said that either you can do it or you can’t so consider myself lucky). How long does it take? I have sung cabarets where I’ve started with Musical Theatre, through some old Big Band music in the middle then switched to Operetta and then finished with some big arias and oratorio solos…..several different genres in an hour. Training to be an opera singer tends to be very single pointed where as I started out in another genre so find it easier to modify my sound (i.e. I don’t need the volume, color, focus etc)……
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Professional opera singer/musical theatre singer/actor
October 31st, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Years ago, I took a class with an operatically-trained woman who at performed at the Met.
She wanted to learn musical-theatre style singing to increase her employment opportunities. She auditioned with an aria from Madame Butterfly (you audition with what you know!) and by week 3, she was singing "I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" like she was born to!
On the other hand, it took me FOREVER to learn one verse of Italian opera for a straight show!
WR Garrity
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