Singing for the stars

f f i 4 F h t

I

Foreword

rT '-lhe

wide diversity of singing styles that exists in the world today demands a singing technique-a way of using your voice-that can be applied in the performance of all those styles. If a singing technique can't be applied to eaerystyle of singing, something is wrong with that technique. That's the premise we began with when Alfred Publishing Company's editors I and discussedthe development of a totally new kind of book about singinS. We wanted to do something that had never been done before-publish a book that actually taught people how to sing. But where would we find the author? There was only one PersonI knew of who could fill such a tall order-Seth Riggs, consideredby many to be the best and most successfulvoice teacherin the United States. He is certainly the busiest. No other teacher,past or present,has ever matched his phenomenal track record. His "Who's Who" of singers,actors,dancers,and entertainers students are a veritable throughout the world.* When you first meet Seth Riggs, you are overwhelmed by his dynamic personality, his flair for the outspoken, but most of all, his senseof purpose-his "mission" to clean up the messbeing made of singers' voices by voice teachersin schools,colleges,and private studios everywhere. The day I met with Seth about the possibility of putting his method in writing "Impossible,people could benefit from his work, his initial reaction was, more so you can't learn to sing from a book!" Well, I could understand his point of view. When Seth Riggs teaches,it's strictly on a one-to-onebasis. He quickly diagnosesa singers'svocal problems and then prescribesspecific exercisesto correct those problems. It's a very individual Process,one not easily adapted to the printed page. But we decidedto give it a try. Ithad to be done. I proceededto do my researchand to observehim closely over a period of severalmonths, trying to find a general or systematicapproach to something that, there was no question about it, was working miracles! The first time I sat in on a lesson,I thought I had gone to singers'heaven! Seth had his students doing incredible things with their voices-things you would have thought only those with a great natural gift could do. In the weeks that followed, "star" clientele he has most of the students I observedweren't even part of the becomeso famous for. But they soundedlike stars. Like so many others,thesesingers-young and old-had struggled un"voice teachers"to increasetheir range and successfullyfor years with other *

SeeAppendix for a listing of his clienteleon pg. 138.

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S/NG/NG FOR THE STARS

improve their tone quality. with Seth Riggs,however, the resultswere very different, and achievedin a very short time. You see,the Riggsmethod is application.Although he likes his studentsto understandthe basicprinciples underlyinghis method, he feelsthat just telling you how your voice *orit doesnothing to help you sing. You have to know how to get it to workt Well, finally the "impossible"had beenaccomplished.The manuscript was complete,as well as an audio tape that actually demonstrateshow to do the exercises usedin the training program. Yet, somethingwasn't right. oh, it was all there-the theory, the exercises, all the facts. But that special quality of the man you experiencebetweenthe actual momentsof instruction-his charisma,if you like-was missing. To remedythis, we includeda sectionentitled "The Author Speaks out," in which seth talks more informally about his method and responds very frankly (that is his way) to the controversialissuessurroundingthe teachingof singing in this country and abroad. I am confidentthat readersof this book will appreciateand utilize its direct, no-nonsense approachto developinga workable vocal technique-to begin Singing For The Stars.

The Editor

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Preface

"Open "Place your throatl" the tone fonn'ardl" Oi.,g from your diaphragml" "Give "Keep your it more supportl" Sound familiar? tongue downl" The language of voice teachers and choir directors abounds in such confusing and dangerous clichds. Every day, singers who never question "wisdom" of their teachers manipulate and strain their voices until one the "burned out." day they discover their voices are What most teachers never seem to understand is that you don't need to think about twenty different things every time you open your mouth. And you don't need to study singing for more than a few weeks before you begin to experiencepositive results. It doesn't matter whether you sing pop, rock, opera, or musical theatre. You should sing with a technique that allows you to just relax and concentrateon performing-which is what it's really all about, anywayright? This author has worked successfullywith hundreds of singers, actors, and dancers-top professionals-in all areas of musical performance and entertainment. And although some may not sing as well as others, all have achieved the ability to always sound confident and natural when they sing. Their secret is a technique called speech-leuelsinging, which allows you to sing with the same comfortable, easily produced voice you use, or should use, when you speak. No matter if you sing high or low, loud or soft, nothing feels different in your throat or mouth. Your tone and the words you sing always feel natural to you, and sound natural to your audience. With this book and the accompanying cassettetapes, you can now learn the same singing technique the pros use-one that will let you sing with a strong, clear, and flexible voice over a range that you never dreamed possible. But it does take patience and the ability to follow instructions carefully. Good luckl I wish you all the successin the world.

Jn,b tx

Contents

Foreword Preface

vii ix

About theAuthor Introduction How To Use This Book

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Basr, Principles 13 How Your VoiceWorks:The Creationof VocalTone 13 V o c a lC o r dV i b r a t i o n- W h e r eY o u r V o i c eB e g i n s 1 4 B r e a t hS u p p o r t 1 6 VocalCord Adjustment 23 - W h y Y o u r V o i c el s U n i q u e 2 5 Resonance PhysicalSensations 26 W h a tT o R e m e m b e r 2 7 H o w Y o u r V o i c eW o r k sB e s t :T h e N a t u r a T l e c h n i o u eo f Speech-leye Sli n g i n g 2 8 - A FoundationFor Vocal Freedom 29 Your Speech-level Speech-leve Sli n g i n g- F e e l i n ga n d S o u n d i n gN a t u r a l 32 S i n g i n gL o w N o t e s 3 2 S i n g i n gH i g h N o t e s 3 2 The PassageAreas of Your Range 33 S i n g i n gT h r o u g ht h e P a s s a g eA r e a s 3 3 V o c a lC o r dT h i n n i n g 3 5 VocalCord Shortening 35 What to Remember 35 How To Get Your VoiceTo Work For You: The TrainingProcess 36 DevelopingCoordination-TheFirstStep 36 B u i l d i n gS t r e n g t h - A l l i n G o o dT i m e 3 7 What To Remember 37

xi

d*ttl ffis

conftdence

Exercise1 Exercise 2 Exercise 3 Exercise 4 Exercise 5 Exercise 6 7 Exercise Exercise 8 Exercise 9 E xe rcise 10 E xe rcise 11 12 E xe rcise 13 E xe rcise

40 44 46 48 52 54 58 60 62 64 66 70 72

Qart:/ Toward Speech-LevelSinging 14 E xe rcise 15 E xe rcise E xe rcise 16 17 E xe rcise 18 E xe rcise E xe rcise 19 Exercise20 Exercise 21 Exercise 22 Exercise 23 Exercise24 Exercise25 Exercise 26

xll

76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100

75

tuuJTechniqueMaintenance E xe rci se 27 E xe rci se 28 E xe rci se 29 E xe rci se 30

103

1 04 1 06 1 08 110

TheAuthor SpeaksOut

113

G e n e r aQ l uestions 113 C l a s s i f y i nV g o i c e s 11 3 R a n g eE x t e n s i o n 1 1 4 T o n eD e v e l o p m e n t 1 1 6 U s i n gM i c r o p h o n e s 1 1 7 S i n g i n gi n D i f f e r e n S t tyles 117 S i n g i n gO u t d o o r s 1 1 8 C h o o s i n ga T e a c h e r 1 1 8 E x p l o i t i nS g tudenV t oices 119 V o i c eS c i e n c e 1 1 9 Performersas Teachers 121 S i n g i n gi n C h o i r 1 2 1 Choir Directorsas VoiceTeachers 123 P o p u l a rM u s i ca n d T r a d i t i o n aTl e a c h i n g 1 2 3 S e l e c t i n gM u s i c 1 2 4 S i n g i n gi n F o r e i g nL a n g u a g e s 1 2 5 Practicing 126 S i n g i n gi n R e h e a r s a l s 1 2 8 VoiceCompetitions 129 The YoungVoice 129 T h e A g i n gV o i c e 1 3 1

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Hmlth and Carcof theSingefs Voire

132

YourPosture 133 BadHabits 134 UsingAlcoholandDrugs 134 Smoking 135 EatingBeforeSinging 135 YourCords 135 Shocking Volume 135 UsingExcessive OtherFactors 136 lmitation of OtherSingers 136 136 ThatDon'tWork Remedies 137 VocalRest Unnecessary Emotional Stressand Fatigue 137 Hormones 137 YourEnvironment 137

Appendix

138

Glossary

142

CassetteTapeand Compact DiscIndcx

xiv

149

Aboat theAuthor

.Ir, ,t " middle of his concert at the famous Forum in Los Angeles, superstar Stevie Wonder stopped the show to acknowledge, in front of thousands of fans, a man who has had much to do with the successand longevity of his vocal career. He wasn't referring to his manager or record producer. He was referring to Seth Riggs-his voice teacher. And, this isn't just an isolated case. Grateful stars often give credit to this man whose unconventional methods allow them to use the main vehicle for their talent-their voice-to its maximum degree of efficiency and effectiveness. Whether he has to go on location to a movie set, a concert date, or a recording studio to help a Natalie Cole, a Jeremy Irons, or a Michael JacksorySeth Riggs has helped many a star-and nervous producer---out of a jam. Recently he gave Waylon fennings a voice lessonby telephone. The country singer was in Tahoeto open a show with his wife JessieColter and his voice was ailing. It was Jennings' first contact with Riggs. However, Riggs was able to get the singer's voice in shape quickly with just a few special exercises. Seth Riggs's vocal technique and the methods he uses to teach the technique were forged and tempered by the fierce demands placed on the world's top performers, who must often perform several shows a night-night after night! A great deal of money is always at stake, so his clients' voices must be able to function easily,without strain. It is no wonder that whenever singers come to Los Angeles from other parts of the world, producers, directors and fellow performers send them to seehis master vocal technician. Seth began his careerat the age of nine as a boy-soprano singing music of Bach and Handel at the Washington National Cathedral in Washingtory D.C. His later training, however, reached into all areasof the performing arts. He studied acting with Lee Strasberg,Sandy Meisner, Bobby Lewis, and Frank Silvera and dancing with Peter Gennaro, Matt Mattox, and Luigi. He studied voice with John Charles Thomas, Robert Weede,Tito Schipa, and Keith Davis, and did repertoire coaching with Pierre Bemac, Matial Singhea Leo Thubman, Charles Wadsworth, fohn Brownlee, Hans Heintz, and Louis Graveure. He joined his first professional union, Actor's Equity, two years before completing his undergraduate degree. After that, he becamea member of all the performing unions: AFTRA, SAG, AGVA, AGMA, as well as ACRA (the Association of Canadian Radio Artists).

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S/NG/NGFORTHESTAHS

on He spent ten years in New York City' For three years he performed Opera' City York New Broadway, and for six seasonshe was a guest artist with the greatest that his Yet, in the midst of pursuing his own singing career,he discovered him, singers with lessons few a taking After talent lay in his ability to help others. could they than consistently and were able to use their voices^*or" "g'nfitely usinganyconventionalapproach.Tnrsencouragedhimtotaketeachingmore seriously. so wellrarty in his new career/seth's successwith his students became to convince He tried him. wiih study to known that many singers left their teachers success. without but other teache* oith" merits of his teaching method, were frowned on by Nonconventional methods, no matter how well they worked, Associationof the teachingesiablishment. He was kicked out of the National he taught' Rejectedby Teachersof singing and lost positions at the collegeswhere he has establishedthe the establishment, Riggs heaied west to Los Angeles, where most versatile school of vocal technique of our time' and music with $330in his pocket, and.a rented truck carrying his motorcycle Ann-Margret (sent to scores,he arrived ln l.e. His first show business client was "belting" too hard-while singing and dancing in him by Allan carr), who had been St{ley iut V"gut. Next, Bob Fosseand Gwen Verdon hired him to prepare New York by in retained also was He Charity. Sweet movie the for voice Maclalne's and Hal Prince to Richard Rogers,Alan Jay Lerner, Jules styne, David Merrick results grew, so did teach their irincipal ,ir,!"rr. And, as his reputation for getting to recommend a his list of star clientele. br"gory Peck once asked Frank Sinatra seth Riggs' Mr' see to him sent good voice teacher for his son Anthony-sinatra to study with Geoffrey sinatra also suggestedto Roger Moore that he send his son voice teacher' Seth. Mr. Rlggi is considered the entertainment world's top recording, and screen, stage, the for known But, altlh'oughSeth Riggs is best won over a half of a have students television p"rroriuliti"s he il"orks with, his other last ten the over million dollars in prizes, grants, scholarships,and fellowships Winners, Chicago's years. These u*urd, inclide four NationaiMetropolitan Opera Awards, Young Musicians wcN, Rockefeller Foundation Grants, the Frank sinatra opera Award, and National Foundation Awards, salzburg Mozart Festival Award, have successful Fulbright and Rotary Scholar:shipsto Europe' Se1tr1opera -pupils Staatsoper, La careerJsinging in lf4unich, Hamturg, Frankfurt, Saltzberg,Vienna, Europe' Scala,CovJntbarden and other mafor opera houses throughout voice technique international two In the summer of 1982,Mr. Riggs replaced was in charge of he where teachersat the Banff Centre near Lake Lolise in Canada, Government' He was also vocal technique for 33 opera singers for the canadian His diversity of studentsasked to work with 20 yon"s uJott from stratford' singersofpop,oPera,andmusicaltheater,aswellasactorsanddancershis technique' con"stantlyr"uffir*r the universality and practicality of of He draws over 1000new voice students Per year without advertising' pop and theatre musical of mixture these,40 percent are opera, and 60 percent a I to a 75-seatrecital hall students. He teachesirom his privite studio, which converts with a 20-foot stage.

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ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

He lecturesand conductsMaster Classeson vocal techniqueat collegesand universities throughout the United Statesand Canada. He also has assistedsome of the country's foremost doctors who specializein organic and functional disorders of the voice in vocal therapy (the elimination of vocal nodules,polyps, and various conditions of fibrosis). Consider a man who believeshis best credits include being kicked out of a national singing associationand severalcollegemusic facultiesfor encouraging pop and musical theatreteachingon an equal footing with opera,and you have seth Riggs. In the pragmatic world of show business,where time is money,seth Riggs,whose studentshave won 90 Grammy awards,is the man professionalsturn to for results. Seth Riggs

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Kathleen Riggs

EaelynHalus Associate VocalInstructor LosAngeles lohn Fluker Gospel StyleInstructor LosAngeles WendyWarshaw Associate VocalInstructor LosAngeles

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