Belting

[IdinaRocks]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 1:18am

Hey, I've been looking at different colleges and stuff, and a lot of them say that for the auditions you can choose to show off your "belt" voice if you want.....would I even have a chance at getting in to the really good schools without belting my audition? I have a very strong mix, but I don't really feel comfortable singing in only chest right now, and I feel like everyone else in this field does. I'm just not sure how much of a disadvantage it will give me.

[gumbo2]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 4:10am

If you're not comfortable belting, I say don't. As long as you've got contrasting songs that really show off your voice, I don't think they'll care that you can't belt, especially if you've got a strong mix. There are plenty of singers who don't have especially strong belts, and it could even make you stand out if your voice is different than others they see

[duroc]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 8:33pm

I'm just curious, since I don't know much about singing - what exactly is 'belting'?

[justagirl2]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 10:35pm

Belting is using your chest voice, typically in lower keys. A majority of the time, lower voice parts do it. For example, I'm a soprano and couldn't belt if my life depended on it. Kind of like yelling but with tone, vibrato, all the technical singing stuff.

Think Idina.

[hannahshule]

Posted: 1/2/06 at 11:54pm

ethel merman is the #1 belter, think of that (typically) loud, very forceful quality in the voice. A good belting song that isn't too belty is "Buenos Aires" from Evita, it's more like volumnous singing. Good Luck
PS, don't do anything you're not comfortable doing, whatever song you sing, it should knock 'em dead

[duroc]

Posted: 1/3/06 at 10:44am

ah. thanks for the explanation guys!

[Rumpleteazer]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 12:58am

Hey you're at an advantage looking at it that way. Most people see the word belt and go "ok!!!" so then you gotta look at it from the judges perspective... they go through hundreds of auditions and they all belt and then you come in and you do your mix/head voice and it'll be refreshing, it'll be something they'll remember. And that is always a plus.
Just make sure that if you do need two contrasting songs that they do contrast majorly in some way!

[jeremykushnier1fan]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 11:07am

Belting = Idina Menzel

[dramatothemax]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 3:19pm

I think when they say 'belt if you'd like etc etc' they mean just show what you can do. Like show off your strongest vocal quality. I agree with Rumpleteazer...it'll be refreshing for the judges! And plus, mixing is much healthier than belting.

[Sporti2005]

Posted: 1/4/06 at 8:23pm

idina has a POP belt thought, which is completely different.

for a real belter, i would say think of ethel merman, yes, but don't be scared by her tone. belting can be not as...harsh (?) sounding as that. think of sarah jessica parker in "once upon a mattress" instead of ethel merman, i'd say. she's not the best known belter, but that's more the tone i think belting typically is.

you're fine with a really good mix.