Dancer turned Singer

Ethan

Hello, all! I've been watching the youtube videos for a while, but I've only very recently started the course. I'm excited to start developing my and breaking the mold I've been told. I'm a musical theatre singer, and I've been classified as a "legit bass-baritone", and so that's what was embedded into my mind before I found KTVA on YouTube about a month ago. I initially got into singing through acting and dancing (something I've done for many, many years), and I've only been singing for about a year (I'm 16 years old), but I've often felt that how I've been classified has restricted me free truly thriving as a singer, especially since my voice is likely still developing (although I'm not sure). When I found KTVA and found out about how it was all about breaking out of that mold and becoming a singer and not a singing type, I started doing immense amounts of research into it. I quickly found that this was the kind of place for me, and the atmosphere felt so inviting and accepting to all different kinds of singers. I feel as though the course will definitely be useful, I can already tell from perusing through all the volumes that there is a lot of material here, and I look forward to going through it over the course of many months/years. One question though. As a traditional "bass singer" (or anyone with a voice that doesn't fit many songs) cover songs without changing the key? Are there ways to sing in a different register in order to sound like chest without destroying your voice? And on a side topic, anyone know of some cool bass songs of any genre (that aren't the Johnny Cashs or Frank Sinatras (as much as I love them))?

highmtn

Hi, Ethan.

We all have limitations somewhere up there or down there for our voices, but the classifications systems that most of the world imposes on us aren't necessarily valid. They're a starting point, but you are likely to find that you can broaden your vocal boundaries by quite a bit more than you may have previously believed.

We all have physiologies that come into play, but we can learn to move those boundaries, sometimes a little, and sometimes a lot. Part of that is determined by the work we put into it as individuals. At 16, you most likely still have some growth changes to go through, but if you work on your voice now, rather than waiting until you're 18 or 21, you may be able to influence that in the direction you want to go.

I only wish this program had been around way back when.

It will be interesting to watch and listen as you grow your voice and step beyond the bounds and out of the box. Will you sing high songs in the original key? Who knows? We haven't heard your voice yet, but you're just getting started, too, on a more serious effort to break the mold and forge your own destiny.

You have definitely come to the right place, and you are amongst friends, all on similar journeys.

Bob