An opera is a type of dramatic work or theatrical presentation which is set to music. Most operas attempt to tell a moving and dramatic story through instrumental music and vocalizations. Unlike musicals, however, operas typically contain no spoken dialogue, but rely solely on music to tell a story.
Operas are also more dramatic, or serious, than musicals, and they are also usually more poetic. The beginning of modern opera dates back to the Renaissance, when a group of aristocrats and artists in Florence — known as the Florentine Camerata — made an attempt to revive ancient Greek theater.
In , what is believed to be the first modern opera was written by Italian composer, Jacopo Peri. Unfortunately, this opera — entitled Dafne — has since been lost. These original operas were typically only meant for audiences of aristocrats and wealthy families. Today, opera houses and theaters grace nearly every major city on earth. Although operas are commonly thought of as entertainment for the wealthy and well-to-do, the stunning vocals and moving story lines of these types of performances are enough to move and delight any theatergoer.
One could say simply that an opera singer, well, sings. However, there is much more involved in an opera-singing career than merely vocalizing. An opera singer will typically need to memorize a variety of different musical numbers. Because many of the classical operas were written in foreign languages, particularly Italian, an opera singer should also be fluent in a number of different languages.
As for singing, an opera singer is typically required to practice for several hours each day. In some instances, these singers will practice nearly every day of the week, for weeks or months at a time. To help protect their voices, opera singers will often avoid anything that puts a strain on their vocal cords, such as smoking or shouting.
They also take special care of their bodies in order to prevent illness and stay hydrated. Performances often involve standing under hot theater lights and singing.
Dancing is also involved in some operas as well. An excellent place to start is with classical music, especially classical art songs.
These shorter songs are a great way to develop stamina and range without putting too much strain on your voice. There are many facets of opera about which people don't tend to think about. That's why you should take the time to learn from the best of the best. The best opera singers are those who are consistent in vocal quality and understand what they can and can't do.
If you watch performances with some of the best singers, you'll notice that they never push themselves and put in too much effort while they sing. They take care of their voices and don't take on roles that are not suitable for them. You should try to emulate the greats in this regard. As you continue learning to sing opera, you'll quickly discover what roles and styles are best suited to your voice.
By sticking to these, you'll be able to sing for longer and maintain a consistent quality throughout your career. Unlike other musicians who can put their instruments away at the end of the day, you're stuck living in yours forever. You can also take the time to learn various breathing exercises, or take up yoga, which teaches you to breathe effectively.
Professional opera singers take this training to the extreme. For example, they avoid coffee and dairy entirely because these things can cause acid reflux and excess mucus, thus compromising the performance. Opera is incredibly demanding on your body and requires both strength and stamina.
You can't develop these skills without putting in the necessary amount of effort, which means practicing daily. The same rule applies to all other singing disciplines, as everybody benefits from as much practice as possible. It helps develop stamina, strength, and skill, all of which are essential for you to perform at the highest level possible.
Really, you should be practicing singing exercises daily to get where you want to go. As with any workout routine, your practices should be structured, with a specific goal in mind.
Start by warming up your voice and practicing specific vocal techniques before moving onto more complex areas and songs. Your teacher should be able to assign you lessons that you can do at home, in addition to your regularly scheduled classes. There are also many books about the subject that you can study to supplement your lessons.
These can teach you new skills and help you hone existing ones. Follow key steps in learning how to practice singing to really hone in on your voice, which can be crucial for getting into Opera singing.
On the other side of the equation, as with working out, you can overdo practicing opera. That's why you should always listen to your body for signs of fatigue or strain and stop when you feel you've done enough.
These may be early signs of your child wanting to be an opera singer… they definitely were for me! Or maybe you have a general understanding of what pursuing classical music means, but opera is just way out there.
And what can I do to help them during their developing years? Have no fear! Your child can still pursue a successful career in the arts, regardless of your background. Believe it or not, my parents had zero formal musical training! Most of what you can do for your artistically gifted child is simply believe in them. My parents would always tell me I was doing a good job and that I was a good singer, which mattered a lot.
All they did was encourage me. Their constant encouragement helped my talent take shape. Voices need to grow into their own. In my opinion, around 15 years old is the perfect time to sign them up for serious voice lessons. If your child is aching for some singing training before that age, it is never too early to start learning to read music, memorize songs, or even learn basic acting techniques.
Learning other instruments is super helpful as well, but more on that later. These will help them immensely with their music-making when they are physically able to begin their classical vocal training. They need to have goosebumps.
Just like they did with my homework, they would press me to work on my music as well, and I would—begrudgingly. My mom put me in piano lessons because she knew it would help my college preparation, which it did. I took piano lessons for two years in high school. My advice? Start with a local voice teacher that other students and parents seem to like.
The biggest impact a good voice teacher will have is showing your child to love music. Trust your child and the expert you hired. How do you find a good teacher? Word of mouth is generally the best tool. Listen to their other students. Even if your child cracks on high notes, you have to allow their technique to develop as it will.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that it is the responsibility of the teacher to make progress in a positive way. Be patient at the beginning, because the voice teacher will have a lot of corrections to make after all that choir singing and pop singing. And they have only one hour a week to undo those bad habits. Their main job is to inspire. If your child enjoys singing less and less, perhaps singing is not for them. All they have to have is a nice sounding voice and keep their sound consistent.
Being loud is not important. They should be encouraged to sing with vibrato, match pitch, and control their volume. It would be nice for the teacher to introduce them to the 24 Italian Songs and learn one or two before college.
I did have a cassette tape remember those? I used to drive around in my Toyota Tercel, and blast that tape with my windows down like a badass. Their voices were so beautiful to me, and they still hold a special place in my heart today.
The harmonies they created with their voices were so fascinating to me and each singer had something unique about their voice.
Something interesting I did at that age was use this 4-track recording machine my dad bought me. I would sit in my room days on end and record myself singing the individual four parts then combine them together. I would even add beatboxing!
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