Performing with breaking voice - tips anybody?

[Hecouldshine]

Has anyone got any tips that would help ds get through the next week his voice is breaking

He has a number of solos to perform next saturday at a matinee and evening performance and he is struggling with the top notes. He was able to get the top notes by sacrificing volume, at the last performances a month ago but I think it is going to be even harder now. His main solos are two songs when he plays Joseph, singing Close every door to Me and Any Dream will Do. He has the full cast singing with him for some of one of them, and 4 people in another so he needs enough volume to be heard over the others at times as they aren't using mikes as it is in a small theatre. They can't change the key because they are using backing tracks, and because they have all the other singers to think of. He already goes down an octave suddenly half way through one of those two, which is slightly odd sounding but better than not making the top notes

Please please if you have any suggestions that will help him get through 2 performances.....

[pg]

Oh, how I sympathise! I wish I could offer some tips, I'm afraid I don't really have any, but I know how much anxiety this can cause.

My son's voice broke during rehearsals for an amateur production of Oliver (when he was playing Oliver...) and it caused him considerable distress. The only thing I can say is to try to offer him reassurance that the problems will be far more obvious to him than to the audience and to trust that his performance skills will see him through. "Putting the song across" has saved many a performance that has not been technically perfect.

Very best of luck to him.

[Hecouldshine]

Thank you for that reassurance pg

I guess I notice it more as a parent because I can remember his voice 6 months earlier hitting those notes solidly, and you long for the audience to hear what his voice used to be like! As you say, delivering it with all his performance skills, and the audience not knowing any better, is OK. I'm sorry your ds had such a hard time in Oliver - I think those solos must be much harder with a breaking voice

[bruno2]

I think the same problem has happened with valleydoll and mogs, both ds have recently gone through the same thing . I believe they are also performing Joseph. Perhaps you could drop them a pm and see if they has any tips. Dont worry I can vouch for both of them, they both like a good chat !! Good luck to your ds Im sure he will get through this difficult time and the outcome will be fantastic.

Sorry it didnt happen to valleydolls ds it was puds ds. I think mogs have been through it , sounds really hard for the little guys and their mums.

[cops22]

Can the others that are singing with him help him out???? Surely ther is some way to let them sing those lines along with him, he could take a lower harmony line and they or one of them ccould sing the top??? if done right no-one should be any the wiser....

[Hecouldshine]

Thanks for the suggestions bruno2 and cops22

I think getting help from the others is a good idea cops22. I will ask if there is time for them to try it before saturday. If needs be maybe dd could help him out as she has a very strong voice, is singing in both, and we could rehearse it at home, if their Director agrees something along those lines.

Bruno2 I always feel embarrassed PMing people out of the blue but will pluck up the courage Thanks for the support. It is nice to know we aren't alone in going through this

[mogs]

Hecouldshine-i have just pm'd you and then read your post. Maybe i should have done it the other way around as i didnt realise how soon he was singing
My ds was also told to gargle with warm water or honey before the shows he did. Could the narrator help him out with close every door? or sing down instead of going up on the higher notes? It is frustrating when you know that he could sing it so easily a month ago. I'd tell him to concentrate on his performance and just enjoy it because if he's enjoying it, the audience will love him anyway. Wish him luck for the show.
As for sending me a pm, i didnt mind at all. Like Bruno says, we like a good chat

[Hecouldshine]

Thank you mogs for your lovely lovely PM. It was so helpful . And thank you for the tips here Ds not a fan of manuka honey but I am - so will get him to read your post, and the PM

[Welsh Mum]

You can now get manuka honey lozenges and my DD finds them very good. I buy them in Boots - try to get them on 3 for 2

[mogs]

Hecouldshine-You're welcome. Only hope it will help him.
Welshmum - Thanks for that. Always good for when their throats are a liitle sore.

[Hecouldshine]

Thanks again mogs

You can now get manuka honey lozenges and my DD finds them very good. I buy them in Boots - try to get them on 3 for 2

Thanks Welsh Mum. Will look for these today he point blank refused to have any manuka honey last night

[puds]

Hi there,
This has come to late now but my sons voice is also breaking and also playing Joseph, he is a soprano and his voice seems to be breaking in the middle notes, very gradually and it seems to get tied a lot quicker. I have been doing some research and the most I have learned is that to keep singing and I watch that he doesn't over stretch himself . giving him extra breaks and plenty of water. I know its hard for them as my Ds gets annoyed as its quite hard to control and his singing teacher did advise not to sing in public more not to put pressure on him as it might harm his confidence but he's fine at the moment he understands what's going on but he is finishing off his commitments and I will encourage him not to take on any more, (I don't know whether that's more for me as I get really stressed out sitting in the audience waiting for the screech lol

Also I have heard the vocal exercise "Siren" seem to help but to be honest I don't know if it works, as its hard to tell when his voice is unstable anyway.I'm sorry I can't be of any more help but there doesn't seem to be much info out there, my son also is not a fan of manuka honey last time he performed I made him have teaspoon and he nearly threw up - not good! If I find any info more info I will let you know and Good Luck with the break and all the changes that come with a stroppy teenagers, I may strangle him before his voice even settles lol

[Hecouldshine]

Just to report HE DID IT

Top notes were a little thin and wavery but gorgeous low voice coming through now, with some volume. I'm sooo relieved that is over.

Thank you for your tips everyone

Now I've suddenly realised there is a whole new world out there.......we need some good audition songs for 14 year olds with a broken voice....... HELP ANYONE

[Hecouldshine]

Hi there,
This has come to late now but my sons voice is also breaking and also playing Joseph, he is a soprano and his voice seems to be breaking in the middle notes, very gradually and it seems to get tied a lot quicker. I have been doing some research and the most I have learned is that to keep singing and I watch that he doesn't over stretch himself . giving him extra breaks and plenty of water. I know its hard for them as my Ds gets annoyed as its quite hard to control and his singing teacher did advise not to sing in public more not to put pressure on him as it might harm his confidence but he's fine at the moment he understands what's going on but he is finishing off his commitments and I will encourage him not to take on any more, (I don't know whether that's more for me as I get really stressed out sitting in the audience waiting for the screech lol

Also I have heard the vocal exercise "Siren" seem to help but to be honest I don't know if it works, as its hard to tell when his voice is unstable anyway.I'm sorry I can't be of any more help but there doesn't seem to be much info out there, my son also is not a fan of manuka honey last time he performed I made him have teaspoon and he nearly threw up - not good! If I find any info more info I will let you know and Good Luck with the break and all the changes that come with a stroppy teenagers, I may strangle him before his voice even settles lol

Cross posted with you puds

Thank you very much for that. I can totally empathise with the STRESS of sitting in the audience When is your ds performing his Joseph? Good Luck with it

Had never heard of siren so will ask ds if he knows about it. To be honest he only has a few singing lessons outside of his musical theatre classes so he will probably concentrate on his dance now until the autumn when hopefully the new voice will be ready for fresh auditions in a lower register (suggestions please for good audition songs .......)

[islandofsodor]

Sirening is a really good excercise. If you say the word sing holding the ng at the end then take it up and down like a police siren on a ng using as little breath as possible. You can then hear where the crack/break is and work on it by making sure your head and neck are long and allowing your soft palate to raise.

To be honest it is best done under the guidance of an experienced teacher as they will be able to explain exactly what to do diring the siren to get through the cracks. It is also a brilliant warm up as you can do it really quietly whilst waiting for an audition/in the wings/on the train on the way to an audition!