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Dear John

Can a pop vocalist sing opera?

First published 2nd August 2007

Question:
I have been told on several occasions that my voice would suit classical singing, although I have always worked in the pop/R'n'B style. Is it too late to dip my toe into operatic waters?

Answer:
In addition to the performance-orientated career coaching I do, I also work with writers - sometimes on broadcast projects, sometimes on print publications. Not surprisingly, given the success of all things Harry Potter, enquiries from aspiring writers are increasingly centred on children's book ideas as much as on grown-up ones. My first question to those writers isn't about plot or characters but simply, "Are you doing a kid's book because you think it is easier than an adult novel?". Similarly, when receiving crime, science fiction or romance proposals, I ask, "Do you regularly read crime, science fiction or romance books?''. In the same way I have come across established singers who toy with crossing from pop to classical or vice versa, but in my experience you need to be doing so not because your pop work isn't moving as fast as you thought, and certainly not without expecting to do a lot of relearning to master a very different style of performance. However, if you are prepared to put the work in, it is never too late, as these two talented performers from Jude Kelly's exciting staging of Carmen Jones testify.

What the experts say:

Tsakane Valentine Maswanganyi

Tsakane, who plays Carmen Jones in the show, is an award-winning singer who studied at the University of Pretoria from 1996-9, and has worked her way up through the choruses of productions ranging from Aida to Turandot, to establish herself in featured and lead roles in shows such as Rigoletto and West Side Story. Coming to UK in 2003 to join the group Amici, she has recorded two albums with RCA Victor-Sony/BMG and has toured around the world.

"Although my mother inspired my interest in choral singing when I was growing up in Soweto, like most young people, opera was not the first type of material I began singing. What I did enjoy - which came the more I experimented with my vocals - was the opportunity to stretch and expand my repertoire, and that is how I moved into the classical field. I often compare singing in general and classical performance in particular to the kind of training an athlete goes through. You may have basic fitness and energy but you can't launch yourself into major sporting events without learning to harness those abilities through intensive practise of technique, some of which is going to make you ache a little as you use muscles in new ways - possibly muscles you didn't know you had. But the result of applying that discipline is freedom, not restriction. If you cast aside your preconceptions - either that classical is going to be easy just because you can sing in some other style, or hard just because you have never done it before - and approach it with an open mind and a willingness to learn and put in the work, you could well discover that it is the right career path for you."

Nadine Smith

The extraordinarily versatile Nadine Smith comes to Carmen Jones with a growing reputation on the London theatre, opera, jazz and musical circuit. She has appeared in productions as diverse as Peer Gynt, The Sound of Music and at venues as disparate as St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Jazz Cafe. She is a lead singer for the Harris Whelan big band, and lead singer, songwriter and arranger for the original funk rock band Izit-U. She is currently studying with Alison Wells and Elizabeth Harrison and with City Opera under the direction of Peter Crockford.

I am already working in a wide range of vocal styles, so appearing in Carmen Jones is, for me, not just an opportunity to expand my musical theatre experience, it is also an incredible chance to watch and learn from people like Tsakane and many of the other highly experienced classical artists in this production. I'm very confident in my own vocal abilities, but I have found the key to moving forward in any particular musical genre is to respect the hard work other artists have put into becoming expert in their own particular field, and to have both the humility and common sense to learn from their experience. There is a great team spirit on this production and I've found a great deal of generosity in people sharing what they can to help everyone do the best job possible, whether that is in the area of performance tips or make-up advice. I have also noticed that a common feature in performers who are good at what they do, is that they are equally open to learning from other people. It is an attitude I intend to keep practising both in my band and solo work and also in what I hope will be further work in classical and musical theatre.

John sums up

While it would make good copy to report that my interviews with both of our divas resulted in a cat fight of Carmen Jones proportions, the truth is that, exactly as you would expect from the comments above, they were both extremely complimentary about each other, and both refreshingly undogmatic about any supposed demarcations between classical and other types of music. However, it is equally obvious that, as Tsakane says, being relaxed and confident about one's ability to master any particular style of music is the result of something a little more than just the desire to have a go. You will need to put in the time and effort to really study and practise the particular techniques required, some of which may be different from the ones you are comfortable with in your own area of experience. Nadine's point - that you can augment your own practise by watching closely and learning from performers who have already put the work in - may seem like common sense, but in the sometimes 'me, me, me' world of performance, is not always as commonly used as it should be.

* Carmen Jones runs at the Royal Festival Hall from July 25th to September 2nd 2007. Details at www.southbankcentre.co.uk/carmenjones.
For details of Tsakane's work with Amici, check out www.amiciforever.com

* Nadine's work with Izit-U can be heard at www.myspace.com/izitu

* Feedback/queries are welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk
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