How I changed my voice to sound like a 16-year-old singer - vocal technique
What are the vocal techniques required to sound younger?
Vocal coaching expert and singer Dr Anikó Tóth breaks down the techniques.
‘Cast’ - song featured in John Carpenter’s Tales for a HalloweeNight.
Cast
is a song by Steve Kilpatrick, lyrics by Mike Sizemore
Screenplay / music video by Matthew Lawrence of Macabre Pictures (cinematography Jamie Burr), inspired by the story Cast by Mike Sizemore in graphic novel John Carpenter’s Tales for a HalloweeNight, art by Dave Kennedy.
Casting for Cast
So, before you get confused, the dark-haired, 16-year-old character Molly is played by Alannah Marie in this music video. That’s me as the enigmatic Witch who Molly chases through the woods.
But, did you know that the recording featured my vocal performance as 16-year-old Molly (to which Alannah mimed. Excellently, I might add!*)?
Singing as 16-year-old Molly.
Why would you want to sound different from your usual voice?
As singers, we are often asked to be versatile, to perform a variety of styles, even things that are very different from our usual voice, simply for practical reasons. We need to create a character in pop or musical theater, or even contemporary or baroque opera…
(I’m thinking Patricia Petibon’s performance of In Praise of Folly from Rameau’s Platée, a baroque opera on her album - playful live performance here. Although Mireille Delunsch’s live performance shows even more vocal contrast, like from 01:44!).
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for the athleticism and expertise of single-style singers, like opera singers! The dance equivalent is ballet. It’s great if you can reach the highest heights of being a ballet dancer, but if your body wants to do other things; you’re older, or… you have a wider interest or versatility, you can explore other genres. Same with voice.
The more versatility a singer is able to access, to more access to a variety of work she can take on. This is particularly important in a field like musical theater, where the genre itself encompasses a range of styles, from jazz to classical (legit) to contemporary.
Check out the amazing Kelli O’Hara singing ‘They Don’t Let You in the Opera’ for a perfect example of this, in concert. (scroll to 03:25 for the first contrast and to 7:00 for the second switch of styles. I will do an analysis of this in another blog post!).
Now, back to the HOW…
How I changed my voice…
So, as a non-16-year old (Ahem!), what technical, physical changes did I need to make to sound much younger?
Well, the secret is in a previous blogpost, where I, as a vocal coaching expert, encourage you to explore your inner cartoon character.
Have you guessed the technique yet?
Yep, it’s TWANG!
But, what else?…
Vocal Techniques I used
Falsetto / Mode 2 (Breathy!)
At the start, verse 1 (00:00-01:04), I use a very breathy tone in the falsetto register, what voice scientists call Mode 2. (Some would call this ‘female’ falsetto to distinguish it from the very light ‘chest’ singing men can do at the top of their range that is still within the Mode 1 / ‘chest’ register).
When coaching young girls, I tend to call falsetto the Princess voice. Adding breathiness evokes vulnerability and tentativeness, which Molly may be feeling as she is calling on the Witch in the spell she begins to cast (Hence ‘Cast’ for the title, right?).
CCM / Thick Folds / ‘Chest’
From verse 2 (01:13), I use a thick fold (Mode 1 in voice science terms) sound used by Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM, AKA Pop) singers. For this, the song had to be written by songwriter Steve Kilpatrick in a key that lent itself to this type of singing. Too high, and a singer may be forced into the lighter, hootier ‘head’ register or Mode 2 because of the mechanics of the larynx.
‘Cast’ was recorded in a Dd minor / C# minor mode. This means the range of the song is B3 to F#4 (Gb4). This is middle range for a mezzo soprano vocalist.
Also, using such a small range of 5 notes kept the melody simple and perhaps attempted to mirror the simplicity of a young person’s songwriting style.
Steve used a capo when recording the guitar accompaniment to bring the vocal line up a major 3rd from A minor, and I sang down an octave.
(If you’re interested in recording processes, check out songwriter Steve Kilpatrick’s geeky take on how he recorded the reverb for this song.)
Twang
I can mix twang into both falsetto (Mode 2) and thick fold (Mode 1) singing, as I do throughout ‘Cast’.
So, for **twang, what happens is the larynx is squeezed upward, creating a smaller space and, therefore, a brighter sound, boosting higher harmonics. This technique is also used by voice actors (including me) to create the sound of a young child.
“But you don’t sound like a young child OR a cartoon character in Cast!,” you may be exclaiming.
That’s right. Because using pure twang is too extreme and unnatural for a song like ‘Cast’ and doesn’t give the impression of a youthful, yet pretty voice.
Cry
Adding a little bit of a crying or weeping sound to the mix creates a warmer tone by boosting some of the lower harmonics of the voice. This is where the pretty tone comes in.
There is also a sense of emotional earnestness required to bring in more passion as the dynamics of the singing grow.
Also, when we ‘cry’ (see Jo Estill’s vocal qualities, also referenced by Gillyanne Kayes in Singing and the Actor, 2004), the vocal folds are slightly stretched. They are then able to create a relaxed, natural warble that adds to the warmth and accessibility of the tone. This is called vibrato.
You hear vibrato from verse 2 (01:13) only. The breathy tone from verse 1 does not lend itself to creating vibrato. The straight tone adds to the vulnerability and tentativeness Molly feels; there is more confidence in the stronger voice with vibrato.
Mouth shape
The additional thing needed for effective CCM singing and for the youthful sound is a smiled mouth shape. This also brightens the tone…
Here I am as the singer in ‘Cast’. See the wide, smiling mouth?
…And contrasts with the ‘plummy’ sound of opera or classic musical theater (AKA legit), which is partly created by a really dropped jaw and protruding lips, as below.
Here I am, singing classically in my original performance art piece Woman on a Box.
* What is interesting is that Alannah’s mouth shape in the video is a little less wide and smiling, perhaps due to her classical vocal training. Can you see the difference in this part of the clip at 01:22?
Vocal Technique sum up
So, to create the youthful sound for the ‘Cast’ recording, I used twang in both the breathy falsetto verse 1 and the chesty verse 2. My mouth position was wide and smiling, and I added a little ‘cry’ from verse 2 to boost a few more lower harmonics for a warmer tone and for a natural vibrato.
There were also breath pressure and microphone position considerations…
Get in touch if you want more detail on this in a later blog!
** By the way, American voices tend already to have quite a lot of twang, if they are used healthily and efficiently. It’s part of the accent. If you’re not American, you may need to add a heavier dose. If you are American, you may not need to work very hard at this at all!
While I speak with an American accent, my first training was in choral and classical voice, so I have a tendency to speak and sing with a more naturally lower larynx. I, personally, had to think up to twang up for this character voice.
Remember, each vocal performer’s voice is different, has different needs, challenges and tension points! There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’, just a range of tools to access YOUR BEST VOICE.
When you are ready to explore and develop your own voice, Koko Vocals Vocal Coaching is here for you!
🌈🌈🌈 Koko Vocals is proud to support Pride Month and the LGBTQIA+ community. 🌈🌈🌈
Addendum:
If you’re interested in general music and art geekery, Alannah Marie’s blogs are academically-informed (she’s actually a PhD-ed composer, as well! My, but I am in great company!), refreshingly playful and very varied!
Alannah Marie
Photo by Craig Brannon and Jâle Özakinci, Venture Studios
She also does free online lectures on a variety of art subjects, including composition, acting, her own artistic practice, and philosophy.