The use of bel canto techniques to develop healthy vocal techniques in adolescent singers who belt

Abstract

Competitions such as Idols, The Voice, The X Factor and America's Got Talent inspire many adolescent singers to venture into the world of the performing arts. Mastering the art of belting is necessary for singers who want to perform contemporary commercial music. However, there are some experts who warn that, if not applied carefully, this technique might damage the voice, especially the young adolescent voice that is still not fully developed. The bel canto technique is used by singers who perform Western art music at relatively high intensity for extended periods of time (as in opera performance), while maintaining vocal health and longevity. The researcher followed a qualitative research design and set the research within an interpretive/constructivist paradigm. The purpose of this conceptual study on which this research report is based is to explain how bel canto techniques might be used to develop healthy vocal techniques in adolescents who want to belt. Data were collected by systematically scrutinizing the literature on the main concepts, namely the adolescent voice, bel canto and belting. The data were subjected to coding in order to determine categories and sub-categories. Based on the analysis of the data, the research report argues that adolescents who want to perform contemporary commercial music using the belting technique might benefit from first mastering the breathing process, as well as the vowel formation used in bel canto. Once they have an understanding of how it feels to sing in a way that feels more natural, they can begin to attempt the belting technique, which requires more muscular activity.