Unlike instrumentalists, many singers are not aware of their ‘absolute vocal range’. Knowing one’s true phonatable range, rather than just performable range, is an integral aspect of a singer’s self-knowledge and vocal identity.

In this workshop, participants will learn strategies to easily determine absolute range. Then, selected participants will be able to explore vocal registers based on vocal fold vibrational patterns (M1 “chest voice” & M2 “head voice’) across a typical 3 1/3 octave (40-41 semitone) range. Techniques include varying head positions, finding “belter’s bite”, and the use of sirens to extend vocal registers beyond the traditional pitch limitations in an easy-to-produce and safe manner. Finally, the controversy over the term “mix’ and its approximately 18 different meanings will be discussed.