[Cake_in_Song]

After some of what I've read lately, it seems like lot's of people out there have conflicting appearences and voice types. I, for example, am finding that my strong soprano voice is awkward compared to my plain-jane appearence. I'm not hideously ugly, but I'm not going for any modelling jobs any time soon. The problem is, every time I find a role that seems to have a good vocal line for me (Cosette, Les Mis; Eliza, My Fair Lady; Johanna, Sweeney Todd, etc) the character is described as being beautiful. I've already lost a couple roles that I had the voice for because a prettier girl with a somewhat decent voice caught the directors eye. Does anyone else find this, or am I only making excuses for my lost roles?

My latest school pic, for reference (It's cropped a bit funny, but live with it:

[Quique]

I've been told that my voice sounds like that of a 6 ft. buff dude, lol. But I am, in reality, a 5'4" skinny dude who's 28 but looks all of 20. :S

Click here to listen to both my singing and speaking voice.

And here's me. I've posted these in the picture thread before. I don't know, you guys tell me if my voice fits my looks.

[Holly]

I've always felt like I look like an alto, but I don't know really...

The only recordings I have online are hidden somewhere, old, and kind of suck, unfortunately, but I'm a belty alto.

[<3Wilson<3]

Yea I am an alto, but sound somewhat childish when I sing, but my body doesn't fit that at all.

[NoOneMournsTheWicked]

I think my voice and look match well.

I'm a high soprano, and I think it matches pretty well with me, since I'm very petite and ingenue-y.

[Cake_in_Song]

[Ulla Dance Again!]

I'm very short, especially in this picture:




Though I'm small, I can belt like no body's business! I have a surprisingly strong voice that throws people off guard. Luckily I have a double range, but find that belting in an alto range is better for me (though I'm not too shabby in the soprano department either ).


Quique - you sort of look like Hugh Panaro a little bit in your first picture.

[Luc]

My voice matches my looks....

ugly.

[Kaiana]

Ulla dance again, this is off topic but you're gorgeous! I can see where a belt from you might be a little surprising. Mostly I guess it's your stature, your face looks like a belter.

[what_the_heck013]

Quique! I love your voice and you STOPPED before the best part.

Anyways, I have a very loud, baritone voice. I often sing very low, which surprises people because they always tell me that I "look like a tenor".

Here I am as a blond:

Here I am on my birthday:


Now picture the two pictures together (brown hair WITHOUT glasses) and that's me now.

I feel that my voice sound a lot older than I am (especially with my vibratto). If I am playing a young character (e.g. Rolf) or singing a youthful song (I'm Not That Smart) or just singing one of Mark's songs from Rent, I have a way of making my self sound younger, which I do by getting rid of my vibratto and singing in a slight headtone (Think Anthony Rapp).

[Annie]

hmmm....I don't know if I look my voice type. I don't know if I even have a type! I'm a mezzo/belter and tend to sing mostly ingenue songs, although I'm certainly not the ingenue look. I dunno, I'm quite girl-next-door, I guess.



Annie

[Beagle On Stage]

My voice matches my look. I'm petite and foxy, with a versatile look that can go as anything from innocent to sultry, depending on what's appropriate. You've all seen pictures.

I have a tenor voice with a high-though-versatile range, a relatively fast vibrato, and a pure, bright tone which can have a twist of vampiness when I want it to.

This is actually something I've thought about before. It's so weird when you hear a singer's voice without seeing them, and when you finally do, you think, for a variety of possible reasons, "How is that type of voice coming out of that type of look?" I think mine corresponds pretty well.

[LaurelDP]

I'm a big woman with a big voice.

It fits. I have a nice, rich tone with really extended vibrato. The vibrato is irritating to me, though, because I have a hard time controlling it, and i've never had formal training to learn how.

It's cool. I can sing higher and brighter, but it wouldn't fit my look. I've never been able to play a ingenue, or a young person at all for that matter. I can't play teen age even though I physically am.

[MaryMag]

I've complained quite a bit about my appearance not matching my voice type, though by doing more oprea and classical rep I'm sort of finding a place where my voice is more comfortable. I look terribly young and have a big, dark voice. But more irritating is that I have the range of a soprano but the sound of an alto. Therefore, I'm often cast in alto roles or put into an alto chorus. And that is irritating cuz my cords are happiest in my top octave.

[Matthew]

tenor...young boy looking.

[QuaxoCoricopat]

I sound like an ingenue, I've the range for an ingenue, but I've not always looked like one. It's true, you will loose roles if you don't look the part. It's not always a dealbreaker, but it can be. The fortunate thing is that for the most part looks can be changed, without major cosmetic surgery. .

A few small changes can make a big difference in how castable you are, simply because the director gets a new perception of who "you" are. Under all that glitter and make up, most models are not the most physically beautiful people in the world. By manipulating their dress and makeup they can suddenly look jaw-droppingly attractive.

Based off of my own experience I'll give you a breakdown:

1) Go to the beauty section of a large department store (like Younkers/Macy's/Nordstrom's) and tour the beauty counters and see if there's any of the print model's whose image catches your eye. I'd suggest Clinque, which specializes in the "young, fresh, natural" look. Most of these counters, if they're not too busy, are glad to give free makeovers to try and get you to buy their latest product. Take advantage of their expertise.

Makeup at these counters gets expensive, but you're not obligated to buy to get the makeover, and most are quite happy to write down/draw instructions for what they did, and provide color samples (like paint chips). Then head down the pharmacy (Walgreen's tends to have spectacular deals) and get colors that are fairly close.

2) Hair. It's something everyone has, but it's also an expression of one's personality. A change in haircut into a flattering style can cause people too look at you very differently.

Start out by looking through magazines for haircuts you really love. Clip out photos of your favorites, keeping in mind the shape of your face and your hair's texture. http://www.1001-hairstyles.com/hairstyles-shape.htm is a great place to start, and has a good advice section (which I've linked to) which can help you determine the right cut for your face.

Pick your favorite photo, and take it to a hairstylist. But pick one carefully, because what the hairstylist does you're going to have to live with.

Look at the customers inside the shop; are they primarily young women, soccer moms, or people who look like they could be your grandparents? At you're age you're going to want to go to a salon that caters to a younger clientele base as they're going to be hipper to the latest hairstyles.

Show the hairstylist your photo and ask her opinion. Most of them will tell you the truth about whether they think it will be flattering or not, most are also more than happy to come up with alternative ideas.

The haircut doesn't have to be expensive to look good, training salons are great places to meet young stylists on the cutting edge, and they'll cut for cheaper than most salons.

3) Clothing. Clothing says way more about a person than it really should, and if you're not careful it will start dictating your image more than you do.

Open your closet and look at your clothing. Is there a single color and style that's predominate? Even if it's your absolute favorite color or item, conciously choose not to purchase clothing like that for awhile. Start looking at clothing outside of your comfort zone (only have jeans? look at trousers. Have a lot of red? Try pink.). Don't immediately dismiss a mini-skirt because it's "not you". Try it on first with an open mind and you just might be suprised at what you find you like and look good in.

I cannot stress enough the importance of trying things on before you buy them and making sure that they're the right size, tag size be damned.

Clothing may be bought by anyone, but it doesn't mean it will look good on everyone. Finding cuts and styles that you like that are also flattering can be difficult. The "What Not to Wear" books are great at helping you pick out cuts that will flatter the body. It's also helpful to go with someone you trust to be honest with you so you can get a second opinion. Best friends aren't always up to this task.

Making sure your clothing fits your body is incredibly important, and is a mistake a lot of young women make. The number on the tag is a guideline that is for your eyes only. If an article of clothing cuts off circulation to parts of your body, and leaves big red marks, it's too small. If the outline of your body is almost perfectly rectangular, it's too big. Clothing should skim the surface of your body, not distort it.

Another important, and often neglected item is the bra. A bra that actually fits can be comfortable and flattering to the figure. A bra that's the wrong size will make clothes look funny. Victoria's Secret gives out free bra fittings that take less than five minutes. They'll also give you bras in that size to try on.

Updating your wardrobe does not have to be a costly endeavor. Walmart and Target have fashionable clothes in most sizes for cheap prices. A lot of the boutique stores like Victoria's Secret or the Gap have sales where one can scoop up bargins. Clearance racks are your friends. Consignment stores and outlet malls have bargins galore.

4) The most important thing to remember in all this is to make sure that you enjoy yourself. Don't try to make over your personality in order to match an image, it won't work and you'll end up looking like you're trying too hard. Your physical appearance is supposed to flatter your personality, not dominate it. If you manage that, then no one will really conciously notice that you've made a major change in your wardrobe.

[MsDivaKate]

Sometimes I feel that my voice fits my body type and other times I feel like its a little big.

Here's the song:





Here's the photo:

[
Keep in mind I'm 5'2". This picture was taken the day my friend reshot my headshot and afterwards we messed around with the camera taking "fun shots".


I'll let you all be the judge.

[happyguava]

I'm incredibly jealous of anyone who can successfully pull off "Glitter and Be Gay"!

I have never thought about whether my voice matches my look. I try to be as versatile as I can with singing in lots of different styles/voices (as I'm sure a lot of people do). I don't even know what kind of voice you would expect from someone who looks like me.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b76/happyguava/shell.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b76/happyguava/d049f2bf.jpg

What do you think?!

[Jekkienumber24601]

look like a bass/bari, but I'm a pure tenor.

[Quique]

Ahhh...MsDivaKate, I was trying to listen to your song but it won't load! There's just a question mark in place of the quicktime audio bar.

[MsDivaKate]

Oh no! It was working when I clicked on it!!

[Quique]

Oh, I think I know why it doesn't work...did you upload a Windows Media audio file?

Windows Media audio isn't supported on that site. They only support .wav; .mp3; midi.

I want to hear! Lovely pic by the way. =)

[MsDivaKate]

It was an mp3. It works when I click it. I'm sad that its not working! Hopefully it will work soon. I'm uploading some more mp3s from Candide to it now.

I'm definitely putting We Are Women up but I'm not sure what else. I'll post them here when I get them up and hopefully the blasted things will work.

[MsDivaKate]

I'm going to relink Glitter and Be Gay because Quique says its not working

http://media.putfile.com/Glitter-and-Be-Gay-42

-Glitter and Be Gay-


And here are two more, also from Candide:

http://media.putfile.com/We-Are-Women

-We Are Women-

http://media.putfile.com/Oh-Happy-We

-Oh Happy We-


...my picture is a few posts back. I'm still not sure I feel my voice matches with my body type. I'm quite small, yet I think my voice is too large at times. Plus I have a wicked range.

[jazzygirlsings]

I haven't listened to your voice, Kate, but you look like you have a pretty versatile look, overall...You look like you would make an adorable Cunegonde! I could see you doing a lot of juvenile roles, too- actually...Sally in YAGMCB, Sandy in Grease, etc.

You could do a number of fun pseudo-charactery roles as well...for some strange reason, I think you would make a great Ilona in "She Loves Me" or Hope in "Urinetown"...

You could also do some great leads...I think you would make a nice Laurey in Oklahoma! or Christine Colgate in DRS...I dunno...You have a great look!

And Cake in Song...Love you as I do, there comes a point when you have to accept who you are and embrace what you do well. I would KILL to be a great comedianne! The roles you are playing are usually the ones that steal the show!

As for your picture, I honestly think that a haircut would change your look dramatically...I have hair that's very similar to yours and I recently cut it to shoulder-length and layered it a bit so it has more lift. (Actually, see Kate's hair! That would probably look cute on you!) That might help you out, if you are looking for a fun change...It may not change your "type", but I know it would make you feel less like a "plain jane". It did for me! And perception of self is SO important!

[Salome]

I never thought about my voice fitting my look. my voice changes based on what style i am singing. what do you guys think..those who heard my clip from rocky horror.

[jazzygirlsings]

I think you're right, for the most part...I think looks can be adjusted somewhat...If hair is styled a certain way, if make-up is applied a certain way, costuming, etc...it doesn't take much to be convincing...

Where it gets a little sketchy is body-types...I know that sounds horrible, but it's true!

[opheliarose]

My voice is very high and young-sounding, and the wierd thing is that I've finally grown into looking like my voice! Literally, the older I get, the younger I get cast as- it's so wierd!

Next month I'll be playing a 13 year old opposite real teens. I just turned 30!

[Salome]

[jazzygirlsings]

I think you can do a little of both...especially if you are a versatile singer...

[Jenem]

I think Cake in a Song, you do have a fairly ingenue look, you look young and innocent with a natural type of beauty. Jazzy girl is right, all you need to work on is your presentation - experiment with makeup and hairstyles and always put your best foot forward. When I'm not performing I do hair and makeup design for shows and speaking from experience, I think you have a lot to work with - you would not believe the power of makeup and hair products! So, actually, I do think that your voice probably fits well with your look.

As for myself, I'm kinda in the midst of figuring myself out (as stated in preevious threads). I am not a soprano, but I suppose a fairly decent mezzo/alto who has really had to stretch to hit higher notes when cast in soprano roles. I've been told I look very ingenue-like, but perhaps more on the obviously pretty/glamourous side than a natural hidden beauty like Cinderella (think of Rachel Leigh Cook from She's All That I guess).

I guess a good example would be when I was cast as Daisy Mae; the directors were searching for a perfect lookalike to the cartoon version and when I walked in, thier mouths dropped to the floor and they probably could have cared less how well I sang.

My favourite role to date has been Audrey from LSOH because I could show off my strengths (characterization, self-depricating humour, belting, glamour!) and while sooo happy to have played the part, I fear I may not ever be able to find another role as perfect as this.

[Lazarus (Adam G)]

I don't have any pictures of me at the moment...

But I'm 16, very short (5'4 1/2), black hair, and a tenor voice that can reach down to bass up into soprano. I have no idea if I look like how I sing.

[mtgirl118]

I'm a n almost 14 (less than a month!) mezzo soprano with a mixed belt. Everyone always assumes I am a legit soprano and then they are suprized when out comes a pretty low note .
I don't know if I match my voice type. What do you think?

This photo was taken over the summer. My hair isn't naturally curly, it is normally straight.

This photo was taken over the summer. I highlighted my hair in September, so picture it a little lighter.
I will add a recent picture when I have one.

Ellen Marie

[Jekkienumber24601]

[Amber]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/evaduarte/IMG_1526.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/evaduarte/01664671.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/evaduarte/conlaaduke.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v333/evaduarte/HEADSHOT.jpg

That's me. I'm 5'6", 16 years old but look older. Seriously. Someone thought I was 23 the other day. I also have that double range thing going on- I'm currently playing Rose in "Bye Bye Birdie", which is a belty, brassy alto-ish role- but in April, I was in a revue singing the role of Lily Craven in our Secret Garden segment, which required going up to a high B flat. So I can sing both belty alto songs and then go to singing operatic or lyric soprano-type numbers too.

Video of "I Heard Someone Crying"
I Dreamed A Dream
Ironic (Alanis Morissette cover)

So I've no idea if my voice matches my look. I'm NOT the ingenue type, and always have played people much older than myself. It's funny because in Bye Bye Birdie, the show is double cast, so when I do not go on as Rose, I play Margie. A thirteen year old. Go figure

[LisaKitty]

Mine didn't used to. I am on the tall side for a woman (5'8") with a very voluptuous figure, but have a lyric legit soprano voice. Needless to say, an ingenue's voice in a character actress' body does not make casting directors happy.

Luckily, over the past couple years I have discovered my belt. I also have good comic timing. So now I'm getting the fun, vampy parts I always wanted, and am having the time of my life!

[jazzygirlsings]

[Ulla Dance Again!]

[Baker]

I think I look like a belty tenor - blond hair, blue eyes, all that. But yeah I sing baritone in choir (but now my voice teacher is having me sing more tenor stuff and it's sounding better than the low stuff... yay... still not belty though - Corner of the Sky from Pippin, Johanna from Sweeney Todd, and so on.)

[HeroTheBishop]

I look like a high baritone, and the timbre of my voice fits that sometimes. If we go strictly by note range I'm a bass/baritone; I recently played Caiaphas in JCS. Of course, before that I was the Emcee in Cabaret, so...

I'm recently settling more into my baritone range. Finding the middle ground.

[London_Mungojerrie]

I look like a 16 year old boy with a high tenor voice....But sound like a 40 year old baritone (think Neville from Secret Garden). I also have lots of vibrato so I sound even older I also sing bass....High baritone songs (eg. "How Long Must This Go On" from B&TB) are pushing my range.

I will try to get a video on youtube of me singing later today.

[The Duchess of Mint]

[The Duchess of Mint]

[Quique]

That's sweet of you Duchess.

[Aimee]

[broadway_baby416]

Weeeell...since you asked...I think my voice type matches my appearance dead-on...I have such a Christine Daae voice, and I have a picture of me SOMEwhere that I look precisely like Christine in. So, yes. BUT...my voice and appearance don't match my personality. How bizarre is that? I think if my voice matched my personality it would be a really big, Christina Aguilera belt. But it isn't. I can project and fake it, but it's not the same.

[Salome]

hopefully a christine daae voice doesnt mean a sarah brightman or emmy rossam voice. ugh

[Ulla Dance Again!]

Or Rebecca Pitcher.

[ChrisFitzpatrick]

^^^Camera Phone picture of my headshot.

I don't really think my face matches my voice. It's much deeper and more jock radio like, in my opinion.

[Amber]

Yeah, Chris, I wouldn't say your voice matches your look. You sound a lot older than you look, when you auditioned for Conrad, I was like "WHOA, I didn't know he could sing like that!!"

[candlestickjay]

I'm pretty versatile, and I can sing the engenue character, but I just don't look it 85% of the time. I wish I could figure out if my computer had a mike or not so I could get some opinions....^_^; But these are a couple of recent ones of me, one as Audrey and then my headshot from last year.

[Imy]

I'm 20, but look around 16-18, stick thin at about 5'7", blue eyes, light brown hair. I constantly get cast as younger roles.

And yep...I'm a belty tenor. Yay for when things match.

Although I'm often told that my voice is too big for my body...which makes sense. I can make a lot of noise.

[Quique]

MsDivaKate!!!!

Omfg...you have an INCREDIBLE voice!

I'm thoroughly impressed! You've got a new fan here now, lol! =)

[purplepolkadot]

If anyone remembers my pics...you can judge for yourself.

i have no idea.

[Quique]

Half the people here want for others to tell them if their looks match their voices but there are no audio clips to compare the pictures to!!! Hello? lol.

[MsDivaKate]

[candlestickjay]

[Amber]

I thought I posted clips, I dunno...

[MsDivaKate]

[Amber]

[jazzygirlsings]

[MademoiselleMusicals]

I feel my voice does.... I am small, curvy but am a soprano.

But don't know really!!!!

[step_together_step_touch]

I can be a handsome guy... when I work at it. lol I have a tendency to put on weight, but if I want to, I can lose it. I think my voice matches my body type good enough. Especially when I'm trim... but the thing that stops me from getting roles is my skin color/race. I'm hispanic and very much look hispanic. And there aren't that many hispanic roles out there in the MT world. I think some shows don't matter about race too much, but some directors are very weird about that. Both leads should be same race etc.

I think it may be weird at first, but if the the mix is talented, people will get over it.

[Quique]

^ Do you know for a fact that your race/skin color is what's keeping you from getting the roles you want? Or are you just assuming that's the case?

Since Hispanics come in all looks and colors, some Hispanics might more easily pass for other races/ethnicities than others. It really depends on the role. Most Hispanic men can/have played roles where the character is White. Again, unless it's very, very obvious that you're Hispanic (as in almost Indian looking), it shouldn't be a problem. Even then, they may still be able to fit you in.

I'm Hispanic too but not a performer, so I can't really offer any advice from experience since I have none, lol. But if you look at my picture a couple of pages back, while I obviously look Hispanic, I think I would be able to play a large variety of roles. Not just Hispanic ones. In fact, the thing working against me more than anything is my height. I'm a shorty at 5'4" Grrr. lol.

[step_together_step_touch]

^^^^

I'm not very fair skinned... I have a very hispanic appearance. The facial features, the skin tone... So physically I am, but I have no accent. I'm not saying it's the only thing keeping me from roles, but it's probably a large factor. A matter of matching the other actors or whatnot. It doesn't upset me or anything. It's just a fact I have to face.

I could easily play a middle eastern, indian, eastern indian, puerto rican, italian etc.

I love being what I am though

[Fantine]

Cake_in_song, I think you are rather beautiful

I guess I look more like an belter and maybe a mezzo soprano than the soprano that I am. Well, I guess you could qualify my voice timbre to be mezzo soprano, but I can sing higher.

I'm the typical medium height, medium built, strawberry-blonde, green eyes Fantine type of girl

[Fantine]

[Leon]

[quote="Fantine"]

[Leon]

[whimsical]

I'm tall ( 5'8 ) and thin but with curves. In other words, my body is very womanly. But I'm 21 and my voice is very "disney" -- a pure, innocent, mix/belty sound. My face and hair are also "cute." I've got dimples and curly hair. I'd be perfect for the Kerry Butler-ish type roles, but my height holds me back.

So far it hasn't been much of a problem...I've been able to play both types. I'm a bit worried about moving to New York -- it sounds so cut and dry when it comes to type. But whatever. I figure it'll all even out eventually.

[LisaKitty]

Mumsy -- I love your dress!!! I'm assuming you made it yourself, yes? It makes me think Fairy Queen in "Iolanthe".

[MaryMag]

MsDivaKate... Glitter and be Gay was glorious. Just lovely. And hilarious at appropriate times, as well. It sounds like you have a knack for not just singing, but also interpreting!

I have a clip of me singing 'Far From the Home I Love' from a performance of Fiddler on the Roof... but I like to think I've progressed a lot since then and therefore don't want anyone listening to it!

[broadwaybaby124]

I'm short (around 5feet, maybe 5'1"). I have a more nasaly speaking voice (think Kristen Chenoweth). I've also been told I sing like Chenoweth. I'm a soprano. I'd say my voice matches my appearance pretty well.

[Little_Nell]

I'm a belty alto but I don't think my voice is anything special unless I'm singing as part of a chorus (pretty good with harmonies) or putting on some funny voice. Sorry no clips at the moment... hoping to amend that though!

I guess my voice matches my looks - best suited to character roles, anything vaguely comical or unusual. I don't usually get cast in lead roles, which I think is because I don't sound or look like your average leading lady. Grrrrrreat! This particularly struck me when I saw this recent picture of myself...



See? Pulling a silly face!

I recently did 'Science Fiction Double Feature' from Rocky Horro at a recital and it seemed to work really well... that's the sort of song that suits my voice I think. I'd love to give Columbia a go sometime...

[Jordan]

I finally have an internet connection at my flat... I'll sort this out week after next or so...

I'm thinking of doing a Richard Burton-esque reading of the opening of War of the Worlds and then some 'normal' speaking and maybe singing summat from Les Mis...

[Tj@themusicals]

Hey all,
I've been told that I don't look anything like the way I sound....

You can see what I look and sound like by following this link...

http://www.myspace.com/tjatthemusicals

I'm BIG and I sing like a girl, but I'm comfortable with that

xx

[Jenem]

Hey Little_Nel, I think you look like Katherine McPhee from American Idol, and she could surely be a leading lady. I even recall reading an article about her previous playing Annie in Annie Get Your Gun.

[Broadwaybelter]

I'm thin now, but when i was 10 i was a stick i have a huge belt voice and everyone would always ask me "where did that come from? you should have a sweet soprano voice!"
I think it is more fun to not match how you look it throws people off and you get noticed for jobs more often.