Ask the Expert: Finding Your Voice

The art of singing can be found anywhere and at any moment, from shy singers belting a favorite song in the shower to recording artists playing at a concert hall in front of thousands of adoring fans. Whatever the starting level, it is possible to develop a singing voice from crooning in the car to performing on stage with some advice from a local expert.

Mansfield resident Dalton Derr, a bass baritone, said among other things aspiring singers must possess a gift for singing, the desire and the awareness to develop it, and the passion to pursue it. He discovered his own gift for singing while at college at Wittenburg University.

“Between my junior and senior year I wanted to find out a facet about my voice that was troubling,” said Derr. “I noticed when I sang in some large public affairs that periodically my voice would get big. And I didn’t know if that was a distortion, or what it was.”

After working with his father to discover his gift Derr worked for many years as a professional singer, even singing with the Metropolitan Opera for one year. His first agent was Janet Hall.

During this time Derr studied voice under Madame Julia Drobner and Cornelia Reid. But it was while studying under Cornelius Reid, author of “The Free Voice: A Guide to Natural Singing,” that Derr discovered a major moment in developing his voice.

“You allow the voice to happen, you keep the voice free, you don’t make it happen, that’s huge,” said Derr. “The voice has to be free and open. If it’s something you make happen, you’re going to do damage.”

Derr explained in order to keep the voice free and without strain, it is important to work gradually to the sound instead of “making it happen.”

“I would sit down at times when I would practice, and I would experiment with the voice – I’d experiment with the upper and lower register, and play with the voice,” said Derr. “The major limitation is pain. Pain is a great advantage to us – if we didn’t have pain, look how we would easily destroy ourselves. If you’re doing something vocally that hurts, stop. That’s one of the major lessons.”

Derr explained the voice has two major registers, the chest and the head. The head voice produces a light falsetto, and the chest voice produces heavy, lower notes.

By working these two registers gradually and without pain, it is possible to create a seamless voice.

“The voice is capable of doing that as long as there is no pain,” said Derr.

In addition to working the upper and lower register of the voice, it is important to learn how to breathe correctly. Derr noted in order to support the voice it is important to breathe deeply and fully. He also stated it is important to work the voice like a muscle in order to increase stamina.

“The complexity of the instrument is muscular, so if you don’t use it you lose it,” said Derr. “ I used to try to vocalize for an hour. Now I normally sing in my car, then you stop for a light and look over and say hello. The car is a good place to sing in, you’re not usually bothering anybody.”

To become an effective singer, Derr stated it is important not only have to have the ability to make a sound that’s attractive, but also to have the appearance, the ability to move, and to be entertaining. But most importantly, effective singers must be able to sing in tune.

“Singers that are popular are popular not only because they are gifted, but also because they can sing in tune,” said Derr. “You don’t have to know anything about music to know you don’t want to listen to that.”

Besides voice education and development, at the very core Derr believes a singer must have the gift. Just like a sprinter is born with certain muscle structure allowing for speed, Derr believes singers are given certain abilities, certain vocal cords, certain muscle structure and certain resonant areas in the skull.

“The only reason I became interested in opera is because my voice could do it – I allowed everything to open up and create a big, resonant sound. Not everybody can do that,” he said. “There is a giftedness, a passion, a desire, a realization and awareness.”

Still, Derr believes the art of singing should be simple and not overly complex, free and easy to listen to. It’s an appreciation that began with a simple fascination with the human voice.

“The voice is one of the most remarkable instruments ever,” he said. “It is possible to create unlimited sounds.”

“The voice has to be free and open. If it’s something you make happen, you’re going to do damage,” said Dalton Derr.