How to Sing Like Your Favorite Princess

Hello fellow music lovers! It has been quite a while... I thought I'd use this unexpected down time to create a video on one of my most favorite topics... the voices of the Disney Princesses! This is a video I created for My Music Match, a company I teach with that matches students with teachers based on their preferences, goals, and budget! In this video, I break down how to practice these songs, giving you some exercises to try for different concepts. I also go through a timeline of the vocal sounds of all the princesses, from Snow White to Moana. I've created a Spotify playlist to go along with it, so feel free to pause the video as you go along and play the tracks to hear the concepts in action.

Spotify playlist link: 
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/186riOQbzUl8eqhWAA7Cn8?si=n0THgbVJRoubH34PCNVvKQ

• Don't go crazy warming up in your upper register. Focus on breathing exercises that will help you build a solid foundation. This will make it easier to sing in your head voice with support. Warming up exclusively in your upper register will tire you out!
• These songs are more similar stylistically to Musical Theatre than they are to Pop. What this means is:
  • You won't hear any glottal onsets
  • What you will hear is very clear, enunciated diction
  • For the most part, there aren't ornamental scoops or riffs
• The Princesses fall into 3 "eras" of vocal sounds:
  • 1. Golden Age (1930s-1950s) - This sound is more classical in nature, with tall vowel shapes and vibrato throughout.
  • 2. Renaissance (1980s-1990s) - This sound is between the Golden Age and Modern sounds, still has vibrato, but the vowel shapes are slightly more lateral and thus more conversational. 
  • 3. Modern (2000s-2010s) - This sound features even more lateral vowel shapes, more forward placement/nasal resonance, and less vibrato. 
    • Tiana is the exception to the no scoops or riffs rule, since her sound is more influenced by jazz, blues and gospel. Her sound is more chest/belt than it is mix/head focused.
• Most importantly, trust your sound, don't force it! It's important to understand the stylistic differences of different time periods, but your voice may not sound like your favorite princess recording, especially if you are younger. Your voice is still developing! Trying to force your sound into something it isn't will cause unwanted tension in your jaw, neck and other parts of your body. Trust yourself and your teacher, and build a strong foundation with good technique, and these songs will be a piece of cake!

❤️ 🎶,

Alex