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Foreword

wide diversity of singing styles that exists in the world today demands a singing technique-a way of using your voice-that can be applied in the performance of all those styles. If a singing technique can't be applied to eaerystyle of singing, something is wrong with that technique. That's the premise we began with when Alfred Publishing Company's editors Idiscussedthe development of a totally new kind of book about singinS. We and wanted to do something that had never been done before-publish a book that actually taught people how to sing. But where would we find the author? There was only one PersonI knew of who could fill such a tall order-Seth Riggs, consideredby many to be the best and most successfulvoice teacherin the United States. He iscertainly the busiest. No other teacher,past or present,has ever matched his phenomenal track record. His "Who's Who" of singers,actors,dancers,and entertainers students are a veritable throughout the world.* When you first meet Seth Riggs, you are overwhelmed by his dynamic personality, his flair for the outspoken, but most of all, his senseof purpose-his "mission" to clean up the messbeing made ofsingers' voices by voice teachersin schools,colleges,and private studios everywhere. The day I met with Seth about the possibility of putting his method in writing "Impossible,more people could benefit from his work, his initial reaction was, so you can't learn to sing from a book!" Well, I could understand his point of view. it's When Seth Riggs teaches, strictly on a one-to-onebasis. He quicklydiagnosesa to singers'svocal problems and then prescribesspecific exercises correct those one not easily adapted to the printed page. problems. It's a very individual Process, But we decidedto give it a try. Ithad to be done. I proceededto do my researchand to observehim closely over a period of severalmonths, trying to find a general or systematicapproach to something that, there was no questionabout it, was working miracles! The first time I sat in on a lesson,I thought I had gone to singers'heaven! Seth had his students doing incredible things with their voices-things you would have thought only those with a great natural gift could do. In the weeks that followed, "star" clientele he has most of the students I observedweren't even part of the like stars. becomeso famous for. But theysounded Like so many others,thesesingers-young and old-had struggled un"voice teachers"to increasetheir range and for successfully years with other * SeeAppendix for a listing of his clienteleon pg. 138.

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S/NG/NG FOR THE STARS

improve their tone quality. with Seth Riggs,however, the resultswere very different, and achievedin a very short time. You see,the Riggsmethod isapplication.Although he likes his studentsto understand basicprinciples the underlyinghis method, he feelsthat just telling you how your voice *orit doesnothing to help you sing. You have to know how to get it to workt Well, finally the "impossible"had beenaccomplished. The manuscript was complete,as well as an audio tape that actually demonstrates how to do the exercises usedin the training program.Yet, somethingwasn't right. oh, it was all there-the theory, the exercises, the facts. But that special all quality of the man you experience betweenthe actual momentsof instruction-his charisma,if you like-was missing. To remedythis, we includeda sectionentitled "The Author Speaks out," in which seth talks more informally about his method and responds very frankly (that is his way) to thecontroversialissues surroundingthe teachingof singing in this country and abroad. I am confidentthat readers this book will appreciate of and utilize its direct, no-nonsense approachto developinga workable vocal technique-to begin Singing For The Stars.

The Editor

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Preface

"Open "Place your throatl" the tone fonn'ardl" Oi.,g from your diaphragml" "Give "Keep your it more supportl" Sound...