Opera Singer Coaches Classically Abby | Aubrey Lauren
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- čas přidán 29. 10. 2020
- #classicallyabby #voicecoach #aubreylauren I'm not a religion or political channel, but I certainly have a lot to say about Abby. This has been edited down from 1.5 hours of talking to the current amount! If you would like to hear more about what I have to say RE the technique etc, please stick around and subscribe!
Enjoy this video, and if you want to take lessons, I promise to be nicer.
www.lessonface.com/AubreyLauren
www.aubrey-lauren.com - Hudba
Can I sing? Absolutely not. Am I taking notes? Absolutely.
We all can learn a lot from each other!
I found this video to be incredibly interesting and I cannot sing and I don't even have a real interest in trying. I would have loved to be able to at least be a decent singer at one point, but it would take a lot of work for me to turn my voice into an instrument...and unfortunately that's just not a realistic goal for me at this busy point in my life. I think it would be cool to be able to sing, it's just not a priority of mine
@@breeelauren While agree with her political views, I think that she definitely improve on her vocal skills. Renee Fleming is a great singer to look up to, she has a great voice.
Andreas Ranthe 🤢🤮 Her singing is far better than her oppressive political stances.
@@ericdecker2914 OK leftist snowflake.
This comment is for all my people that don't know opera but CZcams recommended this cuz he just knows you like Abby getting roasted
I made this video for fun to try and learn how to do basic video editing during quarantine about two/three months ago 😂 I kind of am shocked at how the algorithm must have found me!
I love opera but I also love to see Abby get roasted so for me it’s a double win
@@rachelberrythegleequeen.3221 same.
Nothing is more satisfying lol
Exactly my fren
POV: that one girl who thinks having vibrato is ✨opera✨
I don't even have that much vibrato
@@mettapeachhead2076 You guys are getting vibrato?
!!!!!!THIS!!!!!!
I was born with natural vibrato and I had to learn how to control it cuz... Yes vibrato is pretty, but too much of it can ruin the sound of a song
@@thepeacepolice9373 Same and you're exactly right about learning to control it. I'm still learning rn.
Her vibrato is a bit too much. I was told as a violinist that vibrato is like condiments, they’re cool and they add to the food but you can’t put them on everything.
I had a professor say “vibrato is for choice moments”. There’s a very delicate dance for singers and their vibrato, since it hides many small discrepancies in pitch which is useful, but to show true prowess, there’s a lot to be said about singers who can utilize many styles of singing. Straight toned, vibrato, opera, rock...handling diversity is the best to see how deep the relationship one has to their voice. 😊
It is too much and her tone like Aubrey said it’s just way too dark and it really doesn’t sound good and please don’t kill me for giving my two cents I’m not a singer professionally I just think for fun but I do remember these things from chorus class and my chorus teacher always said that you need to keep it light and don’t go crazy on the vibrato because it can get really really annoying really really fast
Leave me and my sesame oil that I add on EVERYTHING alone 😭😭😭😭
This is some amazing advice. I'll start putting that in like....all of my music
I do want to note that vibrato is a very different topic for a violinist than it is for a vocalist. Vibrato is a natural effect for singers that is the result of healthy, sustainable, and relaxed technique. Of course it is possible to sing straight tone healthily, but I've always been taught to think of vibrato as the default and straight tone as something to be added only with a purpose. The reason Abby's vibrato is unpleasant is because it is forced--it sounds like she is manipulating her air and larynx to create vibrato rather than letting it come in naturally.
I feel like she felt the need to point out the phantom wasnt an opera, then proceeded to sing as if it were an opera 🤣
I didn’t even think about that but you’re right 😂 she missed the point of her own video
Just what I was thinking! Sure sounded like opera to me lol
Abbie sang it as if it was a caricature of opera, what opera haters think opera sounds like.
I don't think her voice is really a Christine; she sounds more like a Carlotta
I think I have to agree with you!
I really enjoy this comment
That’s the most subtle yet effective burn I’ve heard in a while
me not getting the reference 👁👄👁
@@sophierenatajubilee8521 have you seen the Phantom of the Opera? Christine is the character singing this song, carlotta is another character in the show. Carlotta has a beautiful voice, but not as good as Christine, I think, and I think most people agree.
Abby sounds like I used to as a kid when I was messing around and pretending to be a melodramatic opera singer to make my friends laugh
MOOD!
LMFAFGUIKJI
Yep.
Lol Abby who insists rap isn’t real music
Rap is one of the most narratively challenging forms of music I've had the pleasure of listening to. Although I'm not much of a rapper myself (however that doesn't stop me from trying to sing along in the shower), the focus on diction, clarity, and emotional depth is very much on par with that of opera arias and the like 😊 If she has said such things, then Abby might want to try and listen to some before making comments!
@@breeelauren her brother has been saying that for a while now. There are few youtubers who have debunked this. It might be nice to hear your take on the issue.
@@breeelauren yes her and her brother both say that rap isn’t real music. I agree rap is hard to sing, but it’s cool.
I will give it a go! I love listening to all kinds of music, so I think it could be really fun to talk about.
@@breeelauren I'm excited! He even says "my father is a music professor and he says.... blah blah blah." It's pretty ridiculous. He also craps on the culture as well. Have heard him recite the lyrics to wap?
Anyways, I can't wait forward to hear your thoughts. A rapper I like said he was hurting himself until he got lessons from am opera singer. I thought that was really interesting.
Here is the thing too... she is correct in her rude titling of the video... it’s not an opera. Why then is she trying to opera so hard the entire time? It was like she was trying to say, “look at how much of an opera singer stereotype I can include in this video where I am not singing from an opera!”
You just know those Shapiro kids were whipped into learning music as children and now they just use it as an excuse to lord it over people, and they take absolutely no joy in it.
This exactly what I get
This, couldnt say it better.
they use their mediocre music education as an excuse to espouse racist views about non-white musical genres
You mean like Jazz? Which Ben likes.
@@nordscan9043 More like rap, which he insists isn’t music.
Opera singers who sing musical theatre songs with a full-on dark opera voice irritates me to no end. If it's not an opera, why are you singing like you're in one? Legit musical theatre is not the same vocal style as opera, and it bugs me to see someone sing in a way that is so wrong to the genre. If she would sing like that as Carlotta, it'd make sense and be funny and appropriate because it sounds out of place and bad.
I think her comment that it explicitly isn’t opera makes this more ironic. If it’s not opera, that’s ok, but wouldn’t it mean that you need to use the appropriate techniques?
I truly think it’s because she didn’t feel as though she could have any artistic freedom. It probably has something to do with her rigid worldview.
@@Empathy-and-resilience I actually think her singing this in the wrong style is more of an artistic choice and 'bold' then singing it the way it was intended.
She reminds me of Rachel from glee lmao
Ok but just to note, Phantom is a musical that was written to be sung in a classical style. That said, Think Of Me is supposed to be sung more lightly and gently whereas Abby is too dark and heavy in it.
My biggest problem with Abby's singing is that it comes across as so arrogant. When she sings, I never feel like she's actually singing a song, it sounds more like she's showing off.
It’s like she’s doing an impression of an opera singer. Everything is too exaggerated as stereotypical opera color and sound.
Exactly! Same with Ben playing violin.
@@Wildfan-sg3fh oh God, he plays music?
@@MsDonttrythisathome Sadly yes
@@Wildfan-sg3fh idk why this comment has me dyyyyyinnnnng 💀😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I was brought up in musical theater, and you _are_ encouraged to enunciate well so that people can understand you. But if I had pronounced my vowels like that my coach would have kicked my entire ass. 💀
I think every musical theater kid went through this! They tell you tall vowels sound mature and then you suddenly realize you've been singing like a fish 😅
I did a play for my school ONCE and that was one of the first things they covered lol. I specifically remember trying to pop my p's correctly without literally sounding like a pop too, looking like popcat for a whole week just practicing my p's because i couldn't get that one right. Mad respect for anyone in music or theatre because 😳
"Lighten up", "you don't have to be pure all the time" I don't think thats part of her vocabulary
OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!! DROP THE MIC, NOOOOW!!!
“Forced and desperate” just like her politics
OMG! 😂😂😂 Clasically Abby, found dead on a ditch
the _shade_
🪂
🕳
I was thinking the dark tone in her voice comes from a religious place.
EXACTLY LMAOOOO
LMAO
From someone with some classical vocal training, it sounds like she’s overusing consonants to “propel” her voice in certain places. I used to do that myself when I was uncertain if I would be able to hit a high note or a big interval. It makes some of her notes sound really forced to me. I’m by no means a professional musician, but most people with an ear for music can hear when a voice is strained (another example of this is Gabbie Hannah)
Oh agreed. Maybe I should do a talk about her next...it’s not that these people CANNOT sing, but they might not have had a coach that guides them through these pitfalls in the voice. If you ever want some coaching, I would love to give you a free lesson! Feel free to reach out hello@aubrey-lauren.com
@@breeelauren Thank you for the coaching offer, that is so kind! I think a video on Gabbie from a vocal coach perspective would be really interesting. I’ve seen a lot of videos roasting her, but not many offering educated constructive criticism. She could probably be a successful rock/pop singer with proper technique. What she’s doing now is so dangerous for her voice
@@lauradelrey2903 I’ve seen those videos and it’s clear the roasting isn’t super helpful. I have my own personal opinions about everyone and everything, just like the rest of the world, but I love to teach voice 😊 If someone wants to sing, I will try my best to facilitate that.
Sorry for bumping old comments. But yeah! I think Gabbie has an actually really impressive range, but she pushes it too much in places she really shouldn't, in ways that sound like they hurt. I think if she took more voice lessons it would be so much clearer and relaxed, and she'd really get that musical respect she's looking for. :( I feel bad for Gabbie in that respect, because I can tell it really hurts when people criticize her music and as an artist i understand.. but also I haven't seen her do anything to remedy that and work for that nice range she has so?? Idk she's an enigma.
I’m classically trained as well and it sounds very forced and she is straining a lot. Yeah her notes sound like she’s afraid to hit the high notes if that makes sense I used to do that too.
the fact that u did this so genuinely is really sweet but also yes roast her babe😂
Thank you ❤️ I appreciate your kind comment!
This is a wonderful video and I took notes. I’m not an opera singer, just an opera fan and cellist, but her singing comes across to me as very showy. Like the sounds, tones, etc she employs aren’t coming from a place of deliberate excellence and artistry but rather “look at me, everyone, I’m an opera singer!” There’s a serious dissonance between her forces, dark tone and the song she’s singing. Watching this video confirmed for me a lot of these thoughts and speculations I’ve had about her technique. Thank you for teaching us!
You seem to have an excellent grasp on the colors your like! That is a big part of singing, actually. The other is healthy technique!
I think I agree with your overall assessment. Also I love cello!
Yay ms Lola :D
I agree, it also feels quite forced to me like she is a bit afraid to be vulnerable and feel the emotions of the song and rather is pretending and showing off. But I’m in no way a musician (a barely tolerable pianist) and can’t sing at all so I can’t really judge haha
The most operatic training I had was for a semester out of curiosity to understand the art a little better, so I’m by no means an opera singer lol. But as you’re describing her rigid lip postures, interpretation of the music, stiffness, etc., it makes so much psychological sense. She’s singing opera the way she thinks opera is SUPPOSED to be, as she has a very black and white view of life. I can imagine the rigidity comes from the way she was raised, with an elitist attitude that probably makes it difficult for her to be coached as well. My two cents 🤷🏻♀️
Damnnnnn brenna. No need to be telling so much truth today woowwwww. Lol
:)
hi brenna
@@carosapien I’m reporting u
@@Empathy-and-resilience please don’t call mr. CZcams on me
her and her brother are perfect examples of knowing how to play music but having no idea how to perform
In other words: they have the technicalities and precision to that of robots, but lack the heart and soul.
@@Moszan I come from a completely different tradition of music, but I totally understand what you mean. When there's no emotion, people pick up on that very quickly
god im getting flashbacks to twosetviolen reacting to ben shapiros violin performance😬
I never tire of laughing at Benny Boy singing Stars from Les Mis, because 1. Of course he identifies with Javert, and 2. My god it was so flat. Russell Crowe did better than him
I always wondered how opera singers reach those insanely high notes so effortlessly, and then you explained it as coming from the top rather than bellow and it made so much more sense lol. Great commentary, and very interesting for someone who knows nothing about the technical side of opera!
Yeah! The body is an amazing thing and opera singers have really perfected the art of making loud noises 😂 thanks for watching!
Omg I just realized who you remind me of! Princess Aurora! Her voice actress was an opera singer as well if I’m not mistaken
I really dislike when people sing Christine very dark and mature. She’s young, and bright. She’s scared, but optimistic. Sweet. Darkness doesn’t go with the character.
It just feels like she’s forcing what she thinks is a “correct opera sound” without actually thinking of the character or her emotions. And I think that’s the word of the day here: forced. It all sounds very forced and unnatural. I’m not a fan. Not of her singing, and not of her ideology.
Thank you! I always think of Christine as a sweet soprano which sounds youthful and she is in the process of losing that innocence as she goes through the events of the story. But she has no darkness in my opinion. She's the light to the dark of the Phantom.
@@seannanana84 I think allowing her her darkness in her "betrayal" in past the point of no return gives her agency, and that shows in her darkness when it reprises after "the tears I once had shed for your dark fate grow cold and turn to tears of hate"
That's the thing. "Think of me" is about a young woman in love telling her man she's going to miss him very much. It's not opera, but there's genuine emotion and longing in the music. Abigail Shapiro makes it sound like it's a grumpy matron telling her man he better not get drunk.
Thank you for this. This is somehow a critique of Abbey’s personality without ever saying a word about her, I think I love.
Such a poor show! She sang the most iconic part like it was a warmup. You are being compelled by the “angel of music” to sing your heart out until you faint into his arms cause you’re just. that. good! Where is the tension??? Where is the passion???
Pretty sure that is a sin, or something....
fr like the way abby was singing like it wouldn’t make the phantom fall in love with christines voice at all
You’re so gorgeous! I love your hair color. You’re giving me some serious Disney princess that rides baby deer into the sunset vibes.
Or maybe a Renaissance painting.
Omg thanks ❤️ I am super lucky! I’ve not died it so it’s just the Austrian in me 😂
She totally does look like a painting!!!
i tought that this video is viral after i saw it and now i'm extremely suprised this didn't go around yt
Oh thank you! I just do this for fun 😊 I am not much of an editor, but I like talking about music!
Hii bang pd opparrrr 😏
On the explore page!
@@glitter.gollum6984 ahhhh what!? That’s so cool!!
I just wanted to say that when I hear her sing, I hear someone trying to do the most. Like she’s proving she’s better than you because of her skills. But when I hear you sing, it sounded like it came more naturally which to me, I always interpret that as you must have studied really hard to get to that type of level of singing. When you can sing with a type of ease, that’s when I know you know what you’re talking about with your coaching tips
I've actually won a couple talent competitions with this song. I did sing it in a classical head voice, but I specifically aimed for not going too dark, heavy, or forced because it is supposed to be a light and gentle song. It was written specifically for Sarah Brightman who is a very light lyric soprano.
The fact Abby sang Think of Me in the higher Broadway key but didn’t actually sing the Broadway cadenza and sang a modified version of the cadenza in the 2004 film tells me EVERYTHING I need to know about her 🙃
I'm not too well versed in opera/Broadway/musicals. Do you mind explaining your comment more 😅
I learned the Broadway version in voice lessons ( I did not do a good job, but that’s beside the point 😂) and I was very confused trying to figure out which version she was doing.
I like the 2004 film :(
@@TheIndigoSystemit’s not a bad film! She just mixed up the two versions of the song to try to be as “impressive” as possible, and /that/ is what told me everything I needed to know about her approach to singing lol
@@mikahongshe sang the song in the highest key possible (the Broadway version) but sang the cadenza from the 2004 movie, which is usually in a lower key but now in this higher key sounds more “impressive” bc it’s higher now…even though nobody on Broadway would ever be singing that cadenza, it was only made for the film. So to me it reads that she’s trying to be as “impressive” as possible without really having any motivation behind her choices, nor much knowledge of the source materials.
As a opera singing student, I find your review very insightful. If I was to resume the general advice, I would say that Abby lacks understanding of the dynamic of the song, the phrasing of it.
Yeah. We all need to practice and explore the meaning of our works, so it helps to talk to other singers about it 😊
I'm a classical singer and I loved this! I really relate to a lot of the technical issues Abby has going on so it was really nice hearing another singer's perspective on those. It kind of felt like she was trying to force her voice to do what she wanted it to, rather than work with the instrument she has. Hopefully she addresses that before she damages her voice.
Thanks for your comment! I agree that she might not be relaxing and letting her voice do it’s thing. She has a genuinely good instrument, but doesn’t feel like she trusts it yet. It can be hard to work through our habits 😂 I know I have plenty of my own that I always feel like I am working through. Keep singing!
Is it me or does she sound like someone in the shower pretending to sing opera?
She sounds like me in a bubble bath 😂😂😂😂
Me with the music so I loud I don’t have to hear myself butcher it. 😂
nah nah nah, the acoustics and the shower spray white noise would’ve made it sound sm better. i’d say someone trying to haze their entire audience of gullible insecure teens and middle aged moms by displaying their ‘classical’ music talents and superiority.
22:05 "Looks like it hurts" It SOUNDS like it hurts. I heard Abby sing during that clip of her at the RNC and I could not put my finger onto why she sounded so strained (I am not a singer lol) and this taught me a lot of fun new vocabulary
your voice is so beautiful, every time you sang i didn't want you to stop jgjfhdj
Oh thank you!
That one dislike is Abby
Based on everyone's positive comments, I think I have to agree 😂
@@breeelauren no I disliked it too.
@@cockroachv we found a simp guys
In honesty, I’m a younger performer and more an actor than anything else...it’s so bizarre hearing her sing with it so pulled back into her throat for a 16 year old character. It’s way too mature.
I agree with you! She could do better by lightening and brightening. It also probably would have made her acting more authentic to us and fun for her 😊
frr im trying to practice the songs from the phantom of the opera cause its one of my all time favorite musicals and if my highschool ever does it I wanna be confident enough to audition 😳
If you're reading this I'm in love with your bangs!! They're so cute and they suit you so well
Thank you! I’m actually in the process of maybe growing them out...but I have not decided hah!
I also LOVE the dark color of my chest voice (a little too much) but find it tiring. This critique reminds me to embrace brightness so everything sounds blended. Keep doing more!
^^ ditto, I did a vocal style at some point which required me to essentially sing out of my nose and it did wonders for vocal diversity!
As a classical singer trying to get back into it this has been actually very helpful for me!
Oh I know the feeling. I was basically out of the game for about 2 years, only teaching, and it took me forever to get my performance chops back. Keep at it, and remember, practice can look like many things-it could be working on an aria, it could be listening to an aria, it could be taking vocal rest! All are valuable on our pursuit of a better voice.
I get the vibe that she trained and pushes her technique more. Like she's showing everyone "guys... I sing opera. I'm an opera singer." And from that there's a disconnect with her singing as a character. But I know bugger all about opera so I may be wrong.
I am not a profesional so I don’t know any specific terms, but I just don’t even like listening to Abby. Because she sounds ... like congested ???? In her video singing the national anthem she literally like chokes on something at the end. It was really cool to hear your notes I feel like I learned a lot and you put her to shame with your skill haha
Oh thank you 😊 She just is trying to create a synthetic darkness/depth to her sound which is ultimately damaging her tone. If she embraced her natural voice, I’m sure she would see better results!
I sing (mostly jazz) and I totally agree they she sounded congested and like one of those 12 year old girls who thinks their Ariana grande and do way too much vibrato etc. etc.
Why did it not go viral
You’re so nice 😊 I just do it for fun 🎶🎉
I clicked in just to see abby get roasted but left genuinely interested in opera lmao
Me too!!
The 25 dislikes are just different accounts from Classically Abby, Her husband and Ben Shapiro
@@throwawayjsjdjddjal SWEET HOME ALABAMA-
@@throwawayjsjdjddjal bro?
Classically Abby makes herself as though she’s better than the rest of the populous because she’s “an accomplished opera singer.” It’s nice that someone in the industry is pointing out her shortcomings, showing us that she’s not even that good at the thing she claims to excel.
I went to her alma mater (though not at the same time) and I'm kinda surprised at how meh her performances are. The Opera program at MSM was very impressive in quality to my memory and a lot of the people I know from the voice program have successful careers now. Although I do remember it being kind of a "sink or swim" program where either you coasted or you put in the 110%, so maybe she was one of the "coasters". Honestly I'm just kind of bitter about the damage she has done to classical music in terms of image. Her opinions are such a minority in the classical community but so many people will now associate this wonderful music with her dumb regressive views.
I hope we can all find a way to create a positive community for opera singers 😊 thanks for being here, and congrats on MSM! It’s a great program!
Speaking as a collegiate and professional musician as well, my thoughts are, Abby trained at MSM with renowned teachers.... you have great thoughts and I value and appreciate you, but I’m curious to what your training and background is. I’m not sure that having an extreme lifestyle and conservative political views warrants an unasked for vocal critique.
LOL I DIDNT KNOW MSM WAS HER ALMA MATER I GO THERE NOW
@@FitzBurtFamily She put herself on the internet. Technically every comment anyone makes is an “unasked” for comment. You don’t get to pick and choose the feedback you get when you’ve put yourself on the internet.
@@SP.Addams That's fair, I don't disagree with you. Just offering another perspective.
As a professional music theatre and opera performer who talks weekly with her vocal coach about all of these things in lessons: she may be singing these pieces, but she isn't performing them in any, ANY way. Her tone is much too dark for Christine who is, in canon, a lyric soprano (often likened to a soubrette or ingenue, which are typically described as younger, lighter female roles.) You aren't gonna hear that kind of color from that character, so why play it like that?
Honestly, it sounds like she is letting her soft pallette drop on all of her lower notes, which is covering all her sound and bringing weight into her voice..... whiiiiich makes her completely unprepared for any of the top notes, runs, or jumps, (thus the complete flop on the ending in Think of Me, which is not a run, but is traditionally performed as an octave leap AFTER the runs from around an A4 to an A5, iirc.) My voice teacher talks all the time about singing lower notes with the higher notes in mind. You always prep... always, or else you're doing a massive disservice to yourself and the piece. You cant get lazy with singing... you just can't.
She also seems to be massively punching those high notes... which doesnt sound or feel good. Why is she making it so hard on herself? She just needs a deeper, more connected breath, and a bit more energy, and those notes will be no problem for her. Especially the main theme. An E6 is nothing to wink at.... but why strain your voice so bad on it? Just give it a good breath and proper energy.... :(
The thing is... if she was a professional performer in any way, she'd understand that she could get the tone and color required for a role like this without sacrificing any good opera technique. Music Theatre and Opera may be different genres, but good singing is good singing, while your color may change, your good technique shouldn't.
It just... doesnt need to be so heavy to get beautiful fullness and roundness to the sound. Like you said, if she just lifted her vowels, she could really do well. She just... isnt letting her resonance ring in any way. It's kinda a shame. Like you said, the Julia Childs voice.... (I cant express how often I have heard that from my own voice teacher on the days my soft pallette is really droopy.)
Lemme be clear, I take lessons weekly, often twice a week when I can afford it. These are all things that I still work on daily as a lyric coloratura soprano. The only reason I recognize them and say anything is because I fight to make sure I don't fall into those habits, like.. dailu. I know I have a LOT to work on with my own voice, and a lot more to learn... and I always will!! That's the nature of being an artist. Im not trying to claim superiority or that I'm anything amazing....
It's just amazing to me that she flaunts herself as so... "perfect" but misses the mark so miserably on one of the most iconic music theatre pieces... while mocking it at the same time. Like. Cmon.
Someone expressed to me that she is a mezzo, not a soprano - that she is forging a higher range rather than allowing it to bloom where it would; she said that she doesn’t even have a stable high C. I think voice types are more guidelines for choosing roles and repertoire & a diagnostic for where the voice is at but I can hear this in her too. But it’s not like she would be incapable of performing further as a soprano either, in my opinion. This is probably why her C6s sound so damn overweighted though.
Hi Gillian! I could potentially agree. I know she had said once in the “opera singing questions video” that she sings E’s as her comfortable high note. Considering that her high notes feel a bit tight rather than smooth, I might have to say she probably would’ve been more confident singing something a little richer and lower. At the end of the day, we don’t all need to be sopranos. Some of the greatest and most popular roles are for mezzos (like Carmen) and most popular music is written for mezzo voices. I want problem to sing comfortably! Just because you’re not one type doesn’t mean there’s less content for you. There is so much music for every voice out there, that we never need to worry about running out 😊
@@breeelauren Agreed! I kind of have to give some leeway for the potential capacity of people to transition their voice type because I’ve had to transition mine, as a trans woman. I’ve actually been rather confused at my type, because at certain spontaneous moments I’m able to belt a high A or B (5) and sing in head voice to Eb (even E6 or F6 at times) with ease, surprising myself... only for the next moment to have me lingering in barely able to sing even tenor territory and my whistle notes to be gone, and I suddenly can sing a C2 better than an E4. Nowadays I sit more in the alto section than the bass section but it wasn’t always so, and I fear I still have tendency toward the bass section anyway. It’s possible also that I just supply too much untempered power to my voice, too much chest vocal weight to comfortably or efficiently use. I’d love to do one of your consultations if you’re curious. Voice has been a very hard realm for me. I’m naturally a lower male voice type, but I’ve been able to live life with a more mezzo-apparent voice. It’s a hard quandary because ideally I’d just sing freely, with all my instrument has. But instead I’ve had to sing freely within different parameters. I guess I would anyway, just parameters of the body’s tendency instead of the mind’s direction.
@@gillianomotoso328 I’ve worked with a couple wonderful trans singers who faced similar dilemmas. I think that some of the comments you made about weight and tone changing are definitely something that can be worked WITH rather than against. If you want to take a free coaching with me and see if we can talk about options, I would be happy to oblige! Email me at hello@aubrey-lauren.com 😊
Honestly considering how she is about femininity it ain’t a stretch to assume she feels sopranos are more feminine and pushes herself into it.
For a long time, I was ‘classified’ as a mezzo. I cordially disagree with hard and fast classification, it sounds like you agree? Voices can change gradually, and it can really depend on your teacher as well. I didn’t figure out I had the ability to sing more lyric soprano/dramatic soprano repertoire until I took post graduate lessons with a teacher who really got my voice and helped me just lighten up in my attack across the board. She helped me with lots of other things too, but that was a big one. I’m not saying you’re wrong about her, and I always advocate for singing your best notes, not just the highest notes as big as possible.
When I learned that Abigail Shapiro was an opera singer, I thought it was interesting, that I share with her a love of music and the same kind of music, if nothing else. Regardless of her brother's or her own political and personal views, I thought it was kind of a positive thing, that if she loved opera enough to make it her career, she couldn't be so bad. Then I saw her channel and wondered why the heck she called it Classical Abby when the content barely featured any music. Then I heard her sing. So anyway, long story short, thank you for this video. She should really rename her channel something like Traditionalist Abby and stick to what she does best.
I agree with you about Abbey renaming her channel. Her channel mostly teaches about traditional values, not much about anything that are classic.
I love Opera and to see Classically Abby get ROASTED tehe
Right? The algorithm knows me so well 🤣
I know nothing about opera but I still love your commentary
Thank you so much!!
I am so glad the algorithm suggested this!! On one hand: we love to see constructive criticism. On the other: we also love respectful dragging!!
I would LOVE to see your reaction/breakdown of the clip of Whitney Houston, Sting, and Elton John singing with Pavarotti!! It’s PHENOMENAL!!
I literally heard her sing and thought “oh no this can’t be right” she really thought she did something.
Can I sing as well as Abby? Absolutely not.
Am I still gonna laugh at her being roasted by a professional? 100%
EDIT: I’m listening to you versus her, and comparatively speaking Abby is so boring to listen to- no variation to her phrases, and her voice sounds so strained.
Interesting that you said the stereotype of opera singers is that they’re divas but, in my experience, every opera singer I’ve met were kind and calm! And as a first time viewer, you certainly come across this way to me :)
i love the way you elaborate on your critiques, it’s very illustrative and constructive! i only clicked bc i was curious about abby’s singing, but i feel like i’m getting a lot of useful info to apply to my own singing
The fast tempo she’s using throughout each song she sings feels like she wants to skip the actual interpretation of the music and text and just flex her vocal abilities which is... _so_ not the point of musical theatre or opera AT ALL
I would love to learn how to sing but I’m terrified to sing in front of anyone
If you want to take a free coaching, feel free to sign up for 15 min 😊 www.lessonface.com/AubreyLauren if anyone has an interest in singing, they should be given all the tools to do so!
I’m not even terrified ... it’s just my singing voice just isn’t good.
@@monimtenga7412 singing is just a skill, like most things. You may not be good a drawing, but when you put the time to learn and get a little extra help you can learn and be brilliant! Exact same with singing, it takes time and requires pushing through embarrassment of having to listen to yourself mess up. I'm sure with time you could be an amazing singer
“That’s just a huge mouth. Your mouth doesn’t have to be that big.” Things that the Shapiro kids have not been told. Or other certain people out there were told
It's annoying how people are picking on you bc they think you are picking on Abby for reasons other than her singing. The way I see it is she's getting advice from a professional singer. People would pay a lot of money for the critiques you're giving Abby for free. 👏👏👏
Sad the public perception is like that, but I think Opera Singers haven't been divas for more than a Century. I have had many Opera Singer friends when I lived off-Broadway and let me tell you those guys sang like it was blue collar work. The dedication to the art and the tirelessness amazed even me at times.
Great video Aubrey! I love how knowledgeable you are about opera, and even as a violist and not an opera singer I enjoyed learning about the techniques that you presented. Thanks for sharing! :)
Thank you Alex! I also play a little viola, but I started my music career in violin! I miss playing in orchestras, but struggled to find the time during my undergrad because the voice stuff took up most of my day. I will hopefully return back to playing, even if I am a bit rusty 😂 thanks for being here and I hope to see you around here again soon!
She’s also done one where she does Rogers and Hammerstein and she makes everything sound like an operatic piece and I’m pretty sure that’s a big no-no for musical theater could you take a look at that and please tell me if I’m right or wrong
I don't think you're wrong. Depending on your training more classical sounds can come through, but you generally try to fit the genre. Songs like "In My Own Little Corner" would sound bizarre if it's sung like the Queen of the Night aria.
@@carleykoz7459 i’m not trained but I did take chorus class and I know that opera and musical theater aren’t supposed to sound the same that’s one thing I do remember from my classes
Neither Ben nor Abby come across as humble or even just not-stuck-up. Both of them seem extremely self-righteous in their respective fields of work
Just because they are correct does not mean they are self righteous. They are just right.
@@cockroachv They're not right, though.
Im not a singer, I do sound, but did an assistant stage managing position in undergrad a couple years ago and something the professional stage manager told us really stuck with me. It was “in the arts, if two people are equally qualified and equally good at a position, it comes down to who I would want to spend 4 hours in a dark room with. If youre an asshole, you wont get the job” and that is honestly so true. People hate working with jerks and their are enough people who want to these positions, that it comes down to whether youre a nice person or not
It seems to me (I am professionally vocally trained and I also am a vocal coach) that she needs some major work on her phrasing. She's treating each word as if it holds importance rather than taking the "important" (descriptive) words and leaning into those, to create a nice texture in the phrases rather than going hard on each word, making it sound harsh. So yes agreed, she's working way too hard and needs to lighten up.
I enjoyed your video! 😊
Thanks Erika! I appreciate your comment and am glad you agree 😊 I also think you’re right about phrasing...she seems not to be choosing the right “focus words” which might be derailing her emotional momentum.
the vibrato drives me INSANE
i was in choir for 7 years. i know these things and quite surprised an “opera singer” mrs. abigael doesn’t know this with that shaky ass vibrato.
I like how you explain this all.
Thanks! I try my best :)
She doesn't sound like she's having fun singing. Like everything abby does, she's doing it for approval
yikes
ben became editor or something at 17 and got into Harvard so makes sense why she behaves in that manner. she sounds like alien filter on snapchat. hypothetically if i agreed with her politics she is still a very unlikable person
It sounds like it's a chore for her to do.
And its a chore for the singer, it is a chore for the audience.
One of my biggest issues is her voice doesn't show any understanding of the characters she is portraying. It feels like she is trying to flex her voice instead of capturing the essence of a character.
I know nothing about opera or classical vocal training so this is fascinating. Like I had no idea this is how you talk about singing. Great video!!
The first time I ever heard her sing I was very surprised. I mean, she boasted to be a classically trained opera singer, so I was expecting her to be... good. Lmao I don't want to be mean- actually I take that back, yes I do because she's a shitty person- but she's just not that talented. Her high notes seem to fall flat each time, her voice is incredibly strained, and she seems to rely on this constant unpleasant warbling note in an attempt to make up for what she lacks.
This is all coming from an untrained ear, btw, so I may not know much. But I do know that this lady does not have the talent to be acting like she does.
I think she had talent, like many people do, but I don’t know if she goes to coaches regularly anymore. All singers can develop strange habits when we don’t work together for a while!
I’m sure she was good. She seems to me to be out of pactice, and has made artistic choisces that have gradually become bad habits as time has gone on.
Regarding the whole opera vs. musical thing... the irony is that since the part was written for Sarah Brightman (who was Andrew Lloyd Webber's wife at the time), the whole point was for her to show off her newly acquired opera chops (she went into some pretty intense opera training in 1985, while ALW was working on the musical and showing it off at the Sydmonton festival) but by making it easier for her so she could mix the opera with more of a pop sound. Since then... most Christines who sing the part *do* have more of a background in musical theatre than in opera, but there are several Christines who have backgrounds in opera (like Elizabeth Welch, who's the current understudy for Christine on Broadway, or Rebecca Caine (who's also the OG Cosette in Les Misérables in the London production) or Elisabeth Berg). But you know, even with that, even if in some cases their voices are darker, it's never ever coming off as too much. Another example I can think of is Lisa Vroman, who was one of the older performers who played the role on Broadway (she was in her 40s in 2003): definitely more mature-sounding and kinda opera-y, but her voice was also clear as a bell - and that is the main thing you need to be going for if you're going to sing Christine's part.
Lots of respect to Aubrey! You are so graceful in your constructive criticism. And going through the comments, you have liked or replied to almost every single person. That takes true persistence. Bravo! (Also watching ur coaching reminds me of all the vocal teachers I've ever had and how much I loved them and miss them
I have little to none vocal training, but the main thing that I hear from her with this song in particular is that she’s doing it from the POV of Christine, and she’s supposed to sing this on a really sweet and dreamy way, which is the main signature from her character. Someone mentioned that if she was singing from Carlotta’s POV this would be more appropriate, but then I think we’ll come across the technical issues you mentioned in the video.
Although I am no singer I found that many technical issues you addressed in your video apply in playing wind instruments as well. I am planning on going to college to become a professional musician and I actually thought a lot of the things you said were quite helpful! Love the video! Subbing for sure
Best wishes in your pursuit of musical greatness! I’m sure you will do great. If I can help answer any questions you have about auditions and such, please don’t hesitate to reach out 😊
You remind me of a real life aurora. Nice video, I like how you critiqued instead of made fun of her. No matter how irritating a person it’s always refreshing to take a break from bashing others
Does anyone remember that part in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie when Katie touched Draco’s cursed necklace and she floated in the air with her eyes and mouth wide open?
That’s what I think of when I see Classically Abby in this thumbnail. 👀👀
This is so so accurate I can’t rn
😆
I love your manners and way of teaching. You are sweet and genuine yet strict enough to be a good teacher. If It was possible for me to pick up singing, I'd pay thousands of dollars to pay you to teach me.
If you want a free coaching, feel free to email me at hello@aubrey-lauren.com 😊 maybe you will enjoy it!
I'm by no means a professional, but as someone who has some classical voice training and has done some opera in college Abby has no movement or flow to her singing, it's so stagnant with no emotion in the voice. None of it sounds natural, like she only learned the technicalities of singing but doesn't own any musicality.
She needs to practice injecting some emotion into her performances so that she can better connect to her audience 😊 I think you have a good handle in your craft!!
@@breeelauren I agree, emotion is the key and I think could bring about more of that color you were talking about. And thank you! ☺️
@@breeelauren I doubt my comment will make much sense to you, but: there was a singing contest in South India years ago, and the chief judge had one contestant he obviously liked best. I couldn't stand her, as she treated music like calculus: formulaic, with no emotion in her performances. And this was film music, where emotion is everything! Well, in the end, this girl didn't win, she was ousted in the very last round by a guy who was my favorite: he was flexible, funny and interpreted the musical pieces beautifully. Music without emotion is just a complex machine: runs well, with no joy!
From what I’ve seen, her brother has the exact same problem. Technically pretty good, but really stiff musically. Also they seem to substitute vibrato for emotion.
I loved this, it's not often that I pay attention and don't drift away in videos of this length, but it felt so short! I was surprised when I realized it was almost over lol I'm also living for how her expressions got more and more fed up 😅
I feel like it was very well explained, I was nodding along the entire time as if I knew a thing about singing lol
Thank you so much!
Miss Aubrey Lauren you are amazing, I hold so much respect for you after watching this video and your diction and criticisms were well placed and incredibly educated. I anxiously await more videos!!! 💖💖💖
She's very plodding in general. It's more like a military march than music. She punches every note like she's boxing, rather than letting them be free, which is what opera is. Opera singing is free, it's open, it's raw and vulnerable, and I think that's why she struggles with it. It goes completely against her incredibly defensive and argumentative personality.
Imagine if Ben and Abby had just become musicians instead of.... yeah.....
They're not very good, but at least they wouldn't be saying stupid shit in YT lol
Just don’t say “Imagine” around Ben. 😅
@@dtown_demon Let's say, them being musicians would be better than them spreading dangerous, illogical information on CZcams. Hypothetically speaking, it would be a lot better and they wouldn't be in our recommended. Now that we've established that them being musicians instead of dumbasses on CZcams would be objectively better, we can conclude that we should go to an alternate universe where that is already happening to finally be at peace.
@@songsoflita ur impression is ON SPOT 👏😂😂
@@Hildegardvonblingin
“Imagine-“
“THAT SOUNDS A LOT LIKE COMMUNISM TO ME”
I don't know anything about music, but I'm going to follow you just because you are being so nice and helpful to everyone. I hope you go viral!
I used to sing, but am so out of practice. This video is making me want to practice some of these tunes again! Also, I had heard a bit of her singing and found it super unpleasant but couldn’t express it in words- so I really appreciate this video 😂❤️
So happy I found this channel! Also if I was going to approach this from a musical theater lens (since phantom is NOT a musical you guys), I would say it seems she is focusing on how impressive her voice might sound rather than how the piece is written, emphasizing what sounds cool over what the character is actually SAYING. That’s something people often don’t get about musical theater, the ‘acting’ is practically written into the content/form; one of the most common critiques I have is when performers sort of superimpose their acting over top of a piece as opposed to finding the emotion inherent within. We must humble our performer egos in order to HONOR THE MUSIC!
This! This is why my voice professor (who was in the og Phantom cast) always says to look at what the character is saying and where the song is going, since it’s always telling a story
I'm pretty sure if Beethoven heard Classically Abby, he'll be like "Peace out girl" lol
Funny enough, Beethoven went deaf over his lifetime 😂 Nah but in all seriousness, she just needs to work with a fresh coach who will help her to find new techniques that work better. Fun fact, our voices age like everything else about us! They begin to “atrophy” and get thicker and less mobile, so we have to learn every couple years about new ways to sing healthfully 😊 Every singer I know (including myself) takes voice lessons throughout their entire lives.
@@breeelauren I think that's the joke hahahah
@@breeelauren Well good thing he was deaf, he was probably in blissful heaven while other people are being traumatized by Abby's singing lol
you sound so charming and kind, i know absolutely nothing about opera and musicals but i will definitely be binging some more of your videos soon!!
I just got this video recommended and you're just so articulated and explain everything so well 🥺💚 I appreciate you so much
You are wonderful! Thank you for giving your opinion on her performance. I'm currently getting my bachelor's degree in vocal performance and love to hear teachers discuss singer's performances.
Congrats! 🎉 Keep working hard 😊
⭐🌟 WEESH I knew your SEEkret 🌟⭐
That had me rollin', my gooooddddd
As a violin player, just like many classical music listeners opera is not my favourite. But after this video, i learned how to listen to opera music; i learned how to enjoy opera music. Amazing content, so professional!
So glad I found your channel. I had little experience listening to opera and then heard Abby's video, didn't like how it sounded, and thought "well, I guess that's just what opera sounds like." Thanks for opening my eyes!
Opera can sound like maaaany things! She only likes to talk about the famous western operas, but if you want to try something really neat and modern, I would recommend Dead Man Walking or Susannah! Both are American operas and have beautiful music.
me:
Aubrey: ooh i dont like that ~color~
me: 👁👁👂🏼
I think it is so interesting that you describe the vocal tones as colours!
I just found your channel and I adore you I love the way you correct and give examples it’s perfect!! You’re adorable and so nice!
Your channel is awesome! Thank you for spreading info about the classics. My favorite Opera is The Marriage of Figaro! Love Mozart’s music.