Singing Guide: Calendar Girls

Singing Guide: Calendar Girls

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

Calendar Girls is a heartwarming, uplifting story that celebrates friendship, courage, and women's strength. Based on a true story, it revolves around a group of women in England who use their creativity and humor to raise money for a local hospital that treated one of their own. The women create a calendar featuring themselves in tastefully nude poses that become a sensation and inspire people worldwide.

One of the stars of Calendar Girls, who demonstrated impressive vocal skills, is none other than Elaine C. Smith, who played Jessie. Elaine is a Scottish actress, comedian, and presenter who has performed in theater, film, and television. She is particularly admired for her passionate performances and strong voice that often made her stand out from the rest of the cast.

If you want to learn to sing like Elaine C. Smith, there are several things you can do to develop your skills.

  1. First, take the vocal range test to find out whether you're a soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, or bass. Understanding your range and limitations will help you to choose the most appropriate songs and vocal exercises.
  2. Second, practice breathing exercises to strengthen your breath control and improve your posture. This is critical for creating clarity and consistency in your tone. Check out some useful articles about breathing basics and breath support on Singing Carrots.
  3. Third, learn about voice registers and how to avoid constrictions. Learn how to transition smoothly from chest to head voice, and understand different singing styles. Elaine's singing style is rich, deep, and emotive, with a powerful chest and mixed voice. Check the vocal registers & vocal break article to understand registers more thoroughly.
  4. Fourth, pay attention to your articulation, resonance, and intonation. Elaine's voice has a distinct, unmistakable tone that brings life to any song she sings. Good articulation and resonance are essential to improving the clarity and expressiveness of your voice.
  5. Fifth, training with a renowned instructor is a guaranteed way to improve your vocals. You can find many tips and educational singing games in Pitch Training on Singing Carrots, use the site's song search feature to find songs you resonate with, and take advantage of resources such as the Vocal Pitch Monitor to test and compare your voice to your favorite singers.
  6. Last but not least, keep in mind that singing should always be performed with passion, emotion, and a willingness to learn, even if it means making mistakes. Elaine C. Smith is a great example of a singer who is willing to be vulnerable and constantly striving to improve her skills. With hard work, perseverance, and dedication, you can learn to sing like Elaine C. Smith, or even create and embark on a new singing journey of your own.

Learn more about this artist vocal range, voice type and repertoire.