Singing Guide: The Bridges of Madison County [Musical]

Singing Guide: The Bridges of Madison County [Musical]

Vocal technique, exercises, tips and relevant resources

Are you a beginner or advanced singer?

If you've ever heard Kelli O'Hara's wondrous voice, you would likely agree that she's one of the most talented singers around. Kelli O'Hara is a renowned Broadway performer and actor, who has won five Tony Award nominations, as well as a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical. If you're seeking to improve your singing prowess and sound like Kelli O'Hara, you've come to the perfect spot.

The Bridges of Madison County is a Broadway musical that tells the story of a romantic encounter between Francesca Johnson, an Italian-American housewife, and Robert Kincaid, a photographer. The show features fantastic songs, written by Jason Robert Brown, that showcase Kelli O'Hara's unique voice and style.

To sound like Kelli O'Hara, one should focus on developing the following skills:

  • Breathing basics: Foundationally, you need to master your breathing. This will aid you in supporting your voice and preventing breathing problems. You can find more detailed information on breath support in this article: Breath support
  • Vocal registers: Kelli O'Hara has a rich and deep alto timber that helps her stand out. To enhance your understanding of voice registers and vocal breaks, read the following article: Voice registers & vocal break
  • Mix voice: Kelli O'Hara uses a mixed voice to produce her magical resonance. Read this article at Mixed Voice to develop this skill.
  • Vibrato: Vibrato is a pulsation that aids in generating an attractive sound. Kelli O'Hara uses it extensively in her songs. You can learn more about Vibrato here: Singing with Vibrato
  • Articulation: Kelli O'Hara has exceptional clarity of speech and her proper articulation only adds to her distinctive tone. Learn about the importance of articulation in singing in this article: Articulation

Moreover, follow the tips delineated below to perfect your skills:

  • Warm-up: Use Farinelli Breathing before you commence singing. It helps to stretch your voice and can be done easily.
  • Practice singing within your Comfort zone: don't push your voice beyond your capacity. Strengthen it gradually, then gradually raise the bar. Singing Comfort Zone
  • Evoke emotion & Develop skills: Once you know the lyrics, try singing them emotionally and with meaning. This will likely improve your overall vocal performance. Read more about this technique in this article: Singing with intuition, skills, emotion, and thinking

Now that you know the fundamental skills, it's time to implement them into your preferred tunes. Here are the most well-known tracks from The Bridges of Madison County for you to add your unique twist to:

  1. "What Do You Call a Man Like That?"
  2. "Almost Real"
  3. "One Second and a Million Miles"
  4. "Before and After You"
  5. "Light My Way / Home"
  6. "It All Fades Away"

Take advantage of Singing Carrots song search to identify more songs that suit your vocal range, difficulty, and genre preference. Furthermore, study the vocal ranges of over 5000 artists, and discover how Kelli O'Hara's voice compares to famed singers.

All it takes is dedication, motivation, and a lot of practice to sound like Kelli O'Hara, but with the resources from Singing Carrots at your disposal, you can break down her unique sound and make it work for you.

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