Chuck Gilmore
Three defining experiences in my youth fueled my desire to sing and perform. The first came in grade school. Our class went to see the Nutcracker Suite. I was so enthralled, I marched all the way home humming the music and imagining myself a wooden soldier.
My next experience occurred in high school when I saw my school's production of West Side Story. I was blown away by the emotions and feelings coming from the performers. I remember thinking, "I want to do that!" My longing to perform was growing.
Finally, my high school girlfriend and I watched a production of Camelot together. We were so inspired we decided to audition for our own high school's upcoming production, aiming for the roles of Lancelot and Guinevere.
As it happens, she broke my heart a couple months later. With new understanding of heartache, I auditioned for and earned the role of King Arthur (she was, in fact, cast as Guinevere, and my best friend played Lancelot). I cried when the run was over. I wanted to be on stage forever.
I wanted to improve my voice so I started taking lessons from a talented singer/teacher who was classically trained at the University of Missouri Kansas City. But there were two problems with my voice.
1. I couldn't sing past an E above middle C.
2. I had no vibrato. I was told if you weren't born with it you'll never have one.
I continued to study and sing. My madrigal group toured Europe where I sang solos and duets, but nothing that required going above the "danger zone" in my voice.
As music major at BYU I studied voice but my teacher could not help me improve my range or vibrato.
One Christmas I sang a solo at Church. I was off pitch and shaky. It was such a negative experience that my confidence tanked. This reinforced what I was secretly worried about, that I wasn't a soloist….that I could sing with the choir or chorus, but when it came to singing solos or lead roles I didn't have a good enough voice.
I changed my college major because I believed there was no hope for my voice. I chose another career, but the desire to perform would not leave. I avoided attending the theater because I longed to be on stage.
In 1996 my family attended a vocal workshop featuring Seth Riggs. He was billed as the "Vocal Coach of the Stars" and had come from Los Angeles. I was both skeptical and intrigued with his presentation. It seemed to me he was using good singers to demonstrate the technique, not people with real vocal problems like mine. I was doubtful his Speech Level Singing Technique could help me.
We began taking group voice lessons with Debra Bonner, a Riggs associate at that time.
Surprisingly, within a few months of study I began to see marked changes and improvement. I was singing higher and with vibrato…things I'd never thought possible…things no one ever told me were possible! This method was giving me new hope and excitement and it was happening quickly.
In February of 2000, I continued my studies with Seth Riggs' protégé Dean Kaelin, a certified Master Teacher, and international Director of Education for Speech Level Singing. Dean is a remarkable teacher, performer, and friend, and I am grateful to him for sharing such a life-changing singing technique with me.
This technique transformed my voice, restored my confidence and reignited my passion for singing and performing. Since that first lesson in 1996, I have been in over 25 semi-professional regional shows. My roles have included Don Quixote (Man of LaMancha), Captain Hook (Peter Pan), Ben Rumson (Paint Your Wagon), Fagin (Oliver), Tin Man (Wizard of Oz), John Dickinson (1776), Duke (Big River) Danvers Carew (Jekyll and Hyde), and many others.
I have been a featured soloist on two CDs; Pilate on the CD "He Lives", an Easter Cantata by Dean Kaelin, and Jubal on the CD of the original cast of "The White Star" by Doug Stewart (Saturday's Warrior) and Janice Kapp Perry.
I'm not being dramatic when I say this technique changed my life! It enabled me to sing well and to perform in terrific theatrical roles. And while I made a living working in another industry, I truly lived through my voice and performing. Is it crazy to be happiest when you are on stage or in rehearsal? Is it odd that I can hardly wait to sing, or perform, or teach or attend a vocal workshop?
Having had this experience and journey with my own voice, and feeling the deep fulfillment which has come through this amazing technique, I intend to spend the rest of my life helping you attain the same joy and artistic fulfillment.