Readers’ Choice for Favorite Vocal/Singing Coach: Corinne Dekker
One of vocal coach Corinne Dekker’s strengths lies in finding connections between the seemingly unrelated. After moving from a classical vocal training program at McGill University in Montreal to musical theater training at the Boston Conservatory (she was decidedly “too zany” for opera), the L.A. pro’s love for singing and TV allowed her to draw an unlikely parallel between her vocal technique and sitcom acting.
“I feel like sitcom acting and musical theater and singing are practically the same genre,” Dekker says. “I noticed this on my own and then I noticed the industry has been following, with the success of Jane Krakowski [‘30 Rock’], Cristin Milioti with ‘How I Met Your Mother,’ and Sutton Foster [‘Younger’]; they all started in Broadway, their roots are in Broadway. Theater people and singers, we have a melody and we know how to get into the rhythm of the text.”
After seeing shows like “Glee” taking off, she approached the Actors Comedy Studio, the only acting studio dedicated solely to sitcom acting and auditioning in L.A., with an idea to open her vocal department there. The partnership would allow her to target actors who shared her passions. She’s been teaching out of their L.A. facilities since 2011.
As a coach, Dekker says her technique is based in the classical and helps to build a solid vocal foundation, while casting an eye toward musical theater acting for film and television.
“It’s important that your instrument is technically skilled, that you’ve got endurance, and your pipes are ready for the gig and the environment,” she says. “We pick a repertoire that really shows off your skill, your singing voice, and your perspective in its best, most castable light.”
Her diversified approach to preparation ensures students are ready for different scenarios in the audition room. “All my students have a ballad and an up uptempo for musical theater but they’ll also have a pop song that could potentially go if ‘Galavant’ called and said, ‘We need a crusty barmaid singing the blues.’ ”
But Dekker emphasizes that you don’t have to sound like Christina Aguilera or Michael Bublé to get singing work, because as an actor, voice is an essential tool to any performance. “You really just have to be able to vocalize healthily as an extension of your character,” she says.
Check out interviews with all of the 2015 Readers’ Choice winners, coming to you throughout the week!
