Contemporary Belting method

Introductory vocal projection and resonance exercises for singers

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23925/2176-2724.2025v37i4e72677

Keywords:

Music, Singing, Voice, Voice Training

Abstract

The contemporary belting method innovates in vocal training for musical theater and pop singers, seeking efficient vocal projection with minimal physiological effort. Updated from the belting method used in Broadway musicals, it incorporates fundamentals of vocal physiology adapted to the characteristics of Portuguese, with an eclectic approach and a focus on stage expressiveness. This communication presents a practical and systematic sequence of eight 10-minute vocal exercises from the contemporary belting method, adaptable to the singer’s learning pace. Each exercise is clearly described in terms of objective, mechanism of action, order, and execution time, enabling its use in pedagogical and scientific contexts. The detailed description of this approach provides a relevant, accessible, replicable, and systematized vocal method with pedagogical and research potential. By publicizing a preliminary structure, this communication contributes to the transparency and technical foundation of the method’s exercise sequence, fostering dialogue with the scientific community and paving the way for future studies, such as clinical trials and experimental validations to verify its effectiveness. Thus, this is an essential initial step toward consolidating an innovative approach consistent with the needs of contemporary singing.

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Author Biographies

Brenda Andrade Resende, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Brenda Andrade holds a Bachelor's degree in Music (2018) and a Bachelor's degree in Lyric Singing (2021) from the Federal University of Minas Gerais, where she is also pursuing a Master's degree in Functional Voice Health in the Postgraduate Program in Speech-Language Pathology and Hearing Sciences. She coordinates the Singing Department at the Villa-Lobos Center for Music Education and works as a singing teacher for different age groups. She has taught at the Children's Music Center and the UFMG Conservatory, and is also trained in the Contemporary Belting Method (Studio Marconi Araújo – SP). As a performer, she has participated in the UFMG Chamber Choir and the BDMG Young Musician Series. She is currently performing in the musical shows "O Bloco das Mimosas Borboletas" and "As Rainhas do Rádio" (The Queens of the Radio), in Belo Horizonte.

Marconi Araújo, Studio Marconi Araújo

Marconi Araújo - Writer, Musical Director, Vocal Coach & Conductor

Artistic Director, Countertenor, Conductor, Musical Director, and Vocal Coach. He holds a degree in Conducting and Composition from the University of Brasília and a Master's in Vocal Performance in the United States. He is a researcher in the field of Musical Theater and has extensive experience teaching and coaching this style, having taught in the United States for two years. His compositions have had world premieres in important venues, such as the Ala Paolo VI in the Vatican at the invitation of Pope John Paul II, Chiesa S. Ignácio in Rome, and has also performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York. As a singer and conductor, he has also performed in operas, concerts, and musical theater with national and international orchestras, including works such as La Bohème, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Madama Butterfly. In recent years, he has dedicated himself to vocal directing important segments, always bringing his specific musical technique to the table. On television, he served as Vocal Director for the Christmas special "Xuxa and the Novices" on TV Globo. In cinema, he was responsible for the vocal direction of High School Musical - The Challenge, a musical film inspired by the American trilogy that was a box office success. His most recent work includes the vocal direction of the shows "Pernas pro ar" (Up in the Air), with Claudia Raia; Zuzubalândia; and also the musical and vocal direction of the shows: "Meu amigo Charlie Brown" (Broadway version); Cabaret; New York, New York, Crazy for You, Tribute to Freddie Mercury, Musical "In Concert" Chaplin the Musical, RAIA 30 the Musical, Conserto para Dois - The Musical as vocal coach & Ensemble SMA.

Letícia Caldas Teixeira, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

Associate Professor II in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Minas Gerais. Permanent Professor in the Graduate Program in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at UFMG. Post-doctorate from the School of Health of the University of Aveiro, Portugal (2019). PhD in Human Communication Disorders from the Federal University of São Paulo (2013). Master's in Education from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (2003). Specialist in Voice (1994). Graduated in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from the Catholic University of Petrópolis (1990) and a degree in Pedagogy from the Institute of Education of Minas Gerais/UEMG (1986). She has experience and research in the area of voice and professional voice. Researcher in the area of voice develops topics focused on voice, dysphonia, communicative competence, public speaking and teaching.

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Published

2025-12-05

Issue

Vol. 37 No. 4 (2025)

Section

Communication

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Brenda Andrade Resende, Marconi Araújo, Letícia Caldas Teixeira

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.