#FFB: Carrie St. Louis // Spotlight: Vocal Health
You know those people who just make you feel amazing?! Like bubbly, giggly, supportive, positive, fun, inspiring... Welp, Carrie is all of those things & more and I'm stinkin' pumped to have her on the blog today sharing her sweet vibes! We both geeked out a bit over vocal health after realizing our similar backgrounds in Classical Voice so we're shifting the focus today to share her Vocal Health 101! Vocal expert and sunbeam extraordinaire, Carrie is sharing some Fit for Broadway realness about being You, You, Unapologetically You!
Note to Readers: Hi babes! Carrie St. Louis here! I'm currently jumping on a bed in a pink dress and flying by bubble every night as Glinda on Broadway after having a spent the past year touring across America playing the role! I'm so happy Jane asked me to do this little interview, and I hope it answers some questions you all might have about vocal health, stamina, and an insight into the day to day life on Broadway!
“Mind Body Broadway” from Fit for Broadway Apparel
INTERVIEW:
Q: Carrie! I’ll start by saying half of the photos were blurry from our photoshoot because of excessive giggling from each of us :) haha! Too fun! What were the early years like for you? What was your journey to Broadway?
A: Oh my goodness! It was TOO fun! I got my start in community theater when I was around 7 years old. I was cast as "Singing Milkmaid #2" in Oliver and I genuinely thought if I did the choreography the fastest, it meant I was the best (haha!). I continued with On Stage Theater Company in my hometown of Palm Desert, California and played many different roles over my childhood and teen years including Annie, Brigitta, Dorothy etc. Rehearsals were on weekends and I remember it was my favorite thing in the world to do. All of my closest friends were my "theater friends" and we really all grew up together. I went to a boarding prep school for high school in Boston, MA and that was where my love for classical music really began. I would take the train into the city every weekend to train at Boston University in Opera. I went to the University of Southern California for college and was actually a music major, not a theater major! I studied opera in college but realized the second I went home at night, I was blasting musical theater! So I decided to give it a go and transitioned into musicals again in my final two years. Three months out of college, I got an audition to open the company of Rock of Ages in Las Vegas. Never in my wildest dreams did I really think they'd cast an opera soprano to sing 80's rock in Vegas, but they took a leap of faith and it really started my whole journey! I opened the company as Sherrie in Vegas and was there for a little over a year before I found out that I was being transferred to the Broadway company. It was a total dream come true. I left the show to join the Wicked tour as Glinda and now I'm back on Broadway at the Gershwin, just a few blocks up from my old stomping grounds! And this time I get to be a soprano! The past few years have been a total whirlwind but I am so incredibly grateful that I get to do what I love for a living!
Q: I am obsessed with your dance call story for ROA… can you share with the FFB readers? :)
A: Oh this question made me laugh! Well, as I mentioned before, I was an opera soprano auditioning to be an 80's rock singer so I was already feeling slightly out of place when I found out that the team wanted me to come to a dance call. Now, I'm more of a mover than a dancer hahaha (I actually tell people I've been lucky enough to make a career out of goofy dancing at this point) ! So I went into the dance call and there were around 25 girls stretching around me in hot sports bras and cut off shorts etc. I was wearing a black dress and character heels (oops number one). I remember sitting against the wall waiting for the audition to begin and thinking, "I could just leave right now and tell my agent this isn't for me. This is going to be so embarrassing (aka all the things we tell ourselves we CAN'T do, out of fear)" But I thought, if you want to actually do this for a living someday you need to get over it and see this as an opportunity to learn and grow and face your fears. Plus I promised myself I'd buy myself an ice cream cone after the audition just for getting through it. We started the dance call and because my luck was already too good to be true (not), 20 of the girls had already learned the routine the day before and were back for the second round. Meanwhile, I was trying to pick it up for the first time and let me tell you- it was NOT easy. The choreographer, Kelly Devine walked in and we started in groups of 5. There was one section that was just too advanced for a mover like me (it involved some leap that I couldn't tell you the name of even if I tried) and I simply gave up. What happened next, I'll never forget. Kelly called me up in front of the whole group and whispered to me, "I don't care if you can't do that leap at the end, do something and make it work." The music started up again and I kid you not, when we got to that section, I simply strutted in a circle as if it was the COOLEST dance move you'd ever seen with the biggest, most confident smile on my face. When we finished, I looked at Kelly and she gave me a wink and the rest is history. Landing the role of Sherrie led to my Broadway debut and changed my whole life. All because I forced myself to do the audition and Kelly forced me to not give up. Lesson learned.
Q: I loved bonding over our mutual obsession with vocal health! I’m so excited to hear your thoughts on Vocal Health 101! What would be your Top 5 Vocal Health Rules?
A: Top 5...
LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. I can't stress this enough. As singers, your number one priority is your voice and you grow to understand and know your voice more than anything/anyone in your life. You have to know when your voice/body needs a break especially with the stress and pressure of performing at the top of your game 8 times a week. It can be really hard to stop and take a minute when all you want to do is be on stage! But if you don't check in and regulate, you can really hurt yourself and get run down.
Get scoped! Going to see an ENT and getting a stroboscopy (video footage of your vocal cords in action) is something that is so valuable. I get scoped every 6 months to a year and always before starting a big contract. That way, if you start to see wear and tear, you will know exactly what has caused it and how to easily fix it! In my field, my voice is of the utmost importance so like any athlete, it takes constant regulating/attention.
HYDRATE! I steam for an hour before bed every night while checking my phone/watching crappy reality TV. I also have a humidifier by my bed that keeps me hydrated all night long, and of course just drinking water 24/7. I'm a huge fan of coconut water and aloe juice as well.
I see a physical therapist, Chris Koerner at Neurosport (he's the best!) to get my head, neck, and shoulders worked on weekly. What I failed to realize was how much extra pressure and tension I was holding in those areas which can ultimately make singing much harder to do! After wearing a 40 pound dress and a 5 lb crown on my head while singing soprano and flying in a bubble for over a year, I realized that the tightness was restricting me and that I can't forget about all the muscles that surround the voice as well! They need love too!
Allow yourself quiet time. It is so easy to get caught up in bustling New York City and Broadway life, but it is so important to give your voice a rest. I often take vocal rest days where I won't speak to anyone (except for my dog) for an entire day leading up to the show. Glinda is very demanding vocally so I need to make sure I'm balancing out my day to day voice usage with how much I need for the show. Taking a whole day of silence is usually just the trick to refill the tank.
Q: How does fitness affect your voice?
A: Staying in shape and being fit is so important for keeping up your vocal stamina. Glinda rarely leaves the stage over the course of a three hour show so it is SUPER important that my voice and body are warm before every show. Plus it is such a high energy role! Playing Glinda is a workout all on its own! Sometimes I joke that I should make a Popular aerobics video-- I bounce around so much, I work up a sweat!
Q: Oh my gosh, yes please!! I would totally buy that aerobics video!! Singers are notorious for being paranoid about what they eat… IE no dairy, no sugar, no tomatoes, etc. What’s your belief on diet in relation to singing?
A: I think you need to find what works or doesn't work for you. Every singer, like you said, is paranoid and swears off this that or the other. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's the same for you! I try not to eat/drink acidic things like lemonade, tomatoes and I don't do most dairy. I love wine but really am only able to drink on a Sunday night when I know I have the next day off because it is so drying! I stick with other drinks like Hot Toddys during the week if I need to unwind. Some people swear by potato chips to get extra grease on their cords-- I find that eating potato chips completely dries me out. You just have to find what works for you through trial and error and then listen to your body!
Q: Finish the phrases :)
A: The best part of working on Broadway is… everything!! The talent, the old theaters, the history, the costumes, the orchestra, the community, flying by bubble, the dream of it all. :)
The most challenging part of working on Broadway is… the schedule! It isn't easy to perform at such a high level eight times a week in such a crazy city....but boy is it worth it!
Q: The most valuable vocal advice you’ve ever received?
A: You're running a marathon, not a race. It isn't about sprinting to the finish line and blowing it all out in one performance. This is my career and hopefully it will be a long one, so it is of the utmost importance to take it day by day and stay healthy! There's a lot more I want to do!
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: I'm so inspired by the Broadway community at this particular moment in time. The Tony Awards this year really showcased how wonderful this season of theater and talent was/is and I couldn't feel luckier to have been a part of it all! How lucky we are to be alive right now! So much humility, compassion, equality... just everything.
Q: What is your advice for aspiring performers who have their sights set on Broadway?
A: Be unapologetically YOU. They want to find you! Go in for everything-- you never know, you may someday end up at a dance call in your character heels strutting in a circle and your whole life could change. :)
connect with carrie
Instagram @carriestlouis | Twitter @carriestlouis | www.carriestlouis.com
