ENGL 288

                                                      Personal Statement Ruiqi Xu is a soprano singer. Born in China, get her Vocal performance bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, school of music. During her study at UW, she was a student by Thomas Harper, who has performed multiple major roles in Opera House in Seattle, Italy, Germany, etc. His experience with opera singing has last for thirty years.  Ruiqi Xu, as an active performer, was a member of the UW chorale and Recital choir. Ruiqi Xu learns piano as well. She passed the ABRSM piano eighth-grade exam with distinction in 2018. She used to perform with Seattle Symphony, and with conductor Stuart Chafetz and Broadway singer Capathia Jenkins. She won the second and third prize PAFE (Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside) and NATs (National Association of  Teachers of Si...

 1. Breath and support. Yoga is a great way to work on your breath and support. It helps you with finding the alignment because singing is best done and best produced when your body is aligned as free and correct as possible. The base, the center, and the top should work together to produce a good sound. The breath should begin with a place of a foundation. It is also important you take a breath for every single phrase you sing. High or low it doesn't matter. What you need to do is to keep the lifting and supported position as long as possible as you are exhaling. Don't collapse even when you are out of the air. Let the belly come out especially when singing high notes. The good strength of the torso, the center of the breath. The stronger that is, the longer your voice will last on.  2. Coloratura. Don't aspirate. Don't sing "Ha" when singing fast-moving pitches. It eventually causes a waste of breath. Singing the coloratura in legato. Practice the scale slow...

 Opera singers are known as the true "vocal athletes" in the music world. They rely entirely on their body to be heard, no microphones are allowed to be used. In order to become a good opera singer, it is essential that you master the techniques in singing a great quality voice and have a good body. Here, I have some keys to succeed in Opera learning.  1. Find the Right Teacher An opera voice teacher must have a strong knowledge of the "bel canto" technique. (Beautiful singing in Italian) It is not hard to find someone with experience who specializes in bel canto. However, not all the teachers will be a good match for you. Different teachers have different ways of teaching and sometimes not all the methods are going to work for you. Try different teachers before you settle down on one. 2. Practice Opera Singing At Least Five Days a Week It is important that you spend time perfecting your arias. However, you have to keep in mind that there is such a thing as practici...