VOICE TEACHING

As a voice teacher and singer, Michael Masumoto is a proponent of the Melocchi Method. The Melocchi Method is an early 20th Century voice training method developed by the Italian voice teacher, Arturo Melocchi. Melocchi's most famous student was the operatic tenor, Mario Del Monaco. Michael learned the Melocchi Method from a heldentenor named Stan Norsworthy. When Stan was growing up in Texas, he learned the Melocchi Method from Tina Piazza, who was one of Melocchi's students.

The Melocchi Method is a physical development process, like bodybuilding. The Method takes any voice, no matter how troubled, stunted, or weak, and gradually develops that voice into a magnificent instrument. Because the Method requires the student to physically develop their vocal mechanism to achieve its results, the process can not be rushed. A typical student will need two to six years of training to create a fully-developed singing voice... although nearly all singers will see immediate, positive improvement in their voices as they open and strengthen their vocal mechanisms.

Although created for opera singers, the Melocchi Method develops the "natural" voice, so it can be applied to any singing style that requires projection: folk, rock, musical theater, blues, gospel, etc. People who do a great deal of public speaking (teachers, actors, politicians, etc) will also find the Melocchi Method enormously helpful in resolving vocal problems that arise from overuse of the voice, while simultaneously developing and strengthening their speaking voices.

The Melocchi Method achieves its results through a combination of special "rattling" exercises, vocalizes and singing/speaking. As the voice is gradually unlocked and the vocal resonators are opened, the student is taught how to pronounce vowels correctly, how to support the breath most effectively, and how to keep the voice seated on the "Punta", the point of the voice. Through consistent, diligent application of Melocchi Method techniques, vocal range will increase, vocal breaks will heal, and a consistent-sounding, well-focused voice will gradually emerge with plenty of power, penetration and beauty of sound. The Melocchi Method eliminates vocal faults like over-fast or "bleating" vibrato, vocal wobbles, excessive nasality, gasp-y breathing and other negative qualities arising from faulty technique, while imbuing a voice with "Old School" vocal qualities that are universally praised, such as squillo, vocal core, and proper vibrato action.

If you would like to study voice with Michael, please feel free to contact him via our "Contact Us" page. Michael teaches privately in a studio in Oakland, CA and from his home in the Sonoma County Wine Country. Michael also teaches students outside his area and internationally via Skype.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you would like to hear more of Michael's music, please visit the Music section of this website. If you would like to see some of Michael's work as a filmmaker, please visit the Video section of this website. Thanks!

VOICE VIDEOS

MICHAEL MASUMOTO CONQUERS THE MISTER OPERA CHALLENGE (2020)

(HD; 17 min 48 sec)

ABOUT THE ARTIST

MICHAEL MASUMOTO is a long-time Multimedia professional. During the dot-com boom, he was the principal web programming professor at San Francisco State University's Multimedia Studies Program.

Michael's background is in Opera; he composed and produced 6 operas by the age of 30. He has a Master's degree in Music Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Michael also trained as a Wagnerian opera singer under Heldentenors Jess Thomas and Stan Norsworthy.

Michael now teaches voice as a proponent of the Melocchi Method, a radical voice building program created by Italian voice teacher Arturo Melocchi and championed by operatic tenors Mario Del Monaco and Franco Corelli. In 2017, he expanded upon Melocchi's teachings and finally fixed his own voice. Michael now possesses almost three octaves of operatic full voice, and can sing anything from second baritone to basso profondo.

While studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Michael minored in Voice and trained as a modern vocal pedagogue. Having trained in both modern and old school voice training methodologies, Michael prefers the Melocchi Method. "Modern voice training methods are not effective," he says. "The Melocchi Method, on the other hand, works for all voice types, corrects serious vocal problems, and will make anyone sound like a professional... if they're willing to do the work."

In addition to years of experience performing, directing or music directing in regional theater, Michael has also done a fair amount of improvisational comedy work with San Francisco's Dickens and Renaissance Faires.

MICHAEL MASUMOTO is an online education pioneer, producing, writing and/or voicing many web-based technical training courses. He also produced, wrote, programmed and voiced the first interactive talking children's book for the Web, the award-winning "Boogers and Boogeymen."

In 2010, Michael founded a high-end art furniture workshop in partnership with his husband, Kai Herd. Their work has won top prizes in competitions throughout California.

Last Updated: February 4, 2020
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