Lesson time: (11min 21sec)
Juliet Russell breaks down True Colours, the Cyndi Lauper classic also loved in Eva Cassidy's version, and the trickier passages where you'll apply the advanced vocal tools from earlier lessons.
This lesson is part of the course Essential Skills for Singers
Watch a preview of the full course below.
Lesson transcript:
Hello, lovely singers, and welcome to your second challenge!
So this next song is True Colors, originally recorded by Cyndi Lauper and featuring a beautiful version by Eva Cassidy. I encourage you to listen to various renditions on Spotify and YouTube and see which versions appeal to you.
We are joined by Cara, who will sing through it for us. To familiarize yourself, I recommend checking out as many versions as you can.
True Colors is a beautiful song and is more challenging to sing than Make You Feel My Love. It features a larger vocal range and includes three distinct sections, unlike the two sections in Make You Feel My Love.
We'll walk through the song, identifying any challenging parts and covering some basics to look out for.
The song starts after three beats. Here are the first lines:
Great!
Cara, could you demonstrate the first verse for us?
That sounded really nice!
For most female voices, those first three lines should feel quite easy, closely resembling our natural speech.
As we build through the song, the dynamics will increase, especially at the beginning of the chorus.
Next section:
In a world full of people, you can feel the percussion of the phrases increase.
There's more space between the phrasing and the consonants. It's essential to energize those consonants.
Cara, could you demonstrate starting from "in a world" after four?
Shall we go straight to the chorus? Here it is:
Lovely! Cara does such a beautiful riff on that line.
Let's try that again:
Melody Differences:
If you're comfortable doing the lower melody, it's totally fine to maintain that both times.
Several approaches for the chorus are possible:
As the song builds, especially in the Eva Cassidy version, instrumentation increases as Cara adjusts her dynamics accordingly.
Take note of the timing transitions from the end of the first verse into the chorus:
Eva Cassidy sings the melody differently:
Both interpretations are valid.
Now, Cara will sing through the first chorus for us. Notice how this particular chorus builds at the beginning and then comes back down, giving it a different arc compared to most songs.
To recap, here are some critical points to remember while singing True Colors:
Remember, this song offers room for interpretation, so feel free to explore different dynamics and styles! Enjoy practicing!
Juliet Russell is a singer, composer, vocal coach and choir director. She is passionate about supporting individuals and communities to develop their voices and creativity. A vocal coach on ITV’s The Voice, The Voice Kids and BBC’s Michael McIntyre’s Big Show, Juliet has also worked with Grammy, Brit, MTV Europe and MOBO award winning artists. She has collaborated and performed with innovative artists including Damon Albarn, Imogen Heap, Paloma Faith, alt-J, Yoko Ono, Seal and Ringo Starr. In 2015, supported by the Arts Council of England, she toured her Earth Meets Sky album, with local musicians and community choirs to create ten unique performances throughout the UK. She is regularly commissioned to create new choral pieces and vocal arrangements and has performed nationally and internationally. Committed to artist development, Juliet mentors and coaches emerging artists, working with management, record and publishing companies as well as independent artists. She has a vocal studio in the heart of London’s vibrant Brick Lane. Juliet was a founding artistic director of Sense of Sound and creative director of Sing Up Greenwich and Sing Late at the V&A. She leads the Portobello Live Choir, a community choir in West London, Assemble professional choir and is a trainer for the British Lung Foundation’s Singing for Lung Health programme. read more
