Seth Riggs (born September 19, 1930) is an American singer, actor, and

vocal coach A vocal coach, also known as a voice coach (though this term often applies to those working with speech and communication rather than singing), is a music teacher, usually a piano accompanist, who helps singers prepare for a performance, often al ...

. He has created the vocal technique "Speech Level Singing","Singing seminar scheduled Aug. 28", ''The Herald-Palladium'' (August 20, 1999), p. 6. and has worked with performers such as

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

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, Sohyang, AGNEZ MO,

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and

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Early life, education, and career

Riggs started singing when he was about 7 years old, and joined the Washington National Cathedral Boys' Choir as a 9-year-old. Riggs has been a vocal coach since 1949, when he was serving in the Navy as a gunner. He "received his music education from Peabody Conservatory of Music and

Manhattan School of Music The Manhattan School of Music (MSM) is a private music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music a ...

", and also received a

B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...

in drama from

Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...

."Voice Conference At COD, Feb. 1-2", ''The Desert Sun'' (January 29, 1974), p. 13. After receiving the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Peabody Conservatory, Riggs gave a masterclass which

Richard Cassilly Richard Cassilly (December 14, 1927 – January 30, 1998) was an American operatic tenor who had a major international opera career between 1954–90. Cassilly "was a mainstay in the heldentenor repertory in opera houses around the world for 30 ...

attended, and afterwards asked Riggs to help him with his voice. Riggs studied voice with teachers including American baritone

John Charles Thomas John Charles Thomas (September 6, 1891December 13, 1960) was an American opera, operetta and concert baritone. Biography John Charles Thomas was born on September 6, 1891, in Meyersdale, Pennsylvania. He was the son of a Methodist minister of ...

and Italian tenor Tito Schipa, and in New York City with Keith Davis who was at the time teaching the majority of singers on Broadway. Riggs conducts workshops and masterclasses around the world, as well as teaches private lessons together with his wife, recording- and performing artist as well as voice teacher Margareta Svensson Riggs.

SLS (Speech Level Singing)

Riggs created SLS that blended singers’ head voice and chest voice while applying SLS (speech level singing) techniques that benefited

, and numerous others. In 1995 SLS's CEO, Dave Stroud, developed a teaching platform, which was implemented in 2000, requiring all of SLS's vocal teachers to undergo lessons and testing from one or more of seven SLS master classes and would be tested and approved if they were to be associated with Seth Riggs.

Personal life

Riggs is married to Swedish singer Margareta Svensson, The two met when Svensson came to Seth Riggs for singing lessons in 1995. In 2008, they became a couple, and four years later, in 2012, they married and their daughter Samantha was born.

Bibliography

* ''Singing For The Stars – A Complete Program For Training Your Voice'' (1992,

Alfred Music Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. History In New York Cit ...

) * ''American Idol Singer's Advantage: Male Version'' (2008, Hal Leonard Corporation)

References

External links

* *
Understanding the Speech Level Singing Method, by Seth Riggs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riggs, Seth 1930 births Living people American vocal coaches American male singers People from Rockville, Maryland Educators from Los Angeles