Seth Riggs
{{Short description|American vocal coach}}
{{infobox musical artist
| image = Seth Riggs at the "Margareta Svensson and Seth Riggs Summer Vocal Workshop" in Varberg, Sweden July 26, 2013.jpg
| caption = Seth Riggs at the "Margareta Svensson Riggs and Seth Riggs Summer Vocal Workshop" in Varberg, Sweden July 26, 2013
| name = Seth Riggs
| birth_place=
| birth_date = {{birth_date_and_age|September 19 1930}}
| occupation = Vocal coach, singer
| spouse = Margareta Svensson
}}
Seth Riggs (born September 19, 1930){{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=enVNDwAAQBAJ&dq=seth+riggs+september+19&pg=PA252|title = So You Want to Sing CCM (Contemporary Commercial Music): A Guide for Performers|isbn = 9781538103623|last1 = Hoch|first1 = Matthew|date = 3 April 2018| publisher=Rowman & Littlefield }}{{cite web | url-access=limited |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/481457161918367/3615532751844110 |archive-date = 2022-04-30| url = https://www.facebook.com/481457161918367/posts/3615532751844110/?d=n |title = Seth Riggs on Facebook |website=Facebook}}{{cbignore}}{{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/08/seth-riggs-interview|title=Vocal Coach Seth Riggs on Working with Michael Jackson, Ray Charles and More|website=Daily.redbullmusicacademy.com|access-date=7 February 2021}} is an American singer, actor, and vocal coach.{{Cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/person/detail/16035/seth-riggs|title=Seth Riggs Vault|last=|first=|date=|website=Playbill|publisher=|access-date=2016-10-05}}{{Citation|last=New China TV|title=Michael Jackson's teacher trains Chinese teen star|date=2013-09-26|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbIfkbhYH44|access-date=2016-10-05}} 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, Michael Jackson,{{cite book|first=J. Randy|last=Taraborrelli|authorlink=J. Randy Taraborrelli|year=2009|title=Michael Jackson: The Magic, The Madness, The Whole Story, 1958–2009|publisher=Grand Central Publishing, 2009|page=348|isbn=978-0-446-56474-8|url=https://archive.org/details/michaeljacksonma0000tara}} Stevie Wonder, José José, Ray Charles, George Michael, Olivia Newton-John, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Johnny Hallyday, Sohyang, AGNEZ MO, Bette Midler, Julio Iglesias and Barbra Streisand.
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.{{Cite web |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WGREQ670LrU |title=YouTube |website=YouTube |access-date=2018-08-07 |archive-date=2022-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622134421/https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WGREQ670LrU |url-status=dead }} Riggs has been a vocal coach since 1949, when he was serving in the Navy as a gunner.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/A-SPACEY-CHAT-WITH-STARS-VOICE-COACH-2676427.php|title=A Spacey Chat With Stars' Voice Coach|last=Vaziri|first=Aidin|date=May 1, 2005|website=SF Gate|publisher=|access-date=2016-10-05}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-seth-riggs-20150929-story.html|title=Voice coach to the stars Seth Riggs lists his home and studios for sale in Hancock Park|last=Beale|first=Lauren|date=29 September 2015|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2016-10-05}} He "received his music education from Peabody Conservatory of Music and Manhattan School of Music", and also received a B.A. in drama from Johns Hopkins University."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 attended, and afterwards asked Riggs to help him with his voice.Fred Rasmussen, "Richard B. Cassilly, 70. world-renowned operatic tenor", The Baltimore Sun (February 3, 1998), p. 9B. Riggs studied voice with teachers including American baritone John Charles Thomas 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbIfkbhYH44|title=Seth Riggs and Margareta Svensson Riggs on New China TV|date=26 September 2013 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=7 February 2021}}{{Cite news|url=http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2260&artikel=5603134|title=Hollywoodfru på besök i Morgonskiftet - Morgon i P4 Jönköping|last=|first=|date=July 29, 2013|newspaper=Sveriges Radio|access-date=2016-10-05}}
SLS (Speech Level Singing)
Riggs created SLS that blended singers’ head voice and chest voice while applying SLS (speech level singing) techniques that benefited Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, Barbra Streisand, 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.{{cite web|url= https://www.beemusicstudios.com/tag/dave-stroud/ |title=Dave Stroud by Susan McCallister Bee|publisher=Bee Music Studios|date=June 10, 2010|accessdate=March 6, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lasightsinger.com/guest-interview-dave-stroud-pt-1 |title=Guest Interview with Dave Stroud Part 1|publisher= LA Sight Singer|date=July 25, 2019|accessdate=March 6, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://theworkingsingerpodcast.com/2019/07/01/ep-24-dave-stroud-vocal-coach-martina-mcbride-adam-lambert/|title=Ep. 24 How To Become A Master Vocal Coach w/ Dave Stroud|publisher= The Working Singer Podcast|date=July 1, 2019|accessdate=March 6, 2022}}
Personal life
Riggs is married to Swedish singer Margareta Svensson,{{Cite web|url=https://www.expressen.se/noje/extra/hollywoodfrun-sa-ja-till-seth-81/|title=Hollywoodfrun sa ja till Seth, 81|website=Expressen.se|date=14 August 2012 |access-date=7 February 2021}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://mama.nu/stjarnmammor-2/margareta-svensson-graviditeten-var-fantastisk/|title=Margareta Svensson: "Graviditeten var fantastisk"|website=Mama.nu|date=15 August 2012 |access-date=7 February 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/OnjweV|title=Hollywoodfrun Margareta Svensson har fått barn|website=Aftonbladet.se|date=3 August 2012 |access-date=7 February 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vg.no/i/8gXlW|title=Margareta Svensson (43) fikk barn med Seth Riggs (81)|website=Vg.no|date=4 August 2012 |access-date=7 February 2021}}
Bibliography
- Singing For The Stars – A Complete Program For Training Your Voice (1992, Alfred Music)
- American Idol Singer's Advantage: Male Version (2008, Hal Leonard Corporation)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.theriggsvocalstudio.com/}}
- {{IMDb name|nm0726722}}
- [https://thevocalhub.co.uk/our-vocal-method/ Understanding the Speech Level Singing Method, by Seth Riggs]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riggs, Seth}}
Category:American vocal coaches
Category:American male singers