<p>I received a PM with an excellent question which I think is worth answering here in the general forum. The question was basically, “With the advent of mics, why is there such an emphasis on belting?” The question went on to further cite Merman and Andrea McArdle (the 1st Bway Annie, much later Fantine in Les Miz) as examples of what a belt sound is, and asked “why would anyone want to sound like them?” It went on to propose that the limited appeal of this sound may have taken Broadway outside of the realm of popular, Grammy-winning music.</p>
<p>This question brought to light something I had NEVER considered in all of my posting there - that the ORIGINAL definition of Bway belt (Merman) is now really varied and comprises much more than that original, brassy, “honking” sound - or the STEREOTYPICAL nasal-y “Annie” sound (although many Annies have lovely voices)!!! Technically, female belting can actually scientifically be defined by what the vocal folds are doing (coming together with more force than non-belting and remaining closed longer than they remain open in one vibratory cycle are the two main hallmarks); less technically, it involves taking the chest voice up past the lower passagio. </p>
<p>The “belting” most popular in MT today, especially among younger performers, is much more along the lines of what actual pop stars do, because “pop-contemporary” MT often calls for this: WICKED, LES MIZ, any of Frank Wildhorn’s shows (i.e. JEKYLL AND HYDE), THE WEDDING SINGER, LEGALLY BLONDE, etc. SPRING AWAKENING, one of the newest “pop” MT shows, actually calls for a less strident belt sound, and more of a folky mix. Many - indeed most - female pop stars belt, some healthily (Christina Aguilera, Beyonce) and some less healthily (Stevie Nicks of “old school” Fleetwood Mac comes to mind right away - I’m showing my age! 
- as do many American Idol contestants) Indeed, girls who are “natural” belters often aspire to be pop stars, as their voices are suited for this type of music. There are also girls, and women, whose voices lend themselves naturally to a brassier, Mermanesque belt, and that still has a place in MT also, of course - in shows like ANYTHING GOES, etc.</p>
<p>Do all girls have to belt to be successful in MT? NO NO NO NO - especially when you are young and entering college!!! Not all voices are built to belt, just like not all runners are built to sprint! </p>
<p>Does belting HAVE to hurt your voice? NOOOOOOOOO - not if you do it in a limited way, with good and careful training, and UNDERSTAND that it IS innately “tough” on MOST voices, so you have to train and warm up/cool down accordingly.</p>
<p>Belting is a HUGE topic in girls’ MT lives, as many of your know, so I can’t cover everything pertaining to it here…but I hope this info makes it more clear to those unfamiliar with it. There is another style/placement called “mixing,” which MT singers generally agree to mean combining head and chest voice in various proportions to create an powerful and “poppy” sound that is a little less strident than belting - but “mixing” is much less clearly defined overall.</p>
I have seen 10 “bad” voice teachers for every good one, in my own experience as a singer and in the students and patients I see regularly. For a more experienced theatre eye and ear like you, I’d say to go with your gut, and if you don’t sense progress, ask around any local university MT programs WHOSE SINGERS YOU ADMIRE or any local performers - people are usually more than glad to refer!