How Darren Espanto copes with his maturing vocals

Darren Espanto

It’s not unusual for young male singers to lose some of their range as they undergo puberty. And at 16, Darren Espanto is starting to feel the changes in his voice.

Make no mistake, though: He can still hit those stratospheric notes. But, once in a while, adjustments need to be made.

“I recently sang Lani Misalucha’s ‘Bukas Na Lang Kita Mamahalin’ in its original key, and I was pleased with that. But now there are tunes whose key I have to lower—not too drastically, though. And I have to exert more effort now,” he told the Inquirer in a recent interview to promote the deluxe version of his sophomore album, “Be With Me” (MCA Music).

According to Darren, the biggest challenge is finding a more comfortable vocal placement that will suit his relatively deeper tone. “It was difficult at first because my placement kept on shifting. And for quite some time, I was without a falsetto,” related Darren, who finished in second place in “The Voice Kids” in 2014.

But the vocal changes Darren’s experiencing aren’t without positive effects. His belting, for instance, has become thicker and more robust. “When I was younger, my voice was high but quite tinny,” observed Darren, who has been vocalizing more religiously these days.

Adapt to changes

One of the reasons Darren became popular is the ease with which he pulls off vocally demanding songs. But he’s not worried about the possibility of his voice getting lower as he gets older. “Puberty is a part of life—and I accept that,” he said. “What I can do is adapt to the changes and improve myself.”

With his maturing vocals, it’s only fitting that he’s beginning to take on songs with increasingly mature themes. “I’ve always sung about love. But now it’s no longer the cutesy kind anymore,” said Darren, who likewise wrote two songs in his latest album: “Home” and “Hanggang Hi Hello.”

“Fans and artist friends were surprised to know that I was behind those. They said they were ‘international-sounding.’ I was thrilled,” Darren said. “Hearing such comments was inspiring, because I have always wanted to come up with my own material. And I hope to write more music in the future.”

The album’s deluxe edition of “Be With Me” includes brand new songs, such as “Young Hearts” and “My Baby & Me,” which Darren recorded with the up-and-coming Malaysian teenage pop artist Nik Qistina, who recently visited the Philippines.

Beyond the country

With projects like “My Baby & Me,” the singer hopes to expand his market beyond the country. “I want to go to Malaysia and do some gigs with Nik, because our voices mesh together well. And maybe someday I can learn their language, enough for me to sing songs in it,” he said.

What does he think it would take for him to penetrate the Southeast Asian scene? “Aside from working hard, it’s important to take advantage of social media, which allows artists to easily share material with the rest of the world,” he said. “I’ll continue showing what I’m capable of doing and see where that takes me.”