<p>Very interesting vicariousparent. My daughter was singing alto on a couple numbers in the show choir last year--she is a very high soprano 1! That didn't cause the problems being made to sing softly all the time or without vibrato most of the time did. But I would be concerned that if she is singing alto exclusively in choir when she is in fact a true soprano that her upper range isn't adversely affected. Talk to the voice teacher about this. Her sightreading skills will grow considerably singing a harmony part though!</p>
<p>Bassdad: free and expressive does not mean "all out and bombs away" but rather lyrical and easy. Wobble and screech do not qualify either! </p>
<p>The Bachelor of Music curriculum will require 8 semesters of ensemble, and most schools require choral singing. Probably the major conservatories do not, but I do not know this for a fact. Scholarship students almost always have to sing in a choir, service to the school, etc. </p>
<p>I sang alto or second soprano in choirs, and I am a soprano. When my D did school choirs, she sang Second Soprano, and she is a lyric coloratura. Tessitura and range are different issues in the choral repertory. The only time my students had problems with choirs was when the tessitura of the current repertory of the group sat in the yet unstable passaggio. As long as the singer is not trying to carry the section, i.e. too heavy of a production in the lower range, it should be fine to stay low and not have to modify the sound of the higher notes. Time must be spent vocalizing and using the higher range, however.</p>
<p>I believe I have read on an opera forum that some sopranos sing alto because it puts less strain on their voices in choir. Maybe sopranos are secretly wishing they could become the more sought after mezzo.</p>
<p>ariamom yes were are fortunate. Music is valued in the HS and the chorus program, which is not even a performance arts HS, is phenomenal. DD's chorus was just 26 select juniors and seniors which made it easier to manage the blend of strong voices. But even the other choruses in the HS are large and well regarded with over 40 in each of the womens and men's ensembles, both requiring auditons. Her church Choir director also has his masters from Eastman and has been wonderful, but she sang with the adults, not the High Schoo choir. It does make a big difference when the directors understand managing the developing voices. There does seem to be an art to getting them into the right technique for the chorus without doing negative things to the development of the voice. DD's voice teacher did have her drop out of one of the children's choirs because they were having her hold back too much. Perhaps your HS teacher will grow into it more with more experience and as the program matures.</p>
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<p>free and expressive does not mean "all out and bombs away" but rather lyrical and easy. Wobble and screech do not qualify either!</p>
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<p>Would that everyone agreed. Perhaps I have just run into a few too many singers lately who equate loud with good.</p>
<p>AriaMom - If you are looking for an excellent vocal summer program, I can highly recommend Tanglewood. Our son described it as "All State Choir on steroids". Everyone loves music and is dedicated to becoming a better singer. They do perform as a choir (last summer they did Carmina Burana and several other pieces), but also get substantial individual voice instruction.</p>
<p>Hat--Tanglewood is on the radar for sure! One of the biggest issues is that we do not have a money tree growing in the backyard so we have to be very strategic and deliberate about where and when we apply to programs so as to maximize the college visit/interviews with teachers. Our daughter is a sophomore this year so she still has a few summers to participate in programs. </p>
<p>We're going to Rice in February to see a friend's niece perform her senior recital and as Shepherd is a top choice in theory, we'll see if the campus at least appeals! The academics and college set up is right up her alley and Shepherd is amazing. Then we have a baseline for comparisons.</p>
<p>We met some people at Interlochen who also didn't have a money tree in the backyard and they had got significant financial aid. Tanglewood and others may also be the same. No harm trying.</p>
<p>Our daughter and we have been extremely happy with her experience with NYSMF, the New York Summer Music Festival, which is run at the SUNY-Oneonta campus (NY State). She'll be returning this summer.</p>
<p>The two vocal areas one can experience are classical/choral and jazz. There is an opera unit that is open by audition only. The faculty are first rate -- recruited from Curtis and Manhattan School of Music mostly, plus Westminster, NYU and Mannes.</p>
<p>Especially if your daughter has been demoralized or uninspired by what has been going on at her HS, NYSMF is a great place to recharge the batteries. The atmosphere is not as high-intensity as I am led to believe some programs are -- the main administrators work hard to create a non-competitive, supportive atmosphere ... that also has a pervasive fun sense of humor. It has done wonders for my daughter. </p>
<p>Thanks VicA. I have always assumed the NYSMF was instrumental only, so I will definitely take a look at that. It sounds excellent</p>
<p>And finances aren't going to stop us from anything--we just have to maximize every opportunity that comes our way. To that end, we're going to get some school requirements out of the way this year to free up the more crucial junior to senior summer and be completely prepared wtih a robust and ready repetoire. School choir is not getting her down--she gets to sing a Bach Cantata with an adult choir, so life is good!</p>
<p>There were a couple of what we felt were reasonably priced summer programs in the North Carolina area -- I think one was out of Appalachian State, or at least it was near Boone, NC; another was through the North Carolina School for the Arts. Still would be a haul for you, but at least 12 hours less than coming to the NorthEast!</p>
<p>Cannon Music Camp at Appalachian State does a very nice four week program, well run, good conductors, and it is a beautiful place to be in the summer.</p>
<p>I second how great it would be to be in Boone in the summer. The people there are incredibly nice -on campus and off.</p>
<p>Hi ariamom--</p>
<p>I had a similar experience in high school. My director was very mean to me the whole time, never gave me solos, constantly berated me in front of the whole choir, told me to sing softer and with straight tone, made me sing alto when I'm clearly a soprano. I tried to appease him, but he really had it out for me. I stayed in choir because I loved the music, and because I had so many friends in choir, but the entire time, my director was a source of stress and discouragement. </p>
<p>The story has a happy ending, though. I'm currently studying at the Manhattan School of Music. I'm a great sight-reader because of singing alto, and I'm a whiz at new music and early music because of my straight tone skills. The repertoire I learned in those four years has also proved valuable, especially in music history classes. </p>
<p>Singing in choir was not vocally damaging, because I simply did not allow myself to get pushed around--my voice is MINE, and any time I thought what I was being asked to do would fatigue or strain my voice, I just lip-synched. I'm very glad I stayed in choir, despite how horribly my director treated me. </p>
<p>The schools WILL NOT care whether your daughter was in choir. However, they WILL care how she sings and if she's a good musician. Choir is not designed to make you a good opera singer, but it will expose you to tons of music, which is invaluable to the growth of a musician. </p>
<p>I'd also like to add that I'm from Texas as well, so I totally get the whole choir-obsessed director phenomenon. You just have to deal with it, and ultimately prove them wrong/crazy.</p>
<p>Piglet--
Thanks for sharing your story! In addition to choir obsession we in Texas have to deal with athletics uber alles! There is a litany of transgressions on the part of this director that was highlighted on the last day of class when a college choir visited and that director talked to them. Essentially, all of our choir director's "techniques" were the opposite of what the college director spoke of--but were exactly what my daughter is being taught. They are getting no theory, no music history, no musical education other than learning the music. We are very comfortable with the decision!</p>
<p>She will be fully challenged in lessons and will have ample opportunity for choral singing as well as solo singing. She has a pretty amazing instrument and right now I can't even imagine where she'll be in two years when she auditions! MSM is also one of her top choices.</p>
<p>VicAria-
I second what you said about NYSMF. Wonderful program!! D went there for flute, but was also very impressed with the choir and enjoyed performing with it!! She knew of some kids going for vocal and they loved it. It was a wonderful experience for my d and I expect to see and hear more about this music festival!! The faculty is incredible...MSM, NYU, Curtis, ect....I would highly recommend looking into this program.</p>
<p>Ariamom--
That choir director sounds like a real dud. My director, while a jerk, was actually quite musically talented. I'm sorry to hear about yours, but it sounds like you're making the best choice by getting out of a bad situation. Best of luck to your daughter in all her singing!</p>
<p>My daughter quit the high school choir after her sophomore year. The director was beyond incompetent and the whole program was a joke. We fretted about it, mainly because of all the advice we got that she would never get into a decent music program because of it. She went from the high school show choir to the local Bach collegium and loved it! She had a great voice teacher who let her perform some with the students at the university he taught at, learned an incredible amount from the Bach director, and headed to Interlochen for her senior year of hs. When it came time for college, she got into every school she applied to, including her top choice (Jacobs @ IU). I shudder to think where she would be if we had listened to the naysayers and made her stick with the hs music program.</p>