1. I am very happy with my present voice teacher [or coach] – would I be required to work with only you, or could I work with you and still continue with my present teacher [or coach]?

2. Do you teach one voice type differently from another?

3. Do you teach men differently from women?

4. How do you turn a lyric voice into a dramatic?

5. Is it true that lyric mezzo-sopranos and baritones with good top notes can easily become dramatic sopranos or tenors?

6. How do I get through my passaggio and into the top?

7. As a tenor, I can sing only to about an A-natural or B-flat above the staff comfortably or without cracking – does this mean that I’m a Heldentenor?

8. People have told me that, if you cannot sing Mozart well, you do not have a good technique – is this true?

9. What kind of operatic repertoire would you recommend for a 20 or 21 year old dramatic voice?

10. In the past week, I have sung auditions for 5 or 6 different people – some of them say that I am a lyric-leggiero, some say that I am a dramatic-spinto and some say that I am a pure lyric – who do I listen to and believe?

Absolutely! I would never insist on someone changing from their present voice teacher or coach. In fact, I very much enjoy collaborating with my colleagues – perhaps that is the reason why I get so many referrals. Occasionally, I also recommend that our own students work with other teachers or coaches whenever I feel that it is in their best interest to do so.

No. Everyone has the same physical “vocal equipment” (vocal folds, tongue, jaw, lungs, spine, abdominal muscles, etc.) and a common goal of achieving a healthy, well produced sound. There is no logical reason why any serious professional voice user should not engage their singing mechanism and physical co-ordination in essentially the same manner.

No. (See the response above.) Generally speaking, teaching psychology will inevitably vary somewhat from student to student – this can be especially true when male teachers work with women and vice versa – despite the fact that physical aspects and a basically healthy vocal technique remain the same.

Quite simply, you don’t! A voice is what it is! That being said, I do believe that it is possible to help singers realize their full vocal potential through more efficient breath management, clean and easy (gentle) adduction of the vocal folds during phonation, and maximizing vocal resonance and projection. However, a lyric voice will always be a lyric voice, regardless of the repertoire that they might choose to sing. I have learned that, regardless of the actual color and size of a voice, it is imperative that singers always sound “lyric” to themselves. If they think that they are making a huge, dramatic sound that is big and loud, it is highly probable that they are trapping the sound inside their own head and body and that their voice sounds muffled, dampened or even swallowed to the listener. Though it is possible that these voices may seem large and impressive in the studio or a relatively small rehearsal space, chances are that they are not actually projecting or being heard over an orchestra in the concert hall or opera house. Diction will suffer and vowels will be unclear.

Why? This does not make any sense. Assuming that the singer’s voice is classified correctly in the first place (mezzo or baritone), what is the logic of a lyric anything becoming a dramatic something else simply by changing vocal “Fach”? With the obvious exception of the extremes, such as coloratura, contralto, leggiero tenor and basso, the actual vocal range for most voice types is not really all that different – only the tessitura that they are required to maintain. Changing to a higher “Fach” requires a significant adjustment in the dynamics and tessitura that must be sustained over long periods of time. Ideally, one should sing most of the time in their most “comfortable” range, exploring the extremes only when the music demands, and, even then, not for too long at any given time. A mezzo or baritone singing in the soprano or tenor range is in serious danger of straining or damaging their voice and, as a result, shortening their careers. Suffice it to say that it is always tempting – dramatic repertoire is very seductive – in some cases, more plentiful and frequently much more interesting – certainly one cannot deny that the fees are more enticing. True – but at what price?!? An occasional foray into untested waters might be OK occasionally, but it is ill advised for any serious artist to attempt specializing in repertoire that lies consistently outside or beyond their true natural range and is therefore unsuitable for their voice!

If this could be answered in one simple e-mail – or even in a week or two of lessons – I would have discovered the solution for what is unquestionably one of the greatest challenges ever to plague singers. There is no simple or pat answer, because there are far too many variables. Every singer is different, and, as a result, they require extensive individual training in order to conquer this particular dilemma.

No. Simply put, it just means that you do not access your top correctly. There is no logical physical reason that the various voice types should not be capable of achieving their normal range. Accessing the extremes of the range can be psychologically stressful, based on just how much grief the individual has experienced in past attempts to do so – and how far off base they happen to be technically.

Phooey! Except for a reasonably good selection of soprano arias, Mozart did not do particularly well in providing a sufficient variety of repertoire suitable for the other vocal categories or voice types. Saying that everyone should sing Mozart is, at best, naïve – somewhat like saying that everyone should sing Bach, Händel, Verdi, Wagner or whatever. There are no voices or personalities that are ideally suited to perform ALL types of repertoire. Why perform something only adequately simply because “they” say we should – especially when it is possible to sing more appropriate repertoire better or at least as well as anyone out there? There are several things that should be taken into consideration when choosing repertoire – along with voice type, one must also be aware of the singer’s physical type, personality and, possibly most important of all, “Is it realistic or even remotely possible to think that this singer would ever be engaged to perform this role?”

This question has at least two potential traps – “a 20 year old dramatic?!?” Highly unlikely?!? Even if they have a big and richly-colored voice, one should NEVER tell a young singer that they are a dramatic anything – this will only encourage them push and shove that much harder trying to sound like one. Who wouldn’t bellow and shout under the circumstances? (I speak from personal experience here!) It is never easy finding just the right beginning repertoire for a potentially big voice – and it requires a considerable amount of creativity on the part of the teacher – along with a thorough knowledge of repertoire in order to select appropriate material for them – interesting, challenging and yet realistically within their musical and vocal capabilities. They need to feel confident with their repertoire – it should be musically satisfying and artistically gratifying. In spite of their young age, they still must be encouraged to sing with the voice that they have – so that it can mature and develop properly. At the same time, it is crucial that they are never exploited or over-extended – that can be most discouraging, not to mention emotionally and vocally devastating. It is perhaps even more damaging for them to “undersing” or to be forced to perform repertoire that is too light or “precious” – to reiterate, they must sing with the voice that they have. (A curse upon all of those well-meaning souls who are forever “shushing” these wonderfully wild and seemingly unruly and as yet untamed young voices!) They must be allowed to mature and develop naturally – but with proper guidance and encouragement. Without hearing or actually knowing the student, I would never dare to recommend repertoire before talking with their teacher and hopefully hearing the student in order to get a better idea of their musical skills, artistic sophistication and level of vocal development – their individual strengths, weaknesses and needs.

Get to know your own voice and what you truly believe is the right repertoire for you. Trust your teacher and your coach (who hopefully will agree). Regardless of who you are auditioning for, consider the source and circumstances of any feedback you are getting – you can never really know for sure where they are “coming from” or whether they may have some kind of “agenda” – or, for that matter, whether they are just simply “looking for something to say” because you’ve put them on the spot by asking. They cannot possibly know your vocal history, even with your résumé and bio in front of them. No matter what they may or may not hear in a very brief ten minutes of singing, it is impossible for them to have a complete vocal picture. You cannot possibly know what their mood might happen to be at the time of the audition. They are human too – and we know for darn sure that they are not perfect, even though they are considered to be experts. It is only natural that experiences such as this create doubts and undermine your confidence. That gives you even more reason to have faith in those who know you and your voice best and to trust their guidance. This being said, however – if over a period of time you continue to receive the same sort of feedback about your singing, you might possibly want to reconsider your “support group”. Go to a recognized expert vocal specialist (teacher and/or coach) and ask for their professional assessment. Afterwards, you should have a better idea of whether you might want to think about changing your repertoire or even reconsidering the advice you’ve been getting from your teacher and coach – whether or not they are indeed the appropriate vocal trainers and career advisors for you. (Dixie Speaking): Anecdotally, when we first arrived in New York City after having worked professionally in Germany for several years, Bill once auditioned for three different artist managers on the same day. The first one told him that he was singing the wrong repertoire and was at best a Rossini tenor. The second one said that he was a full dramatic and should be singing Wagner, Strauss and big Verdi. The third said that he was singing exactly the right repertoire but needed to work on his technique. Needless to say, this last one proved to be absolutely correct – almost ten years passed before he finally moved from lyric into spinto repertoire. Nevertheless, on that particular day, we felt confused, lost and frightened! Thank goodness we could go home and work it out together. (Bill Speaking): Dixie was always an enormous help to me (and I to her) any time that it was necessary to cope with the inevitable disappointment and discouragement that comes bag and baggage with a career. Every singer needs a support group – normally comprised of a “significant other”, manager, voice teacher and coach. I cannot imagine survival in this crazy profession without one.