Created by Kaylyn Sharp

So You Like to Sing??? Well….. If you want to be a choir member….. This is what you could be a part of! Sing in a Choir (a large ensemble) Sing in Show Choir (a small ensemble that usually sings and dances) Sing as a soloist Sing in musicals Participate in competitions as a soloist and a choir member Take voice lessons with a private voice teacher

Voice Types All ensembles have different voice parts that you could sing, depending on your unique voice! They are usually…. Soprano Alto Tenor Bass

The Soprano voice sings the highest notes/pitches in a choir. There are many “types” of sopranos such as Lyrical sopranos or Dramatic Sopranos. There are also boy sopranos (but more to come on that!). ♫Some famous Sopranos: ♪Christina Aguilera (pop singer) ♪Maria Callas (opera singer) ♪Kristen Chenoweth (Broadway singer) ♪Alison Kraus (country singer) ♫Roles in Musicals/Operas for Sopranos: ♪Ariel in The Little Mermaid ♪Glenda the Good Witch in Wicked ♪Maria in West Side Story ♪Mimi in the opera La Boheme (opera) The Soprano

The Alto The Alto voice sings lower notes/pitches than the soprano voice. The altos actually sing the pitches in between the soprano and tenor voices in a choir with sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. An Alto can also be called a Mezzo-Soprano or Contralto. ♫Some famous Altos/Mezzo-Sopranos: ♪ Mariah Carey & Diana Krall (pop singer) ♪ Marilyn Horne & Cecilia Bartoli (opera singer) ♪Idina Menzel (broadway singer) ♪Martina McBride & Faith Hill (country singer) ♫Roles in Musicals/Operas for Altos/Mezzo-Sopranos: ♪Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast ♪Elphaba / Wicked Witch in Wicked ♪Rita in West Side Story ♪Carmen in the opera Carmen by Bizet

The Tenor voice is a voice part usually for males. The tenor sings the higher notes/pitches for the men’s voices in a choir, and they actually sing the pitches in between the alto and bass voices. Some boys are able to sing alto, which is even higher than the tenor voice part. A tenor voice is a prized singer in choir! ♫Some famous Tenors: ♪Nick Lachey & Stevie Wonder & Shawn McDonald (pop singers) ♪Luciano Pavorotti (opera singer) ♪Joel Grey (broadway singer) ♪Montgomery Gentry (country singing duo) ♫Roles in Musicals/Operas for Tenors: ♪Tony in West Side Story ♪Rolf in The Sound of Music ♪Prince Calaf in Turandot singing “Nessun Dorma” The Tenor

The Bass The Bass voice is a voice part for males. The bass sings the lower notes/pitches for the men’s voices in a choir, and they actually sing the lowest pitches of all the voice parts. The bass voice part ‘anchors’ the rest of the choir! ♫Some famous Basses: ♪Barry White (pop singers) ♪Thomas Hampson & Samuel Ramey (opera singers) ♪Burke Moses(broadway singer) ♪Toby Keith (country singing duo) ♫Roles in Musicals/Operas for Basses: ♪The King in The King and I ♪Captain Von Trap in The Sound of Music ♪Toreador in the opera Carmen by Bizet

Male Unchanged Voice Young men’s voices have a pure quality that is admired by all. The male unchanged voice is often called a boy soprano. There is music written specifically for their type of voice, that only they can perform. A young man can sing Soprano, Alto, and Tenor prior to his voice changing. Some men are able to keep this sound to their voice and they become COUNTER TENORS when they are an adult. These voices are in high demand and very rare. Many Counter Tenors are flown all over the country and around the world to perform since so few people have that admired vocal quality.

Styles of Singing Just like there are different styles of clothes that you can wear, there are different types of music and styles to sing. Here are some recordings of the same voice, singing different styles. Which styles sound similar? Broadway Pop Classical Opera

Types of Choirs… Children’s Choirs (Like Frank Elementary Choir!) (young children, boys and girls) Boy’s Choir (young men, usually unchanged voices) Women’s Choir (All Ladies) Men’s Choir (Men Only) Mixed Choir (Guys and Girls)

Why study music? (Either singing or playing an instrument…or BOTH!) Studying music makes you even MORE INTELLIGENT and helps you with your GRADES. You are exposed to all different types of music. You may end up liking a type of music you had not listened to before! You can be a musician the rest of your life, no matter where you live or how much money you make. You can earn awards and scholarships. You meet a lot of different people. You will be a part of a TEAM!