Tina said: We see girls/children's chorus's singing a wide variety of music from opera choruses, Bach cantatas, and 20th century music all which requires vocal technique, extreme ranges and maturity of voice. How is this different from young singers studying the same music as a soloist instead of in a group? I, for one, would rather have my daughter study one-on-one with someone I trust rather than in a chorus doing who-knows-what with her voice
Tina, I think it is important to know the choir directors who work with your children (and you have a cute one...visited your website!). I know the one that my children are involved with (Cynthia Nott, director of the Greater Dallas Children's Chorus), and I personally monitored rehearsals at first, so I could see the level of music, and the vocal instruction that was given. It is all first-rate. I think the main difference between singing a Bach choral work and a Bach solo piece is that you do not have to carry the load of the entire piece by yourself when you are singing as part of a choir. The temptation to sing past your level of proficiency is greater when singing as a soloist, for some students anyway. I think that if the choral director is good, that should suffice until a girl has had some growing up (read 'gone through puberty'). Although the voice change is not as extreme for the female voice, there are changes, and I think it is best to wait until those have had a chance to settle. Of course, this is merely my opinion, and is subject to change as my daughter grows up.
David Grogan Marshall, Texas
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