I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that young singers, who are
interested in developing their own voices, should not sing in choirs if the
director is one who tries to "dumb down" vibrant voices. Many times, these
directors ask for straight, breathy sounds that make girls especially sound
like castrated British school boys.
Unfortunately those directors (especially in high school) have these singers
held captive 5 days a week leading to confusion by the singer who is looking
to please the director yet at the same time develop his, or hers own voice.
These directors are being utterly selfish in a sense in that they are asking
a young voice to contrive a sound that pleases their aesthetic but has no
chance in succeeding in the professional world of musical theater, pop or
even opera.
I've started to discourage these singers who are serious about their careers
to not sing in these groups. However, if they are fortunate enough to sing
in an environment where the director does not ask for such sounds I encourage
them to participate because it can be a fulfilling musical experience and not
hinder the development of their own voices.
Randy Buescher
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