The answer is no, soloists do not have to wear black! Here we’re talking about professional soloists who are hired-in from other locations and come in for a special program or a concert on a series. (See my previous blog post “Why Do Musicians Always Wear Black” for ensemble wardrobe topics.)
Soloists determine their own wardrobe. For men, the hiring organization chooses tux or tails, cummerbund or not, maybe a vest, and no matter what they are dressed and ready to go in short order. ‘nuff said about the men. For women there are a few more choices.
As I wrote yesterday, black is black is black is black and it’s instantly dressier than a lot of other options. A black dress is an easy and elegant choice. But it’s not the only choice (see #3 below).
Here are a few rules of thumb to follow when choosing a dress or gown:
1. Choose a dress that suits your body type.
Nothing looks more professional and elegant than a fancy piece of clothing that suits you to a T! Plus, you may wear this gown dozens of times. Buy a gown you will want to wear concert after concert after concert.
2. Choose a color that flatters your skin, hair, and eyes.
You’re standing up front and all eyes are on you, so choose colors you know compliment you well. If you’re unsure, ask a professional in a reputable dress shop for a color recommendation. A professional will be able to give you great advice!
TIP: Take a fashionista friend with you. It’s more fun and you can spend some quality time together.
And yes, I frequently choose blue. Not only is it a great color for me, it brings out the blue in my eyes and represents my branding.
3. If you are singing for a more solemn occasion, it is not absolutely necessary to wear black.
Black is an excellent choice, and may be requested by the concert presenter, however dark gray, wine red, dark green, chocolate brown, and dark blue are all appropriate choices and look stunning on stage.
The rule of thumb I learned for solemn occasions is “black is perfectly suitable, and other than that, all other dark colors are also appropriate.” Since the orchestra behind you will most likely be in black, you’ll stand out where you’re supposed to…up front!
4.Make it interesting.
Get creative—people remember your (appropriate) creative choices.
5. Only ever purchase a second-hand dress if it is truly like new.
I have seen such dresses on fellow soloists and they look smashing! HOWEVER, don’t waste your money on a dress that looks, well, pretty good…but has a snag here or there…or has a small tear and you know you won’t take the time to go to a tailor. People notice and it doesn’t leave a good impression. A sub-par dress is the mark of a singer who is less-than-invested in her own career.
6. Have fun with it because let’s face it—it’s fun!
The days of Jane Lunchbox dressing up for dancing at galas or getting into the latest dress fashion for a Friday night dance are out. When else do we get to be glammed up and have hundreds if not thousands of people watching us shine?
The technical aspects of gowns are JUST AS IMPORTANT as the gown itself:
7. Find a tailor who does quality work.
TIP: Ask your friends and colleagues for a tailor. Customers of quality tailors are typically long-term, extremely loyal customers.
Soprano Kirsten Watson, to the left, needed a jacket for this (fantastic) dress. She found material that matched the accent fabric and her tailor turned it into a fantastic jacket. This is gown shopping at its best!
8. Buy appropriate undergarments.
Check for panty lines. Have a bra sewn into the dress. Buy a full-body slip and/or lined bra if you even think you might-possibly-maybe-someday need it for that dress.
Ladies, I have seen a light-colored dress on a woman with inappropriate undergarments. So did all 80 people in the audience. Unfortunately no one remembers what she sang.
9. Cover up the girls. Seriously.
There’s nothing worse than a woman with a heaving bosom singing a pious, reverent aria in the middle of an oratorio. It’s unprofessional and inappropriate. Buy a minimizer bra, a camisole, or have some extra material sewn in to the neckline. Find a complimentary scarf and pin it into your dress if you have no other option.
10. Have the dress shop steam your new gown before you take it home.
They should do this anyway if the dress is wrinkled, but if not, ask them. In my opinion, there should be no charge for this simple service.
11. Always use a reputable dry cleaners with staff who are experienced in cleaning quality gowns.
Yes, I know this through experience as well and my dress is in great shape!
12. Use your dry cleaner well!
When purchasing a like-new, used gown, have it cleaned as soon as you purchase it and it will be ready to go when you need it.
13. Two last words: dress bag.
Spend the extra couple of bucks to get a large, cloth dress bag. Dry cleaner bags tear easily anyway, and this way you can store multiple gowns at home worry- and dust-free.
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- Written by: Nicole Warner
Somewhere along the line, black clothing became the standard for performing musicians. It’s easy on the eyes, looks pretty much the same on different fabrics, and looks just fine on almost everyone.
Unity
An ensemble dressed completely in black looks unified. If they’re all wearing a different color it’s sometimes too much stimulation. If everyone is wearing black, then it’s easier to concentrate on the music they are making and the expressions on their faces. Not every ensemble chooses all black, and there are choirs or concerts for which people wear different colors and it can be absolutely delightful when paired with upbeat repertoire!
Events
Musicians play and perform at many different types of events and for this, we typically say the wardrobe requirement is “dress black.” This means look professional, wear nice clothing, and it must all be black. This is why musicians typically have copious amounts of black clothing in their wardrobe. It’s also easiest for an ensemble to match each other well if they are all wearing black.
For funerals and memorial services, musicians, like attendees, wear black. And although it may seem odd, musicians wear dress black for weddings even though it is a festive occasion (unless the wedding party has deemed otherwise). Black is black is...you get the idea?
For more informal occasions, the combination of black pants or skirt and a black shirt already looks professional without being too dressy, and it’s a way for the musicians to separate themselves from the audience or crowd without having to figure out a new outfit for every performance.
Special Case: Choirs
Many choirs have standard dress for their singers, and most typically there is one dress for all the ladies, which they purchase themselves, plus a standard accessory (a scarf or jewelry, perhaps). Someone from the organization chooses which color hosiery and most often the guideline is simply “black shoes.”
TIP: Be sure to polish your shoes before any performance, whether you are a soloist up front or you are in the back of the choir. People notice if you haven't shined your shoes, and it does not leave a good impression. Do it a day or two before and you won't have a chance to forget it!
I’ve discovered that the more ‘serious’ the repertoire and the higher professionalism of the choir, the more likely it is that they will have ONE particular dress for the ladies. However there are plenty of choirs and ensembles that have a standard for women such as this: long, black skirt or wide-legged dress pants, ¾- or long-sleeved top, modest neckline, subtle jewelry. This also works very well when a specific standard of dressiness is required (and enforced) but having one dress for all the women isn't a logical choice.
For the men, it’s often a black suit or tux with a particular color bow-tie. Often it is also black, however if there is a particular color associated with the chorus, they may choose a different color. For instance, when I sang with the Gaechinger Kantorei in Stuttgart, the men were required to purchase their own burgundy red bow-tie. Use of a vest or a cummerbund is also specified by the choir or ensemble.
From Day to Night
Musicians lead busy lives and frequently leave the house in the morning only to return late in the evening after a day of teaching, rehearsing, and performing. Black travels well and is versatile and can go from the teacher’s studio to a dressy rehearsal and can be dressed up with fun jewelry or a pair of slacks changed out for a skirt in no time for a performance.
Soloists
Check back TOMORROW for my next blogpost: “Do Soloists Have to Wear Black?”
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- Written by: Nicole Warner
September 11, 2011, 3 pm
LIVE Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) at 3:00 pm
REBROADCASTThe Wisconsin Channel at 8:00 pm
STREAMING ONLINE Wisconsin Channel Onlineat 8:00 pm.
Bel Canto Chorus and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra
Cathedral Square Park, Downtown Milwaukee, WI
Richard Hynson, conductor
Rebecca Whitney, soprano
Nicole Warner, mezzo-soprano
Gregory Schmidt, tenor
Gerard Sundberg, bass
Program:
Requiem, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Adagio for Strings, Samuel Barber
This concert is being sponsored by the Stars & Stripes Campaign. Become a sponsor by clicking here.
CLICK HERE to watch the video on YouTube
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Click here to read the review from JSOnline.
Click here to read the review from the Third Coast Daily and see a Flicker gallery of photos from the concert.
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Richard Hynson & Bel Canto Chorus won 2nd place in American Prize for 9.11.11 United We Stand
The American Prize in Choral Performance-Community Division, 2nd place:
BEL CANTO CHORUS
Richard Hynson, director
From the judges: "This is a very fine group performing difficult repertory on the Civil War CD...The entrances and exits are precise, the dynamic range is excellent, balances are good within the choir...the music-making is exciting and often thrilling. And the repertory challenging and unusual!"
The American Prize in Conducting, 2012-Choral Division, Community Chorus
Richard Hynson, Music Director and Conductor Bel Canto Chorus
Under Hynson's direction, Bel Canto opened its 81st season on Sunday, September 11, 2011, with United We Stand. This free outdoor concert, attended by 4,000 people, marked the 10th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks and featured Mozart's Requiem.
From the judges: "Hynson's conducting of the Barber Adagio for Strings was clear, gentle, melodic and expressive...really quite beautiful...(For Mozart) Hynson rarely looked at the score, if ever. His gestures were always clear and toward the right people. But more importantly, he was always in character...I saw music being made, not just beats being given. And the chorus and orchestra responded...it's clear one would enjoy singing for this conductor, who would make a singer sing expressively and emotionally. This was a very impressive job."
About The American Prize
More than ever, we need to encourage our artists, for they are the soul of a great nation. As important as teachers or clergy, police or firefighters, doctors or lawyers, artists have the power to bring joy and understanding, peace and contentment to others. They are the vessels of the emotional history of humankind. Artists can heal.
Even as the performing arts in America are now largely ignored by the national media, and while many artists and organizations struggle for recognition and financial support, we know that great art is being made in this country.
All across the U.S., in communities large and small, orchestras, choruses, bands, theater companies and dance troupes are performing; professional, semi-professional, amateur, school-based and faith-based artists are entertaining audiences, enriching their communities and contributing to the quality of life.
With absolutely no bias against small city versus large, or well-known artist versus unknown, The American Prize seeks to recognize and reward the best America produces. That is the reason for The American Prize.
The American Prize is judged solely through recorded performances. There is no live competition.
Maestro David Katz is the chief judge of The American Prize. Professional conductor, award-winning composer, playwright, actor and arts advocate, Katz was the founder and for twelve years chief judge of the Friedrich Schorr Memorial Performance Prize in Voice international competition. Joining Katz is a panel of judges as varied in background and experience and as geographically diverse as we hope the winners of The American Prize to be.
Learn More http://www.theamericanprize.org/
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- Written by: Nicole Warner
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. -Mother Teresa
On September 11, 2001 I don't think anyone thought about what the 10th Anniversary would be like. People I talk with about September 11th don't talk about the 10th Anniversary, they talk about what happened 10 years ago. We remember where we were, what happened, who we knew who was in New York or working in the Pentagon, or even whom we knew who was supposed to have been in the towers that day, or what story someone just read about the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. We talk about the cloud, the dust, the stench. We tell the graphic, personal stories told amongst friends--the real stories of 9/11. We remember who in our group of friends took the first vacation or flight after 9/11, and we remember who hasn't flown since.
Sitting in rehearsal today, I noticed I'm not thinking about the future, I'm thinking about 10 years ago. I'm thinking about all the memories I haven't thought of for 10 years. I realized I have avoided thinking consciously about 9/11. And now, at the service of everyone at 9.11.11 - United We Stand tomorrow, I am forced to remember things I don't want to remember.
And that is the turning point--who am I to not want to remember? Who am I to not want to face the waves of emotions that tomorrow brings? There is work to be done. As musicians, performers, clergy, volunteers, we are at the service of those who do choose to remember. We are at the service of those who need to grieve. We are at the service of honoring the innocence that was lost, the people who are now deceased, the knowledge we have gained since, the truth that now stares us in the face. We are at the service of our neighbors, our brothers and sisters, because we are all created equal. We are at the service of grief itself, for when we've accepted our grief, we find out what wisdom is waiting for us on the other side.
This is a high calling for musicians, to be the ones who comfort those who grieve, to be the catalysts for their grieving process. We must remember first, so we can literally create the program to assist those who are grieving. We must face what needs to be faced and create the service that follows. We must lead the way to a better place. We must carry the vision for peace.
It is truly an honor to be of service to all the brothers and sisters in this world, for we must step up and be the first ones to change, to anticipate what will exist beyond grief. We must be the change we wish to see.
Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music. -Jimi Hendrix
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"Does it make me happy? Does it make me rich? Does it make me proud?"
and if the gig in front of you meets at least 2 of those 3 guidelines, it's a good idea to take it. If the gig only meets 1, then you ought to be pretty clear on why you're taking the gig--or why you're kindly turning it down.
It's a great way to decide whether to take a gig or not and that's where I usually start; in addition to that, here are several other basics I consider from the very first conversation:
3. Committment Is there a contract? Or at the very least a confirmation letter? Frequently emailed correspondence functions in this manner, but some people just aren't that great with planning. Go ahead and ask--it's your work and you have every right to know all the details. When in doubt, send a friendly, professional email stating all the information you have and ask them to simply reply and confirm it.
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There are certain ways that music touches us and one of these is when music becomes something more than sound and silence over time. 
It happens when everyone lets go of their distractions, latches on to the group's motivation, and lets the music flow. This is what happened on tour in South America last month.
Three of our four concerts were sold out, the first one having been about 95% sold out. It's always something special and is a momentous goal achieved when a musician hears the words "95% sold out" or "sold out!" It's a validation of our work and an affirmation for our souls--the knowledge that there are so many audience members becomes a catalyst for even better music-making.
The concert in the Basilica de Guadalupe in Mercedes, Argentina was one of those concerts; it was standing-room-only, freezing cold in an old, unheated church and everyone was wearing multiple layers to stay warm (the choir and the soloists that is). Audience members arrived 45 minutes to an hour early, and the mayor and his wife were sitting in the front row. You could FEEL the vibe of the audience.
As the orchestra entered, the choir and the soloists, we knew the church was going to be full, but I personally wasn't prepared for it to be overflowing with people.
And as a mezzo, when that vibe is there, it's an extra comfort that the soprano is the first soloist to enter. It lets me get a peek at the audience before I'm standing right in front of them. This time I was really grateful for this convention, as the size of the audience took my breath away.
Every seat in every pew was filled with people sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, people were standing and milling around in the back of the church, the transepts were filled with people sitting and standing, and people surrounded every column all the way to the back of the nave. I've sung in a lot of churches in the last decade and I had never seen a church that full.
So you can well imagine how potent that vibe was even before the concert began. Richard Hynson, our conductor, then began the Mozart Requiem and you could see the audience's ears perk. People two-thirds of the way back would pop up to see the orchestra play for a minute, then sit down again. As we soloists began our musical entrances, the gazes of a thousand people would shift simultaneously to look at the soloist who had just entered. You could feel the intensity of their engagement with us and their engagement with the music. It was palpable.
Mozart's Requiem is a very dramatic and moving piece of music all by itself. Add a huge audience, ready and willing to take a musical journey with you, a fantastic conductor and dozens of talented singers and orchestra members, and the music created will transport you to somewhere else. External thoughts and concerns simply disappear and there is a venerable time and space that gets created--where everyone becomes a part of the music.
I am endlessly grateful to have had this experience with the beautiful people I met in Mercedes who provided me with a memory to last a lifetime. We created that experience together. This is what music-making is all about.
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- Written by: Nicole Warner
LIVE
ON
MILWAUKEE PUBLIC TELEVISION
o
On September 11, 2011 I'll be joining the Bel Canto Chorus and the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra for a FREE commemorative concert of Mozart's Requiem in downtown Milwaukee.
This event will be broadcast LIVE on MPTV 10.1 at 3:00 pm and rebroadcast the same day at 6:30 pm on MPTV 36.1.
This event is also an acknowledgement of first responders and veterans. From the press release:
United We Stand will feature appearances by local and state government, community, and religious officials. First responders and veterans are encouraged to attend in uniform, as they will be publicly honored during the concert.
Although the event itself is free, premium tickets, which include chair seating and access to the post-concert reception, are available at $100 through the Bel Canto Chorus Box Office at (414) 481-8801.
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Did you know I have my own YouTube channel? There are already several videos that you can watch and listen to. Click here to see my YouTube channel!
Do you have a video of me performing? Perhaps from my recent South America tour? Please contact me and let's get it posted!
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That pretty much sums up the Bel Canto Chorus 2011 Tour to South America. OK, well, there is a lot more to it than that, so here's are a few of the highlights--of which there are so, so many!
Day 1: Arrival in Buenos Aires, Argentina and transfer to Colonia, Uruguay. Our first dinner was a lovely buffet of quiches, salads, and interesting small dishes. We ate, we drank, we laughed and got acquainted, and then we found out there were two more courses. Uff-da!
Then it was on to Montevideo, Uruguay! During our city tour of Montevideo we stopped at the Mercado del Puerto for a meal and I was greeted with this rump steak (pulpo) and grilled pepper for lunch. For reference, the red pepper was the size of my hand from the wrist to my fingertips. Not only was it the best steak I've ever eaten (without exaggeration!), but Coca-Cola there is made with real sugar and tastes fantastic! Yum!
Our concert in Montevideo was in the Teatro Solis with the Orquesta Filarmonica de Montevideo. It was a fantastic concert AND it was almost sold out! This was the first of four concerts and we really had a lovely time in Montevideo.
From there it was back to Colonia for a concert in the Bastion del Carmen theater, where we were greeted by two songs from a local choir and sang a second, sold out concert which included Faure's Requiem and a set of Americana, spirituals and folk songs.
Colonia is really a beautiful place and it was a pleasure to be there for a second time. There is a lighthouse in the city that you can climb up and take some fantastic pictures. I'll leave you with this picture for today and look for my next post about South America. It's hard to put such an amazing experience into words.
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In choral singing, voice parts are normally listed as soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. A four-part, mixed voice choir is frequently referred to as an 'SATB choir,' where SATB is short for soprano-alto-tenor-bass. So if SATB is for a chorus of women and men, what do you think an all-women's chorus would be? Take a guess--and read on! It's an 'SA choir,' or an 'SSAA choir.' However, since all of these women's voices are notated on the treble cleff, a women's chorus is most often referred to as a Treble Choir.
You'll remember from my previous blog post that voice classification in individual singers is somewhat different than the names of voice parts in a chorus or ensemble. However, when we get to bigger concert pieces, like the Mahler Symphony No. 2, the score (sheet music) lists the soloist's voices like the choral voice parts.
Let's use the Mahler Symphony No. 2 as an example. It calls for an orchestra, an SATB choir, a soprano soloist and an alto soloist. A soprano soloist sings the soprano solo and a mezzo-soprano then sings the part of the alto. A true alto, a contralto, can also sing this part, but as you read last time, there aren't as many true contraltos as there are mezzos and their ranges are similar. That's why mezzo-sopranos so frequently sing alto.
Which is exactly what I do. I am a mezzo-soprano (my voice classification), however I sing the alto part in many oratorios and concert pieces. I sing the alto solo in Handel's Messiah, in the Pergolesi Stabat Mater, the Mozart Requiem and in Bach's Christmas Oratorio.
There are scores in which the composer calls for a mezzo-soprano soloist, in which case it's pretty clear: a mezzo-soprano sings the mezzo-soprano solo.
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Do you have a question about voice parts, singing, or music? Email me and I'll answer it here on the blog!
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- Written by: Nicole Warner
There are times in life when I am absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that music, singing, movement and dancing, are how we heal ourselves. Most times it's so enjoyable to sing in a concert or to take in a performance that it's not conscious, it's not a conscious choice that you or I would go to a concert or trot off to a gig with the idea in mind, "Today I will heal people. I sing so that I may heal others." Sometimes, sure, when I know that a person who is having a hard time is attending a concert I'm singing, there is a line of thought throughout my performance that runs along...."these notes, this singing is for my friend...she shall be healed, she shall be whole..."
Most of the time, I think of the beauty of the people sitting in front of me and I wonder at their ability to take in the music, to restore their souls, to be filled by and to fill up with the music. Time gets lost and we all get lost in the music together.
Let's jump back in time for a moment. In August of 2001 I moved to New York to begin my Master's Degree in Classical Voice. I moved into a dorm room on the 14th floor of the dorm; I looked out my window and took in the magnificence of the George Washington Bridge every night. It was beautiful. Orientation finished, the school year began, and I signed up for my Opera Studio audition.
On September 11, 2001, while one plane crashed into one tower of the World Trade Center, I was half asleep. I got up and went to my friend's room to check my email and she told me that a building downtown was on fire. I thought of the NY Fire Department and their fine reputation and was comforted for the people in the building. From where we were, several miles away on the 14th floor, it didn't look as bad as it really was. As I wrote, emails from friends started to come in. They were short, very odd. "Are you OK? What happened?" "What's going on in New York City?" "Are you in Manhattan?" I heard screams from the next room and naively wrote to a friend,
"I'm fine! New York is interesting but I haven't seen much of it yet. People just screamed in the next room and there's a building on fire downtown, I need to go find out what's going on. I'll write more later."
As I walked to the room next door, I didn't know the first tower had just fallen. I didn't know I would spend the entire day there, glued to the television. I didn't know our dorm would be locked down and we would be witness to the streams of thousands of people walking up Broadway, trying to get home. I didn't know I would see taxis racing up and down Broadway all day long. I didn't know we would be watching the television as the second tower fell. And when we looked out the window, that it would be gone. And the sky...empty.
Despite the endless, oppressive presence of fear, school opened again two days later, we were allowed to leave our dorm, we went to our Opera Studio auditions, and we began to talk, at least a little bit, about healing. Denyce Graves sang at a televised memorial service in Washington D.C. and we wondered how she could ever get through it. The group of students in Opera Studio gathered and somebody said something about being so solid in your performing that you just do it, technically, or something.
I didn't get it, and I wondered how a singer could ignore her emotions and just sing? We saw some quivers in Ms. Graves' hands, we saw the focused concentration--she was grieving and healing right along with us, and it was anything but purely technical. I wondered how she felt inside.
Now I don't wonder anymore. I've been asked and have accepted to sing the Mozart Requiem on September 11, 2011 and it's been running through my mind all week. Now I have no doubt about how important it is to sing in order to heal, to grieve, and to move through whatever needs to be moved through. Now I know that singing is as vital to memorializing and grieving as water is to life. Now I know that there is so much to be sung and to be expressed and healed through music itself--that hearing music puts people at peace and calms their troubles. Music holds their hearts in a sacred time and space. Singing is a way to reach out to thousands of people at one time and put my arm around all of them and say into their ears, "It's going to be OK. It will all be OK. We are in this together and we will be OK."
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YES! Just like the organist at your wedding, your child's piano teacher and your high school choir teacher, singers get paid for singing.
Singers add a special emotional, spiritual element to many occasions and they may already be working in music positions you're not aware of. Did you know that many church choirs have section leaders in the different voice parts? And that many private parties hire singers and other musicians for cocktail hours and general entertainment?
Here's a sampler list of all the different work that singers do:
- weddings
- private voice lessons
- church & temple services - as soloists, as paid section leaders, as guest musicians, as choir conductors...the list goes on!
- funerals & memorial services
- receptions, both private & public - from jazz to pop, some singers sing it all!
- orchestral concerts - from symphony orchestras to chamber orchestras and from chamber ensembles to community orchestras
- educational outreach - many singers earn their entire living with fascinating programs in schools and libraries
- concerts in-the-park
- rock bands
- singing the national anthem at sporting events
- making recordings
- voice-overs & jingles
- ensembles - this can range from multi-voice ensembles like Cantus, to small ensembles for weddings and memorial services
- community choirs - conducting & administrating
- other instruments - many singers also play another instrument and many also accompany their own students in recitals and at competitions; you remember Solo & Ensemble, don't you?
- piano tunings - every piano needs a tuning at least once a year
Remember, this is just a beginning list of all the work that's out there for singers. Can you think of other work singers do? Email me and I"ll blog about it!
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This is the #1 question I get asked by concert audience members and people I meet on the street.
Let's start with choir voice types. In a choir, people sit in sections: sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. You’ll probably recognize the names soprano and alto from choir in school. This is different from an actual voice classification, as there are more of those than there are choir voice types.
There are three voice classifications for women:
- a soprano (the highest)
- a mezzo-soprano (in the middle) and
- a contralto (a/k/a alto).
So think of a mezzo-soprano as being able to sing Alto I or Soprano II and fitting into that place in between.
Sopranos are typically comfortable singing higher pitches and also for longer periods of time. Mezzo-sopranos can also sing high, but not always quite as high and mezzos may find it more challenging than a soprano. Mezzo-sopranos also sing lower than a soprano and for longer periods of time. Contraltos sing even lower than mezzo-sopranos but true contraltos don’t sing nearly as high as mezzo-sopranos and sopranos.
Also, every woman’s voice ‘shifts’ differently between the lower, middle, and upper registers (think of those like the low, middle, and high gears of a car) and some singers experience their voices in two registers, or maybe just one! Just as the clutch is different on every car, each person’s voice 'drives' and ‘shifts’ differently.
Do you remember singing in choir in school and there was always that part of a song that went higher, but it wasn’t comfortable until you sang even higher? That’s the part of our voices where we need to ‘shift’ and that is called a passaggio, an Italian word meaning ‘passage.’ Singers practice a lot so these passaggi (the plural of passaggio) aren’t too obvious for the listener.
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So you're 18, fantastic at music, everybody loves what you perform, and they all want to know if you're going to study music. 'Yes!,' you say, and you head off for 4 years (or more) of higher education, maybe take another 2 years for graduate school, and you hit the real world as a freelancer. But your teacher (or teachers) never told you this: that you're an entrepreneur. And you need valuable skills that no one taught you in college or grad school--one of the most important ones being: money management.
We're not talking about making a budget and balancing your checkbook, we're talking about setting aside money for taxes, paying them on time, avoiding fees & penalties, creating an emergency fund (for when those gigs don't come rollin' in!) and creating a system by which you can be financially successful.
Years ago my dad taught me this: Don't follow the money; never let it out of your sight.
I knew how to do that with my checkbook, but for my business I had to figure it out the hard way. (That is a sad statement for someone who went through 6 years of higher education.) Here's one tool that I picked up recently and from which I have learned an immense amount: 
Go take a look and use the "Look Inside" feature. Watch 'The Money Book' Video
N.B.: This book doesn't differentiate between personal and business accounts and they assume you have one main checking account. Use separate accounts for your business and personal finances--you give yourself clarity, avoid overwhelm, and you avoid potentially serious problems with the IRS!
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- Written by: Nicole Warner