Have you noticed how all the popular teenage singers are soprano? None of them are alto, or even mezzo.
It's really weird because there must be some wonderful young singers out there with fabulous low voices, but for some reason they just don't achieve the success of Charlotte Church and co. So I puzzled about it for a while and came up with this sort of theory...

I was listening to the radio one day, and there was some survey mentioned, which showed that listeners find a lower voice (in a woman) more sexy than a higher one. So maybe people just don't want to hear a so-called "sexy" voice coming from a 12 or 13 year old? Lots of people are kind of sentimental about young girls, they associate them with prettiness, innocence and purity (check out those sweet faces and album titles - "Voice of an angel", "Pure" etc). I guess a light ethereal young soprano fits that image better than a richer, darker and more sensual sounding alto, however otherwise sweet and innocent she may be. Life isn't fair, and neither are record deals.

So if you're a young, attractive, ambitious female singer, and you want to get ahead... sing high.

xx

life is always unfair...but i would love to be a saprano in operas and stuff....i also actually like altos as well..

I find lower notes easier on the ears

QUOTE (sbhoa @ Aug 19 2004, 06:41 PM)

I find lower notes easier on the ears

So do I... By the way, I hope nobody thinks I'm attacking sopranos here, or young singers in general. I'm listening to Hayley Westenra at the moment, it's what brought on the last message, and her voice is stunning. (I was inspired to get the album by you guys!)

But I just wonder if that's enough... Some flawless singers are just bland people-pleasers, doing what their record companies say, while others are less polished but have the personality/vision/boldness to make their performance stand out from the rest. And the younger you are, the less likely you are to be a mature, developed singer with a voice (in both senses) of your own. Still, if I could sing like Hayley I wouldn't complain.

xx

I'm not young or cute at 17 years old, though all my friends and teachers find it impressive when i sing opera at concerts-i'm a soprano being the relevence here.I also sing low and can do quality stuff like All that Jazz, which is quite sensual but I think the image associated with soprano is 'glam' isn't it? now charlotte is grown up, its all these long dresses, and the same with Sarah Brightman, who is frequently airbrushed on her music vids i might add.However, i think you're right-if I had sang all that jazz at 13, 14 and danced like that at a concert, the teachers might have been uncomfortable, whereas now they are more like, wow, she can sing low too.They all still think of me as the little 14 year old classical singer though, lol, so once cute in a mind, you can keep it lasting as long as you don't pole dance or whatever for them, lol

QUOTE (MBC_Tiger @ Aug 19 2004, 09:58 PM)

I also sing low and can do quality stuff like All that Jazz, which is quite sensual but I think the image associated with soprano is 'glam' isn't it?

One of my pupils sung that at a concert last year, and she's only 13 and I wouldn't say it made anyone uncomfortable - her parents loved it

QUOTE

One of my pupils sung that at a concert last year, and she's only 13 and I wouldn't say it made anyone uncomfortable - her parents loved it

You don't know my parents and senior staff.they would have been supportive though.my senior staff are the coolest.

i'm a very limited person...i mean...my voice and my brain...i can bascially accept operas or as a whole area of classical music...i can't do pop and i can't do most of the musicals...coz i am not a belta....

QUOTE

QUOTE (MBC_Tiger @ Aug 19 2004, 09:58 PM) I also sing low and can do quality stuff like All that Jazz, which is quite sensual but I think the image associated with soprano is 'glam' isn't it?   One of my pupils sung that at a concert last year, and she's only 13 and I wouldn't say it made anyone uncomfortable - her parents loved it

Our school choir (age 11-14) sang that in a concert last term and nobody minded...