Mason Prep Class

This past Tuesday, I visited my class at mason prep. My voice teacher and I started off by showing a video of a real contralto, the lowest "kind" of singer as a female. She sang all the way down in a baritone/ tenor range. The kids couldn't believe it was a woman they were hearing. Then we showed one of a counter-tenor, which is the highest voice type for a male. He sang all the way up in the soprano range, the highest range for females. The kids also couldn't believe it was a male singing that high. After that, my voice teacher warmed me up in front of the kids. We did all sorts of different exercises  to show how we technically prepare the voice for singing. I talked about how if you have the right technique, you can sing anything. I then proceeded to sing an aria from an opera to the children (In Uomini, In Soldati). I explained the background and the characters. I even had two of them assist me by being dorabella and fiordiligi, the two girls to which my character, despina, is singing. After I sang, I asked them if they had understood anything I had said. They said a couple things that were actually on track with what I wad actually singing. It showed them that if the inflection is correct one can understand things in other languages easily. Then, just to reinforce the whole idea that good technique allows you to sing anything, I sang "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical Les Miserables. The kids loved both of them. It was great to expose them to "higher" music, instead of just pop, rock, and rap. All modern music, in a way has been influenced and shaped from older, classical music. That is one reason I think it is so important to share classical music because it is the root of music that pervades modern society. I also want to show them of course, that its okay to integrate a little classical music into their listening diet. I can't wait to see them again!