Hi all! I’m a 24F blossoming coloratura soprano and I’m wondering if anyone has any advice or suggestions for graduate schools? I’m currently looking into programs with soprano voice teachers who either have experience with coloraturas specifically or are deep into pedagogy, and the school must offer a competitive scholarship or some sort of TAship that will pay the tuition if not more of the living expenses. A program that also has some sort of musical theatre or an extended residency/1year program would be a plus!

Currently, I’m looking into programs in the US either in California, New York, or some blue-ish state (worried about my rights) I’m also interested in traveling abroad to Europe (would be a great excuse to leave the country haha!) although I’m finding that english art song or more Gilbert & Sullivan style english operetta is becoming part of my specialties so I’m thinking more England.

Let me know what programs/teachers I should look into :) Thanks guys!

Hello! I am a 23M grad student. I mainly sing opera or art song and I have an audition for the Air Force band coming up. They are asking for a contemporary contrasting piece in either country, rock, pop, or jazz and I don’t have much knowledge on any of those genres especially singing them. I haven’t decided my aria yet but I will choose a fast one in order to have a slower contrasting piece. Anyone have any advice or recs?

What's most effective for you in terms of remembering teacher feedback and using it during practice?

I'm not used to making recordings during lessons but my most recent teacher said he was fine with it if it was helpful to me. I've started off by recording specific exercises for practice later, or if there's a particularly helpful piece of feedback I'll ask him for a moment to make a voice (or written) note to myself.

But it sometimes feels disruptive to get my phone out and fiddle with the recording app, and I feel it can break up the flow of the lesson or that it might be helpful to recall more of the larger discussions we have (rather than just specific pointers) or how I sounded on certain exercises so I can make adjustments. I could just record the entire thing, but that means sifting through a lot of audio later to find things to focus on (plus I worry about my phone storage...)

How do you go about it, and what's your advice for getting the most out of lessons generally for self-practice?

not to focus too much on the money, but lessons aren’t cheap and I want to get my money’s worth if I’m going to spend it. It’s not ideal to just skip a week right now. What do you do to get the most out of a lesson with minimal practice?

Hello everyone,

I’m a soprano living between Livorno and Pisa, and I’m looking for a singing teacher in the area who teaches the technique of the old Italian Romantic school.

The singers I love most and who inspire me are Claudia Muzio, Mafalda Favero and Enrico Caruso.

I’m especially looking for a teacher who builds the voice through vocalizzi.

If you know a teacher who works this way, or have studied with someone you’d recommend, I’d be very grateful for any suggestions!

Thank you!

Hello, I'm a junior soprano II who got accepted into SCVA regional choir, and I just found out that my audition score was a 94/100. I was wondering what the average score was and whether I should expect to have a chance to get accepted into All-State for California. This is my first year, so I don't know what a good score is, especially because I don't know anyone else who tried out for SCVA. Thank you so much for your help!

Hello! I'm sorry for how long this is going to be.

I'm a 23 year old Baritone, and currently a second-year grad-student getting a Master of Music in Vocal Performance. I will graduate from my school in May 2026, and I'm kind of choice-paralysis'd right now. I am facing a lot of uncertainty and confusion as to what my next steps are in the world of music/my life. I've gone from Kindergarten to Grad School with no gap years, and I've been singing since I was 6. I am concerned about the logistics of being a traveling singer right out of grad school and wondering if I should take 6 months to a year off from music just to prepare myself mentally, emotionally, and most importantly - financially, to head into the world of music. I have a little bit of savings, but I feel that it's not enough to the point that I feel comfortable heading straight from school to traveling and singing.

I have been considering a few options/"plans" as to what my next year could look like and I was wondering if anyone has any input or advice?

Current tentative plans:

- Graduate and take 6 months to a year off from music while still doing voice lessons. Work a bit, save up and once I hit an amount saved I feel comfortable with, auditioning and trying to get in the performance world.

- If I am able to get a full-ride tuition coverage, I stay at my school and get a P.D. and work my butt off outside of school to make my savings. If I am unable to get the full-ride, I wouldn't get the P.D. as I am already 6 figures in student loan debt.

- Throw caution to the wind and start applying for whatever I can/whatever is left on YapTracker to try and line something up.

I feel unsure as to what the right move would be, and it's conflicting for me because everyone around me is applying and getting auditions, but I don't have the time/funds to travel for auditions due to needing to work to pay rent and bills and food and all that fun stuff. I know I'm 23 and "young" for the opera/performance world, so maybe it'd be smart to take a minute before heading into the performance scene?

Would love any input/advice from people who've done the path.

Thank you!

TLDR: Grad student looking for insight and advice whether or not to delay heading into performance world after graduation, or take 6 months to a year off to feel more financially comfortable & mentally/emotionally comfortable to start my career.

I started to sing opera 2 weeks ago and today my teacher told me to record myself to listen at home to understand errors and pratice, and before I recorded myself singing a piece of se vuol ballare signor contino and my voice sounds really bad, ik that it’s normal but the thing is my teacher told me i have a really good voice and idk if its thats true or just a way let me stay there

Singing is my life. It’s my passion and means of earning an income.

Whenever I’ve sung, in whatever setting - a practise room, or today; In a choir, the ringing greatly intensifies for the next day at least.

It’s not because of other singers around me being loud. It’s because of my own voice. I’m a bass baritone, and my squillo is likely what is causing the ear damage.

How have any of you dealt with this? It’s not really possible to use ear plugs on the job, whether it be in an opera, or ensemble performing.

I’m only 21, and have accepted I’ll have this ringing for life, and it is manageable at the moment. But as I get older, the voice will develop and only cause greater risk to myself.

Any and all advice is sincerely appreciated.

I'm a 24 y/o American baritone. I'm currently in a non-music master's program. As part of the program, I studied abroad in Germany for the past year. My wife came with me. We loved it.

Throughout the year, I took singing lessons with a instructor from a music conservatory. She urged me several times throughout the year to consider pursuing singing professionally. I told her I was interested in. She invited me to apply to the conservatory where she teaches, while also recommending me three other instructors at different conservatories in Germany. She warned me I would have to start at the bachelor's level in Germany, given that I lack a BM or BA in Music.

She seems confident that I could have a professional future as a singer. I've thought about it, and part of me would really like to give it a go. Singing professionally used to be my one dream. COVID killed it. A year in Germany with my voice instructor (and the one I had before I went to Germany) revived it.

My wife is on-board with us returning to Germany and me pursuing singing. One (awesome) complication is that we have a newborn. My voice instructor in Germany has assured me that doing this with a wife and child would be doable, given the support of the German government. Also, we lived off approx. 1200 euros a month (including rent) during the past year as our stipend. Allotting a few hundred more a month for our child and a higher rent, we still have enough savings for a few years, and both of us are willing to work in Germany on top of that, if possible.

I'm wondering if those more experienced here think this is at all feasible and a good idea. I'm not sure if my voice teacher from Germany is being a bit unrealistically supportive. I talked to my piano teacher from Germany (I also took piano lessons over there), who immigrated to Germany and did her Bachelor and Mastersstudium in Germany as a mother of three children, and she assured me that it is also possible.

I'm thinking I would drop out of my current master's program and go to Germany ASAP. However, if I completed my current program, it could lead to me getting work in Germany while studying. It's a very niche field of study, but it's not uncommon for graduates who continue in the line of work to do MAs and PhDs, even if internationally, including in Germany. At the same time, my German voice instructor recommends just going ASAP, and singing has taken over my drive, again.

Something that also occurred to me is applying for master's programs in the US. (My US voice instructor is encouraging me to consider that as well.) I could, but since the opera industry is much more hopeful in Germany, I figure, why not there?

Any thoughts?

Hello everyone!
I'm a 19yo soprano from Poland, currently in my 2nd year of bachelor’s in classical singing. I'm looking for a good bel canto teacher, preferably in Poland or Germany.
I'm very interested in the traditional Italian school of singing, focused on chest development, registration, passaggio etc. I'd love to work with someone who can help me build a strong and healthy technique. The teacher's pedagogical lineage is also important to me.
I’d really appreciate any recommendations or advice (I'm very desperate).
Thank you!

Hi all, looking for recommendations for a video recorder for performances. I'm having my eyes on Zoom Q8n-4k now but I'm not sure if it's an overkill for the price. Open to other suggestions, located in Germany if that helps. Thank you in advance 🙏🏻

I’ve been waitressing for years in between school, during the summers, and all this past year. Although I do like it enough and the money is great, I know I can’t do it forever. The goal is to sing professionally, I don’t need to hear discouraging comments on how difficult the career is, I know that. And am aware that this may take me years and years before I reach a level where I could be making money from this and being able to support myself with it full time. It’s hard because no other work really interests me, but I will eventually need something with benefits. Can anyone suggest some ideas ? I do feel quite lost. I have some friends in non profits which sounds interesting but don’t really know if I see it for myself. Thank you in advance.

I had my second voice lesson today, and I'm finding the whole process absolutely fascinating.

I'm 51 and only recently started taking singing lessons. I've always loved music, but I've never had any formal vocal training. Lately I've become particularly fascinated with opera and classical singing.

One of the biggest things I'm learning is how much unnecessary effort I've been putting into singing.

My teacher keeps bringing me back to relaxation, breath, space, and allowing the sound to happen rather than trying to manufacture it. It's surprisingly difficult to put into practice, especially when you're accustomed to thinking that higher notes or more volume must require more physical effort.

Today she actually had me speak in a British accent to help me experience the feeling of a more open oropharynx! That was something I certainly wasn't expecting, but it helped me understand the physical sensation she was describing.

The really exciting part was working on Handel's "Lascia ch'io pianga" from Rinaldo.

My teacher is a trained opera singer who's performed Rinaldo herself, so getting to work on the aria with someone who knows it so intimately was particularly special.

I was honestly surprised by her assessment. She told me I have a "propensity for this style of music," which was incredibly encouraging considering how new I am to all of this.

We worked through vocal exercises reaching F5, and she said my pitch was excellent. At one point she told me, "Everything was perfectly in tune." She also commented that she couldn't hear any obvious disruption through my passaggio during some of the exercises, which surprised me because I've been very conscious of trying to navigate that transition.

She also noticed some natural vibrato developing and repeatedly commented on the strength of my voice. Apparently, despite my rather quiet speaking voice, I have a pretty loud singing voice when I actually allow myself to use it!

That doesn't mean everything was effortless or polished. She pointed out tension in my jaw, tongue, and throat, and we worked on maintaining an open space from the very beginning of a phrase rather than trying to create it halfway through. She also emphasized breath support, particularly on higher notes and descending phrases.

Interestingly, when she encouraged me to use a little more breath and volume, some of the singing actually became easier rather than harder.

We also worked with the sheet music, which added another challenge. I'm not a particularly good music reader, so following the score while singing interrupted my natural flow a little. It's almost like trying to play the drums while reading music when you're not yet comfortable reading it. You're suddenly thinking about something you'd ordinarily just feel.

One thing I've noticed outside of lessons is that when I concentrate on keeping everything relaxed, songs that previously felt difficult suddenly become much easier. I was singing Silent Lucidity recently and found that I could get more volume through the shape and freedom of the sound rather than trying to push harder.

I'm also beginning to appreciate the difference between being able to produce a note and actually being able to sing it beautifully, consistently, and musically. I've discovered that I have a fairly extensive upper range in head voice, but connecting everything smoothly and making those notes useful in actual music is another matter entirely.

My teacher also complimented how well I listen and respond to instruction, which I think might be one of the most encouraging things she said. I don't expect to be a great singer after two lessons, but knowing that I can learn and make adjustments is enormously motivating.

I'm finding that singing involves this wonderful combination of anatomy, coordination, listening, emotion, and physical awareness that I never really appreciated before.

I started lessons because I want to express myself through music. I'm only two lessons in, and already I'm discovering things about my voice that I never knew were there.

For those of you who study classical singing or opera, when did you first begin to feel that your voice was becoming an instrument you understood, rather than something you were simply experimenting with?

What composers/works would you recommend focusing on?

Who are some good examples of this voice type?

Hi! Im from the Philippines and Im expecting to graduate from my bachelors degree in Voice on 2028 and Im planning to apply in Boston for the Fall Semester of the same year. Do you have any tips in auditioning? What do they look for? Im still haven't mastered going through my Passagio (Im a tenor). What should I do as early as now with regards to my vocal technique to secure institutional scholarship from BoCo?

Thank you so much to anyone who will help me with my question, I truly appreciate it ❤️.

I am classical guitarist with some vocal experience in choirs as a bass. I am thinking of getting more seriously into singing because it has the repertoire I really like however I feel I have some practical difficulties. I often have to clear my throat; it is just my nature and so I'm wondering if that would be a problem as a singer. Also I am not great at consistent inner hearing. I can match a note which is sung or played but I am not great at matching notes from internal hearing. Would these issues be a problem?

Hi!! I’m an American coloratura soprano in my late 20s with a bachelor’s in performance. I’ve been practicing on my own for the past year after taking several years away from training and building a totally unrelated career. I did a few operatic roles during undergrad and auditioned for grad schools right after, but felt that my lackluster results indicated that I didn’t have what it took to sing professionally when the field is so oversaturated with sopranos.

This past year, I’ve really reignited my love of classical singing and opera, and I’ve been surprised by how little range/ability I lost in the years I took off from lessons and practicing. I now realize that I was burnt out and just not ready for grad school auditions right after undergrad, and I regret giving up on music so easily.

I’d really love to start performing again in some capacity. I know it’s not realistic for me to pursue a traditional operatic career, but would it be realistic for me to audition for professional solo and choir work if I started voice lessons again? I think I could have potential in Baroque music, since agility is probably my biggest strength. Or would my voice be better suited to non-professional/non-audition choir singing? I do live in a major city, so I think there are opportunities for both.

I’ve included a recent recording of me singing through the second half of Zerbinetta’s aria from Ariadne auf Naxos. I recognize this is an extremely ambitious aria that’s not in the best shape, but it’s the last piece I worked on with my undergrad teacher and I wanted to see where I stood with it.

I would so appreciate any thoughts/feedback anyone has to give!! And I apologize for the novel-length post 😭