Waiting for the Instrument to Mature

Possibly the most annoying thing I have heard as a singer is: "oh, you are so young for an opera singer...you will be great for this role in (2-5) years!"

The reality of the situation, though, is this description can be completely accurate and appropriate for every singer.  Singing may be the only instrument that takes time to mature physically, and we have to have patience for our body to catch up with our ambitions.

One of the biggest traps a voice teacher can fall into is demanding something from a student that they are not physically capable of at their age.  An egregious example is giving an opera aria to a 16 year old, but other mistakes are made.  Giving a soprano a song with nothing but high notes.  Demanding that a young singer sing 'louder' than they are ready to sing.  Asking a young tenor to sing most of a piece in his passaggio (future blog on that word in the future!).

It is not that these singers will not be capable of very difficult technical feats, but that it takes time for their voice to mature so they can handle it without hurting their instrument.  A good voice teacher will recognize where a singer's voice is developmentally, and develop a curriculum of songs to fit that singer at that stage of their life.

DWS