The voice change process can be a challenging experience for young singers. Episode 32 of ChoralEd discusses musical accommodations that can support singers through their respective voice change.
Musical accommodations occur when the choral educator makes changes to the musical material to better support their singers. (1) Octave displacement is a common accommodation where the notated pitch is sung up or down the octave. This accommodation occurs most frequently when the notated pitch is too low for the singer. (2) Part/line combination merges multiple voice parts into a new part (i.e. hybrid combination of the tenor and bass part). By combining more than one voice part the singer gains access to pitches that would otherwise be outside of their range. (3) Changing the key is a common accommodation in solo vocal literature. Caution is advised when implementing this approach in ensemble literature. (4) In select circumstances a choral educator may consider re-writing short sections of the musical score. This accommodation should be used sparingly as to not drastically alter a composer’s work.
To watch ChoralEd, Episode 32 on YouTube click HERE.
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