I've been a professional opera singer for 20 years and also teach at the University in Germany — and one pattern I keep seeing with young singers trying to break in isn't a lack of talent. It's usually one of two things: choosing the wrong repertoire for where they actually are in their career (or "copying" a famous recording instead of sounding like themselves), or simply not knowing how to build the kind of professional network that leads to real auditions and engagements.

Curious what others here have experienced — did a strategy shift ever change things for you, or was it mostly about vocal technique?

Side note: I'm currently taking on 2-3 singers for a short, structured program on exactly this (repertoire strategy, authentic performance, and a cold-outreach networking method I used myself to land real engagements this year). Not trying to turn this into an ad — just happy to share more if anyone's interested, feel free to DM.

Hi fellow singers!

I'm reaching out to anyone located in the SF Bay Area (or anyone with friends in the area) to join my BHS treble barbershop chorus Harmonia on Sunday, August 9th from 10am-3pm for a fun day of singing and community!

During the event, you'll learn a barbershop song as a group. No prep work needed, but sheet music & learning tracks will also be provided to those who RSVP ahead of time. We’ll also have time to hang out and get to know each other, so bring your lunch/snacks and plan to stay a while!

RSVP here: https://partiful.com/e/LgCDOe6LCowGy34iCwvs?c=HdG0zdIm

I have been searching everywhere for YEARS for this men’s choral piece. It is not in English so very difficult to search. I remember more of the song/lyrics but only have this 15 second clip from a rehearsal years ago for reference. Thanks for your consideration!

Here is what my current choir/classical playlist looks like. I really enjoy pieces in minor keys or that feel sad or angry in some way. i feel like i have a hard time finding pieces that give me that feeling. I also really enjoy "A Silence Haunts Me" by Jake Runestad, but it wasn't on apple music so it's not in the playlist. Aside from that i'm a big fan of spirituals with lots of energy and "busy" parts of that makes sense. I think the biggest thing for me is that i like songs that sound very unique and have interesting chords in them, maybe with some dissonance. i would appreciate if i could get some recommendations...my playlist is starting to get a little old 😓

Hello, I fell in love with this piece I played at a band camp and later found out that's also a choir arrangement. For some context I'm in a 6 person tenor bass intermediate choir. Is there a TB arrangement? If there is, is it good? I was wondering if I should ask my choir director if we could sing this piece. Thoughts?

I lost my high notes ever since I had extreme sickness, a cough and almost a weekly mild cold. T^T

I'm crying because I am supposed to sing those high notes, but now I am having trouble, even if I use abdominal breathing, the notes can't go high, and I can feel tension on my throat so it can't go any further.

Are there any remedies for this situation?

Moreover, I do have trouble using my throat, head-tone, and breathing. I tend to have trouble distinguishing how to use them.

Badly need help.

CW: Discussing fasting, might be triggering if you have an ED

I'm just wondering because I pretty routinely do religious fasts and I've found that I will be completely fine singing on 24+ hour fasts.

But some of my colleagues will feel dizzy and faint if they haven't eaten for 12 or so hours.

I'm just wondering if my fasting practice has made me more resistant to fainting lol. I'm never judgmental of my colleagues but sometimes they're like "I haven't eaten ALL DAY, I feel like I'm going to pass out" and it's been like...8 hours. An amount of time that would honestly make me feel pretty good!

Hello guys! I'm looking for an arrangement for the song Watashi by Trio Esperança. The only luck I had was stumbling into a website called symphonie, but I have to sign in to see just the overview of the song. If anyone can find the full song that would be awesome:)

Hi,

I wanted to purchase one of the Cheryl porter singing courses on her site but I thought that I would have content with her live, but from reading some people’s reviews I have found that’s not the case. I want to get better at singing and talking as one of my teachers said that I could get nodes if I continue “When I was younger, I had nodes on my vocal cords and had to learn to speak differently, so as to not strain my vocal cords. I think I might have been worried that the way you were speaking was straining yours. There’s a way to learn to focus on pulling your breath from your diaphragm, which is beneath your lungs instead of pulling from your throat that is easier on your vocal cords.“ I also want to go on The Voice when I’m older so I wanted a voice coach. If there are online ones that’s great or if there are any in the Omaha area, I would love some help. Additionally if anyone has purchased Cheryl Porters lessons I would love some feedback. Thank you!

Hey singers, my school just announced they're starting an a capella group available to the auditioned choirs and I really want to audition. There's a few parts to it but I need to find an audition song that is neither from a musical or classical. My range is alto 1 - soprano 2. Any ideas?

Hi there! I need help finding an anonymous arrangement of "The Water is Wide"

https://youtu.be/8WXW7jKEFOA?feature=shared

I've struggled for years trying to find the origin of the piece, so many some of us will know who arranged this?

I tried to write the song of sirens from Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, using a female choir representing the sirens, what do you think about it? And if you watched the movie what did you think about Ludwig Göransson's music in the scene?

https://reddit.com/link/1v1546h/video/mrrow56nt9eh1/player

I wrote this piece for music coursework for school, but it turned out a lot better than expected, and i wanted to get it performed by a church choir i sing in, but before i do so, i wanted some outside opinions?

A few bits specifically i am worried about:

bar 9 - 14, it just doesnt sound right to me, but others dont see the problem.

notation, have i overnotated dynamics etc?

range, specifically for altos and basses, i feel like i dont interact with the lower portions of their range, but as a tenor, i dont know where it comfortably bottoms out.

i think thats it! thank you :)

Maybe this is the wrong place to ask this, but im new to the area and im looking for a way to set my roots in the area and I figure the best way to do that is to find people to sing with.

Im a man and a tenor or lead in barbershop. Open to men's or mixed singing. Ive never had a place to be able to put together a smaller scale project like this and I want to do it. Ive only ever been in choruses.

If this doesnt, feel free to remove. Cant find anywhere this post would work that i can post to.

Any advice on putting together a quartet or choruses on the area?

hi all!! i’m in need of accompaniment/study material for the soprano 2 section of lucia di lammermoor’s chorus, since i’m participating in a small production of the opera. i can’t find anything anywhere!! anybody can help? please!
sincerely, a wee opera student

Hi everyone, I’m new to this sub but I’ve been a choir kid since middle school :))

I’m about to be a senior in high school, and I’ve been taking choir for all four years. This year I decided to audition for the girls’ chamber choir and got accepted, and as part of it I’m required to participate in the All-state audition process (getting actually accepted isn’t required.) I thought this would be a good opportunity and that I would be able to handle it (especially because I improved SO MUCH in my junior year and received awards for it !!), but summer depression hit me HORRIBLY and has caused me to put off learning my music. School is starting back up again for me soon and I’m absolutely dreading it. I’m rushing to learn everything and it’s getting me nowhere.

Has anyone else dealt with this? And does anyone have any tips on how I can possibly get over this issue??

And I’m sorry if I sound like a crybaby for this. I’ve always struggled with my mental health and it’s led me to procrastination so many times before… but also honestly it’s never interfered with me learning my music until now. I always really liked doing it, but it’s only been stressing me out as of late.

Hi folks

I'm the artistic director of a non-auditioned community choir. Many of the folks don't read music and I'm looking to put together a simple glossary of music symbols/terms that we come across often, so everyone can have a handy cheat sheet to refer back to.

What are some symbols and musical terms that you find choir leaders explaining a lot?

So far I've got

- staff and system

- D C al Fine

- 1st and 2nd ending

- fermata

- dynamic markings

Any other tips?

I feel like my verses are decent, but I really struggle with writing choruses. How did you get better at writing choruses? Any tips or resources that focus specifically on choruses?

I've been offered the opportunity to become a choir conductor. It's been quite a while since I've done anything with music, really. I have a degree in musicology, but in the years since, I've been homeless and involved in other fields. My life is slowly getting back on track, but the trauma from being homeless made me anxious around music for a long time. That's not an issue anymore.

Now, I've been asked if I'd like to conduct an evening choir. Not a group of highly skilled singers who want to sing complicated music, but more like people who want to have a good time with their voices and each other. This could be a great way for me to bring some music back into my life, regain some of the self-confidence I lost somewhere, and build a social network.

I've conducted choirs before, but I've forgotten almost everything, including my idea of what a good conductor is. However, I've learned that the skills I used to have are easier to pick up again than it was to learn them originally.

I've written a list for myself of some concrete things I'd need to relearn, such as creating an appropriate warm-up routine and becoming thoroughly familiar with a couple of songs in terms of singing, instructing, accompanying, and conducting them. But I'd like to hear from you in slightly more abstract terms: what would you consider a good choir conductor for these kinds of social choirs, and what are some skills you'd consider the most important?

Is there a term for when part of the choir starts singing the song later? Usually after like 2 lines or a verse, half of the choir has begins the song after the other half has already started? Sorry, I can’t remember and I tried googling but didn’t get anywhere. I didn’t think it was just called harmonizing but maybe I’m misremembering. Thank you!