<p>S is a junior and it is unclear whether he will be a baritone or a tenor (he has notes common to both) but he is all about classical music. We would like to visit Oberlin, Rice, and Michigan, and take a sample lesson (or a few at each place, if appropriate). I would really appreciate insight and recommendations into which teacher(s) to contact. I am also open to recommendations of other schools if you know of a wonderful teacher to suggest. Many thanks!!!</p>
<p>I’m kind of the same way, It’s usually called a “heldentenor” which is a tenor singer with a baritone like quality. usually don’t have to extend farther than a Bb or so, typical with german works. </p>
<p>on wikipedia’s tenor page there is a list of different kinds of tenor voices and qualities. that may break it down for your son to figure out what he is. And the only school I know personally is Oberlin, I took a visit this summer and it was fantastic, I’m interested in its jazz program but it has an incredibly balanced classical/contemporary programs</p>
<p>Welcome to the forum tenortonemom. I have sent you a private message. You can access it at the top right of your screen.</p>
<p>Oberlin: Lorraine Manz or Salvatore Champagne. I have also heard some really good things about Timothy LeFebvre but he just joined the faculty this year so I don’t know much.</p>
<p>All of these are fine schools, and he would be able to find a good teacher. </p>
<p>But, to be clear, at 16-17 years old, there is no telling what his voice type will be. Range is a (more minor) issue, but what does matter is how the voice sounds and how comfortable it is sitting in different areas of the vocal range So much is still happening in physiological development of teenagers…there is no telling where a teenager’s voice is headed. </p>
<p>Heldentenor is quite a different animal, and it is a very rare voice and body type. It is a voice that is capable of singing with great baritonal intensity into the tenor range and the repertory is very dramatic. A voice might be very similar in terms of range and be a lyric baritone. Heldentenor voices come from beefy bodies, large chests, thick necks, and they can sustain very loud, dramatic singing in a higher range over full Romantic orchestration. No one under the age of 35-40 should even whisper the thought of this voice category. Be very careful.</p>
<p>You might consider PM-ing tenormama. Her son is a freshman this year at MSM but looked at a variety of schools including Oberlin. I know he also attended a summer session there and enjoyed it.</p>
<p>I appreciate it.</p>
<p>I just saw this post - have been travelling- sorry!!! Sounds like your description of your son’s voice is similiar to mine. We really liked Lorraine Manz at Oberlin. Salvatore Champagne is another good choice. We didn’t audition at any of the other schools you mention. Our son is studying with a baritone at Manhattan School of Music in nyc, Mark Oswald. We just heard his Freshman Recital and (thank goodness) we are very happy with the results. Another good nyc teacher for tenors/baritones is Neil Roshenshein. At Peabody, Stanely Cornett is impressive. Let me know if I can help at all.</p>
<p>I’d like to ask a question that reveals how deep my ignorance of the vocal world truly is. When looking for a teacher for an instrumentalist, one would naturally look for someone who plays that instrument (e.g. a violinist for a violin student etc.). Am I correct that a vocal teacher need not have the same voice type as the student? Could, for instance, a soprano teacher effectively instruct a baritone student? </p>
<p>::ducking head in shame for being so clueless::</p>
<p>Don’t be ashamed. It is a common question. But the teacher does not need to be the same voice type. It helps if they can relate, but DD’s first great teacher was a man. He was a tenor and could actually sing higher than she could 
He was the one that gave her a great start on basic techniques. Her current teacher was a soprano. The only issue, if you can call it that, is that she is not as familiar with the lower mezzo repertoire as she is with soprano. DD has other resources she uses when she is exploring some of the pieces to work on.</p>
<p>Another great teacher … Carole Haber at NEC in Boston, although it is hard to get into her studio.</p>
<p>Stradmom. you are so funny… and just like we are… we have no idea and are just stumbling along hoping not to mess up too badly ;-)… in high school, we talked to people and listened to the students of the teachers to decide who to take our son to. He ended up with a woman, a soprano, who thankfully did amazing things with him in a very short time. I don’t know if those in the know would tell you that is the best way to decide, but it worked for us. </p>
<p>Our son is a tenor (best guess right now, anyway) and we worried whether he should have a college teacher who is a tenor as well, but he is working with a baritone who has a great high range. They just clicked personality-wise from the first meeting. For all the angst we went through in trying to choose a college teacher for our son (and believe me when I tell you there was angst), I have learned that chemistry seems to be more than half the battle. If your child can understand the teacher’s methods and they genuinely like each other, then you are very likely to see results.</p>
<p>This truly was the hardest part for us, so good luck!</p>
<p>New thing learned today. Check.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Sorry for the resurrection of this thread but being new here, I hoped this would be better than starting a new thread. One of my S’s acceptances is UMich for vocal performance (has been described as a lyric baritone). He has had voice lessons with his preferred teacher at the other schools he’s considering with acceptances, but not Michigan. His audition was a quick trip to Michigan and now we are scheduling another for him to fully check it out. Does anyone have a recommendation re voice professors at UMich whom he should contact? He knew ahead of time at the other schools, but he’s relying primarily on bios at Mich. Thanks in advance!</p>