Turning into a mezzo

[possom]

This is very strange, i've been singing for about 10 years and i'm changing into a mezzo My voice has been very temperamental over the years, I have one weaker fold in my larynx apparently so am used to things going pearshaped. I am now singing very comfortably in the middle of the range with a full sound (I never had any voice there before), and can reach D below middle C to the D three above middle C, although my teacher says that mezzo's can reach this high it's just that they don't like staying there. When I get my minidisc back i'll post a recording somewhere if i'm brave enough ;D

[meepmeep]

Is that something that often happens to sops in time or is it quite unusual? How strange!

[jod]

It can. Being a soprano or a mezzo has is a complex issue. It's not all about range.

[possom]

Had another lesson today, very strange, i'm getting lots of "ping" in the middle of my range over F-C above middle C, a few years ago there was just a breathy whisper there, as I said, I can still reach my high notes comfortably but am not happy singing there. I am now working on my usual grade 8 repertoire and Where Corals Lie

[meepmeep]

I understand it's about vocal quality as well as range?? How strange for you that your voice should suddenly change like that!

I can't pretend to know what "ping" is....

[possom]

Ping, as my teacher calls it, is where I can now place a note in the middle of my range and sing it quite gently, but it carries right across the room. Took me a while to realise that I don't need to push the voice in the middle, actually quite the opposite. My vocal tone is what he calls "fat" (we have some great terms for stuff ;D", I wouldn't say i'm a very dark sounding mezzo, but am more mezzo than a lot of singers in our area selling themselves at mezzos.