Fach This

I walked into my voice lesson in 2 years as a mezzo-soprano.

Within 5 minutes of singing, I was no longer considered one.

This is terrifying. And exciting. And mind-blowing.

As a singer, you are your fach. Your fach defines you. (Fach is your vocal designation, mezzo-soprano, lyric coloratura soprano, etc.)You have to find a place to "fit" into the operatic world. Many times your fach and your body may not match, so people tell you to change your body, or you'll be lucky and they'll "adapt" to you because you're the right voice. For a long time, I had no idea what I should be singing. We tried everything. Handel to Mozart to Rossini to Verdi, and nothing really worked. I had a lot of technical issues that needed to be fixed, and after they were, we settled in on "dramatic mezzo-soprano" rep.

I vaguely remember Anna saying that she didn't think I was a mezzo many years ago, but I chose to ignore her. I AM A MEZZO!!!! Maybe she's a psychic. Or she obviously heard something that I could not, or would not.

In the last year or so, I have noticed some changes in my voice, but thought that maybe I was doing something wrong. Maybe I was making the placement wrong, which is why it feels that way in my middle voice, or whatever. I wasn't listening to my body. But, I was noticing that my upper register was very full and very easy. Weird, especially for a gal who had a hard time singing above an A for most of her life.

I am having an interesting time processing this information. Am I making a big deal out of nothing? probably. Is this going to be good for me? Yes. I expected that I would be hoarse after a full hour's worth of operatic singing, which I haven't done in a long time. I felt good at the end of the lesson, and probably could've sang longer. And the scariest part about it was that the soprano rep that I was singing felt easy and felt good.

I'm supposed to buy the Adler Soprano volume. *sigh*

(But, I'm a mezzo...I have the mezzo volume...and all of those other mezzo books...and I know those songs...waaaahhhhhh...)

This is so weird. I'm a soprano? A DRAMATIC SOPRANO?!

Should I try to ignore this "designation" and just sing? Just sing my heart out, find what feels right and stay the course? Yes.

So, until then....I guess all I can say is...

Fach this.