Vocal Repertoire for Beginning Singers Thursday, September 16, 2010
Stanton's Sheet Music knows that voice teachers and students are always on the look-out for appropriate repertoire for beginning singers. Here are our suggestions for starting your newest voice students on the right foot:
The vocal editions by master teacher Joan Frey Boytim are widely respected in the vocal field. Start young students with her series Easy Songs for the Beginning Singer, designed to supplement traditional vocal instruction and to work perfectly as preparatory literature for the First Book of Solos. Each piece is in English and has a limited vocal range as well as a piano accompaniment that is playable by a student pianist. The pieces include art songs, folksongs, humorous songs and suitable vintage popular songs, and are all appropriate for contest solos. The selections in Part II are a continuation of songs at the same level of difficulty.
Continue your developing students with the First Book of Solos, among the most widely used teaching repertoire for singers in the U.S. Each book contains over 30 songs, including American and British art songs, folk song arrangements, sacred songs and a sampling of beginning songs in German, Italian, Spanish and French. Parts II and III of each voicing contain further 
repertoire at the same level of difficulty.
Step up to the next level with more student repertoire with the Second Book of Solos. The more than 30 songs in each book require a little more vocal range and musical sophistication, but are still decidedly student material. Again, Part II contains more selections at the same level of difficulty.
For even more quality student repertoire, try 14 Sacred Solos, Folk Songs for Solo Singers, 24 Italian Songs & Arias, 26 Italian Songs & Arias, 28 Italian Songs & Arias, and The Young Singer. Check back for our recommendations for intermediate and advanced singers, and for more information, please contact classicalvocal@stantons.com.