About this Guide
This guide is for performers in the voice discipline. On the left-hand side of the guide, we suggest ways for browsing and searching for voice related resources. On the right hand side, we suggest titles from our reference materials and by call numbers, journals, art song databases, and digital score access. Happy searching and exploring!
Looking for Something Specific? Use Library Search!
- Library Search This link opens in a new windowCheck out the Library Search which finds print and electronic items, including journal and newspaper articles, book chapters, books, reviews, legal documents, and much more. Note: Due to licensing restrictions, some content is only available to current students, faculty, and staff.
Suggested Titles
Recent American Art Song by
Recent American Art Song: A Guide is a reference source devoted to songs with English texts by American composers, written for solo voice and piano. The book focuses exclusively on art song since 1980, a substantial period largely ignored by scholars. It is organized alphabetically by composer, entries contain complete biographical and bibliographical information, with major works and links to print resources and composer websites Clifton provides detailed information on the vocal range, musical style, and appropriate voice type for individual songs. The book concludes with a full discography and bibliography, as well as indexes listing the works by poet, song cycle, title, voice type, and level of difficulty.
Call Number: Reference ML128 .S3 C65 2008
American Art Song and American Poetry by
Published 50 years after the last major treatment of American art song, the first edition of the three-volume American Art Song and American Poetry was the first work to fully consider the musical settings of American poetry. Ruth Friedberg's monumental study was undertaken as a partial remedy to examine American song, from Edward Macdowell up through 1980. In the first edition, Friedberg focused on the interrelationship between the composer and the poet and the ways in which this influenced the completed song. Pieces selected for inclusion had the dual function of recognizing the importance of contributions to the performing literature as well as illuminating phases of America's cultural past. Users will find the volume's extensive bibliography and general index extremely helpful.
Call Number: Reference ML2811 .F75 2012
Art Song in the United States, 1759-2011 by
This fourth edition of Art Song in the United States, 1759-2011 covers songs for solo voice and piano by American composers from the mid-18th through the early 21st centuries. The book is structured as an annotated bibliography with approximately 2,850 numbered entries listed alphabetically by composer and title and indexed in various ways to help teachers and singers locate the particular song they require for practice or performance.
Call Number: Reference ML128 .S3 C37 2013
Vocal Repertoire for the Twenty-First Century, Volume 2 by
Described as the "life and soul of British contemporary music", Jane Manning is an internationally celebrated English concert and opera soprano. In this new follow-up to her highly regarded New Vocal Repertory, Volumes I and II, she provides a seasoned expert's guidance and insight into the vocal genre she calls home. Vocal Repertoire for the Twenty-First Century spans the late middle-20th century through the second decade of the 21st. Manning's comprehensive selection of contemporary art songs ranges from the avant-garde to the more easily accessible, including substantial song cycles, shorter encore pieces, and songs suitable for auditions and competitions. The two-volume guide presents expertly-informed selections tailored to particular voice types. Each of the 160 selections is accompanied by a highly detailed performance guide, music examples, levels of difficulty, and a brief encapsulation of vocal characteristics or challenges contained in the piece. A supplemental companion website provides composer biographies and an up-to-date list of recommended recordings. With a focus on younger composers in addition to prominent figures, Manning encourages singers to refresh and expand their recital repertoire into less familiar territory, and discover the rewards therein.
Call Number: Reference ML128 .V7 M39 2020
The Latin American Art Song by
Taking as a thread the concept of national identity, this book elucidates the sound transformations that have taken place in the world of the Latin American art song since its appearance in the late nineteenth century to the present day. The book focuses in the art songs of Brazil, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela, Bolivia, Per , and Colombia. The book addresses the subject of performance practice of the Latin American song and ends with a proposal for its interpretation. In songs, spaces of representation and cathartic tools thought, language and music have been at the service of some interests, fulfilling specific functions in the construction of the nation. In them, we observe that the construction of identity is a continuous, constant and changing process in which different stories are superimposed. Seen this way, songs are historical texts where social interactions are reflected, and the past, the present and the future are constantly negotiated. The book also addresses the subject of performance practice of the Latin American song and ends with a proposal for its interpretation.
Call Number: ML1609 .C35 2019
Songs for Young Singers by
Songs for Young Singers, a careful review of more than 2,000 songs printed in over 70 anthologies, has been written to address the needs of choir directors and voice teachers of junior high and high school age students. Section I lists songs by title as well as the anthologies in which they are found. Teachers wishing to explore the works of a particular composer will turn to section II, where songs are listed by composer.
Call Number: ML132 .S6 H67 2002
Great Singers on Great Singing by
Jerome Hines has interviewed 40 singers, a speech therapist, and a throat specialist to provide this invaluable collection of advice for all singers. This collection includes the commentary of Licia Albanese, Franco Corelli, Placido Domingo, Nicolai Gedda, Marilyn Horne, Sherrill Milnes, Birgit Nilsson, Luciano Pavarotti, Rose Ponselle, Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland and many others. "Probably the best book on the subject." Publishers Weekly
Call Number: ML1460 .H46 1982
Master Singers by
There is often a dichotomy between the academic approach to singing that voice students learn in the studio and what professional singers do on the operatic and concert stage. Great singers at the top of the performing profession achieve their place with much analysis and awareness of their technique, art, interpretation and stagecraft that goes far beyond academic study and develops over years of experience, exposure, and the occasional embarrassing error. Master Singers brings these insights to the student, teacher, and emerging professional singer, giving them many needed signs and signals along the road to achieving their own artistry and established career. Through interviews with some of today's most accomplished and renowned concert and operatic singers, including Stephanie Blythe, David Daniels, Joyce DiDonato, Denyce Graves, Thomas Hampson, Jonas Kaufmann, Simon Keenlyside, and Ewa Podles´, Master Singers provides vocalists making the transition from student to professional with indispensable advice on matters ranging from technique and its practical application for effective stage projection to the practicalities of the business of professional singing and maintaining a career to recommendations for vocal hygiene and longevity in singing. Rather than relying on a traditional one-singer-at-a-time structure, Donald George and Lucy Mauro distill answers to a range of essential, probing questions into a thematic approach, creating not a standard interview book but a true reference for emerging professional singers. An indispensable resource and reliable guide, Master Singers will find its place on the bookshelf of singers of this generation and the next.
Call Number: ML3795 .G45 2015
Multivocality by
Multivocality frames vocality as a way to investigate the voice in music, as a concept encompassing all the implications with which voice is inscribed-the negotiation of sound and Self, individual and culture, medium and meaning, ontology and embodiment. Like identity, vocality is fluid and constructed continually; even the most iconic of singers do not simply exercise a static voice throughout a lifetime. As 21st century singers habitually perform across styles, genres, cultural contexts, histories, and identities, the author suggests that they are not only performing in multiple vocalities, but more critically, they are performing multivocality-creating and recreating identity through the process of singing with many voices. Multivocality constitutes an effort toward a fuller understanding of how the singing voice figures in the negotiation of identity. Author Katherine Meizel recovers the idea of multivocality from its previously abstract treatment, and re-embodies it in the lived experiences of singers who work on and across the fluid borders of identity. Highlighting singers in vocal motion, Multivocality focuses on their transitions and transgressions across genre and gender boundaries, cultural borders, the lines between body and technology, between religious contexts, between found voices and lost ones.
Call Number: ML1460 .M45 2020
Teaching Singing in the 21st Century by
This volume brings together a group of leading international researchers and practitioners in voice pedagogy alongside emerging academics and practitioners. Encompassing research across voice science and pedagogy, this innovative collection transcends genre boundaries and provides new knowledge about vocal styles and approaches from classical and musical theatre to contemporary commercial music. The work is sure to be valuable in tertiary institutions, schools and community music associations, suitable for use by private studio teachers, and will appeal to choral leaders and music educators interested in vocal pedagogy. nbsp; "I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I am confident it will help bring all aspects of vocal pedagogy firmly into the 21st century. nbsp;Refreshingly, many different areas of pedagogy are included in the text so we can all work together to more fully understand the singing voice. nbsp;Up to the moment research is included along with an exploration of the evolving contemporary styles of singing.
Call Number: MT890 .T42 2014
What Every Singer Needs to Know about the Body by
Gives singers and their teachers a body mapping resource - from anatomy and physiology to body awareness - that helps them discover and correct misconceptions about the way their bodies are built and the way they function. In doing so, the book provides maps with detailed advice and exercises to use their bodies effectively.
Call Number: MT821 .M24 2009
Solutions for Singers by
While many texts and courses on the art of singing offer comprehensive overviews of technique and performance, few have time to delve into the specific questions they spawn. Solutions for Singers explores these unanswered questions, filling in gaps that professional performers, students of singing, and voice teachers have long sought to close. Fielding over 200 questions, distinguished teacher and performer Richard Miller tackles problems raised during hundreds of his master classes and pedagogy courses. He deliberately avoids abstract generalities, concentrating instead on specific, recurring questions: What are some good exercises to loosen or relax tension in the back of the tongue? Do you apply the same principles regarding breathing to a younger student that you do to older students? What is meant by voiced and unvoiced consonants? Is there a female falsetto? Through such specialized questions, Miller probes the very essence of artistic expression. The questions are organized under ten broad topics, which Miller considers from various angles. He couples traditional and modern philosophies to present the most relevant and precise solutions. The result is an invaluable handbook for singers, which, read either sequentially or selectively, provides a unique and pragmatic approach to vocal artistry and technique.
Call Number: MT820 .M5993 2004
Audition Success by Call Number: Music Library BF575 .A65 G664 2001Audition Success presents a groundbreaking method that has already made Don Greene one of the country's leading audition trainers. Combining specially designed self-tests and real-life examples from the careers of two performers, Audition Success will help performers understand what prevents them from nailing an audition and give them the tools to reach their goals.- Performance Power by Call Number: Music Library BF575 .A65 K76 1993
Voice Journals:
The Wilson Music Library subscribes to a number of music journals, including those published by the major professional organizations for various instruments. Reading journals in your area of study is part of being a professional musician - you can learn about major performers and repertoire, new works, festivals, scholarships, and more. Some of these journals are issued only in print (current issues can be found on the browsing periodicals shelving near the book stacks), but many are available online.
Choral Journal Classical Singer Journal of Singing Opera News Opera Quarterly
Art Song Programming & Discovery Tools
- Institute for Composer Diversity: Art Song DatabaseThe Institute for Composer Diversity is run by the School of Music at the State University of New York at Fredonia. They encourage the discovery, study, and performance of music written by composers from historically excluded groups. This is no a complete list. Composers have consented to being included in the database. Search the Art Song Database by geographic location, demographic, voice range, and more.
- Kassia Database: A Database of Art Song by Women ComposersA database to help in the discovery and programming of art song by women composers. Search by composer, poet, voice type, musical era, language, difficulty, and more.
- Song HelixThe first purpose of SongHelix is to give singers and teachers a tool for finding related repertoire. The second purpose is to assist in programming recitals. You can search by keyword, emotion, color, and other feature categories. This is unique to SongHelix.
- American Composers Alliance: Catalog SearchACA serves as a publisher and distribution agent for composers' scores. You can search their catalog by "Voice" in the instrument field. This is a nice catalog to refer to when looking for 20th and 21st century works.
- The African American Art Song AllianceThe African American Art Song Alliance's mission is to promote and uplift the contributons made by African-Americans to art song. The website serves scholars, teachers, and performers seeking more information. You can discover composers and most records include bibliographic information and published works to help you locate in your library.
- Song of AmericaThe Song of American project is to build and curate a comprehensive archive of American song. You can search by composer, poet, and song.
How to Utilize the Advanced Search in Naxos
Browse with purpose in Naxos using the "Advanced Search" function.
- Enter Naxos Music Library through Vanderbilt database subscriptions.
- Click on the
button in the top right-hand corner. - Narrow your search by entering keywords or making selections strategically. For this example, my inquiry was motivated specifically by contemporary era, what has been released in the last 4 years, and includes the bass-baritone.
- Click "search" and notice that you have 20+ options to choose from instead of an overwhelming amount of listening literature.
- If I just searched bass-baritone and contemporary, I would have an overwhelming number of 700+ recordings to sift through.
It depends on your mission or purpose for searching -- sometimes you will find broad searching is better than narrow searching. If you can be specific with what question you have, you may have more success at finding what you are searching for.
Digital Score Apps:
The Wilson Music Library provides Blair students, faculty, and staff with free access to nkoda and Henle through our subscription. Follow the instructions below to start using these popular apps today.
- nkoda This link opens in a new windowSheet music subscription service that can be accessed via app on your phone, tablet or desktop. To get started, download the app on the preferred device(s) and follow the nkoda sign in instructions.
- Henle Campus Edition This link opens in a new window
Digital catalog of music scores in an app available on iPad and Android tablets.
• Users need to register for an account at https://www.henle-library.com/en/campus-edition
• After registering, download the Henle Library app on your iPad or tablet (note: the app is not available for phones).
• Users must revalidate their account every 3 months to maintain access. If an account is not revalidated, all data associated with that account will be lost.
Need help? Ask me!
Finding Repertoire:
Browsing for Repertoire for Voice:
If you're looking for new repertoire to perform, it is often helpful to browse the Music Library's scores. The following call number ranges are for vocal music; individual works within these numbers are arranged alphabetically by composer or arranger:
- M1495, Collections containing both sacred and secular vocal music
- M1500, Operas, musicals (full scores)
- M1503, Operas, musicals (piano/vocal scores)
- M1507, Operatic, musical anthologies/selections
- M1528-29, Duets, trios, etc. for voice and various accompaniments
- M1613, Voice and orchestra or other ensemble
- M1619, Collections of 2 or more composers
- M1619.5, Specific poets
- M1620, Collections of one composer
- M1621, Separate works
- M1621.4, Song cycles
- M1623, Accompaniment of one instrument other than piano
- M1630.18, Popular music collections
- M1669-70, Spirituals
- M2000, Oratorios (full scores)
- M2003, Oratorios (piano/vocal scores)
- M2110, Anthologies (sacred)
- M2112, Collections of one composer (sacred)
- M2113, Separate songs (sacred)
- M2113.4, Song cycles (sacred)
- M2117, Hymnals
Browsing the MLs and MTs
If you are browsing for song texts, translations, biographies, instruction, and diction resources, the following call number ranges are suggested:
- ML48-ML54 -- Libretti, translations, and texts
- ML128.S3 -- Songs - Bibliography
- ML128. V7 -- Vocal Music - Bibliography
- ML1400-ML1460 -- General: by period, by region, or country
- ML1600-ML2881 -- Secular vocal music-History and criticism
- ML2500-ML2881 -- Songs and part songs-History and criticism
- MT820-MT949 -- Singing and voice culture
Search by Subject Headings
You can use Library of Congress Subject Headings to find items in the library catalog. Use the "advanced search" option and search by "subject" and type one of the suggested subject heading terms below in the search box. See the linked example below.
- SONGS
- SONGS (HIGH VOICE)
- SONGS (LOW VOICE)
- SONGS -- HISTORY AND CRITICISM
- SONGS -- TEXTS
- SINGERS
- SINGING -- DICTION
- SINGING -- INSTRUCTION AND STUDY
- VOCAL MUSIC -- BIBLIOGRAPHY
- VOCAL MUSIC -- SCORES
- SOPRANOS (SINGERS)
- MEZZO-SOPRANOS
- TENORS (SINGERS)
- BARITONES (SINGERS)
- BASS-BARITONES (SINGERS)
- VOICE TEACHERS
