When I first started teaching, I often asked more experienced teacher about appropriate general repertoire for beginning singers. The responses to my question often went like this "Repertoire shouldn't be your focus at first. Exercises should take priority." Yes...I understand that...but at some point it is going to be time to assign songs a build on those vocal elements used in vocal exercises. Other responses included "Oh I'm sure you'll figure it out." If was almost as if they were concerned about divulging prized 'secrets.' I am very very grateful to my high school voice teacher for actually giving me some starting points! Joan Frey Boytim's book, The Private Voice Studio Handbook: A Practical Guide to All Aspects of Teaching also contained some very helpful information.
It is true that you learn from experience, but I would have loved a better starting point as a reference. So this is a list of what I am currently using and have found to be helpful! It is by no means a comprehensive list, especially since singers do not all fit the same mold!
1) 36 Solos for Young Singers Compiled by Joan Fry Boytim. Published by Hal Leonard.
This collection includes a wide variety of traditional art songs and folk songs with limited ranges for late-elementary to early junior high singers. The typical range encompassed is D-D, with occasional deviations and alternative pitches for additional vocal customization.
2) The Teen's Musical Theatre Collection: Young Women's Edition Compiled by Louise Lerch. Published by Hal Leonard.
I like this book as a general starter for my teenage singers and even some of my beginning adult students. It has a 33 songs for $14.95 which is a pretty good buy. The songs include favorites from classic musicals and cinema of the 1980's & 1990's. I like the variety of vocal range represented in these songs, which is good since the student is not likely to have a set vocal classification yet. There is a Young Men's edition as well, but I haven't had the opportunity to use it at this point.
3) Disney Solos for Kids Published by Hal Leonard.
I have used this as fun introductory material for children (and even some adults!). It contains 10 songs, and includes songs from some of the older yet classic shows.
Resources specifically for the young male voice:
1) Tales of Land and Sea Compiled, Composed and Arranged by Mark Patterson. Published by BriLee Music.
2) Traveling On Compiled, Composed and Arranged by Ruth Elaine Schram. Published by BriLee Music.
3) Heroes and Vagabonds Compiled and Arranged by Mark Patterson. Published by BriLee Music.
These excellent books were designed the address the specific needs of young singers, especially when a young male voice is changing and isn't specifically a 'tenor' or a 'bass' yet. These books allow the teacher to match the song to the voice, instead of trying to force a young voice to fit into a song intended for a more mature voice. One of my first students fit this description and I was at a loss because he had about an octave range, from about A below Middle C to the A above. I went to our local music store to browse the shelves, and happened upon Tales of Land and Sea, and what do you know, there were two songs that fit that range perfectly! The songs start in a typical range for young, newly changing voices, and the ranges move progressively lower, following the voice change to tenor or baritone.
Two other books in the series, My Heart Sings & Let Nature Sing, follow a similar format for the developing female voice. The songs start with small, modest ranges that expand for the growing and maturing voice.
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