Standards for Solo Singers: Medium Low Voice Book

Althouse's ear for what singers love to perform shines throughout this collection. Each arrangement sits comfortably for the medium-low voice while maintaining the sophistication and charm of these American standards, so you get genuinely singable music that never sacrifices style.

Stepping into the world of Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and the composers who defined American popular song. Each arrangement respects the lyrical sophistication and emotional directness of these melodies while opening them up to singers whose voices naturally gravitate toward the lower register.

Any vocalist working with standards who needs arrangements that honor the genre while sitting securely in a medium-low range. This book serves recital singers, audition-bound performers, and music theater vocalists looking to expand their interpretive toolkit.

• Study the original recordings of these songs to absorb the phrasing and interpretive nuances that made them standards in the first place.
• Pay attention to the consonant articulation in the higher passages; these songs benefit from clarity without harshness.
• Let the piano accompaniment guide your phrasing, particularly in the sections marked with subtle tempo variations typical of the Great American Songbook.

These standards work beautifully in a solo recital focused on American song, as encore pieces following more contemporary material, or as part of a vocal competition program that calls for classic repertoire. They also serve as excellent practice material for singers preparing for music theater auditions where standards knowledge is essential.

• Phrasing and interpretation within the Great American Songbook idiom
• Maintaining legit tone across a range that sits naturally for medium-low voices
• Expression through harmonic understanding and text-driven interpretation
• Stylistic conventions of jazz-influenced and vocal jazz standards