Sondra Harnes is a lyric soprano, voice teacher, pianist, and children's choir conductor. Her mother taught her to sing when she was six months old. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Southeast Missouri State University, Master of Music from The Catholic University of America, and sang in the Professional Studies Program at the Juilliard School. She taught her son to sing when he was 13 months old. During her career as a soloist she won many contests, performed on radio and television, appeared with numerous symphony orchestras, oratorio societies, opera companies, and in concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, United Nations, and Carnegie Hall. She has coached professional singers and given private lessons, master classes, and workshops for voice students of all ages; conducted choirs and student operetta productions (five Gilbert & Sullivan, "Hansel and Gretel," Narnia) throughout the United States, Canada, and Bermuda. She developed her singing program for young children at the Montessori School of McLean in Virginia. In March of 1990, Ms. Harnes founded the World Children’s Choir. She conducts rehearsals, season concerts and special event performances. She has produced five World Children’s Choir CDs, and three recordings that help children learn how to sing. The foundation of her method is developing the voice through the "ear" while learning about breath support, vocal placement, diction, and interpretation. Students are advised to take piano lessons (or play in the school band or orchestra) to develop reading and sight reading skills. Those who do the best and make the most consistent progress listen to recordings every day. The student develops the mental concept of what a beautiful tone is. Training the ear, and developing the memory is the key to learning music easily and quickly. Ms. Harnes goal is to teach her students to sing with beauty, artistry, and joy using the Italian Bel Canto style of singing. Student repertoire for those taking private lessons begins with simple folk and art songs in English, and Italian art songs from the 16th and 17th century. Over time as the student progresses, more difficult songs from the standard classical repertoire in French and German are added. When the student is old enough - and vocally and musically ready - oratorio and opera arias are added. The student may choose one song of her/his choice from more popular repertoire - but, it must be sung in the same vocal style as the classical repertoire. Her private students also prepare duets, trios, quartets with other students in their master classes. Her technical regime includes breathing, interval/ear training and articulation exercises, and vocalizes appropriate to the student's level of vocal and musical development. Students, whether private or in choir, are not taught to sing with straight tone. Ms. Harnes particularly enjoys teaching those who think (or have been told) that they are "tone deaf." Her belief is that there is no such thing. If the student does what she/he is told, they will learn and develop just like everyone else. Some of her best singers who studied with her from a very young age could not match pitches/sing in tune when they began...and went on to become professional singers. Ms. Harnes also loves working with multi-generational groups of people. Grandparents, parents, teens, children. Convincing them that they can all sing songs they probably would never have attempted on their own - and giving a beautiful concert after a week of daily rehearsals. Although Ms. Harnes speaks only English, she has taught her students diction needed to sing in 17 languages. Repertoire for choirs includes artistic arrangements of international folk songs, inspirational songs of love and peace, environmental songs, choreographed movie and Broadway songs, as well as operetta and opera. Ms. Harnes does not perform or teach belting, Broadway, pop, gospel, rock or other contemporary styles of singing. She did teach an R&B singer for ten years, by strong request of the singer who wished to avoid developing vocal nodules as some of her colleagues had. This singer had two vocal kinds of vocal productions - R&B and her classical style. She was advised to warmup before her band practice using Ms. Harnes exercises, and when she went home, to do them again before going to bed. By following this routine, the singer said she preserved her voice. Ms. Harnes has had students who sang with her for many years in World Children's Choir, who changed their vocal production when they went to music school/university - to jazz, pop, rock, or Broadway styles of singing. All are doing well. Ms. Harnes believes that having a classical foundation of singing is good for everyone, regardless of where their heart leads them to sing and perform.