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Click here to contact Massimo Capozza
Click here to contact Choralia
Choralia is a web site that produces and distributes free training aids for choir singers. Audio files are provided, that allow singers to gradually learn their parts by listening to electronically-synthesized sound. Two technologies are available: CMS and VS. CMS stands for Client Music Synthesis, it is very easy to use but the voice is simulated with a simple sound without lyrics. VS stands for Virtual Singer, and it also reproduces the lyrics. However, VS is slightly more difficult to use, especially if one wants to record the songs on CDs.
For both the technologies, three training levels are foreseen: the first level, that only contains an individual part (say, alto), plus metronome clicks that help to learn the "tempo" and to understand the score; the second level, where all the choir voices are present, however the individual part is emphasized with respect to the others, using a different sound and/or higher volume; and the third level, where all the voices are synthesized with the same sound and with the same volume. The singer is supposed to initially learn his/her part using the first two levels, and then to test his/her knowledge of the music by singing over the third-level audio track. If the singer is able to sing his/her part without being mislead by the other voices, he/she is probably ready for group rehearsal. If not, more practice with first or second level tracks may be required.
Choralia is managed by Massimo Capozza, a professional in Information Technology who is also a second-rate choir singer. Having realized that his voice and music talent are quite poor, he understood he could contribute to his choir by helping the other choir singers to better learn their parts. This is supposed to be much more beneficial to his choir than just his meagre vocal contribute. So he developed a simple choir training method that demonstrated to be very helpful for him, as well as for other choir singers.
Since beginning 2006, Choralia extends such a concept beyond the limits of the choir where Massimo Capozza uses to sing, making his training aids available to any other choirs for free.
Full degree (honours) in Electronics Engineering - Telecommunications. University of Rome "La Sapienza", 1985.
No music education.
Second-rate choir singer since 1987.
First experiments with electronics and music in 1975, using pure analogue technologies. First waveshape generator based on digital-to-analogue conversion designed in 1977.
First experiments with digital sampling of music made in 1984 on a Apple II clone (!). First implementations on IBM PCs under Microsoft Windows 3.0 (!) in 1993, when the first PC sound cards based on wavetable synthesis (Gravis Ultrasound) became commercially available.
