Rondo McGuire, age 13, of Mesa, Ariz., for her question:

ARE THERE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SOPRANOS?

A soprano is the highest female singing voice. Sopranos can be called either dramatic, lyric or coloratura.

A coloratura soprano has a flexible and light voice that can perform highly ornamented songs that require a special skill or technique. This type of music has what are called virtuoso passages such as trills and runs.

A normal soprano range is two octaves, with the lowest note being middle C. Many sopranos, however, can go above this range.

A mezzo soprano is a female singing voice that has a range about a minor third lower than that of the soprano. However, it is also used to describe voices that fall between the soprano and the contralto. A contralto is the lowest female voice.

An unchanged young boy's voice is sometimes called "boy soprano."

Soprano is a term also used with musical instruments denoting the highest range in a family of instruments, such as a soprano saxophone.