Trying to be a ‘typical’ soprano or tenor is trying to produce something which doesn’t exist in reality. Perhaps its because there are so many IMITATIONS that there are so few great singers. Subjectively, although perhaps unconsciously, the singer who emulates the singing of another is somehow avoiding his responsibility: to himself as an individual, and to his audience whose collective humanity he is representing or reflecting. A singer must find himself in the mirror of his own sound before he can be a mirror for his audience.

Harrison, Peter T. The human nature of the singing voice: exploring a holistic basis for sound teaching and learning. Dunedin Academic Pr Ltd, 2006.