I'VE NEVER TAKEN SINGING LESSIONS, BUT I THINK I'M A SOPRANO

I can't get over how many times I've people say "I've never taken singing lessons, but I think I'm a soprano." I ask how do you know and I often hear "I don't know, I just have a feeling." Well to start with, I'd rather now not put a label on a brand new students voice. For one thing, their nerves are up...... they're not sure what to expect within the lesson, my studio is a new environment for them. they may have driven in stressful traffic and they're not vocally warmed up. All these things can very well effect the vocal octave range! I always say "I'll take you to the piano and we can find out if you want a name you can go home with. However, I'd rather say lets warm up....stretch out a bit and for now, consider us in construction. The reason why I feel this way, is because usually after a few lessons the student is much more relaxed. They start to let go and show a wider range! The type of voice you have may not be what you thought.