CALABASAS : Young Prodigy Loves to Sing, and It Shows

The odd mix of cassettes in 12-year-old singing prodigy Jessica Tivens’ bedroom includes the soundtrack from “Brigadoon,” two albums by Madonna and Puccini’s La Boheme.

Jessica’s eclectic tastes would make her music teacher proud. But for the A. E. Wright Middle School seventh-grader, they also pose a professional dilemma.

“I’m getting to a point where I’m going to have to choose,” she said. “You can destroy your voice by trying to sing different kinds of music, because you use different muscles for each one. I just haven’t chosen yet.”

Since she began singing in earnest five years ago, Jessica has focused mainly on Broadway-type musicals, landing parts in Los Angeles-area productions of “Pecos Bill and Billie” and, now, “Big Tush, Little Tush,” among others.

Other high-profile appearances have included singing the national anthem at four professional baseball games, performances on several TV telethons and awards shows and a winning act on “Star Search.” She also has taken first place at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival for the last three years.

But during the last year or so, Jessica said, she has begun to feel the tug of the opera.

“I love the costumes,” she said. “And I love the grand style of opera.”

The talkative preteen is described by vocal coach Elisabeth Howard as a “definite prodigy,” who can sing in Italian, French and German with near perfection.

Her father, uncle and grandfather--all former professional musicians--undoubtedly had a hand in Jessica’s interest in music. But she rarely needs incentive to practice, her mother said.

“Sometimes we have to tell her to stop, because she’s been going on for so long,” said Debbie Tivens. “She just loves to be heard.”