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- The Vocal Pedagogy of Frederic Woodman Root
- Frederic Woodman Root was a vocal pedagogue and writer of the late nineteenth century. He wrote over eighteen books on vocal pedagogy, and numerous articles on singing. Since his death, most of his works have fallen into obscurity. The purpose of this document was to codify the vocal pedagogy of Frederic Woodman Root, discussing his particularly thorough methodology, and to bring his methods back into the public eye. His method is broken down into the various components of basic musicianship, the General Principle, the Three Vowel Forms, registers, breathing, and agility. Examples from Root's exercises are included and discussed.
- Goal Identification and Systematic Instruction in Private Voice Lessons
- The problem of this study was to measure the effect upon the tone quality of singers resulting from identifying a specific goal, modeling with a cassette tape of the student's own voice, prescribing practice, and giving verbal approval. On the basis of the findings, these conclusions are drawn. (1) There is no significant difference in prescribing practice of an identified goal, utilizing a model or giving verbal approval. (2) Higher gain in pretest - posttest scores for the experimental groups while the control group showed the lowest gain suggests these teaching methods may be effective. (3) A high correlation of raters can be attained by the training method used in this study.
- Voiception: a Theoretical Study Employing the Highest Cognitive-Affective Processes in Vocal Pedagogy
- The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of developing a theory in vocal pedagogy, voiception, which could provide teaching techniques with tangibility for gaining control of both voluntary and involuntary functions of the singing act. This study appears to show that feeling tone and cognition are innately involved with singing, since the vocal instrument is actually a part of the singer. Analysis of the sung vowel through the singing sensation is the connecting link for gaining control of involuntary vocal functions.
- A Comparative Pedagogical Study of American Art-Songs Recommended for Beginning Voice Students
- This study's purpose was to examine and compare pedagogical opinions and suggestions regarding teaching American art-songs recommended as suitable for beginning voice students. Specific problems were to determine 1. The ten American art-songs most recommended by voice teachers for beginning students, 2. Pedagogical opinions and suggestions about these art-songs, 3. Voice teachers' general opinions and suggestions regarding teaching American artsong, 4. Ways in which their opinions and suggestions were similar and 5. Ways in which their opinions and suggestions were dissimiliar.
- An Investigation on the Use of Verbal Communication and Vocal Performance During University-Level Applied Studio Voice Lessons
- The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of verbal communication and vocal performance during university-level applied studio voice lessons. Specific emphasis lay on the relationship between verbal communication, vocal performance, and instructional segments as defined by technical and song literature vocal repertoire.
- A Comparative Study of the Effects of Two Experimental Methods of Guidance on Vocal Solo Memorization
- The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of guided musical analysis and guided attention to textual understanding on the speed of solo memorization by selected university vocal students. The guided musical analysis consisted of instruction to a subject regarding the melodic elements, rhythmic elements, phraseology, form, and key relationships of the experimental songs. The guided attention to textual understanding consisted of instruction to a subject regarding the meaning and phraseology of the experimental song texts. Subjects were required to rhythmically scan the texts in a declamatory manner. It was concluded that the three conditions of memorization were equally effective. Memorization rates were not significantly altered by historical period of song. Differences in memorization rates appeared to parallel the subjects' academic performances and their performances on the Drake Musical Aptitude Tests. Findings of this study indicated that future memorization experiments should be conducted with larger samples of subjects of a single sex who are music majors.
- Register Unification in Light of Twentieth-Century Vocal Pedagogy
- The registers of the singing voice, as commonly understood by singers, refer to the different vocal qualities induced by adjustments at the level of the larynx and of the vocal tract. This explains why register unification can be approached either one or a combination of the following procedures: (1) resonance alignment through vowel modification, (2) register alignment through intensity exercises. The wide-spread acceptance of vowel modification has made singers reluctant in exploring other avenues of register development. If registers are laryngeally derived, there should be another way of register unification, which directly addresses the coordination of the laryngeal muscles. In support of this argument, this thesis investigates the teaching practices of a group of twentieth-century American voice teachers, who rely on intensity manipulation as the primary means for enhancing the register adjustments. Intensity exercises such as the messa di voce has long been practiced in historical pedagogy, but it is not until now that voice science confirmed its significance in register coordination.
- A Study of Breath Management as Treated by Four Major American Vocal Pedagogues: Appelman, Reid, Vennard, and Miller
- Trained musicians cannot use the same breath process in daily living as for singing. Also, the normal breath cycle applied to speech is not efficient. Therefore, students who are learning to sing need to know proper breathing techniques. In this thesis, I will describe the breathing process and the correct way to breathe while singing, based on studies of four American pedagogues; Appleman, Reid, Vennard and Miller. To understand the breathing process for singing, it is necessary to study and understand the anatomical system and the mechanics of the respiratory system. Therefore, the first chapter contains anatomical system of breath management. Then, in the second chapter, the specific breath management techniques of four American pedagogues will be examined and compared. Three of them, Appelman, Vennard, and Miller, suggested some exercises in order to develop correct and efficient breathing habits.
- A Countertenor Aria Collection Continuum for Studio Training and Performance
- An assessment of the standard voice instructor or performer collection of printed music would likely reveal numerous operatic repertoire volumes in anthology format appropriated to the primary four voice categories. However, thorough investigation divulges little in comparable printed material accessible to the countertenor. This scarcity of systemized collections is especially evident in the territory of comprehensive countertenor operatic repertoire. This project fills that present void by creating a compilation of sixteen countertenor arias drawn from various styles and historical periods for suggested application in studio instruction and performance. Perhaps, a more meaningful project intent is the presentation of a beneficial graded literature continuum resource for the studio teacher who instructs a countertenor in various stages of vocal development. For this purpose, each of the 16 arias is categorized into four difficulty levels based on considerations of range, tessitura, coloratura demands, rhythm, sustained phrase length, tonality, melodic considerations/overall musical difficulty, accompaniment support, and ornamentation requirements. The project also addresses common issues of pedagogy and ornamentation for voice teacher consideration when instructing a developing countertenor.
- A Detailed Investigation, Comparison, and Analysis of the Practice Habits of Undergraduate Vocal and Piano Performance Majors
- For musicians of all kinds, practice is an essential component in establishing and refining their skills. How a musician learns the art of practicing, and at what point in their musical and cognitive development can vary drastically. The purpose of this research is to understand how two groups of musicians, undergraduate vocal performance majors and undergraduate piano performance majors, developed (or consequently failed to develop) their respective knowledge pertaining to effective practice prior to entering the university setting, and how their practice habits changed (or consequently failed to change) after beginning study with a university instructor. This is accomplished by comparing the practice habits of the two groups prior to entering the university setting, and, after gaining admission into the degree program. Findings are supplemented with recent research pertaining to the study of learning and various types of practice.
- Distance Learning in Singing Education: An Overview of Historical and Modern Approaches and Future Trends
- This research of distance learning in singing study provides some historical framework of long-distance singing study, including research on three former distance singing courses, which exemplify the "best practices" of their time: Siegel-Myers Correspondence School of Music, the Perfect Voice Institute, and the Hermann Klein Phono-Vocal Method: Based Upon the Famous School of Manuel Garcia. I also discuss current trends in long-distance singing study, including interviews and insights from current long-distance singing teachers using cutting edge technology in their virtual studios. Lastly, I make predictions and projections, based on analyses of past "best practices," where this information may have impact upon future methods of distance singing lessons, including conceivable distance singing course components of online degree programs offered at universities.
- The Historical and Pedagogical Significance of Excerpts by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (1741-1813)
- This collection of 9 vocal works, taken from the oœuvre of André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (1741-1813), was chosen for their utility in teaching undergrad voice majors. This collection offers a group of songs that are attractive in their simplicity allowing the time in their lessons to be devoted to the instruction of French pronunciation. Grétry's attention to detail in the setting of French prosody provides undergraduate singers with a collection of songs that offer an immediate understanding as to the nuances of the French language. With funding from an I-GRO grant through the University of North Texas, research was conducted in the archives of the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and work continued in the Grétry Museum in Liège, Belgium. The primary sources found within these locations formulated valuable insights into to the life and influence of Grétry, and provided first-hand experience with research techniques within foreign libraries. This research has solidified the relationship between Grétry's compositional style and its usefulness within the undergraduate voice studio.
- An Analysis of the Vocal Teaching Techniques of Allan Rogers Lindquest
- The problem with which this research is concerned is the documentation of Allan Rogers Lindquest's vocal teaching techniques and contributions to the field of vocal pedagogy in America from 1974 to 1981. The purpose of this study is the identification and compilation of voice building techniques and vocal exercises that were formulated for vocal pedagogy by Lindquest. As a result of reviewing the literature related to vocal pedagogy, which identifies methods of voice teaching and contrasts pedagogical styles, the research questions developed for this study concern the identification and classification of Lindquest's teaching techniques in instructional areas that include breath and breath support, areas of resonance, vowels and vowel modification, vocal registers, other related areas of vocal production, and the directions for and expected results of special vocal exercises. The sources of data for this study are verbatim transcripts of fifty-six audio tapes of voice lessons conducted by Lindquest with seven students.
- The Use of Classic Musical Theatre Repertoire for Training Bel Canto Techniques in the Undergraduate Baritone Voice
- For applied teachers of the bel canto method of singing, classical musical theatre repertoire provides an abundant resource of material for teaching the undergraduate baritone voice. Select classic musical theatre repertoire, fitting within the parameters of suitable range, tessitura, duration, and thematic material for an undergraduate baritone, will be used to demonstrate the application of bel canto techniques such as: glottal onsets, the connection between the speaking voice and singing voice, suitable vowels in building the upper range, and teaching sostenuto and legato. This dissertation serves as a guide for teaching sound vocalism through classic musical theatre repertoire.
- Spanish Diction in Latin American Art Song: Variant Lyric Pronunciations of (s), (ll), and (y)
- Latin American art song is a genre primarily of the first half of the twentieth-century, when popular folklore served as the voice and inspiration of many poets and musicians. The nationalist movement served as a means of expression, each Latin American country with its own identity. There is great benefit for singers to study Spanish diction at an academic level, since it is a language already familiar to most U.S.A residents. There is a significant amount of unknown repertoire that would be very useful in the singing studio because of the language's open vowels. This repertoire can also serve as a confidence-builder to young Spanish-speaking singers at the beginning of their training. I will be focusing on the (s), (ll), and (y) sounds as pronounced in the diverse regions of Latin America; in particular, why they matter when coaching singers, and the articulators involved in each. The purpose of this study is to discuss diction differences in the repertoire, expound on its benefits for voice pedagogy, all while informing about varied options for recital programming.
- The Development and Evaluation of a Guide to Teach Selected Elements of Commercial Singing
- The purpose of this study was to develop a commercial singing guide that could be used as an aid in teaching selected elements of commercial singing. It addressed itself specifically to the following problems: determining how the selected elements of the commercial vocal style are produced, developing a guide for teaching the production of this vocal style to trained and untrained singers and evaluating the effectiveness of the guide.
- A Study of Concept Formation, Concept Learning, and Vocal Pedagogy
- The problem of this study is the development of a theoretical structure underlying a conceptual approach to teaching with special consideration given to vocal teaching.
- A Plan of Study for a Course in Vocal Pedagogy
- The purpose of this report is to present a plan of study for a course in vocal pedagogy.
- Experiencing the interdependent nature of musicianship and educatorship as defined by David J. Elliott in the context of the collegiate level vocal jazz ensemble.
- Examination of the relationship of musicianship and educatorship of teacher and students as interacting partners in a specific musical context proceeded with investigation of how formal, informal, impressionistic, and supervisory musical and educational knowledge were evidenced in rehearsal. Attention was also given to how the teaching strategies of modeling, coaching, scaffolding, fading, articulating, reflecting comparatively, and exploring were used to develop student musicianship. The research methodology may best be described as an inductive analytical case study approach. Multiple data sources included: videotaped observations of 19 bi-weekly rehearsals, audio taped interviews of the 12 participants, supplemental materials, (a published interview, journal articles, rehearsal schedules), and member checking with the teacher and David Elliott. Rehearsal data were initially organized into categories identified in David J. Elliott's (1995) model. The relationship of teacher and student musicianship, and teacher educatorship emerged during analysis. Musical details of problem finding, reducing and solving were also identified. Three themes emerged from the student interviews: their perceptions of the teacher's musicianship, general rehearsal strategies, and the teacher's use of specific teaching strategies. Interviews with the teacher illuminated his perception of musicianship and teaching strategies employed in the context. The findings confirmed that as music making transpired in the rehearsals, the kinds of knowing present in the musicianship of teacher and students and the teacher's educatorship were not only intertwined but were utilized at the same time. The level of student musicianship was allied to the relationship of the teacher's musicianship and educatorship. The intricate relationship between the kinds of procedural knowledge that Elliott identifies as integral to music making and music teaching are illustrated in a set of diagrams. Additionally, they show the wide range of technical and musical problems the teacher and students solved together in order for the multifarious nature of the vocal jazz repertoire to …
- Adolescent Self-Theories of Singing Ability within the Choral Hierarchy
- The purpose of this study was to explore adolescent self-views of singing ability through both implicit theories and self-concept meaning systems. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine these self-views specifically in the context of a choral hierarchy. Using a researcher-designed survey instrument, I gathered data from middle- and high-school students currently enrolled in a choir program organized in a hierarchical structure. I analyzed descriptive statistics of survey responses to items designed to measure implicit theories of singing ability, singing self-concept, and goal orientation. I also examined differences among participants by ensemble placement in implicit theory and self-concept scores, correlation between implicit theory and self-concept, and whether implicit theory, self-concept, goal orientation, or current enrollment could predict future enrollment decisions. In addition to these quantitative measures, I coded open-ended responses to two failure scenarios and examined participant responses by ensemble and gender. Both implicit theory and self-concept scores were higher for participants at the top of the choral hierarchy than at the bottom. Open-ended responses, however, did not align with the implicit theory scale and a number of students presented a false growth mindset. Open-ended responses also indicated that failure scenarios were likely to result in an altered view of the self and shame in placement in an ensemble at the bottom of the choral hierarchy. The means scores for participants in the middle- and high-school ensembles in both implicit theory and self-concept were significantly different, with participants in the high-school ensembles having higher scores in both constructs. Implicit theory and self-concept were significantly related, and self-concept, goal orientation, and current enrollment significantly predicted future enrollment decisions.
- Training the Hybrid Singer: Mixed Voice for the Bel Canto and Musical Theatre Singer
- Voice teachers can train versatile singers by infusing musical theatre technique within bel canto evidence-based pedagogy. Seeing these two genres as possessing similarities instead of as unrelated fields allows teachers to not only match academic knowledge with the current entertainment job market, but most importantly, possess a versatile technique allowing them to train singers to perform fluently in multiple styles: the hybrid singer. An area of confusion in both bel canto and musical theatre training is mixed registration. This dissertation uses historic pedagogical texts and contemporary writings on mixed registration to understand laryngeal and acoustical events of the treble voice. The relationship between the two modes of voice production and musical theatre timbral acoustics ("legit" head voice, traditional belt, contemporary chest-mix, contemporary head-mix) is discussed with applicable tools for voice teachers training versatile singers.
- Virtues in Vocal Pedagogy: An Exploratory Study of Character Strengths-Based Approaches in Historic Voice Instruction
- Researchers of historic voice pedagogy texts have generally focused their objectives towards reviewing the recommendations of historic voice teachers pertaining to the physiological, acoustical, and musical elements of training singers; however, researchers have given less attention to the evidence of humanistic pedagogical elements presented by historic teachers of voice. This study aims to examine historic resources of vocal pedagogy for qualitative data representing exemplification of or advocacy for character strengths for voice teachers. Additionally, this study explores practical applications of character strengths within the context of the modern applied voice studio. In this context, character strengths are defined as the positive attributes of a personality that influence how a person thinks, feels, and behaves. In this document, historic pedagogical resources (N = 80) represent works published between 1811 and 1975. Using the scientifically validated VIA (Values-in-Action) Classification of Strengths, the relevant data extracted from these resources were categorized first into six virtues – wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. These data were further divided into the subcategories of character strengths based on descriptions located in seminal resources in character strengths research.