Music: Vocal Techniques

Foundation course in applied singing, and in teaching singing. Intended for students in music education, and students intending to teach private singing lessons or lead choirs. Pre/Co-requisite: MU 1550.

Pre/Co-requisite: MU 1550. PACE students with permission and override

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O0QYX21BPRdhWv6_B1v_3HCP8zYVan2XskkwBRR-wWA/edit?usp=sharing

COURSE DESCRIPTION Vocal Techniques is an exploration of how to teach singing from a standard vocal technique approach. Teaching singing begins with an understanding of the voice as an acoustic instrument. Students will explore methods for teaching effective and efficient vocal production for both children and adults. They will review elements of vocal technique such as breath management, phonation, articulation, resonance, registration, communication, and diction. Students will develop methods for teaching healthy vocal production that are applicable across a range of musical genres and will apply skills and content knowledge to preparing learning experiences and selecting curricular material.. COURSE OBJECTIVES Develop a vocabulary for describing vocal sounds and Identifying what these sounds reflect about the function of an individual voice. Recognize and demonstrate an understanding of how key muscles, cartilages, bones, and processes function to produce vocal sound. Analyze one’s own voice range, modalities (shifts in registration), tone qualities Analyze another’s voice for range, modalities (shifts in registration), tone qualities Understand stages of vocal development from birth to adulthood Aurally distinguish between and identify changes in vocal qualities related to vocal change, registration (modality), resonance, tension, fatigue etc… Cultivate approaches for supporting developing singers and planning learning experiences with singers of all ages. Vocal analysis Healthy singing habits Voice lesson strategies Understand qualities and issues of the adolescent changing voice and transitioning voices. Understand basic acoustic qualities of vocal production, particularly as they pertain to vowels, resonance, registration and intonation. Understand the use of the International Phonetic Alphabet as it applies in basic ways to vowel identification, unification, and production. Apply understandings of vocal technique to select and analyze curricular material (choral and solo repertoire, sight reading etc…) for singers of various ages and abilities Develop dispositions toward equitable and inclusive singing practices

Link to syllabus provides additional information.