The nature of applied voice teaching expertise: common elements observed in the lessons of three exemplary applied voice instructors

Based on theories of expert pedagogy, the purpose of this study was to better understand the nature of expertise in voice instruction by observing common elements across three expert voice teachers (Joseph Frank, tenor; Eric Howe, baritone; and Erie Mills, soprano) and discovering the extent voice teaching aligned with common elements of instrumental instruction (Duke & Simmons, 2006a). This qualitative study addressed the overarching question: How can expert voice teaching be characterized? More specifically, using Duke and Simmons’ study of instrumental music teaching expertise as a point of departure, I wanted to understand: To what extent does voice teaching observed in the present study align with Duke and Simmons’ 19 Common Elements of Expertise? Methods of data collection included observation-digital recording of nearly 20 hours of lessons, participant interviews, and field notes. Recorded lessons were reviewed to identify teaching behaviors-attributes that related to students’ goal achievement within “rehearsal frames” (Duke, 1999/2000; 2008). Data analysis occurred in two phases, first coding transcribed data for original elements and second for new elements. Narrative descriptions were created for new elements. Findings gave evidence that expert voice teaching was similar to 14 original elements and revealed nine new elements under three categories: working with a largely invisible and fully embodied instrument, frequent exclusive focus on technique, and drawing on extensive familiarity with texts used for singing. Conclusions advance a theoretical model of voice teaching expertise, drawing on Berliner (1986; 1988). That model has implications for the preparation of novice voice teachers and for further research on voice teaching expertise

Teaching musicianship to singers in a high school choral program: a portrait of three choral directors and their pedagogies

The purpose of this study was to examine the teaching of musicianship in a high school chorus, and explore the pedagogies of three high school choral directors. Using the praxial theory of music education (Elliott & Silverman, 2015) as a framework and a multiple-case study design with elements of portraiture, I developed case studies of three high school choral directors that included musicianship instruction as a regular part of their rehearsal activities. Research questions addressed: (a) the ways high school choral directors address and assess performing-and-listening in the rehearsal to build the musicianship of their singers through sight-singing, audiation, performance practice, and aesthetic elements; (b) the ways high school choral directors address conducting-and-listening in the rehearsal to build the musicianship of their singers; and (c) the ways high school choral directors foster musical creativity of their singers as part of a plan to build their musicianship. The primary means of data collection were interviews, rehearsal observations, and document review. I conducted observations using the rehearsal planning model advocated by Abrahams and John (2015) as a guidepost. Results indicate that the development of musicianship among high school choral students does not rest exclusively on instruction in areas such as sight-singing, music theory, performance practice, piano proficiency, and vocal technique, but rather through the values asserted by Elliott (1995) and Elliott and Silverman (2015), which serve as the foundation of music education: self-growth, self-knowledge, and the emotional experience of musicing and musical enjoyment. Implications for music education include incorporating constructivist strategies in instruction, moving toward student-centered rehearsals, and devoting meaningful time to listening and assessment in order to empower student musicianship

The Boston Children's Chorus: a case study in culturally responsive teaching

The purpose of this case study was to explore and analyze the practices of the Boston Children’s Chorus (BCC) in relation to culturally responsive pedagogy. The intent was to explore how the conductor, his staff, and the support staff (including the administrative team and Board of Directors) considered the issues of cultural relevancy as they programed and rehearsed music, selected concert venues, recruited singers, and marketed the organization. The study also reflected the perspectives of the stakeholders, particularly the parents and singers. The findings reported in this chapter are in narrative form and include the results from interviews, observations, and questionnaires arranged by common themes. The approaches developed at the BCC were congruent with culturally responsive teaching and tied to the mission of social change. The overarching concept of social change mission-oriented planning shaped its curriculum, instruction, and perceptions of staff, students, and parents as well as framed the development of the community of singers at the BCC. The findings indicated that in attempting to achieve more progress with the social change mission it was critically important to further develop a detailed strategic plan for all BCC choirs and staff members. The implications of this research study are that a better understanding of the successful practices of the BCC would help to identify key factors that contribute to teachers’ willingness to implement culturally responsive teaching in music and choral education and would serve as inspiration and an outline for other music teachers and conductors by helping them to overcome problems that might prevent others from succeeding

Implementation and supervision of music education standards in public high schools of New York City: a study of the Blueprint for teaching and learning in music

ABSTRACT In an effort to meet students' arts education needs, the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) collaborated with various community organizations to develop the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts in 2004. In 2008, the NYCDOE updated the music portion with a publication known as the Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in Music PreK-12. After designing the new "Standards and curriculum guide" with the intention of changing arts education in New York City public schools, the NYCDOE organized various professional development workshops to prepare music teachers. Although the responsibility of music teachers was obvious, the role of assistant principals, who evaluate the performance of music teachers, was not apparent. In this study, I employed questionnaire, interview, observation, and document analysis as data gathering instruments to investigate the implementation and supervision of the music education portion of The Blueprint standards. I used a collective case study approach to conduct the study in the public high schools of New York City in light of the changing conditions of education in the NYCDOE. I found that in the New York City public high schools, not every music educators was familiar with The Blueprint, and the NYCDOE did not make its implementation mandatory to all music educators. Implementation of The Blueprint depended on individual teachers' choice. Because the NYCDOE did not train music supervisors how to supervise and evaluate the implementation of The Blueprint, they did not use the criteria from The Blueprint to evaluate music teachers. Data from classroom observation of music teachers indicated that they were implementing some of The Blueprint's strands. Music educators that were apprehensive about using The Blueprint believed that their established method of teaching music was sufficient, and that the NYCDOE does not always follow through with its policies. Administrative support and resources were not significant barriers except in one case, but time was an obstacle to the implementation of The Blueprint, especially the rehearsal time. Time for other subjects took precedence over music

Telepresence learning environments for opera singing, a case study

The present study analyzes the data obtained in the execution of the Opera eLearning project, a multidisciplinary effort to develop a solution for Opera singing distance lessons at the graduate level, using high bandwidth to deliver quality audio and video experience that has been evaluated by singing teachers, chorus and orchestra directors, singers and other professional musicians. The research work includes the phases of design, execution and evaluation of pilot tests, followed by further development and execution of several experimental exercises with the system, all of them carried out between July 2008 and April 2009. This is an empirical research, an exploratory case study that has provided enough data to arrive to a sustainable model for a telepresence learning environment. Different usability methods have been implemented in order to assure users of the quality of the product. The main objective is to prove whether the system or artifact proposed can be used to deliver a complete remote singing class at a higher education level; for that purpose, we have defined several research categories that describe the usability of the system in multiple dimensions. We have used “design as research” approaches to promote innovation in the technological area. The theoretical framework is based on a wide variety of fields; from acoustics, physics, music, professional singing to telecommunications and multimedia technology. However, the common thread and central issue under analysis is distance education, through the construction of a remote learning system. We have also included the corresponding justification of the scientific methodology employedEl presente estudio analiza los datos obtenidos en la ejecución del proyecto Opera eLearning, un esfuerzo multidisciplinario para desarrollar una solución que permita dar clases a distancia de canto lírico a nivel de educación superior, utilizando conexiones de banda ancha con el fin de proveer una experiencia de vídeo y audio de calidad, la que ha sido evaluada por profesores de canto, directores de coros y orquesta, cantantes y otros músicos profesionales. El trabajo de investigación incluye las fases de diseño, ejecución y evaluación de las pruebas piloto, seguido del posterior desarrollo y ejecución de varios ejercicios experimentales con el sistema, todos ellos efectuados entre Julio de 2008 y Abril de 2009. Esta es una investigación empírica, un caso de estudio exploratorio que ha obtenido datos suficientes como para definir un modelo sostenible de entorno de enseñanza por telepresencia. Diversos métodos de usabilidad fueron implementados con el fin de asegurar a los usuarios la calidad del producto. El objetivo principal es probar si el sistema o artefacto propuesto puede ser usado para realizar de modo remoto una clase completa de canto lírico a nivel de educación superior; con tal propósito, hemos definido varias categorías de investigación que describen la usabilidad del sistema en múltiples dimensiones. Hemos utilizado el enfoque de “diseño como investigación” para promover la innovación en el área tecnológica. El marco teórico se basa en una amplia variedad de campos; desde la acústica, la física, la música, el canto profesional hasta las telecomunicaciones y tecnología multimedia. Sin embargo, el hilo común y tema central bajo análisis es la educación a distancia, ya que se trata de la construcción de un sistema de aprendizaje remoto. También se he incluido la justificación correspondiente a la metodología científica empleada

Developing Reading Skills Through the Use of Music

Music is a powerful language that can enhance a classroom. This project was designed to support early literacy by using music. Songs were chosen and activities designed to supplement a beginning reading program. A compact disc of the songs was created to use in conjunction with the activities. It is hoped that the utilization of singing and reading together will not only help children learn to read but also foster a love for reading

Rhythm in shoes: student perceptions of the integration of tap dance into choral music

The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect descriptive data pertaining to students’ perceptions regarding the use of tap dance movement and its effect on the understanding of rhythms found in choral literature. This enquiry investigated the following questions: (a) What are the perceptions of high school students regarding the difficulty of tap dance movement? (b) What are the perceptions of high school students regarding the effectiveness of tap dance movement as a method toward promoting their rhythm accuracy when performing rhythms featured in choral music? (c) What are the perceptions of high school students regarding the effectiveness of integrating tap dance movement with the study of select rhythm patterns chosen from choral literature in their retention of the rhythms? Over a five-month period, high school choral ensemble members (N = 88) were taught twenty-five rhythm patterns excerpted from choral literature, integrating tap dance movement with the instruction. The results revealed that the difficulty level of the movement, tempo at which it is executed, the changing of feet while performing the movement, and the amount of tap experience an individual possesses influence students’ perceptions regarding the degree of complexity of tap dance movement. Additionally, the data indicate the enjoyment of the movement, the demonstrations of the movement, the integration of music with the movement, the use of step names and counting, and the use of tap shoes are elements related to tap dance movement that students perceived to help promote their understanding of rhythms found in choral music. Moreover, the results pertaining to the students’ perception of how tap dance movement was an effective method of promoting their retention of rhythms found in choral music indicate a lack of agreement. While there were singers who found the movement to benefit their ability to memorize the examined rhythms, there was a comparable amount of students who indicated that they were unable to remember the rhythms following the instruction. Lastly, the findings provide information regarding the specific types of movements that students found beneficial to their rhythmic comprehension, adding to the existing literature and useful for replication in future studies

A Model for the Development of a Popular Music Listening Curriculum

Secondary schools in Texas typically only offer performance-based ensembles to students as their music options. These classes require public performances, extracurricular time commitments, and financial obligations. Because of these and other issues, many students select non-music classes to fulfill their fine arts graduation requirements. Although it can be passive in nature, listening is how most people interact with music. Unfortunately, listening-based curricula are rarely available to secondary students. Where music appreciation classes are offered, the music studied is often outdated and unfamiliar to students. This qualitative study identified the pedagogical components present in an existing classical music listening curricula. These components were used as a model for the development of a lesson framework, allowing music educators to incorporate popular music into any secondary music class. Secondary music educators were given sample popular music listening lessons based on the framework developed and later interviewed to record their reactions

Study & Sing: A Music Class for Home Education Students

The Study & Sing curriculum is designed (1) to provide homeschooling high school students with a music resource that is easy to access and incorporate within their homeschool environment; (2) to facilitate meaningful and effective music instruction by designing a music class for a qualified music teacher to use within cooperative homeschool groups; (3) to offer homeschooling families a comprehensive music class that closely follows the National Core Arts Standards for music education; and (4) to provide a music class for homeschool co-op students that offers a comprehensive design and fosters collaborative music experiences by integrating a performance component that corresponds with the academic music material. This curriculum is an eight-week unit study that explores Early-to-Mid American Music ranging from the 17th century to the early-20th century. The course will be offered synchronously in person within a homeschool cooperative setting and aligns with national music standards by offering a comprehensive approach that incorporates academic music components (Study) with corresponding music performance elements (Sing). Class materials with be easily accessible, enabling students to download the course materials including listening examples, weekly presentations, and links for sheet music, and music teachers will be able to access and download weekly lesson plans with guided instruction and slide presentations. Student comprehension of the unit study material will be assessed through integrated activities and corresponding quizzes during weeks 2-7 and individual prepared presentations in week 7. In the final week of the class, students will sing together in a multi-part choral ensemble and will perform music arrangements adapted from original melodies that they learned and practiced together during the unit study

Body, mind, spirit, voice : Helen Kemp and the development of the children's choir movement

The purpose of this research was to document the contributions of Helen Kemp to the development of the children's choir movement. As a result of her professional contributions, Kemp became an internationally recognized specialist in the area of children's choirs and the child's voice. A brief overview of the children's choir movement in the United States is included to provide a context from which Helen Kemp's role in the children's choir movement can be more clearly understood. Helen Kemp (1918-)received vocal and church music training at Westminster Choir College. As a result of early experiences as a vocalist, children's choir director, and mother, Kemp developed an interest in child vocal development and children's choirs. After moving to Oklahoma with her husband in 1949, Kemp established many of her children's choir philosophies and techniques while serving as children's choir director at First Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City