Alisha Reeve MUSE 258 Citation Teaching Kids to Sing 1992 Chapter 1: Vocal pedagogy for young singers

Kenneth H. Phillips Summary Philosophical and Historical Perspectives o Many of todays music educators feel that childrens voices shouldnt be trained until after puberty in order to prevent damage o Robert Sataloff and Joseph Spiegel (1989) disagree and advocate instruction and song The Song Approach o Emphasizes expression, while putting technique on the back burner o Leaves out areas like vocal quality, registers, dynamic level, duration, and range (4) o Contradicts school of bel canto singing which places primary focus on technique, before repertoire o Students should learn a variety of songs, but they must have good technique to be able to sing such a variety o This approach can lead to children straining because they attempt to sing songs that are beyond their skill level o Often failing at such pieces because of lack of vocal development can lead to negative feelings towards the voice o It can also lead to poor vocal techniques The Roots of Systematic Vocal Instruction o father of singing- Lowell Mason o Began the movement towards music in schools in America o Wrote the Manual of the Boston Academy of Music for Instruction in the Elements of Vocal Music on the System of Pestalozzi o Felt that students should begin music training as they started to read and should continue throughout school years Late-Nineteenth- and Early-Twentieth-Century Writers o Francis E. Howard The Child-Voice in Singing (1895) Every music teacher needs a physiological understanding of childrens vocal production Two ideas Singing only at a soft dynamic level Only use the head voice o E. H. Curtis Palmer-Curtis series Childrens Voice (1885)

Contained techniques to use for vocal development, and recommended that 50% of early music class be devoted to them o Emil Behnke and Lennox Browne The Child Voice (1885) Felt that music instruction should begin between ages 6 and 10 and focus primarily on breathing o John J. Dawson The Voice of the Boy (1902) Thought that a boys voice break during puberty was caused by stopping boys from developing their lower voice and restricting them to their upper registers Felt that boys and girls age 12 and young should be taught in the same way o Frank R Rix Thought children should start singing when they began attending school Felt that vocal techniques should be used everyday o Thaddeus P. Giddings Grade School Music Teaching (1919) Believed breathing was the foundation for healthy singing Advocated teaching music beginning in Kindergarten o In the early twentieth century music programs also emphasized reading music in addition to good singing practices A Change in Philosophies o 1930s Teachers felt music was important in elementary schools Karl Gehrkens Music in the Grade School (1934) First to propose song approach Felt that all techniques could be accomplished though the aesthetic experience Very influential Early music education was drill oriented, and Pestalozzianism was widespread With the song approach the focus shifted to the repertoire and the experience of the music rather than the technique Advocates of Vocal Technique Instruction o Claude E. Johnson and Hollis Dann Hollis Dann Song Series Felt children developed good singing habits more quickly if they learned proper breathing Joined in this thought by directors William J. Fine and T. Tertius Noble o William E. Ross

Sing High, Sing Low (1948) Utilized training exercises in reaction to the song approach He believed that when a singer met a passage his voice wasnt prepared for he must rely on vocal technique to improve his skill o P. W. Dykema and H. M. Cundiff Mixture of song approach and formal education Felt that breathing was best learned through phrasing and the feeling behind the words The Demise of Instruction in Vocal Technique o Music classes became singing classes Way of socializing and producing happy children Rote teaching was fast and the easiest way to achieve the goal A cappella choir movement Emphasis on performance Music reading skills left to wayside Taught by rote Straight tone became very important Woods Hole Conference of 1959 and the Yale Seminar of 1963 Led to education reform, including music Zoltan Kodaly Music literacy method for elementary Carl Orff Pioneered a new way to teach music Emile Jaques-Dalcroze Became know for her method of connecting movement to music education Renewed interest in music-reading skills Technique and reading are connect and develop together Voice instruction still remained absent from the picture Contemporary Advocates o Frederick J. Swanson Group training for children ages 8 and up o M. W. Sample Good singing is achieved in the same way for all age groups o Stresses the importance of breathing techniques, posture, and vocal confidence o Choral directors must also including vocal techniques A Psychomotor Approach o Singing involves psychomotor coordination The Five Components of Vocal Technique o Proper breathing o Phonation Develop speaking voice in order to help vocal technique

o Resonant tone production Use short, simple exercise 5 to 6 minutes for elementary 10% of rehearsal time for secondary Teachers must be familiar with proper vocal production before teaching o Diction Drills involving uniform vowels and rapid, exaggerated diction o Expressiveness Phrasing, dynamics, tempo, etc. Who and When? o Children should begin instruction in singing around age 8, but can begin mimicking during infancy and early childhood o All children should receive instruction, especially not seen to have any improvement, as attention early on can correct improper development The Select Choir o In elementary setting they tend to allow the idea of elitism o Should only exist if another opportunity for choral experience is available for all o One idea is to have a training choir for those who have trouble matching pitch and need extra help The Case of Justin o Everyone can learn to sing!

Reflection The history of music education is very important information to be able to draw upon as a music educator. It is great to be able to look into the past and see what really worked and what didnt and combine ideas to create a really effective music program. By knowing the history of different educators and music theorist I can begin to form my own ideas for a music program based on what I see to have been successful in the past and the research that others have done for me. It is also important for my students to know how their music program evolved since many have been around since the days of the a cappella choir movement.