Essa pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar a motivação de coristas para participar da atividade coral de extensão universitária. As questões que nortearam essa investigação foram: a) Quais os motivos que levam o indivíduo a procurar um coro? São os mesmos que o fazem continuar? b) qual a influência do ambiente coral na motivação dos coristas? c) Quais os motivos que podem levar o corista a abandonar um grupo coral? São internos ou externos à atividade? O referencial teórico utilizado foi fundamentado na Teoria da Autodeterminação, que analisa as razões pelas quais os indivíduos se envolvem ou evitam determinadas atividades. Essas razões são evidenciadas pelos diferentes tipos de motivação que podem ser distinguidos de acordo com seu nível de autodeterminação, através da satisfação de três necessidades psicológicas básicas: a necessidade de autonomia, a necessidade de competência e a necessidade de pertencimento. Na metodologia da pesquisa optamos por uma abordagem qualitativa, através de entrevistas semiestruturadas a coristas ativos e ex-coristas de um dos grupos corais de extensão universitária. Os dados foram reduzidos baseados nas questões da pesquisa e foram analisados à luz da teoria da autodeterminação. Os dados revelaram que os coristas nem sempre buscam a atividade por motivos intrínsecos a ela e que o contexto coral, por vezes, frustra alguma das necessidades psicológicas básicas, podendo influenciar na motivação para continuar na atividade. Como resultados, pretende-se fomentar a reflexão sobre questões motivacionais entre regentes e educadores musicais que trabalham com coros, bem como sua respectiva formação. / This research aimed to investigate the chorister motivation to join the choir activity of an university extension program. The questions that guided this research were: a) What are the reasons a person seeks a chorus? Are the same reasons that make them continue? b) What is the influence of choral environment in chorister motivation? c) What are the reasons the chorister gives up a choir? Are these reasons internal or external to the activity? The theoretical framework was based on Self-determination Theory, which analyzes the reasons why individuals engage or avoid certain activities. These reasons are evidenced by different types of motivation that can be distinguished according to their level of self-determination, through the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs: the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In research methodology we decided for a qualitative approach, through semi-structured interviews with active choristers and former choristers from one of the university extension choirs. Data were reduced based on the research questions and were analyzed in the light of self-determination theory. The data revealed that the choristers not always seek the activity for intrinsic reasons and that the choral environment sometimes frustrates some of the basic psychological needs, which may influence the motivation to continue in the activity. As a result, we intend to foster reflection on motivational issues between conductors and music educators who work with choir, as well as their respective education.

Orientador: Carlos Fernando Fiorini / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Artes / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T18:20:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Branco_HeloizadeCastello_D.pdf: 5961172 bytes, checksum: a6a2de42cf0e3d39e42207698d64d968 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Este estudo objetivou apontar a presença de empatia dos cantores com o regente durante a execução musical, através da identificação de episódios de empatia em filmagens de ensaios corais. A empatia, nesta pesquisa, denomina o fenômeno em que o cantor, ao olhar com atenção o regente fazendo movimentos durante a execução musical, realiza de forma inconsciente os mesmos movimentos. Dividiu-se a revisão de literatura em duas partes. Na primeira, buscou-se compreender o processo de empatia entre duas pessoas: como acontece, porque acontece e que fatores o afetam. Na segunda, transferiu-se o foco da pesquisa para as condições características das atividades de regentes e cantores durante a execução musical, de forma a identificar fatores que propiciam a empatia dos cantores com o regente. A seção intermediária tratou da metodologia e dos procedimentos utilizados para o preparo da filmagem dos dois corais participantes. Os resultados da análise dos movimentos corporais e faciais dos cantores em relação aos movimentos do regente deram origem à seção seguinte. Como corolário desses resultados, o trabalho se encerra com as considerações possíveis a respeito da empatia observada dos cantores com o regente, fazendo uma síntese das informações colhidas sobre empatia e aplicando-as ao contexto da execução musical no ensaio coral. / Abstract: The objective of this study is to point out the existence of singer empathy for the conductor during musical performance, identifying episodes of empathy in video recordings of choir rehearsals. Empathy, for the purposes of this study, is a phenomenon in which the singer, while looking attentively at the movements of the conductor during musical execution, makes the same movements unconsciously. Literature research was divided into two parts. In the first, an attempt was made to understand the empathy process between two people: how it happens, why it happens, and which factors affect it. After that, the research focused on characteristic conditions in the activities of conductors and singers during musical execution, in order to identify factors that may promote empathy between singer and conductor. A further section detailed the methodology and the procedures used to prepare the video recordings of the two choirs that took part in the study. The results from the analysis of corporal and facial movements of the singers and the conductors originated the next section, the discussion. As a corollary of the results, this study concludes with possible considerations about the empathy observed between singers and conductor, presenting a synthesis of the information obtained about empathy, and applying this information to the context of musical performance in choir rehearsal. / Doutorado / Doutor em Música

Arts and humanities programming is becoming increasingly incorporated in the medical school, balancing the biomedical paradigm, and nurturing human and emotional qualities and understandings in medical students. Music is often listed among these arts and humanities disciplines; yet there exists an acknowledged gap in the literature pertaining to musical activities and programming in the medical school, despite the prevalence of choirs, a cappella groups, small instrumental ensembles, and musical theatre programs in medical schools. Literature on choirs, musical ensemble, and community music suggests that choral singing can cultivate many of the intra and interpersonal skills that medical humanities programming encourages, such as empathy, cooperation, self-awareness, and human connection. Within the medical humanities, music has been tied to metaphors of “medicine as a performing art” or “the art of listening,” but very little literature exists delving into the actual musical experience of medical students. Drawing from medical humanities, community music, and education theory, and shaped by the metaphor of musical and emotional ‘resonance,’ this phenomenological study explores the relationships between choral singing and medical scholarship. Through semi-structured interviews, the primary goal of this inquiry was to develop in-depth understandings of the experiences of medical students singing as members of a musical community of practice: an extra-curricular medical school choir at a Canadian university. Findings indicate that choir is an informal, non-medical venue where students can engage with their musical identity during medical school; that choral singing can offer a means of stress-relief and creative outlet, mitigating symptoms of student burnout; and that engagement in the choir builds meaningful relationships and a supportive, connected community. Moreover, this study describes the role of music and choral singing in medical humanities and medical education, as well as suggests how involvement in a medical school choir may influence a medical student’s professional identity formation.

Resonant singing creates possibilities with dynamic shading, subtlety of phrasing, and rich vibrant tone that astonishes listeners. Choral singing that employs resonance as a fundamental ensemble virtue yields impressive results that lend themselves well to the varying demands of any choral score. Fortunately, choruses of every level can benefit from an increased understanding of the basic principles of resonance in the singing voice. Research on issues of upper partial energy and the presence of the singer's formant in a choral ensemble has been limited in approach. Many published studies regarding upper partial energy in the choral ensemble are based on what the ensemble is already doing, which is linked to the teaching of that specific director and that specific choir. Research must include a wider range of aesthetic choices with regard to choral unification. Through examining spectrograms that represent the sound of some of the most renowned choirs, it is possible to see that many of these ensembles are producing tone that contains a high level of upper formant energy. Interviews with established conductors reveal approaches and teaching methodologies that reinforce this type of singing. It is possible to teach the individuals in a choir to increase the level of resonance in their voices, creating a collective sound containing a vibrancy that is easier to tune and unify. This paper explores resonance in choral singing by first explaining the basic principles of sound production, then defining a resonant tone as one containing the strong presence in the upper partials generally associated with classically trained singers, and finally discussing how this type of resonance is developed in choirs.

Vocal polyphonic music, as one of Georgia’s primary cultural exports that has been gaining popularity in the world, plays a big part in the effort of creating a marketable Georgian identity – an effort tied to the Georgian state’s desire to join the EU and get away from its Soviet past. Whether state-sponsored or private, a number of institutions have risen to prominence in recent years, all proclaiming to be dedicated to the preservation and popularization of Georgian folklore. While their contribution to these missions is extensive, their policies and practices often carry an eerie resemblance to the Soviet attempts at selective promotion of indigenous cultures. By the very nature of their structure, these institutions impose a particular idea of power and hierarchy: wherein a few select people control the distribution of finances, information, and other resources, performers adhere to dress codes, and ensembles have centralized leadership. My argument in this work is that this idea of power and hierarchy is at odds with the practice of Georgian polyphonic singing, which involves (usually) three distinct voices coming together, without designating a “chief” or “main” one among them. Rather, the singers trade off taking the lead, with endless opportunities for melodic and textual improvisation, and the songs in question are not possible if all the voices are not present. Through a close analysis of ethnographic data from the provinces of Guria and Svaneti in Western Georgia, this project explores how power, preservation, and death — both semiotic and literal — coincide, intersect, and diverge in the Georgian folk singing communities. I approach the tradition as a dynamic habit, with its practitioners as participants in a continuous process, which can only die if performance reaches the “perfect” form, so often exulted by the very institutions that vow to keep it alive. My discussion of the singing practice in this dissertation poses broader questions within the disciplines of anthropology and ethnomusicology, such as: how does the growing popularity of a musical practice shape the worldwide discourse and local policies around it? What happens when rigid institutional power structures are imposed onto a tradition that is pre-disposed against them? And what options and choices do the practitioners of this tradition have when it comes to maintaining their commitment to it?

Numerous studies emphasise the importance of music-making as an integral human experience, but only a handful focus on the perceived benefits of participating in a university choir as experienced by the singers themselves. An extensive literature search revealed that no research has been conducted that specifically focuses on this topic within a multicultural South African university choir. There is an increasing interest in the attributed values associated with membership in a collective music activity, especially with regard to choirs. The aim of this ethnographic case study was to explore the perceived benefits of choir participation for choristers who are members of a multicultural university choir in South Africa and to examine to what extent if at all social capital is generated as a by-product of their choir participation. A qualitative research approach was most suitable in order to gain an in-depth perspective of choristers' personal perceptions. Data collection included interviews, focus groups and observations of rehearsals and performances, involving 76 members of the University of Pretoria Camerata. The findings of this research highlight the personal, social and musical values attributed to membership within the choir as perceived by its members. The main findings revealed that the experience of singing in a choir is polygonal, and that such experiences are rewarding, plentiful, and even challenging at times. Choristers perceive their participation to be beneficial to their health and see the choir environment as safe and conducive to forming important relationships. Cultural integration takes place as an extension of being associated within a diverse group of people and a wealth of trust is generated amongst the singers, regardless of their cultural, religious or language differences. Findings indicated some negative perceptions as experienced by the singers, as cultural barriers still exist between members which were exacerbated by political tensions on campus at the time of data collection. Another stressful element of choir participation is the extensive time and commitment required due to the demanding and eventful choir calendar, as well as full academic programmes for which they are registered. The study provides empirical evidence of how two types of social capital, namely bridging- and bonding social capital, are generated within the choir. Bridging social capital exists amongst students from different ethnic backgrounds; while bonding social capital is evident between specific language-, racial- and cultural groups within the choir. As a result of choir participation, social norms and values are shared amongst the singers and networks and connections are established across all types of boundaries, creating an environment of reciprocity between singers. Results from this study highlight that the Camerata establishes a wealth of trust between its members, on a personal, professional and musical level. / Thesis (DMus)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Music / DMus / Unrestricted

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The purpose of this collective case study was to explore the significance of choral singing for choristers and conductors participating in a national extra-curricular schools choral singing programme in South Africa. Understanding the experiences of choristers and conductors can contribute to principals, administrators of singing programmes, parents and conductors supporting choral singing activities. The method of inquiry was a qualitative collective case study with probing semi-structured open-ended questions to better understand the value and meaning of choral singing. Sampling comprised six purposefully chosen choirs, consisting of three primary and three secondary schools, portraying the unique socio-economic environment found in an agricultural rural town in central South Africa. Twenty-five participants were carefully selected, including 19 choristers and 6 conductors, 9 males and 16 females aged between 10 and 62 years. Eight themes emerged, namely choir singing as a way of living, music-related experiences, learning, growth, bridging, bonding and belonging, wellbeing, the latter including resilience, self-worth, positive affect, and singers’ spiritual experiences. Suggestions for further research include relationships of choral singing with full personhood and spiritual experiences. Certain physical aspects related to rehearsals, specifically regarding fatigue and back pain after standing through long rehearsals, could be investigated further. / MA (Musicology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The purpose of this collective case study was to explore the significance of choral singing for choristers and conductors participating in a national extra-curricular schools choral singing programme in South Africa. Understanding the experiences of choristers and conductors can contribute to principals, administrators of singing programmes, parents and conductors supporting choral singing activities. The method of inquiry was a qualitative collective case study with probing semi-structured open-ended questions to better understand the value and meaning of choral singing. Sampling comprised six purposefully chosen choirs, consisting of three primary and three secondary schools, portraying the unique socio-economic environment found in an agricultural rural town in central South Africa. Twenty-five participants were carefully selected, including 19 choristers and 6 conductors, 9 males and 16 females aged between 10 and 62 years. Eight themes emerged, namely choir singing as a way of living, music-related experiences, learning, growth, bridging, bonding and belonging, wellbeing, the latter including resilience, self-worth, positive affect, and singers’ spiritual experiences. Suggestions for further research include relationships of choral singing with full personhood and spiritual experiences. Certain physical aspects related to rehearsals, specifically regarding fatigue and back pain after standing through long rehearsals, could be investigated further. / MA (Musicology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015