For an untold number of years the vocalise has had an integral place in many of the methods used for the training and development of singers. Commonly referred to and used as "warm-ups" in the choral rehearsal, vocalises are considered by many conductors to have a usefulness that surpasses that of simply preparing voices for the singing which is immediately at hand. It remains a tendency in many cases, however, for vocalises to be used in an indiscriminate fashion without a clear understanding of the purposes of the vocalises used and/or using a method of presentation of vocal exercises that can diminish their usefulness or perhaps even have detrimental effects on the singers. A common additional plight facing many choral conductors seems to be the lack of availability of practical, printed resources for choral vocalization. Conductors can feel forced to rely only on exercises passed onto them by colleagues or by their own teachers. Either because of this lack of understanding of purpose or because of a lack of knowledge of vocalise repertoire, or both, a conductor might choose to limit or avoid entirely the use of vocal exercises in the choral rehearsal, depriving the conductor and the singers of what is perhaps one of the best tools for vocal development and conditioning. This study attempts to contribute toward the alleviation of the problems mentioned above. The study provides an extended collection of vocalises arranged with optional piano accompaniments by the author for use in the choral rehearsal, including original exercises, as well as those borrowed from colleagues in the solo and choral music fields and from selected printed sources. In addition, through a review of the writings of noted authorities in the field of voice education, the study discusses the usefulness of vocalises in the development of specific elements of good singing, with reference to the vocalises contained in the collection. Included in this discussion is a determination, based on these writings, of certain principles for the effective use of vocalises in the choral rehearsal. Finally, this study provides a selected list of known, available resource material that specifically contains vocalises for choir.

No description available.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Mus.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1988.

The typical high school choral director of today is expected to know a great deal about the various types of music that exist as well as the appropriate techniques to create those genres in such a way that their student’s performances are realistic and stylistically accurate. What most undergraduate students are taught in pursuit of a choral music education degree misses the mark in that the show choir genre is nearly ignored throughout the curriculum. Yet, the nation’s new teachers are expected to strike out into the world of teaching and often find themselves in very large, competitive programs with the show choir at the very center. This study begins by identifying a number of questions that a first year teacher with no show choir directing experiences might ask, identifying the “how and why” of the daunting task of creating an artistic product in this new American modern choral genre. These questions also served as a guide to formulate a profile of the ideal show choir director. Then utilizing the established profile of the ideal show choir director, several experts – those who have an established reputation for a high level of success – were interviewed and their responses were documented, studied, and organized into categories that correspond with those found in the profile of the ideal show choir director. The correlation of these elements provided an in-­‐depth look into the processes of these successful directors that have proven to be effective over the course of many years, giving the reader a revealing look into how to build a program from the beginning, and to see it through to the end with ultimate success. As young teachers attempt to create musical experiences that are appealing to their students, they often find themselves competing with an idea that singing in choir should be like what can be seen on television in shows such as GLEE or American Idol, and other similar programs. While this is not an entirely real reflection of what choral music education is about, there is some truth to what is shown, and to a degree, what can be done. The focus of this project is to provide our new teachers a knowledge base to draw from that can assist them in their own development toward becoming a truly well balanced musician and educator. This project can assist these young teachers in developing into those who have knowledge of the show choir art form, and know how to teach the various techniques necessary to engage students and keep them interested in singing choral music. / Access to dissertation permanently restricted to Ball State community only / School of Music

This is a research project based on the author’s experience of more than 20 years as conductor of the Eastern Cape Childrens Choir. It investigates the effectiveness of technical exercises - with special reference to selected “warm-up” exercises - in creating a superior choral tone in the children’s choir. The investigation is motivated by the fact that it is an ongoing challenge to effectively overcome problems with intonation and poor choral tone, problems which are mostly caused by lack of attention to pure vowel formation. Toward this end, a practical “tool box” of vocal exercises for the children’s choir is ultimately proposed. The toolbox is based on one single exercise with different variations. Each variation is designed to address multiple vocal needs and to correct vocal production during singing. In this manner a great many technical aspects are covered with the simplest of means and in the shortest possible time, bearing in mind that the rehearsal session allows limited time to focus on such matters to the exclusion of all else.

This qualitative case study approach was designed to examine choral and applied voice pedagogue’s similarities and differences of teaching healthy singing in the choral rehearsal and applied studio lesson while observing how their students respond and interpret the techniques used. The participants included six pedagogues (three choral, three applied voice) at the university level and one student of each pedagogue. Data were collected through pedagogue and student interviews. To support the interviews, demographic surveys, and observations of the choral rehearsal and applied studio lessons were completed. Data were coded and organized based on the four research questions. Analysis and findings were organized based on the four categories found in the study’s conceptual framework: (a) how they develop; (b) conceptualization and strategies of healthy singing; (c) other factors; and (d) student’s perspective. This research revealed that while both choral and applied voice pedagogues’ methods may vary there is consistency among the description of healthy singing and strategies that are appropriate for both settings. The study also shows that the pedagogue's background and training play a major role in the way that they currently teach. Additionally, pedagogues should remain thoughtful of the student’s abilities, repertoire choices, the rapport between them and the student, and the structure of the lesson/rehearsal. Recommendations are offered for choral and applied voice pedagogues, their students, and for future research in the field of healthy singing.

Dr. Eph Ehly is one of the most sought after choral conductors in the United States today. Ehly has conducted over seventy All-State choirs. However, no previous source outlines the fundamental principles of his philosophy and rehearsal techniques.This study was designed to capsulize Ehly's contributions. The writer produced a videotape entitled, "Eph Ehly: A Source of True Inspiration." This video captures Dr. Ehly's philosophy regarding the All-State choir experience and demonstrates his rehearsal techniques. The author attended three All-State festivals where Ehly was the guest conductor (Indiana, New York, and Oklahoma). The video contains rehearsals and performances and videotaped interviews with Dr. Ehly.The cornerstone of Ehly's approach is this: using music to express. There are three components to Ehly's philosophy: 1) the physical component, 2) the emotional component, and 3) the spiritual component. The writer identified four forms of the physical component: 1) handshake, 2) hug, 3) clapping, and 4) other spontaneous physical gestures. The writer identified eight aspects of the emotional component: 1) expressivity, 2) sensitivity to the world, themselves, and their own emotions, 3) sympathy, 4) reality of emotions, 5) creating mood, 6) building ensemble, 7) music as a reflection of life, and 8) awareness of a "sixth sense." In describing the spiritual component, two divisions were identified: 1) the development of character, and 2) reaching a level of spirit-awareness.The study also summarizes Ehly's rehearsal techniques by outlining his idiosyncratic approach to the treatment of traditional musical elements. The video presentation highlights nine technical concerns and demonstrates Ehly's approach to these common problems. The areas addressed are: 1) tone quality, 2) diction, 3) rhythm, 4) dynamics, 5) phrasing, 6) articulation, 7) breathing, 8) vowel modification, and 9) vibrato. The videotape is supported by a written document containing background information, a script of the video, a summary by the author, a representative list of programs from AllState choirs conducted by Dr. Ehly, and transcripts of the interviews with Dr. Ehly. Church musicians, professional conductors, educators, and students of conducting can all benefit from the opportunity to view and evaluate Ehly's approach. / School of Music

Numerous studies exist examining the link in solo singers between timbre and overtone spectra. The purpose of this study is to examine if similar results can be obtained by applying the same techniques to choral singing. The study is aimed at non-scientific readers and therefore introduces the subject with background to the relevant physics. In this study a number of recorded samples of choirs were taken from www.youtube.com and analyzed. The analysis included computation of long-term average spectra (LTAS) and singing power ratio‟s (SPR), which provided an indication of the relative energy in the higher overtone region of every choir. This was compared to a binary value judgment of the choirs. The results indicate that the SPR as applied to soloists cannot be directly applied to choirs. A link between SPR and a perceived “good” choral tone could exist but would have to be interpreted differently than in the case of soloists. It was also found that a possible link could exist between frequency peaks in LTAS and a choir‟s intonation.

The purpose of this research is to program cycles or units of study which may be used with the Cyclo-Teacher Learning Aid, a commercial teaching machine produced by the Field Enterprises Educational Corporation of Chicago. The program will consist of the mechanics of music and will be designed for use with the seven- and eight-year-old child in primary choirs of the graded choir program of Southern Baptist churches.

This treatise has been prepared largely because of an increasing interest in contemporary music and an awareness on the part of many music educators of its merits in the curriculum of public schools and colleges. Since contemporary music is a controversial subject among directors, it has become necessary to search for specific, positive approaches to the teaching of contemporary music in high school.