Abstract This thesis examines the postural effects of Alexander Technique training on a classical singer. The aim was to see how working with an Alexander Technique instructor would improve my singing. I have been taking lessons in Alexander technique on a weekly basis and practicing Alexander technique for approximately an hour each day. I have conducted an interview with singer and longtime Alexander technique practitioner, Anne Cecilie Røsjø Kvammen. I have talked to my physiotherapist, Carl Colliander, about pain linked to a tight psoas muscle. Four songs were memorized and recorded two times, once in December and once in April. The recordings were analyzed, first by me and then by Barbro Olsson, Alexander technique instructor. I found that my alignment has generally improved and, as a result, my head position has become more stable. I have become better at managing stress during performances. The enhanced awareness of alignment has helped me make more successful choices in the practice rooms. It also has made me better at interpreting my singing pedagogue’s instructions during lessons. Additionally I have less pain, especially in the neck area.

Denna studie syftar till att utveckla kunskap om hur professionella klassiska sångare förbereder sig och hanterar scenframträdanden. Studiens frågeställningar har varit hur klassiska sångare uppfattar vikten av mental förberedelse inför scenframträdanden och vilka funktioner de uppfattar att mental träning och scenisk beredskap har inom sångutbildning på olika nivåer. För att få svar på mina frågeställningar använde jag mig av kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra professionella klassiska sångare.Resultatet visar att informanterna lägger stor vikt på instuderingsprocessen i sin mentala förberedelse inför ett scenframträdande. Instuderingen ska påbörjas i god tid innan en konsert och genomföras metodiskt med fokus på teknik, text, musik och scenisk utformning. Studien visade också att informanterna hade tydliga rutiner under konsert-/föreställningsdagen. Det som mentalt skulle hanteras för att lyckas med ett scenframträdande var att kunna vara i nuet och att omvandla nervositet till en kreativ energi. / The purpose of this study is to develop knowledge about how professional classical singers prepare for and handle performances. The questions of the study have been what classical singers regard about the importance of mental preparation before a performance, and what functions mental training and stage preparation have at different levels in vocal education. To find the answers to these questions I interviewed four professional classical singers.The result shows the importance of an accurate learning of the music, technique and expression prior to performance. The study also demonstrated that the informants had well- developed routines for the day of their performance. To make a mentally well-controlled performance, the informants had to be present on the stage, and be able to transform stage fright into creative energy.

No description available.

Syftet med denna studie är att utforska och utveckla min förmåga att sjunga utryckfullt när det ges kort instuderingstid. Ambitionen är att förbereda mig inför ett så kallat sekunda vista-prov där gestaltning av text och musik är i förgrunden. Hur ser processen ut när jag försöker utveckla min förmåga att väva samman text och musik vid ett ge- staltningsprov med kort förberedelsetid? Under sammanlagt 6 veckor övades olika färdigheter rörande sekunda vista, prima vista, gehör, textlig och kroppslig gestaltning. Övningen skedde dagligen med stöd från en egen utformad lista: Träna intervall utan ord, sjunga intervall utan ord men med olika uttryck, sjunga korta melodifraser utan ord med olika uttryck, läsa korta fraser och gestalta texten, sjunga korta fraser och gestalta texten musikaliskt samt med en mobil-app kallad Ella. I slutet av varje vecka spelades en kortare tysk romans in där 40 minuter gavs som förberedelsetid. Roman- sen skulle för mig vara sedan tidigare helt okänd. I sammanfattningen av studiens ge- nomförande kan det konstateras att jag främst lägger fokus på att sjunga rätt toner, att sjunga med god sångteknik och att jag försöker få med ett kroppsligt uttryck vilket då blir på viss bekostnad av det musikaliska uttrycket. / The purpose of this study is to explore and develop my ability to sing expressively when given a short rehearsal time. The ambition is to prepare myself for a so-called secunda vista-test where the performance of text and music is in the spotlight. What does the process look like when I try to develop my ability to weave together text and music with very short preparation time? For a total of 6 weeks, various skills were practiced concerning secunda vista, prima vista, aural training, textual and physical ex- pression. The practice took place daily with the support of a prepared list: Practice intervals without words, sing intervals without words but with different expressions, sing short melodic phrases without words with different expressions, read short phrases and shape the text, sing short phrases, and shape the text musically, and with a mobile app called Ella. At the end of each week a short German lied was recorded where 40 minutes were given as preparation time. The lied was to me completely un- known before. In the summary of the study, it can be identified that my focus is mainly on singing the right notes, singing with good singing technique, and trying to get a physical expression, which then becomes at some expense of the musical expression.

Syftet med denna studie är att få en större inblick i, och förståelse av, min egen instuderings- och interpretationsprocess, samt att utveckla densamma för att bli friare i mitt musikaliska uttryck. Jag hämtar inspiration från litteratur som beskriver Konstantin Stanislavskijs metoder samt annan litteratur som bland annat behandlar ämnena instudering, interpretation, inlevelse och kroppens kommunikation. Därefter utforskar jag de metoderna och verktygen i mitt eget arbete med repertoar. Processen dokumenteras genom loggbok samt videodokumentation av mina övningstillfällen. Resultatet visar att en detaljerad inre scenografi ökar min förmåga att vara närvarande i musiken och därmed sjunga mer uttrycksfullt. Jag upplever även att sångtekniken kommer mer naturligt och det blir lättare att sjunga. / The purpose of this independent project is to get a greater insight in, and understanding of, my own process of learning and interpret songs, as well as develop it towards greater freedom in my musical expression. I examine literature on subjects such as Konstantin Stanislavskij’s methods as well as literature regarding learning process, interpretation, ability to imagine and physical communication. After reading, I explore the methods and tools when working with my own repertoire. The process is documented through a diary and video recordings from practicing. The results show that a detailed inner scenography increases my ability to stay present in the music and sing with more expression. I also experience that the singing technique comes to me more naturally and it becomes easier to sing.

No description available.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka hur sångpedagoger inom de klassiska respektive de populärmusikaliska sångtraditionerna förhåller sig till enskild sångundervisning, samt hur de designar sin undervisning. Data har samlats in genom intervjuer med fyra sångpedagoger, samtliga verksamma på eftergymnasial nivå. Två av informanterna arbetar i huvudsak inom den klassiska genren, de andra två inom pop-genren. Intervjuformen var kvalitativ intervju med öppna följdfrågor. Analysen av materialet är gjord utifrån ett designteoretiskt perspektiv. Resultatet visar att informanternas val av resurser är liknande oavsett genretillhörighet. De lägger alla stor vikt vid förmågan att designa förutsättningarna för lärande utifrån det enskilda mötet med varje elev. Resultatet visar också att språkbruket skiljer sig åt beroende på vilken genre informanterna tillhör, samt att skillnaderna i klangligt ideal genrerna emellan leder till skillnader i arbetssätt och musikaliskt fokus. I diskussionen förs ett resonemang kring genrernas ideal och dess påverkan på kunskapsförmedlingen. / The purpose of this study is to examine how voice teachers, when following the Classical and Popular vocal traditions, approach private singing, and how they design the instruction. Data has been collected through interviews with four voice teachers, all of whom are active at the post-secondary school level. Two of the informants primarily teach the Classical tradition, while the other two teach the Popular music tradition. The interview form used was the qualitative interview, with open follow-up questions. The analysis was performed from a perspective of design theory. The result shows that the resources used by the informants are similar regardless of genre. Emphasis is placed on the ability to design the conditions for learning in the encounter of each individual student. The result also shows that vocabulary varies according to genre, and that the difference in preferred sound between genres leads to differences in methods, as well as musical focus. The discussion reflects on the ideals of the two genres, and how they affect the transfer of knowledge.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo a análise dos processos fonológicos em fronteiras de palavras que ocorrem na língua alemã cantada. Como corpus, recolhemos gravações de uma ária para voz feminina da ópera Der Freischütz, de Carl Maria Von Weber, interpretada por cantoras alemãs seguindo determinados critérios, e também gravações do texto da ária apenas lido por mulheres cuja língua mãe é o alemão a fim de comparar com o que ocorre na língua falada. Como embasamento teórico, recorremos a estudos de Fonética e Fonologia, Morfologia, interferência lingüística e Dicção. Para realização das análises, mapeamos a partitura da ária escolhida selecionando as fronteiras de palavras que mais geravam dúvidas e elaboramos algumas tabelas para organizar e sintetizar as informações recolhidas. Primeiramente, realizamos a análise das gravações cantadas e, em seguida, das gravações faladas. Essas últimas necessitaram de auxílio de instrumentos (programa de análise acústica) para que pudéssemos confirmar as análises realizadas de forma subjetiva. Como resultado, pudemos concluir que é próprio da língua alemã falada a junção de consoantes iguais e do mesmo grupo articulatório, ao passo que na voz cantada, alguns elementos musicais, como andamento e fraseado interferem nesses processos, algumas vezes bloqueando-os. / This work aims to analyze the phonological processes in word boundaries that happen in the sung German language. As corpus, we gathered recordings of an aria to feminine voices from Der Freischütz opera, by Carl Maria von Weber interpreted by German feminine singers, following certain criteria and also recordings of the aria text, only read by women whose mother tongue is German, in order to compare to what happens in spoken language. As theoretical basis we turned to studies on Phonetics and Phonology, linguistic interference and Diction. In order to fulfill the analyses, we mapped the chosen aria score, selecting the word boundaries that generated more doubts and we elaborated some tables to organize and summarize the collected data. First, we analyzed the sung recordings and then the spoken recordings. The latter needed the help of instruments (acoustic analysis software), so that we could confirm the analyses achieved in a subjective form. As a result, we were able to conclude that it is typical of the spoken German language to join identical consonants from the same articulatory group, while in the sung voice some musical elements, as timing and phrasing, intervene in these processes, sometimes blocking them.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo a análise dos processos fonológicos em fronteiras de palavras que ocorrem na língua alemã cantada. Como corpus, recolhemos gravações de uma ária para voz feminina da ópera Der Freischütz, de Carl Maria Von Weber, interpretada por cantoras alemãs seguindo determinados critérios, e também gravações do texto da ária apenas lido por mulheres cuja língua mãe é o alemão a fim de comparar com o que ocorre na língua falada. Como embasamento teórico, recorremos a estudos de Fonética e Fonologia, Morfologia, interferência lingüística e Dicção. Para realização das análises, mapeamos a partitura da ária escolhida selecionando as fronteiras de palavras que mais geravam dúvidas e elaboramos algumas tabelas para organizar e sintetizar as informações recolhidas. Primeiramente, realizamos a análise das gravações cantadas e, em seguida, das gravações faladas. Essas últimas necessitaram de auxílio de instrumentos (programa de análise acústica) para que pudéssemos confirmar as análises realizadas de forma subjetiva. Como resultado, pudemos concluir que é próprio da língua alemã falada a junção de consoantes iguais e do mesmo grupo articulatório, ao passo que na voz cantada, alguns elementos musicais, como andamento e fraseado interferem nesses processos, algumas vezes bloqueando-os. / This work aims to analyze the phonological processes in word boundaries that happen in the sung German language. As corpus, we gathered recordings of an aria to feminine voices from Der Freischütz opera, by Carl Maria von Weber interpreted by German feminine singers, following certain criteria and also recordings of the aria text, only read by women whose mother tongue is German, in order to compare to what happens in spoken language. As theoretical basis we turned to studies on Phonetics and Phonology, linguistic interference and Diction. In order to fulfill the analyses, we mapped the chosen aria score, selecting the word boundaries that generated more doubts and we elaborated some tables to organize and summarize the collected data. First, we analyzed the sung recordings and then the spoken recordings. The latter needed the help of instruments (acoustic analysis software), so that we could confirm the analyses achieved in a subjective form. As a result, we were able to conclude that it is typical of the spoken German language to join identical consonants from the same articulatory group, while in the sung voice some musical elements, as timing and phrasing, intervene in these processes, sometimes blocking them.

Voice teachers can train versatile singers by infusing musical theatre technique within bel canto evidence-based pedagogy. Seeing these two genres as possessing similarities instead of as unrelated fields allows teachers to not only match academic knowledge with the current entertainment job market, but most importantly, possess a versatile technique allowing them to train singers to perform fluently in multiple styles: the hybrid singer. An area of confusion in both bel canto and musical theatre training is mixed registration. This dissertation uses historic pedagogical texts and contemporary writings on mixed registration to understand laryngeal and acoustical events of the treble voice. The relationship between the two modes of voice production and musical theatre timbral acoustics ("legit" head voice, traditional belt, contemporary chest-mix, contemporary head-mix) is discussed with applicable tools for voice teachers training versatile singers.