The diploma thesis is focused on dealing with young learners in children choirs, it targets on problems that can appear within the work with choirs and how to solve these problems. The first chapter offers historical overview for reader's idea of what did the chorister look like from Middle Ages to present. I deal with the causes why children don't sing in the second part nowadays. The third chapter is aimed at chorister of České Budějovice. The inteviews with choirmasters of the most famous children choir of this city are added to this part. The fourth, wide chapter is dedicated to the work in choir and is divided into couple of parts, which bears on the contents of the thesis. I allude to necessities the child has to pass if wants to devote to chorister, and I addict on problems connected with chorister. I analyse the factors which from my point of view affects basic and other activities of choirs in the final part.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T18:12:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fernanda Salvatico de Aquino.pdf: 487458 bytes, checksum: 140a5614e6266087eb973d935b013e5c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-12-16 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Purpose: To analyze the spoken voice characteristics of elderly women with choir singing practice. Methods: The subjects of this study were 75 elderly women aged in between 63 and 82 years, 50 of which participated in senior choirs (choir group CG) and 25 participated in activities that did not involve singing (non-choir group NCG). The groups were paired according to age, with a mean age of 71 (standard deviation of 5.22). A questionnaire with questions on sociodemographic data (age, past and present professional activity), daily life habits and vocal well-being (hydration, physical activities alcohol intake, cough, phlegm, speaking loudly and yelling) and vocal aspects (difficulties, tiredness and changes throughout time) was used in order to characterize the subjects, who were also asked to define their own voices in one word. In addition, the CG answered questions regarding for how long they had been singing, hours of weekly practice and difficulties perceived. Then, both groups had speech samples collected (sustained vowel /a/, sentence repetition and spontaneous speech), that were evaluated by three Speech- Language Pathologists, experienced in the field of voice using the CAPE-V auditory perceptive analysis tool. The assessment results considered were those from the judge that had the greatest agreement among the answers. Results: 90% of the choir singing subjects and 88% of the non-singing subjects reported having worked in the past, and 24% in both groups still work. Specifically for the CG, the time of choir participation varied between five years and eight months and 58 years (sd=8.7), with mean weekly practice of three and a half hours, varying between two and tem hours (sd = 1.9) and 16% of them reported difficulties in their singing practices. As far as habits, there was a significant difference in the comparison of the groups in regard to water intake and physical activity practice, both in greater numbers in the CG. There were no differences in the vocal aspects and perception of changes over time. In the definition of their own voice in one word, the term low-pitched was significantly more reported by the group of choir singers. In the auditory perceptive analysis, the NCG had significant differences in the scores related to the general grade and presence of roughness and tension. Conclusion: The analysis of the spoken voice characteristics of elderly women with choir singing practice, when compared to those who do not have it, showed better voice quality in general due to lower degrees of roughness and tension. In subject characteristics, the reports of higher water intake and physical activity practices differentiated the groups, in favor of the choir singing elderly women / Objetivo: Analisar as características da voz falada de mulheres idosas com prática de canto coral. Métodos: Fizeram parte deste estudo 75 idosas de 63 a 82 anos, sendo 50 participantes de corais de terceira idade (grupo de coristas GC) e 25 participantes de atividades que não envolvessem o uso da voz cantada (grupo de não coristas GNC). Os grupos foram pareados quanto à idade, com média de 71 anos (desvio padrão de 5,22). Para caracterização das idosas, foi aplicado um questionário com perguntas sobre dados sociodemográficos (idade, atividade profissional realizada anteriormente e atualmente), hábitos de vida e referentes ao bem estar vocal (hidratação, prática de atividades físicas, etilismo, tossir, pigarrear, falar alto e gritar) e aspectos vocais (dificuldades, cansaço e modificação ao longo do tempo), além da solicitação para definir a própria voz em uma palavra. Em especial para o GC, foram apresentadas ainda perguntas referentes ao tempo que canta, às horas de prática semanal e às dificuldades percebidas. A seguir, foi coletada dos dois grupos a amostra de fala (emissão da vogal /a/ sustentada, repetições de sentenças e um trecho de fala espontânea), que foram avaliadas por três fonoaudiólogas com experiência na área de voz pelo instrumento de análise perceptivo-auditiva denominado CAPE-V. Foram utilizados os resultados apontados pela juíza que apresentou maior concordância entre as respostas. Resultados: 90% das idosas coristas e 88% das não coristas relataram ter exercido profissões no passado e 24% de ambos os grupos ainda as realizam. Especificamente para o GC, o tempo de participação em coros variou entre cinco anos e oito meses a 58 anos (dp=8,7), com média de prática semanal de três horas e meia, variando entre duas e dez horas (dp=1,9) e 16% delas referiram dificuldades em relação à prática do canto. Quanto aos hábitos, apresentaram diferença significativa na comparação dos grupos a ingestão de água e a prática de atividades físicas, em maior número para o GC. Não foram observadas diferenças nos aspectos vocais e na percepção de modificação ao longo do tempo. Na definição da própria voz em uma palavra o termo grave foi significativamente mais referido pelo grupo de coristas. Na análise perceptivo-auditiva, o GNC apresentou diferenças significativas nos escores relacionados a alteração do grau geral e presença de rugosidade e tensão. Conclusão: A análise das características da voz falada de idosas com prática de canto coral, quando comparada àquelas que não a realizam, apontou para melhor qualidade vocal no aspecto geral, em decorrência de menor grau de rugosidade e tensão. Na caracterização dos sujeitos, o registro de hábitos de maior consumo de água e prática de atividade física diferenciou os grupos, a favor das idosas coristas. Descritores: Envelhecimento; Voz; Idoso

<p>In this thesis you will meet people that are members of a “health-choir”. This people are singing together once a week and the purpose is to get a better health. You will also see if choir-singing can be seen as A rites of Passage. You will get a direct link to the informants. The choir singers who participate will speak to you.</p>

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka fyra respondenters syn på hur körsång har påverkat deras välbefinnande. För att uppnå syftet har vi valt följande forskningsfrågor: Hur beskriver respondenterna att de mår före, under och efter en körrepetition? och Hur beskrivs körsång påverka respondenterna på kortare, eller längre sikt?   Vi har valt att använda oss av en kvalitativ intervjuform. Ett kriterium för att delta i studien var att respondenterna skulle vara aktiva körsångare på icke-professionell nivå. Fyra kvalitativa intervjuer har legat till grund för undersökningen och den teoretiska utgångspunkten för studien har varit det sociokulturella perspektivet. Studiens resultat belyser främst sex kategorier som utkristalliserade sig under våra forskningsintervjuer. Vi tar upp socialt samspel, vilket är både en kort- och långsiktig effekt som av respondenterna upplevs leda till bättre samarbetsförmåga. I vår diskussionsdel tar vi också upp självförtroende, KASAM (Känsla av Sammanhang), körsång som copingstrategi, glädje och förväntan inför och under körrepetitioner, samt fysiologiska aspekter som hälsovanor, kroppshållning och andning. Som en del av diskussionen drar vi även paralleller till pedagogik samt gör pedagogiska reflektioner. / The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of choir singing. To reach this aim we have chosen the following research questions: ”How does the respondents describe their feelings before, during and after a choir rehearsal?” and ”How is choir singing described to effect the respondents in a shorter, or longer period of time?” The perspective is sociocultural and the method is qualitative interviews. Four interviews were conducted and one criterion for participation was that the respondents were active choir singers on a non-professional level. The result highlights mainly six categories based on social interaction, which is a both short- and long-term effect that the participants of the study associate with better collaborative skills. In the discussion self-confidence, KASAM (sense of coherence), choir singing as a coping strategy, joy and excitement during and before a choir rehearsal, as well as physical effects such as health habits, body posture and breathing, are discussed. As a part of the discussion we also draw parallels to the science of education and make pedagogical observations.

In this thesis you will meet people that are members of a “health-choir”. This people are singing together once a week and the purpose is to get a better health. You will also see if choir-singing can be seen as A rites of Passage. You will get a direct link to the informants. The choir singers who participate will speak to you.

I studien undersöks hur körsång påverkar den upplevda hälsan hos körsångare inom Svenska kyrkan. För att fördjupa studien ytterligare studerades även respondenternas upplevelser av körsången och hur dessa upplevelser kan kopplas till flow-teorin. För att genomföra studien har kvalitativa forskningsintervjuer använts och urvalet är handplockat med det enda kravet att de ska ha varit med i kör i minst tre år, detta för att få så mycket information som möjligt och få en djupare förståelse kring ämnet. Körsång verkar påverka respondenterna i denna studie övervägande positivt. I kören skaffade de nya vänner och fick social kontakt, de upplevde positiva känslor efter att de sjungit, bland annat att de blev glada och fick mer energi. Uppträdanden upplevdes också som positiva, flera tyckte det var roligt och stämningsfullt. Det fanns några få negativa känslor som kunde uppstå hos några av respondenterna. Det fanns en oro att man skulle bli ensam i sin stämma på övningar och uppträdanden. En nervositet kunde också uppstå när de inte var helt säkra på texten. Det framkom att körledaren kan vara en viktig del i hur bra en kör är. Körsången kunde enligt studien vara en flow-skapande aktivitet då respondenterna kände många av de känslor som flow kan skapa, till exempel intensivt fokus på nuet, att tiden går snabbare och att aktiviteten är målet. Med tanke på vad körsången kan göra för den uppleda hälsan skulle denna aktivitet också kunna vara bra ur ett hälsopromotionsperspektiv. De övervägande positiva upplevelserna och känslorna i samband med kören visar på att den upplevda hälsan kan påverkas på flera sätt, främst genom mer social kontakt och att det skapar glädje. / The study investigates how choir singing affects the perceived health of choir singers in the Swedish Church. To deepen the study further, the respondents' experiences of choir singing were also studied and how these experiences can be linked to The Flow Theory. Qualitative research interviews have been used with a handpicked selection of interviewees with the only requirement that they have been involved in choir singing for at least three years. This method was used to get as much information as possible and gain a deeper understanding of the subject. Choir singing seems to affect respondents positive in general in this study. In the choir they got new friends and social contact. They experienced positive feelings after the sessions, among other things, they became happy and gained more energy. Performances were also perceived as positive, several thought it was fun and atmospheric. There were a few negative feelings that could occur for some of the respondents. Some was concerned that they would be alone in their section during exercises and performances. A nervousness could also occur when they were not completely sure of the lyrics. It was found that the choir leader can be an important part of how good a choir is. According to the study, the choir singing can be a flow-creating activity because respondents felt many of the emotions flow can create, such as intense focus on the present, time is perceived to pass faster than normal and a feeling that the activity is the goal itself. Considering what choir singing can do for the perceived health, it can also be good in a health promotion perspective. The predominant positive experiences and feelings associated with the choir show that the perceived health can be influenced in several ways, primarily through more social contact and that it creates joy.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka kvinnliga sångares erfarenheter av att sjunga i genrer inom CCM på gymnasiet efter att de har gått i körklass i grundskola och om deras musikaliska och vokala identitet har påverkats av denna övergång och i så fall hur. Detta undersöktes genom kvalitativa intervjuer med fyra kvinnliga sångare som både hade gått de utbildningar som krävdes för att passa ihop med syftet och en eftergymnasial utbildning inom sång. Ur resultatet framkom det att sångarna använde musik och sin sång för att utforska och skapa sin vokala och musikaliska identitet. Det framkom även att lärarna hade stor påverkan på de hierarkier som skapades inom diskurserna och på elevernas handlingsutrymme. Sångarnas upplevda handlingsutrymme och agens visade sig ha stor påverkan på deras musikaliska och vokala identitetsutveckling. / The aim of this study was to examine female singers’ experiences of singing in the genres of CCM in upper secondary school after they had previously experienced singing in a choir program in the elementary school with a focus on the specific sound of Swedish choirs and to examine how their musical and vocal identity have been influenced by this. This was investigated through qualitative interviews with four female singers whose educations suited the purpose of the study and who also have attended a post-secondary education in singing. The result showed that the female singers used music and their singing to explore and create their own musical and vocal identity. It also showed that the teachers had a big influence on the power structures that were created in the discourses and also on the students’ room of manoeuvre. The singers’ perceived room to manoeuvre and musical agency proved to have a great influence on their musical and vocal identity development.

To assess choir singing is a phenomenon that has been researched for several decades.What has been relevant in previous research is what to assess in choir singing and howit ́s done. This study explore upper secondary choral teachers ́perception of assessmentin choir singing. Through qualitative interviews, six choral teachers get to provide theirperception. Phenomenography constitutes astheoretical perspective, but also as a method,as the variation of different perceptions is analyzed. Three categories appears in theresults: the music teachers ́goal regarding choir singing and assessment, knowledge andabilities in choir singing, and assessment practices. The music teacher ́s goal with choirsinging vary depending on what the music teacher considers important. Perceptions aboutknowledge and abilities in choir singing differs slightly, however a joint perception is thatresponsibility and leadership is have a high impact on students ́ grade. Seven variousperceptions about assessment practices are prominent: digital recording, individual tests,choir singing tests, theoretical tests, assessment through experience, peer assessment and collective performance. In the discussion, two different natures emerge regardingteachers ́ goals with choral education: aesthetic goals and institutional goals. Findingspointed out that the nature of the goal affects the use of different assessment practices, tobenefit the objectives of the teacher.

Syftet med studien är att få ökad insikt i körledares förhållningssätt till och hantering av sångtekniska övningar i kör. Bakgrundskapitlet beskriver sångrösten som instrument, och olika – i sångsammanhang – vanligt förekommande begrepp samt ger en presentation av tidigare litteratur och forskning som anknyter till studiens syfte. Vidare presenteras ett sociokulturellt perspektiv i egenskap av teoretisk utgångspunkt. Undersökningen är genomförd med hjälp av den kvalitativa intervjun som metod. Fyra i nuläget aktiva körledare intervjuades och i resultatet beskrivs deras syn på vad röst- och sångteknik innebär och hur de går tillväga för att förmedla detta till sina korister samt vilka redskap som används för ändamålet. I diskussionen förs ett resonemang kring kunskapsförmedling och hur den sker via olika kommunikationsvägar samt vilka olika roller som ryms i körledarrollen. / The purpose of this study is to gain further insight into choir conductors' approach to and manage-ment of technical vocal exercises in the choir. The background chapter describes the singing voice as an instrument, different common concepts in song contexts, and gives a presentation of earlier literature and research related to the purpose. Furthermore the study presents a socio-cultural perspective as a theoretical basis. The survey is carried out using the qualitative interview method. Four currently active choir directors were interviewed. The results describes their view of what the voice-singing technique entails, how they convey this to their choir and which tools they use for this purpose. The discussion reflects on the knowledge transmission and communication between choir and choir director.

Résumé : Le chant choral serait bénéfique à tout âge : cette étude choisit d’en mesurer les impacts auprès de personnes très âgées. Un devis quantitatif quasi-expérimental à trois groupes fut adopté : la Chorale, l’Hebdo-Bistro (ateliers et conférences, groupe de comparaison), et le groupe Témoin. L’étude longitudinale, intergénérationnelle, comporta trois saisons. La cognition (Mattis, 3MS, Trail Making, empan numérique, fluences formelle, catégorielle), l’humeur (bien-être général, dépression (GDS)), l’autoefficacité (GSES) et l’autonomie (QAF) furent mesurées à trois reprises (pré, post, 2e post). En outre, des mesures hebdomadaires furent administrées concernant la santé physique (consultations médicales, médicaments, chutes) et la participation sociale (activités). L’analyse intergroupe ne rapporta aucune différence significative. Les comparaisons intragroupe montrèrent une amélioration significative pour la Chorale (3MS et activités sociales), et une tendance d’amélioration pour la Chorale et l’Hebdo-Bistro (fluence formelle). Bien que le petit échantillon (n=21) exclue toute généralisation, les résultats demeurent inspirants en contexte de vieillissement populationnel. / Abstract : Choir singing is known to be beneficial : this study chose to measure its impacts on elderly people. The quantitative and quasi-experimental design included three groups : the Choir, Hebdo-Bistro (conference workshops), the comparison group, and the Control group. This longitudinal, intergenerational study lasted for three seasons. Cognition (Mattis, 3MS, Trail Making, Numeral WAIS Scale, Formal and Categorical Fluences), humor (Psychological Well-being of American Adults, Geriatric Depression Scale), self-efficacy (Schwartzer), and autonomy (QAF questionnaire) were administered three times (pre, post, 2nd post). In addition, weekly measurements were administered on health related topics (medical consultations, medication, falls) and social participation (activities). The analyses showed no significant differences between groups. However, the intra-group analyses showed a significant improvement for the Choir (3MS, social activities), and a tendency for improvement (Formal Fluence) for the Choir and Hebdo-Bistro groups. The small sample (n =21) excludes any generalization, but the results are promising in today’s aging context.