Vocal teachers’ task is to give students a foundation for their personal practice. When the student leaves the classroom, it is their responsibility to direct their own learning. This essay examines vocal students from upper secondary school's perspective about their personal vocal practice and their practice in relation to the support and help from their vocal teachers. Five schools were contacted where a total of 120 students had access to an online survey via email, to which 56 students responded. The variables in the survey were partially analyzed and processed in the software SPSS. In this study, it was clear that students have a positive attitude towards their personal practice and generally have good practice habits. The student’s level of motivation plays a role in the number of hours that are devoted to practice and having goals with one’s practice, such as vocal lessons, are important for practice motivation, as lessons are occasions where students are assessed. The vocal teacher is important for the student's continued development but not in relation to the student’s weekly practice hours.

A single subject, diagnosed as having severe oral apraxia and dysarthria, participated in an eight-week research experiment designed to study the effects of singing on speech articulation. A simultaneous treatment design was used in which the subject participated in both the e xperimental and control conditions. In the control condition spoken words were repeated by the subject, while in the experimental condition the words were sung. The words used were the lyrics to two popular folk songs. Articulatory accuracy (intelligibility) was judged by two graduate level speech therapists, based on audiotape samples of the subject's responses, recorded on a "Language Master" machine. Judges were also asked to rate their degree of confidence about their judgements. Results indicated significantly higher scores at the .05 level for the singing condition than for the non-singing condition. Degree of confidence ratings were similar for both conditions. It was also observed that a significantly greater number of consonant blends were correctly articulated in the singing condition than in the nonsinging condition.

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

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the use of imagery in vocal professionals' efforts to achieve optimal performance based on research from sport psychology. The four Ws of imagery use: where, when, what, and why have been applied to this study from the fields of athletics (Munroe, Giacobbi, Hall, & Weinberg, 2000) and dance (Nordin & Cumming, 2005). These were adopted after many years of research in athletic performance excellence, with particular reference to the Analytic Framework of the Cognitive and Motivational Functions of Imagery (Paivio, 1985; Hall, Mack, Paivio, & Hausenblas, 1998). This theoretical framework was combined with those of previous interview studies investigating professional musical performers in their use of imagery (Bellon, 2006; Carter, 1993; Trusheim, 1987) and provided a foundation for this study. Theories from psychology explaining the effects of imagery were also integrated, including functional equivalence and neuroimaging. An exploratory design was chosen to investigate the comprehensive nature of this inquiry using a purposeful sample (N = 15). A semi-structured interview based on the four Ws was conducted with 15 solo classical vocal professionals, 10 females (sopranos and mezzos) and 5 males (tenors and a baritone) ranging in age from late twenties to late sixties, residing in several major cities of the United States. Vocalists used imagery during practice, before performance, at home, traveling, and a range of other times. Imagery content was divided into types and characteristics. Vocalists' use of imagery types encompassed execution, metaphorical, context, body-related, musical sound, and character/role images. Imagery was employed to perfect vocal production and quality, embody the character's qualities and emotional aspects for performance, visualize metaphorical and anatomical images to achieve proper vocal execution, achieve goals, and communicate with the audience. Imagery characteristics of vocalists involved visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses, using primarily internal and some external perspectives. These professionals' imagery abilities were deliberate, controllable, and positive. Similar to competitive athletes, solo vocal performers engaged in imagery for many cognitive and motivational functions. Vocalists replicated dancers in artistic, and healing functions of imagery use in preparing for and achieving optimal performance.

Bis heute ist noch kein Druckwerk der litauischen religiösen rituellen Volksgesänge mit Noten eingeteilt nach ethnographischen Gebieten der Republik erschienen; es gibt auf diesem Gebiet noch keine eigenen Traditionen. Einen ersten Versuch machte der Autor mit seinem Buch \"Der Kreuzweg von Zemaiciq Kalvarija. Leichenschmausgesänge\" (mit Noten). Die hier zusammengefaßte Studie ist eine Fortsetzung seines früher erschienenen Werkes. Sie betrifft schon nicht mehr Zemaitija, sondern Kleinlitauen mit seiner reichen Geschichte, ethnokulturellen Vergangenheit, zahlreichen Liedern und besonders eigenartigen religiösen Ritusgesängen, die in der evangelisch-lutherischen Gemeinde noch lebendig sind.

Aus Anlaß einer Ausstellung zum 150jährigen Bestehen des Gesang- und Musikvereins Feuchtwangen e.V. wurde die Idee eines "Fränkischen Sängermuseums" aufgegriffen. 1988 erhielt Dr. Friedhelm Brusniak vom Fränkischen Sängerbund (FSB) den Auftrag zur Ausarbeitung eines Konzeptentwurfs, bei dem allerdings der ursprüngliche Plan eines regionalen Museums für die Geschichte des Chorwesens zugunsten einer Wiedererrichtung des ehemaligen Deutschen Sängermuseums (DSM) aufgegeben wurde.

This dissertation is about the influence of body image on classical vocal performance in collegiate women singers. Those trained in classical singing are familiar with the phrase, “your body is your instrument.” A focus on the physical body is apparent in the vocal pedagogical literature, as is attention to singers’ mental and emotional states. But the intersection of emotions and the body—how one thinks and feels about their body, or body image—is largely absent from the vocal pedagogical literature. As voice teachers continue to necessarily address their students’ instruments (bodies), the field has not adequately considered how each singer’s relationship with their instrument (their body) might affect them, as singers and as people. This initial foray sought answers to just two of the myriad unanswered questions surrounding this topic: Does a singer’s body image influence her singing? If so, when and how? It employed a feminist methodological framework that would provide for consciousness-raising as both a method and aim of the study. Four collegiate women singers served as co-researchers, and data collection took place in three parts: a focus group, audio diaries, and interviews. The focus group was specifically geared towards consciousness-raising in order to provide co-researchers with the awareness necessary for examining their body image. Co-researchers then recorded semi-structured audio diaries for one month after practice sessions, voice lessons, and performances. One-on-one interviews concluded data collection and provided a situation of co-analysis wherein the researcher and co-researcher could deeply examine data from the focus group and diaries. The major discovery of this research is a pervasive sense of separation between a woman singer’s “everyday body” and her singer’s body. Self-objectification served as a barrier to a conscious recognition of embodied experience and effectively split the singer in two. The various states of the relationship between these two seemingly separate entities resulted in specific outcomes for singing, including restriction, unawareness, inconsistency, and focus. The discussion concludes with a consideration of how a positive body image may encourage effective and artistic vocal performance and how voice teachers might help foster a positive experience of one’s body.

This qualitative study aims to offer an insight into the term personal expression and its’ meaning and definition in the upper secondary school environment, in which the purpose of the study is to examine singing teachers’ interpretation of the term personal expression and their descriptions of the methods used to assess personal expression. The study has a discourse analytical approach in which concepts such as power, truth effect and construction are used to analyse the gathered material. Four singing teachers working at upper secondary schools participated in the study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Three overarching discourses were identified: education, subjectivity and objectivity and personal expression. It was found that the teachers all helped shape and construct the truth effects of these discourses by their language: they constructed the truth effect that subjectivity in assessment is constant and that internalization and externalization are core elements in personal expression. Through the discourse, it was also discovered that a truth effect the teachers all constructed was that personal expression is hard to both teach and achieve.

TITLE: Development of singing skills of 1st grade pupils at elementary school AUTHOR: PaedDr. Dana Martinková DEPARTMENT: Department of musical education SUPERVISOR: Doc. PaedDr. Marie Slavíková, CSc. ABSTRACT: Work deals with possibilities of the development first year pupils' singing skills at elementary school on the basis of applying motivation elements of singing activities and the development of the pupil's interest in singing activity during the first year at elementary school. After sketching of the development of opinions on a younger pupils' singing education the author characterizes younger pupil's specialities, deals with a human voice including the development of the child's voice. After defining essential musical terms and a characterization of singing skills deals with a motivation and its applying in a school and in a musical educational process. On the basis of the suggested educational model the largest part of work is devoted to a methodology and a research organization and first of all an evaluation and a presentation of results given questionnaires for pupils' parents, interviews with pupils, tests of musicology and singing skills, found out their voice volume and evaluation of pupils' taking part in singing and other musical activities. The research verified given hypothesis and...

The diploma thesis describes the importance of music in the personal development of a younger toddler. The theoretical part deals with an insight into the personality development of the child from the prenatal period to the period of a younger toddler. It also deals with the characteristics of the imprinting and sensitive period in the child's life, the influence of music on the development of the toddler's personality, musical development and the development of musical abilities in this period. It also discusses the importance of a musically stimulating environment for the development of the child's personality and presents artistic themes for early children in an integrated approach. The practical part of the diploma thesis is based on monitoring and evaluating the musical expressions of my son and seven children examined throughout the period of the younger toddler. The aim of this diploma thesis is to monitor the musical development of the younger toddler and the physical, mental and sociological influences that affect the personal development of the toddler through music. As part of the qualitative research, interviews were also conducted with mothers of seven younger toddlers, which serve to supplement the results of monitoring the development of children's music in this period. Furthermore,...