Dissertation (M.Mus. (Performing Arts))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Abstract in Afrikaans and English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Conservatory of Music and Dance. University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2009. / "A dissertation in music education and education." Advisor: Charles Robinson. Typescript. Vita. Title from "catalog record" of the print edition Description based on contents viewed Nov. 25, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-125). Online version of the print edition.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Texas, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 86-93).

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio State University, 1957. / Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 223-239. Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (D.M.A.)--University of Oklahoma, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 415-436).

Numerous studies have been made looking at the differences in the resonance of choral and solo singing modes. None of these studies, however, have taken into account the particular challenges of a great majority of choral singers: undergraduate and graduate students. An experiment designed to remedy this situation was carried out in which nine baritones and bass-baritones were recording while singing in both solo and choral modes. The singers were divided in to three groups of three singers each, with each group representing a grade-achievement level: undergraduate underclassmen, undergraduate upperclassmen, and graduate students. Singers sang three examples of choral music and two examples of solo music. All the examples were sung in each of four different conditions. The recordings were analyzed in several different ways including spectrogram, formant mapping, long-term average spectrogram, and energy contour. The relative strengths of the fundamental frequency peak and the singer's formant peak were calculated. Results showed that the amount of change in the relative strength of the fundamental frequency between solo and choral modes became greater as the age and experience of the singer increased. Conversely, the amount of change in the relative strength of the singer's formant peak between the two modes dramatically decreased as the age and experience level of the singer increased. The ramifications of these findings on university choral and solo voice programs are discussed.

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This research sought to explore the meaningfulness of belonging to a choir. Members of 14 Canadian choirs (N=404) responded to 18 statements concerning the perceived benefits of choral singing. Choristers ranked six aspects of choral singing in the following order of importance (from greatest to least): musical, intellectual, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual. An in-depth analysis of three central areas of the choral experience (social, intellectual, and emotional) was done and six sample populations were compared: paid vs. volunteer choristers, choristers living in different areas (urban, suburban, and rural), choristers with a music degree vs. non-degree, age of choristers (young adult, middle-aged, and senior), choir size (large, medium, and small), and type of choir (community and church). / Results showed that choristers in small choirs felt like valued members of their choirs, felt a positive connection with the other choristers, and that singing in choir raised their mood to a significantly higher degree than choristers in medium and large choirs. Significant findings showed that volunteer singers, to a greater extent than paid singers, found that choir raised their mood, helped them to relax, and was a satisfying experience which gave them a sense of accomplishment. The differences in responses between middle-aged and senior choristers were minimal, but both gave responses that were significantly higher when compared with young adult choristers. The older singers felt that singing in choir raised their mood, helped them to relax, provided them with a sense of accomplishment, and that there was a sense of unity within their choir more so than young adults.

Children???s attitudes towards school singing have been a growing concern in recent years. While negative attitudes towards school singing have been acknowledged as one of the factors contributing to the decline of singing in schools, these attitudes conflict directly with the socially acceptable, esteemed and desired status that children place on singing in the world in which they live. Given the popularity of singing outside of school, negativity towards singing is of particular concern. Identifying the factors that determine a child???s attitude towards singing in both the school and home context is crucial if positive attitudes towards singing are to be sustained through to adolescence. The purpose of this research was to explore children???s attitudes towards singing in each stage level between Kindergarten and Year 6 in the home and school context, to identify the factors which determine positive and negative attitudes towards singing and to consider the relationships between attitudes in relation to gender. Interviews were conducted with 147 children between Kindergarten and Year 6 in five New South Wales public schools and attitudes towards singing were tested using a three point attitude measurement scale. Further data were collected from 118 parents in order to gain an understanding of children???s singing experience within the home context. Results showed that children???s preference to sing at home, rather than at school, increases with age. While boys have a stronger preference to sing at home than girls, girls are more positive towards school singing. Relational reasons such as fear of criticism and singing in front of others were central reasons for children???s dislike of school singing. While children across all stage levels enjoy singing with CD???s and singing on their own, boys??? particularly enjoy having ownership over song choice and composing their own songs. Lack of song choice and singing in front of others evokes negative attitudes towards singing. Teachers have a strong influence on attitudes towards singing at ES1 and Stage 1 level, however by Year 6, there is a strong correlation between parents and children???s attitudes towards singing. These results provide new insights and implications for the teaching of singing in schools.