Joseph Jackson
Music Eduction 258
Teaching Kids to Sing
1996
Phillips, Kenneth
Music Eduction 258
Teaching Kids to Sing
1996
Phillips, Kenneth
Teaching Kids to Sing Chapter 1
Early History of Music Education
-Francis E. Howard
-Americans most influential authorities on the child voice in the late 19th centaury.
-The Child Voice in Singing (1895)
-Children should only sing soft dynamic levels.
-Sing in only think-head register.
-E.H.Curtis
-Wrote series of training manuals and readers.
-Known as the Palmer-Curtis series.
-Emil Behnke and Lennox Browne
- Campaigned for proper breathing.
-Frank R. Rix
-Strong advocate of child vocal training in the public school.
Early Philosophers
-Kodaly
-Orff
-Jaques-Dalcroze
-Mason
Five Components of Vocal Technique
-Breathing
-Phonation
-Resonant Tone Production
-Diction
-Expression
Early History of Music Education
-Francis E. Howard
-Americans most influential authorities on the child voice in the late 19th centaury.
-The Child Voice in Singing (1895)
-Children should only sing soft dynamic levels.
-Sing in only think-head register.
-E.H.Curtis
-Wrote series of training manuals and readers.
-Known as the Palmer-Curtis series.
-Emil Behnke and Lennox Browne
- Campaigned for proper breathing.
-Frank R. Rix
-Strong advocate of child vocal training in the public school.
Early Philosophers
-Kodaly
-Orff
-Jaques-Dalcroze
-Mason
Five Components of Vocal Technique
-Breathing
-Phonation
-Resonant Tone Production
-Diction
-Expression
Teaching Kids to Sing Chapter 2
Psychomotor Process
Psychomotor Process for Teaching
Step 1 – Provides a model or stimulus
Step 2 – Student(s) perceives an decodes the model
Step 3 – Student(s) imitates the model
Step 4- Student(s) analyzes feedback regarding their effort
Elizabeth Simpson
-1966
-Developed a more complete taxonomy of psychomotor behavior.
-Well accepted among teachersPitch Perception
- Poor pitch perception is caused by:
- Hearing impairments, however highly unlikely.
- Inattention
- Environment distractions
- Increasing Pitch Perception in Students
-Proper Feedback
- Aural feedback aids in pitch perception
- Graham Welch - “Knowledge of Results” leads to “Self – Monitoring”
- Teaching Mode
- Voice Modeling
-Student(s) are more likely to perceive pitch accurately
- Octave displacement seems especially troubling for the inexperience singer
-Model and sing in falsetto
- Tonal Memory
- Affected by age and the amount of material to be remembered at one time
- Seven plus or minus two
- Audiate – to denote the process of inner hearing required for tonal memory.
-Improving Tonal Memory
- Vocal Games
- “Same – Different”
- Repetition
Inaccurate Singing
-Inaccurate Singing is caused by but not limited to:
- Environmental, or lack of exposure to music
- Organic, including retarded maturation, physical defects and diseases
- Psychological
- Poor Vocal control
Teaching Kids to Sing – Chapter 3 – Vocal Parameters
One would not buy a million dollar mansion when all he/she can afford is a house. If someone does, they end up with debt and eventually bankruptcy. The same idea holds true for an adolescent singer. If an adolescent singer was being forced to sing outside his/hers vocal parameters, they could run the risk of serious vocal damage. It is imperative to know the vocal parameters of children and adolescents, which include vocal registers, quality, range and tessitura.
The male adolescent vocal register will undergo significant change. This time may be horrifying for the male student. During the vocal change and adolescent register is usually around C3 to C5, depending on where each individual is at in the voice change. The adolescent male student will not be able to sing his middle register. Because of this disturbance the adolescent male student will often sing in a mixed voice.
Phillips states, “Adolescent singers are capable of a far greater richness of sound that is commonly heard.” This is due to the lack of self-confidence in students as well as bad teaching. As an adolescent is singing he/she must never sing loud. If the students are more likely to harm there voice due to the lack of vocal technique maturity. The quality of an adolescent singer can be enhanced by even vibrato, however vibrato should always be naturally produced.
Range is the light of vocal parameters “refers to the numbers of pitches, or distance, between the highest and lowest pitches a person can sing” (pg. 55). It was found that children often randomly sing with a larger range, however was limited to singing only songs with a short range. The lack of musical range is often blamed on poor training on upper register. That said, there is no reason either than the physical change in voice to have ones students to sing a set with a variation of ranges.
All in all, the information from this chapter will help my teaching in all school settings. I will be able to stick with the vocal parameters that Phillips laid out, and ultimately expand the musical knowledge of my students. Because of the knowledge that I have gain from this chapter I believe that now more suited to teach in general.
One would not buy a million dollar mansion when all he/she can afford is a house. If someone does, they end up with debt and eventually bankruptcy. The same idea holds true for an adolescent singer. If an adolescent singer was being forced to sing outside his/hers vocal parameters, they could run the risk of serious vocal damage. It is imperative to know the vocal parameters of children and adolescents, which include vocal registers, quality, range and tessitura.
The male adolescent vocal register will undergo significant change. This time may be horrifying for the male student. During the vocal change and adolescent register is usually around C3 to C5, depending on where each individual is at in the voice change. The adolescent male student will not be able to sing his middle register. Because of this disturbance the adolescent male student will often sing in a mixed voice.
Phillips states, “Adolescent singers are capable of a far greater richness of sound that is commonly heard.” This is due to the lack of self-confidence in students as well as bad teaching. As an adolescent is singing he/she must never sing loud. If the students are more likely to harm there voice due to the lack of vocal technique maturity. The quality of an adolescent singer can be enhanced by even vibrato, however vibrato should always be naturally produced.
Range is the light of vocal parameters “refers to the numbers of pitches, or distance, between the highest and lowest pitches a person can sing” (pg. 55). It was found that children often randomly sing with a larger range, however was limited to singing only songs with a short range. The lack of musical range is often blamed on poor training on upper register. That said, there is no reason either than the physical change in voice to have ones students to sing a set with a variation of ranges.
All in all, the information from this chapter will help my teaching in all school settings. I will be able to stick with the vocal parameters that Phillips laid out, and ultimately expand the musical knowledge of my students. Because of the knowledge that I have gain from this chapter I believe that now more suited to teach in general.
Teaching Kids to Sing – Chapter 4 – The Child and Adolescent Singer
-Pre-School
-Gordon (1985)
– Music Babble
- Approximation of singing – 18 months to 3 years
- Imitate familiar songs at age 2 ½
-Range
- About D to G, however with training G to A
-Songs should be kept extremely short with very few pitches
-Elementary Singer
-Start vocal technique at First grade
- Welch
-Five stages from out-of-tune to in-tune singing
-Rutkowsk
-The Singing Voice Development Measure
-Pure tone peaks around fifth and sixth grade
-Adolescent Singer
-Things to know about Adolescents
-Adolescents want to be cool
-Skeptical of Teachers
-Never talk down to adolescents. You will instantly lose all respect
-Keep the adolescents singing
-Male Voice Change
-Begins around the age of 12.
-Rapid physical development
-May lose control over new body and voice (ie tripping cracking)
-Six Contemporary Approaches to the Male Changing Voice
-Royal School of Church Music
-Boys only sing soprano with no vibrato
-Not allowed to use chest voice
-Alto – Tenor Approach
-McKenzie (1956)
-All voices gradually lower until high school
-Boys should maintain a safe middle, comfortable range.
-Cambiata Approach
-Three stages, Cambiata, Baritone, and Bass
-Slow change with little quality
-No Tenors
-The Contemporary Eclectic Approach
-Three Stages
-Maturation of the singing voice proceeds at various rates through a predictable, sequential pattern of stages
-The Voice Pivoting Approach
-Four part guys
-Other parts should move around the guys
-Mix setting
-Female Voice Change
-Stage I – Pre-pubertal (8 to 10)
- Light, no apparent register breaks
-Stage II A – Pre-Menarcheal (11-12)
-Breathiness in the tone.
-Inadequate closer of vocal folds
-Stage II B – Post – Menarcheal (13 – 15)
-Range may lower
-Critical time for voice development
-Easy to damage the voice
-State III – Young Adult (15 – 16)
- Overall range increases
-Voice lifts are more apparent at passaggio
In chapter 4, I have learned about the changing voice. Though at times I felt overwhelmed with information I found that I would be able to use what I have learned and apply it into my classroom. With the knowledge I’ve gain I will be able to tell if any of my students are going though voice changes and how I can help my students though this critical time.
-Pre-School
-Gordon (1985)
– Music Babble
- Approximation of singing – 18 months to 3 years
- Imitate familiar songs at age 2 ½
-Range
- About D to G, however with training G to A
-Songs should be kept extremely short with very few pitches
-Elementary Singer
-Start vocal technique at First grade
- Welch
-Five stages from out-of-tune to in-tune singing
-Rutkowsk
-The Singing Voice Development Measure
-Pure tone peaks around fifth and sixth grade
-Adolescent Singer
-Things to know about Adolescents
-Adolescents want to be cool
-Skeptical of Teachers
-Never talk down to adolescents. You will instantly lose all respect
-Keep the adolescents singing
-Male Voice Change
-Begins around the age of 12.
-Rapid physical development
-May lose control over new body and voice (ie tripping cracking)
-Six Contemporary Approaches to the Male Changing Voice
-Royal School of Church Music
-Boys only sing soprano with no vibrato
-Not allowed to use chest voice
-Alto – Tenor Approach
-McKenzie (1956)
-All voices gradually lower until high school
-Boys should maintain a safe middle, comfortable range.
-Cambiata Approach
-Three stages, Cambiata, Baritone, and Bass
-Slow change with little quality
-No Tenors
-The Contemporary Eclectic Approach
-Three Stages
-Maturation of the singing voice proceeds at various rates through a predictable, sequential pattern of stages
-The Voice Pivoting Approach
-Four part guys
-Other parts should move around the guys
-Mix setting
-Female Voice Change
-Stage I – Pre-pubertal (8 to 10)
- Light, no apparent register breaks
-Stage II A – Pre-Menarcheal (11-12)
-Breathiness in the tone.
-Inadequate closer of vocal folds
-Stage II B – Post – Menarcheal (13 – 15)
-Range may lower
-Critical time for voice development
-Easy to damage the voice
-State III – Young Adult (15 – 16)
- Overall range increases
-Voice lifts are more apparent at passaggio
In chapter 4, I have learned about the changing voice. Though at times I felt overwhelmed with information I found that I would be able to use what I have learned and apply it into my classroom. With the knowledge I’ve gain I will be able to tell if any of my students are going though voice changes and how I can help my students though this critical time.
Teaching Kids to Sing – Chapter 5 – Vocal Heath
The music educator is the first line of defense when vocal heath is an issue. Though music educators do not have a medical degree, the private practice, and the salary of doctors we must be able to understand and “diagnose” vocal heath issues for our students.
Vocal heath to the untrained mind would be viewed as just common since, in example not drinking any thing leads to dehydration. However, though the untrained masses are generically right, the music educator knows that vocal heath is a complex issue with no simple answer.
In the first session of vocal health Phillips details the vocal structure in what seems as a pre-given lesson plan.
In the second session of vocal heath Phillips details vocal heath in again seems as a pre-given lesson plan. The second session demonstrates how and when vocal damage can occur and furthers implies the treatment of damage.
All in all Chapter 5 of Teaching Kids to Sing was set up as pre-given lesson plan. One could directly use this chapter in this book as a weeklong presentation on vocal heath if desired. From this chapter I will be able to use the information given to better protect my students vocal heath and if necessary refer them to an ENT specialist.
The music educator is the first line of defense when vocal heath is an issue. Though music educators do not have a medical degree, the private practice, and the salary of doctors we must be able to understand and “diagnose” vocal heath issues for our students.
Vocal heath to the untrained mind would be viewed as just common since, in example not drinking any thing leads to dehydration. However, though the untrained masses are generically right, the music educator knows that vocal heath is a complex issue with no simple answer.
In the first session of vocal health Phillips details the vocal structure in what seems as a pre-given lesson plan.
In the second session of vocal heath Phillips details vocal heath in again seems as a pre-given lesson plan. The second session demonstrates how and when vocal damage can occur and furthers implies the treatment of damage.
All in all Chapter 5 of Teaching Kids to Sing was set up as pre-given lesson plan. One could directly use this chapter in this book as a weeklong presentation on vocal heath if desired. From this chapter I will be able to use the information given to better protect my students vocal heath and if necessary refer them to an ENT specialist.
Teaching Kids to Sing – Chapter 6 – Vocal Technique Curriculum
Correct singing is one of the hardest things to do on earth, due to the coordination between psychological and physical response at near imposable speeds. The need for a curriculum that develops this almost superhuman ability is critical for any successful music educator. While Phillips proposes a ninety step in depth plan, I will be focusing on the broader curriculum goals.
The first of five broad curriculum goals is respiration. In order to create a rich full sound one must be able to proper breath support, which is done though posture development, breathing motion, and breathe management. The next goal to create a good singer is phonation goals. Being able to maneuver between registers is an important part of being able to reach ones full potential as a singer. In order to achieve a seamless register transition one must be able to have mastered the skills of lower adjustment, upper adjustment, and adjustment coordination. The third goal to achieve is resonate tone production. To have a well-balanced and blended choir one must know understand how vocal resonance, uniform vowel colors, and vocal coordination well effect the overall sound production. The fourth goal of vocal technique is diction. A common saying is “one can not love what he or she can not hear or understand, which is true as the earth is round. In order for one to understand what is being sung, the student must have the knowledge of vocal-tract freedom, word pronunciation, and consent articulation. The finial goal that Phillips states is expression. Though expression may be held by the teacher each student should understand how phrasing works, how dynamic and tempo variation well make a song more exciting, and how agility and range extension will wow the crowd over.
By achieving the five goals of vocal technique my students will be able to take an audience on a magical get-a-way, and further ones musicianship. However I felt that Phillips overplayed the style of writing in this chapter. While reviewing the 90 sub-goals of vocal technique I felt that I was reading the same things, however just one step harder than the previous grade.
Though I am in full support of a spiral curriculum I felt that his delivery was distracting to the overall message.
Correct singing is one of the hardest things to do on earth, due to the coordination between psychological and physical response at near imposable speeds. The need for a curriculum that develops this almost superhuman ability is critical for any successful music educator. While Phillips proposes a ninety step in depth plan, I will be focusing on the broader curriculum goals.
The first of five broad curriculum goals is respiration. In order to create a rich full sound one must be able to proper breath support, which is done though posture development, breathing motion, and breathe management. The next goal to create a good singer is phonation goals. Being able to maneuver between registers is an important part of being able to reach ones full potential as a singer. In order to achieve a seamless register transition one must be able to have mastered the skills of lower adjustment, upper adjustment, and adjustment coordination. The third goal to achieve is resonate tone production. To have a well-balanced and blended choir one must know understand how vocal resonance, uniform vowel colors, and vocal coordination well effect the overall sound production. The fourth goal of vocal technique is diction. A common saying is “one can not love what he or she can not hear or understand, which is true as the earth is round. In order for one to understand what is being sung, the student must have the knowledge of vocal-tract freedom, word pronunciation, and consent articulation. The finial goal that Phillips states is expression. Though expression may be held by the teacher each student should understand how phrasing works, how dynamic and tempo variation well make a song more exciting, and how agility and range extension will wow the crowd over.
By achieving the five goals of vocal technique my students will be able to take an audience on a magical get-a-way, and further ones musicianship. However I felt that Phillips overplayed the style of writing in this chapter. While reviewing the 90 sub-goals of vocal technique I felt that I was reading the same things, however just one step harder than the previous grade.
Though I am in full support of a spiral curriculum I felt that his delivery was distracting to the overall message.
Teaching Kids to Sing Chapter 7
Proper respiration is a pre-requisite for any well sounding choir. In many cases most children will begin to breathe incorrectly for singing as early as the primary years. Collarbone breathing, shallow breathing, will become habit. In order to break the habit of collarbone breathing the teacher must constantly remind the students how proper respiration is achieved. Eventual the student(s) will break the collarbone breathing habit and being to breath with the diaphragm.
* Do not but the hands on the stomach. Put hands on abs or belly.
* Hands on seem of pants.
Proper respiration is a pre-requisite for any well sounding choir. In many cases most children will begin to breathe incorrectly for singing as early as the primary years. Collarbone breathing, shallow breathing, will become habit. In order to break the habit of collarbone breathing the teacher must constantly remind the students how proper respiration is achieved. Eventual the student(s) will break the collarbone breathing habit and being to breath with the diaphragm.
* Do not but the hands on the stomach. Put hands on abs or belly.
* Hands on seem of pants.
Teaching Kids to Sing – Chapter 8 – Phonation
Phonation is the ability to make audible vocal sounds. Though each student is different phonation is an exciting part of the rollercoaster I call the changing voice. All voiced sounds that well be starts in the larynx, which means the music educator must know the workings of this organ like the back of ones hand.
The larynx is made up of several interworking devices, the cartilages that include the thyroid cartilage, the cricoids cartilage, the arytenoids cartilages, and the epiglottis, the hyoid bone, which is the only bone of the laryngeal structure, and numerous amounts of muscles, but must notable the epithelium, the lamina propria, and the throarytenoid muscle, also known as the vocal folds.
In order to produce a sound air must pass threw the vocal folds. As the air continues the journey to escape the human body the, the vocal folds begin to vibrate. The vibration of the vocal folds the air is turned into high-pressured sound waves which in turn makes a pitch. It is in this process of making pitch that a student will find his/hers vocal registers.
A vocal register is the range of notes that a singer can comfortably sing. While there is no pre-determined number of registers for a singer, due to each uniqueness of the individual, it is common practice is to view each signer with three registers, the lower (chest), middle and upper (head). The ultimate goal of a music educator is to have his or hers students to be able to maneuver each register without a lift in the voice.
Making the adjustment from different registers will be extremely difficult for the young singer. However there are several ways to slowly ease the process. One such way is through vocal imitation. By having a young singer imitate either animal sounds or sirens (top down) the student is attempting to adjust and maneuver through their own vocal registers. Another active that helps find and expands the student(s) upper register is to imitate the voice of Mickey Mouse. These are just two out of hundreds of activities that will help with register maneuvering.
All in all, this chapter will allow me to help a struggling student who is going through voice changes. Because of the knowledge that I have gain from this chapter I am more aware of the struggles of the student are. I will also be able to use my knowledge of anatomy of the larynx to help identify any vocal issues that may acure.
Phonation is the ability to make audible vocal sounds. Though each student is different phonation is an exciting part of the rollercoaster I call the changing voice. All voiced sounds that well be starts in the larynx, which means the music educator must know the workings of this organ like the back of ones hand.
The larynx is made up of several interworking devices, the cartilages that include the thyroid cartilage, the cricoids cartilage, the arytenoids cartilages, and the epiglottis, the hyoid bone, which is the only bone of the laryngeal structure, and numerous amounts of muscles, but must notable the epithelium, the lamina propria, and the throarytenoid muscle, also known as the vocal folds.
In order to produce a sound air must pass threw the vocal folds. As the air continues the journey to escape the human body the, the vocal folds begin to vibrate. The vibration of the vocal folds the air is turned into high-pressured sound waves which in turn makes a pitch. It is in this process of making pitch that a student will find his/hers vocal registers.
A vocal register is the range of notes that a singer can comfortably sing. While there is no pre-determined number of registers for a singer, due to each uniqueness of the individual, it is common practice is to view each signer with three registers, the lower (chest), middle and upper (head). The ultimate goal of a music educator is to have his or hers students to be able to maneuver each register without a lift in the voice.
Making the adjustment from different registers will be extremely difficult for the young singer. However there are several ways to slowly ease the process. One such way is through vocal imitation. By having a young singer imitate either animal sounds or sirens (top down) the student is attempting to adjust and maneuver through their own vocal registers. Another active that helps find and expands the student(s) upper register is to imitate the voice of Mickey Mouse. These are just two out of hundreds of activities that will help with register maneuvering.
All in all, this chapter will allow me to help a struggling student who is going through voice changes. Because of the knowledge that I have gain from this chapter I am more aware of the struggles of the student are. I will also be able to use my knowledge of anatomy of the larynx to help identify any vocal issues that may acure.
Teaching Kids to Sing – Chapter 9 – Resonant Tone Production
Phillips begins chapter 9 by starting “A beautiful voice is one that is rich in resonance. Such a voice can be characterized as having uniformity of vowels, depth and fullness of tone, and projection or “ring”.” However it is important to understand what makes tone and how tone can be manipulated.
In the scientific world, pitch is understood as resonance frequencies, the amount of times the sound waves rises and falls, and the width of empty space in between each individual wave.
However the singer has the ability to manipulate the sound waves to change the tone of a pitch. The human head is full of articulators that can and will be used to modify any given pitch, such as the jaw, lips, soft palate, and tongue. Not only do singers have the ability to modify pitch Phillips states that the vowels have a natural progression in which the pitch is already modify, starting with u and ending with i (page 257).
Next Phillips mentions the resonators. Resonators are areas in the head and throat, with the exception of the chest cavity, that plays part in the resonance of vocal sound. Such resonators in the pharynx are the laryngopharynx, oropharynx, and nasopharynx. Nonetheless, Phillips also notes that other resonators such as the sinuses and nasal cavity do help with the resonance of sound.
Finally, we are able to see how the science of acoustics transfers into the student(s) voice. Vibrato is heard as a slight modification of a pitch between five and six cps. However, though vibrato is often a wanted in a singer’s voice, to much vibrato, also called tremolo, can undermined the true pitch.
All in all, I will use the knowledge of acoustics to help my students to achieve a “beautiful voice that is rich in resonance.” That said I felt that this chapter should have been split into two. One being just the acoustics, due to the mass amount of new information, and then how acoustics can be applied to singing. I also felt that Phillips was repeating some of the information in early chapters. However, that said, I know that I have gained a lot of information from this chapter and look forward to being able to use it in the filed.
Phillips begins chapter 9 by starting “A beautiful voice is one that is rich in resonance. Such a voice can be characterized as having uniformity of vowels, depth and fullness of tone, and projection or “ring”.” However it is important to understand what makes tone and how tone can be manipulated.
In the scientific world, pitch is understood as resonance frequencies, the amount of times the sound waves rises and falls, and the width of empty space in between each individual wave.
However the singer has the ability to manipulate the sound waves to change the tone of a pitch. The human head is full of articulators that can and will be used to modify any given pitch, such as the jaw, lips, soft palate, and tongue. Not only do singers have the ability to modify pitch Phillips states that the vowels have a natural progression in which the pitch is already modify, starting with u and ending with i (page 257).
Next Phillips mentions the resonators. Resonators are areas in the head and throat, with the exception of the chest cavity, that plays part in the resonance of vocal sound. Such resonators in the pharynx are the laryngopharynx, oropharynx, and nasopharynx. Nonetheless, Phillips also notes that other resonators such as the sinuses and nasal cavity do help with the resonance of sound.
Finally, we are able to see how the science of acoustics transfers into the student(s) voice. Vibrato is heard as a slight modification of a pitch between five and six cps. However, though vibrato is often a wanted in a singer’s voice, to much vibrato, also called tremolo, can undermined the true pitch.
All in all, I will use the knowledge of acoustics to help my students to achieve a “beautiful voice that is rich in resonance.” That said I felt that this chapter should have been split into two. One being just the acoustics, due to the mass amount of new information, and then how acoustics can be applied to singing. I also felt that Phillips was repeating some of the information in early chapters. However, that said, I know that I have gained a lot of information from this chapter and look forward to being able to use it in the filed.
Chapter 10 - Diction
In chapter ten of Teaching Kids to Sing, Phillips states the importance of diction by proclaiming that” diction is the manor of which language is spoken’ (Teaching Kids to Sing 305). Phillips believes that bad singing is often as result to lack of diction and gives ways to fix the issue of poor diction. On page 306 Phillips give the International Phonetic Alphabet chart, which gives the student and teacher the ability to sing nearly any song with correct diction.
Later on in chapter ten, Phillips sites the physical process of good diction. Phillips states that jaw, tongue, teeth, lips, soft pallet, hard pallet, and upper gum lines are the main attributes when creating diction. The articulators will help define the diction of a language, but Phillips also believes that not all diction issues can be blamed on actuation.
Pronunciation tends to be a leading problem when it comes to diction. All most all students will sing the word that they see, not taking into account of how the word sounds. For example the word the is often sung with a speed [i] sound, however should be sung as if it was written as thuh.
Overall Phillips believes that diction is a leading cause of bad singing. Diction is more than just actuation, but a complex set of variables that affect the overall sound quality.
In chapter ten of Teaching Kids to Sing, Phillips states the importance of diction by proclaiming that” diction is the manor of which language is spoken’ (Teaching Kids to Sing 305). Phillips believes that bad singing is often as result to lack of diction and gives ways to fix the issue of poor diction. On page 306 Phillips give the International Phonetic Alphabet chart, which gives the student and teacher the ability to sing nearly any song with correct diction.
Later on in chapter ten, Phillips sites the physical process of good diction. Phillips states that jaw, tongue, teeth, lips, soft pallet, hard pallet, and upper gum lines are the main attributes when creating diction. The articulators will help define the diction of a language, but Phillips also believes that not all diction issues can be blamed on actuation.
Pronunciation tends to be a leading problem when it comes to diction. All most all students will sing the word that they see, not taking into account of how the word sounds. For example the word the is often sung with a speed [i] sound, however should be sung as if it was written as thuh.
Overall Phillips believes that diction is a leading cause of bad singing. Diction is more than just actuation, but a complex set of variables that affect the overall sound quality.
Chapter 11) Expression
-Chapter 11 focuses on expression in music. No one wants to sit through an entire performance or concert and just watch students stand and sing, with no stylistic expression. Instead they wish to see the music come alive and to for a momentary escape from their problems. Music without expression will be dull and boring to both the audience and the students.
-Good singing must be expressive, conveying the meaning and story of the music.
-Most of the ability to express music is the responsibility of the teacher or conductor, in the form of interpretation, dynamics, and contrast.
- Understanding how to create musical phrase will allow the students to be successful in creating musicality.
-Know the difference between creative dynamics and dynamics markings.
-Developing vocal agility and a wide vocal range.
-This will allow for different vocal styles in which the singer can be more musical.
- Musical sensitivity: Listen to others and feel the expression/emotion.
Discussion –
The ability to create music is one skill. However, allowing the music to come alive and to influence ones soul is the ultimate goal of music. Musicality rests on both the students and the educator. The educator must know when creativity would enhance the musical performance, and the students must know how to respond to the educators’ conducting. Musical expression is what makes music so enjoyable and without it, one would wonder why he is singing in the first place.
-Chapter 11 focuses on expression in music. No one wants to sit through an entire performance or concert and just watch students stand and sing, with no stylistic expression. Instead they wish to see the music come alive and to for a momentary escape from their problems. Music without expression will be dull and boring to both the audience and the students.
-Good singing must be expressive, conveying the meaning and story of the music.
-Most of the ability to express music is the responsibility of the teacher or conductor, in the form of interpretation, dynamics, and contrast.
- Understanding how to create musical phrase will allow the students to be successful in creating musicality.
-Know the difference between creative dynamics and dynamics markings.
-Developing vocal agility and a wide vocal range.
-This will allow for different vocal styles in which the singer can be more musical.
- Musical sensitivity: Listen to others and feel the expression/emotion.
Discussion –
The ability to create music is one skill. However, allowing the music to come alive and to influence ones soul is the ultimate goal of music. Musicality rests on both the students and the educator. The educator must know when creativity would enhance the musical performance, and the students must know how to respond to the educators’ conducting. Musical expression is what makes music so enjoyable and without it, one would wonder why he is singing in the first place.
Chapter 12
In Chapter 12 of Teaching Kids to Sing, Phillips outlines the areas of vocal technique development in a curriculum setting. Each of the five areas of vocal techniques (breathing, phonation, resonant tone production, diction, and expression) has a complete set of substandard will guide the young singer to his full potential (Teaching Kids to Sing 360-367).
Phillips also states the importance of keeping exercise records. Keeping a visual track record of exercise will help the music educator plan for the next class. A visual track record will also keep the educator on a proper classroom pace.
In Chapter 12 of Teaching Kids to Sing, Phillips outlines the areas of vocal technique development in a curriculum setting. Each of the five areas of vocal techniques (breathing, phonation, resonant tone production, diction, and expression) has a complete set of substandard will guide the young singer to his full potential (Teaching Kids to Sing 360-367).
Phillips also states the importance of keeping exercise records. Keeping a visual track record of exercise will help the music educator plan for the next class. A visual track record will also keep the educator on a proper classroom pace.