- Title
- Exploring the value of aural and kinaesthetic feedback using speech quality as a catalyst for vocal development in the training of tertiary voice students.
- Creator
- Allan, Christopher
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2011
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- There are a number of challenges faced by the developing singer as they move from an adolescent to a more mature vocal sound. The acquisition of technique is just one of the aspects of learning to sing; there are also the challenges of accurate self-perception and self-monitoring that need to be considered. This thesis is based on the premise that today’s singing teacher has the opportunity to absorb advances in the area of vocal science which have been made in the last thirty years. These advances, documented in a review of recent literature on vocal pedagogy, have given the singing teacher a wider range of tools with which to work in order to facilitate the developing singer’s journey. One such advance in the 1990s was the work of American pedagogue Jo Estill. Her research into the voice, and especially into the various vocal qualities found in many genres of singing from contemporary to operatic, has provided a useful position from which to explore the possibilities of using Speech Quality, which Estill defines as the quality ‘that is heard in everyday educated society’ (Estill, 1997a, 11). It is argued that the concept of Speech Quality enables the teacher to initiate advantageous postures in the vocal apparatus in order to discover the core of the singer’s sound. The value of this approach to vocal instruction is explored, particularly bearing in mind the limited time available for student-teacher contact within today’s tertiary education environment. The use of Speech Quality is discussed and illustrated as a catalyst for promoting the coordinated style of phonation required by classical singing and for promoting vocal development from the characteristic adolescent use of the voice to the maturing singer’s sound. This thesis begins with a review of recent literature to gauge the current trends in vocal teaching. Three major areas of vocal technique are identified, followed by an analytical discussion of how the application of Speech Quality, through exercises and understanding, will impact on vocal development. The thesis goes on to examine the challenges facing the developing singer during the learning process, especially with regard to the area of self-perception, and offers suggestions towards the effective self-monitoring of the voice. A recent survey of current vocal students in the Bachelor of Music program at the University of Newcastle (NSW) highlights the student’s perceptions of singing, and how those perceptions relate to the self-monitoring process outlined in the thesis. The final chapter relates the findings of research into voice production to the studio-teaching situation.
- Subject
- aural; kinaesthetic feedback; speech quality; vocal development
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/935023
- Identifier
- uon:11945
- Rights
- Copyright 2011 Christopher Allan
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Abstract | 101 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Thesis | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |