Class Vocal Teaching

Abstract

Most teachers first face the problem of size of groups. In our situation, the beginning and intermediate groups are larger than the advanced ones; and rightfully so, because each quarter results in a weeding-out process. A great many students take the work for one or two quarters simply to get the voice in a little better shape for general elementary teaching. As a rule, these people are not majors in the department. The work in the first quarter should give the student a much better conception of pleasant tone quality, knowledge of correct breathing, good phrasing, and clear articulation, and should enable him to make his singing more natural. The degree of naturalness built up in any given time depends entirely upon good psychological methods of the teacher. There is also a need to familiarize each student with the range and character of his own voice through repeated testing. This is difficult, especially when groups are large. Our beginning groups sometimes run as high as thirty, which is certainly too large to be ideal. Some of the schools of conservatory type enroll four people in a class lesson of an hour duration. In reality, these are semi-private lessons of fifteen minutes each.