Teaching pop vocal performance to students: A comparison of methods used in Russia

Abstract

The present study aims to compare modern Russian and foreign methods of teaching pop vocal to college and university students from the point of their effectiveness and educational results based on the analysis of the theoretical background and experimental work. Globalization, internationalization of cultures, the active introduction of electronic educational environments, and distance and online learning now allow mastering many vocal techniques and teaching methods and putting them into practice in a short amount of time. In this regard, the need to compare and evaluate modern Russian and foreign methods of teaching pop vocals, as well as identify the advantages and determine the prospects for their further use in pedagogical practice become relevant. The study summarizes the experience of teaching pop vocals and a comparative analysis of three modern methods of teaching – one foreign (Joe Estill) and two Russian (M.L. Kats and O. Donskaia). The results of the experiment show that the effectiveness of these techniques is due to the emphasis placed on the active and comprehensive development of the vocal apparatus, singing support, rhythmic coordination, singing vibrato, vocal techniques, melismatics, and the development of the vocal range and voicing resonators. The control stage of the experiment reveals the expressiveness of singing, the integrity of vocal pieces, the density of sound in all registers, and the improvement of the quality of timbral coloration of the voice in the tested group of students. These results were undoubtedly promoted by the previously studied and newly implemented methods of teaching pop vocals.