Choral Directors Research Articles

Vocapedia Reborn: A True Wiki Resource for Voice Teachers

Abstract: Vocapedia is NATS’ online information resource. In existence since 2014, Vocapedia has recently undergone a transformation into a true wiki format. In this article, the author reviews the history of Vocapedia, discusses its new format, and urges voice teachers, collaborative pianists, choral directors, speech language pathologists, voice researchers, and others who enjoy and study the voice to contribute to the resource and to refine and update its content.

Rhythmic Misinterpretations in Ghanaian Arts Music: Unveiling the Challenges of Syncopation and Anacrusis among Choir Directors

This paper delves into the difficulties of interpreting complex rhythmic elements like syncopation and anacrusis in Ghanaian art music, particularly in choral presentations. Syncopation changes the stress on typically less prominent beats, increasing intricacy and intensifying emotional richness. Anacrusis, also known as lead-in notes, establishes the emotional atmosphere, directs the speed, and involves the listeners. Nevertheless, numerous choral conductors face difficulties with these components because of their limited grasp on rhythm, resulting in performances that are lacking in emotional impact and cultural authenticity. This paper suggests educational approaches, such as specific instruction and technology, to improve rhythmic proficiency in choir conductors. Based on a thorough review of literature, the research highlights the significance of precise rhythm in maintaining the emotional impact and cultural identity of Ghanaian art music. The paper suggests using a mix of traditional and modern methods in teaching to enhance choral directors' interpretation abilities.

Perceptions of Choral Tone: A Review of Literature

The purpose of this literature review was to synthesize research related to perceptions of choral tone and to provide implications for future research and praxis. Although considerable research exists on the topic of choral tone, choral music professionals have indicated contradictory philosophies of what makes “good” choral tone. To highlight these contradictions, this literature review includes common interpretations of tone, vocal tone, and choral tone; factors that influence choral tone production; and issues regarding the perception of choral tone. Implications and research-based suggestions for how choral directors may approach choral tone are also shared.

Self-taught Choral Directors in School-based Choirs

Self-taught Choral Directors in School-based Choirs

A Human-Centered Design Approach to SOVTE Straw Phonation Instruction

Extensive research has demonstrated that straw/tube phonation exercises produce positive effects on the voice quality of the user. The purpose of this study was to explore pedagogical practices employed by a range of voice professionals when using SOVTEs by applying human-centered design approaches to examine workflow and communication between teachers and students. The researchers conducted a series of five participatory role-playing workshop activities at a multi-disciplinary vocology conference that included speech-language pathologists, voice scientists, physicians, singing teachers, acting voice teachers, choral directors, and singers. Volunteers were asked to assume the role of teaching or learning straw phonation exercises. The other participants from each workshop were asked to provide written and verbal feedback regarding the teacher/student dynamics and what they found most important and relevant in terms of best practices for SOVTEs. Expert evaluators subsequently provided similar feedback based on video recordings of the workshops. While there was variability noted in teaching techniques and results, common themes emerged in the analysis. Successful and unsuccessful student and teacher techniques were identified by the workshop participants. Through the video analysis, the research team identified themes in instructional teaching, experiential learning, and straw articulation and mechanics. The benefits of straw/tube phonation exercises on voice quality have been well-established and are clear. As we continue to refine best practices in SOVTEs and, in particular, straw phonation, involvement of experts in HCD as part of multidisciplinary teams may lead to the eventual design of SOVTE tools that provide greater precision, consistency, and effectiveness both in clinical and pedagogical settings, and aid in the differentiation of SOVTE approaches within the taxonomy of vocal habilitation and rehabilitation techniques.

Matters of notational practice in the works of Ephraim Amu (1899–1995)

The music of Ephraim Amu (1899–1995) is a national treasure in his home country of Ghana. As the architect of the Ghanaian choral idiom, and with a considerable influence on music composition in West Africa, it is inexplicable that the bulk of Amu’s music scores are not available for performance or study nearly 30 years after his passing. In collaboration with Misonu Amu and a team of scholars and choral directors, I am developing a scholarly edition of his complete works. This article explores recurring issues experienced with Amu’s music notations in the editorial process. After a brief description of source materials and the manner in which these scores are employed in practice, attention is focused on the project itself. The methodologies used in the production of 215 newly engraved performance-ready scores are outlined, followed by a discussion of four problem areas encountered with music notation and how these challenges are being addressed. The complete edition will have 7 volumes organised according to voicing, with roughly 30 scores each and will be made accessible online.

The impact of dysconscious racism and ethical caring on choral repertoire

ABSTRACT The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate choral directors’ experiences as they navigate Whiteness through their own personal philosophies and practices related to repertoire selection and how those lived experiences may or may not impact their students. Twelve practicing choral directors from middle school through university settings were interviewed. Three important themes arose during analysis including the presence of dysconscious racism with episodes of white fragility, the presence and absence of ethical caring, and the development of a critical consciousness along a spectrum based on experiences. Implications for music educators are offered.

Effects of teaching experience and culture on choral directors' descriptions of choral tone.

In this study we examine the effects of experience and culture on choral teachers’ description of choral tone across a range of genres. What does a “good” choral music performance sound like? Is there an objective standard of performance excellence, or is beauty in the eye of the beholder? In teacher preparation programs, choral directors in the United States have been taught to identify and teach particular, culturally-bounded standards of choral tone in their students. Choral directors evaluate their students’ voices along two dimensions: health and appropriateness. They discern and describe whether the student’s musical instrument—their voice—is producing sound in a healthy and non-damaging way. They also judge whether the style of their sound is appropriate for the music they are singing. However, teacher preparation programs do not provide common standards or lexicon for describing tone. This may increase implicit bias of individual directors, and inadvertently exacerbate ethnocentrism and harm students’ self-perception. Using a computational text analysis approach, we evaluate the content of open-ended survey responses from teachers, finding that the language used to describe and rate choral performance varies by experience, and by the choral selection (e.g., whether it is a traditional Western or non-Western song). We suggest that regularizing the terminology and providing common training through professional organizations can minimize potential bias and generate more systematic, precise use of qualitative descriptors of health and appropriateness, which will benefit students and teachers.

Coming Home; Together Again!

Coming Home; Together Again! Carole Blankenship (bio) From the President In the last few weeks and months, we have experienced a genuine reunion with loved ones, friends, and whole communities that we have missed during most of 2020 and half of 2021. Some of these gatherings have been bittersweet reunions due to the loss of dear friends and family. The gatherings may well include immense relief that we have survived one of the hardest times of our lives. Amid the many tribulations and the financial failures of the time, COVID-19 may have been cruelest to the performing arts. Many performing artists have not had access to required rehearsal spaces, teaching studios, and stages and concert halls, resulting in loss of income, livelihood, and even self-worth. COVID-19 kept us away from people who encourage us in our art, including our collaborators and mentors. Students of all ages have been relegated to online learning from their homes, often in bedrooms. Students in the performing arts have been left to learn lines and music in a vacuum, outcomes being video auditions or virtual performances on Zoom. Most of us were completely without opportunities to be part of something bigger than ourselves and all that goes with live collaboration and performance. As I write this, many of my colleagues in the arts are planning to be with others in person after functioning virtually for many months. Calendars are filling with dates and times for rehearsals and performances! We are planning performances on our stages and in our halls, and, thrilled to collaborate with each other again, we will gather to sing solo or in harmony in acoustic spaces built just for that purpose! And NATS is here to welcome you back home to live workshops, live auditions, and an in-person national conference! As we schedule and program concerts, NATS has been working for months to help guide the re-entry to in-person performances and auditions. In collaboration with partner organizations the NATS Voice Science Advisory Committee has penned the following statement. JOINT STATEMENT ON SARS-COV-2 VACCINATIONS AND BEST HEALTH PRACTICES The National Association of Teachers of Singing Voice Science Advisory Committee, the American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the Barbershop Harmony Society, the Performing Arts Medicine Association, the Pan American Vocology Association, Opera America, and National Collegiate Choral Organization strongly recommend that all singing teachers, choral conductors, collaborative pianists, and singers eligible to receive an FDA authorized vaccine follow CDC guidance and become fully vaccinated as soon as possible. [End Page 153] We collectively support public health education efforts at the local, state, and national levels that offer accurate information about vaccine efficacy and safety and that encourage all persons to become vaccinated. We recommend that unvaccinated teachers, conductors, collaborative pianists, and singers continue to follow COVID-19 prevention and mitigation practices that have been effective in reducing the spread of the disease in indoor public areas. These include but are not limited to the use of masks, physical distancing, increased ventilation, reduced contact time, regular cleaning of common surfaces, and vigorous hand washing. [For the full statement with bibliographic reference, see https://www.nats.org/_Library/COVID_19_Resource_Docs/VSAC_STATEMENTv2_-_June_23_2021.pdf.] We are indebted to the scientists who have generated the vaccinations that make coming together possible. Those of us who are vaccinated can re-enter the world of live singing with a certain confidence. Those of us who are not vaccinated will be advocating for themselves and communicating their special status to others—a regrettable consequence of almost two years of the pandemic and the extremely divisive political rhetoric around the vaccines. However, singing professionals have access to the facts that receiving the vaccines and asking students and clients to divulge their vaccination status will keep all around them well and free of the virus. Many NATS chapters and regions already have enjoyed live fall events and auditions. Regarding the NATS Artist Award auditions, NATS has created a virtual region for our members in Canada who may not be able to travel to a live preliminary audition and for singers who have medical issues due to COVID-19. NATS invites you home to New York...

Searching, sharing and singing: understanding the information behaviors of choral directors

PurposeThis article aims to help music librarians and other information professionals effectively understand and support communities of choral directors and other groups dependent on networking and serendipitous information encounters. In addition, through discussion and comparison of theories of information behavior, research articles and analysis of events and experiences, the article encourages thoughtful and practical applications of information behavior research.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper uses different theories of information behavior to outline three distinct modes of learning and knowing within communities of choral directors: individual searching, community expertise and serendipitous encounters.FindingsThe choral directing community is one that benefits not only from information support systems that emphasize individual information seeking, but also collaborative networking and serendipitous encounters with other community members. Librarians and other information professionals can best help this group discover new repertoire, plan concert programs, improve rehearsals and support other relevant activities through understanding and helping to provide access to professional music networks and being creative in providing opportunities for serendipitous information discovery.Originality/valueLittle information behavior research and discussion have focused specifically on the information practices of choral directors and how the format and schedule of a professional choral conference illuminate such practices and needs.

Effects of Three Common Choral Configurations on Acoustic and Perceptual Measures of a Soprano Section’s Sound

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of three choral configurations on a soprano section’s sound. The first configuration resembled a choir section without an assigned standing position, the second configuration grouped singers by timbre, and the third used acoustic-compatibility placement. Three conductors configured a university soprano section ( N = 13) who were audio-recorded singing in each configuration and answered questions about their perceptions. Audio recordings were analyzed acoustically using long-term average spectra and perceptually through pitch analysis and listener perceptions. Results indicated that participants sang with significantly increased spectral energy in the acoustic-compatibility configuration ( p < .001), and both singer and listener participants preferred intentional standing configurations over the random standing configuration. Findings from this study suggest that choral directors can use intentional configurations in conjunction with 2 ft intersinger spacing to improve singer comfort and overall sound.

Appreciating, (Re)-Thinking and Diversifying Arts Education: Learning to Be a Choral Conductor/ Trainer/Director/Educator in Kenya

The tremendous growth of choral music in Kenya over the last 50 years has largely been realised in three major establishments, namely: the Church, institutions of learning, and political arenas. Whereas choral music presents a field that can draw from diverse inquiries, the article focuses on music education as a component of choral music. It is motivated by the concern that the majority of choral trainers/directors/educators in Kenya are not products of formal choral training programmes. For the few who have obtained formal musicology, ethnomusicology and music education qualifications, observation shows that choral training or directing either forms a minimal part of, or is not included in, the various certificate, diploma or degree courses offered. Although conducting and/or art music as course units are offered in selected universities no institution of learning in Kenya offers a full course that focuses clearly on training choral trainers/directors/educators. Thus, choral directors may be the product of music training programmes other than formal school curricula. Whether in institutions of learning or the Church, the article views a choir situation as an alternative classroom, where the choral conductor/trainer/director/educator not only artistically imparts knowledge to the singers (learners), but also to prospective choral directors, hence acting as a role model. Therefore, the article demonstrates the alternative methodologies employed in Kenyan choral music. To address these concerns, the study relied on an ethnographic research approach that involved interviewing choral artistes, as well as observing how they practise their music, besides group interactive strategies.

Research-to-Resource: A Choral Director’s Abridged Guide to the Male Voice Change

The purpose of this Research-to-Resource article is to provide choral directors a short, practical guide to working with male singers throughout their voice change using research-based strategies. Practical recommendations about vocal range assessment, music selection, and vocal warm-ups are provided.

Effects of Straw Phonation on Acoustic and Perceptual Measures of a Barbershop Chorus

Abstract Voice instructors, speech language pathologists, and choral directors frequently utilize semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises in their practices. These exercises, which narrow the vocal tract above the vocal folds, have been found to reduce voicing effort while maintaining or boosting acoustic output of individual speakers and singers. Recent investigations of choirs have aligned, with choirs maintaining or increasing acoustic output after a straw phonation protocol and, in one study, singer perceptions of improved choral sound and vocal efficiency. These choral studies have taken place with traditional Western Classical-style ensembles. SOVT exercises, however, are also frequently recommended in groups that sing in other styles (e.g., barbershop), in which thousands of school and community choristers participate. Though each style may involve unique vocal techniques, no published study to date has investigated the efficacy of SOVT protocols in non-Western Classical choral ensembles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure the effect of a group straw phonation protocol on acoustic and perceptual changes of conglomerate, choral sound in a male barbershop chorus. Results indicated that the group sang with 1.00 dB SPL increased spectral energy (0–10 kHz) after the straw protocol, possibly indicating a “just noticeable” difference. Most singer participants also thought the group sounded better (85.7%) and that they individually sang more efficiently (62.5%) after the protocols. These results align with previous research and may indicate that choral teacher-conductors and music teacher educators in barbershop settings could utilize SOVT exercises to improve “vocal economy” by increasing vocal output with reduced effort.

Comparison of Printed Concert Programs at ACDA, ASTA, and Midwest Clinic National Conferences

This short-form article reports a content analysis of all school-based ensemble concert programs distributed at the 2015 national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, the American String Teachers Association, and the Midwest Clinic. The purpose was to address perceptions that print and design expectations for the concert programs were elaborate and, therefore, beyond the means of schools and organizations with limited financial resources. Programs were analyzed for characteristics such as overall dimensions, number of pages, use of color and photography, letters of administrative or political support, and design intensity. Analysis revealed substantial differences between the aggregate concert programs by conference, as well as between the individually distributed programs. These differences indicate that norms for the three professional conferences afford conductors and sponsoring organizations varying flexibility to design and distribute conference concert programs. Data are examined to suggest opportunities for further flexibility.

Effects of a straw phonation protocol on acoustic and perceptual measures of choirs

Voice instructors, choral directors, and voice professionals have long utilized semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises to evoke efficient voicing from their students or clients. These exercises, which involve narrowing and/or lengthening the vocal tract as a means of increasing pharyngeal pressure, can include nasal consonants, lip or tongue trills, raspberries, or vocalizing through a tube or straw. Researchers have noted that the increased pressure reduces the amount of breath pressure required to initiate voicing (i.e., phonation threshold pressure) while maintaining or increasing acoustic output (e.g., sound pressure level, formant intensity). The result may be increased “vocal economy” or “vocal efficiency” (i.e., increased vocal output with decreased effort). Until recently, however, this research was limited to effects on individuals. This paper includes a series of studies in which choirs of varied voicing (SATB, SSAA, and TTBB) sang unaccompanied pieces prior to and after performing voicing exercises through a small stirring straw. Long-term average spectra have indicated that most choirs maintained or increased acoustic output in the conglomerate, choral sound after the protocols. Singers have also perceived improved choral sound and decreased singing effort. These results may interest choral directors who wish to improve the vocal economy of their ensembles.

At home, song, and fika – portraits of Swedish choral initiatives amidst the refugee crisis

ABSTRACTWith the unprecedented worldwide refugee crisis, to what extent can music play a role in welcoming? In particular, how does choral music have a role in mobilising communities, generating intercultural understanding, and lifting some of the barriers that confront refugees and asylum seekers? How can such activity be seen as a benefit to the welcomers rather than only the outsider others? The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to study how selected Swedish choral directors seek to include refugees into their choirs or musical groups. Additionally, the study seeks to understand how such efforts at inclusion are received, understood, and enacted. In other words, ‘What does it mean to refugees to sing choral music in a Swedish context, how is this perceived by the Swedish musical leaders, and how is this contextualized against Swedish government policy?’ We interview five Swedish choral directors and use the data to dig deeper into the multilayered and complex matter of welcoming refugees through community music. We contend that the work of these choral directors, as genuine acts of goodwill, is a powerful way to welcome new arrivals. However, the medium of the Western European choir may be culturally remote for refugees, and these initiatives may need new models of community music engagement.

The Effects of Three Physical and Vocal Warm-Up Procedures on Acoustic and Perceptual Measures of Choral Sound

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the effects of three warm-up procedures (vocal-only, physical-only, physical/vocal combination) on acoustic and perceptual measures of choir sound. The researchers tested three videotaped, 5-minute, choral warm-up procedures on three university choirs. After participating in a warm-up procedure, each choir was recorded singing a folk song for long-term average spectra and pitch analysis. Singer participants responded to a questionnaire about preferences after each warm-up procedure. Warm-up procedures and recording sessions occurred during each choir's regular rehearsal time and in each choir's regular rehearsal space during three consecutive rehearsals. Long-term average spectra results demonstrated more resonant singing after the physical/vocal warm-up for two of the three choirs. Pitch analysis results indicate that all three choirs sang "in-tune" or with the least pitch deviation after participating in the physical/vocal warm-up. Singer questionnaire responses showed general preference for the physical/vocal combination warm-up, and singer ranking of the three procedures indicated the physical/vocal warm-up as the most favored for readiness to sing. In the context of this study with these three university choir participants, it seems that a combination choral warm-up that includes physical and vocal aspects is preferred by singers, enables more resonant singing, and more in-tune singing. Findings from this study could provide teachers and choral directors with important information as they structure and experiment with their choral warm-up procedures.

Effects of Conductor Baton Use on Band and Choral Musicians’ Perceptions of Conductor Expressivity and Clarity

The purpose of this study was to examine participants’ (college band and choral musicians, N = 143) perceptions of conductor clarity and expressivity after viewing band and choral directors conducting with or without a baton. One band and one choral conductor each prepared and conducted two excerpts of Guy Forbes’s O Nata Lux, a piece written in both choral and band idioms, with and without a baton. Participants viewed 10 excerpts (four choral, four band, and two distractors) and rated the conductors’ clarity and expressivity on 10-point Likert-type scales. There were significant main effects for participant ensemble emphasis (choral or band), baton use, and conductor type (choral or band), and a significant interaction between conductor type and baton use. The choral conductor was perceived to be clearer without a baton, whereas the band conductor was perceived to be clearer with a baton. The choral conductor was perceived to be more expressive with a baton, and the band conductor was perceived to be more expressive without a baton.

The “vowels in hand” system: a time-out with five quite contrary letters

This article introduces the Vowels in Hand (VH) method. Developed for choral directors, the VH method communicates vowel preferences to choral singers in rehearsal in order to speed up the rehearsal process and create vowel clarity, instead of more traditional methods like written IPA symbols or singing demonstrations. The article first discusses the need for the method within the choral field and investigates various choir rehearsal challenges that arise when attempting to unify vowels. The author enumerates the method and strategies for successfully using it with choirs. With this method in place, the author argues that conductors can quickly communicate desired vowel shapes to singers who can use them in performance. The VH strives to take the mystique out of vowel unification by making it a straightforward and attainable process.