Principles of Vocal Pedagogy

Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:

Students successfully completing this course will be able to:

• Define and describe the anatomy and physiology of the vocal instrument, specifically those components related to posture, breathing, phonation, resonance, and articulation;
• Explain general principles of acoustics as they relate to resonance and articulation in the production of a healthy vocal sound;
• Define the various registers of the voice as they relate to laryngeal function, explain registration of the voice from the perspective of resonance feedback, and differentiate registers according to corresponding vocal sound qualities;
• Identify and define those criteria used to classify voices, and similarly identify and define the criteria used to select appropriate repertoire for singers of any voice type;
• Outline requisite behaviors that promote good vocal hygiene, those behaviors that contribute to vocal health problems, and define, in general terms, pathologies associated with the professional voice user;
• Discuss various methodologies of teaching each of the above concepts to students in both group and one-on-one settings; and
• Evaluate various approaches to teaching technical concepts to students at intermediate and advanced levels.

Course Grading Information:

Activity/Performance Measure	Percentage/Points
Unit Exams (Three)	50%
Final Exam	20%
Written Assignments (Teaching Observations; Paper)	20%
Attendance	10%

Grading Scale

Percentage	Letter Grade
93 – Above	A
92 – 90	A-
89 – 87	B+
86 – 83	B
82 – 80	B-
79 – 77	C+
76 – 73	C
72 – 70	C-
D+
D
D-
69 – below	F

Attendance/Participation:

Attendance and participation in class are graded components included in the student’s final grade for this course.

Course Materials Purchased by the Students:

All textbook materials for this course are available in e-book format through University Libraries; while students are not required to purchase textbooks, students may choose to do so.