Course Description
This course lays a foundation for the exploration of the student's unique, individual capacity for full expression, powerful communication, and presence. Students will learn essential components of the anatomy as they pertain to the work of the performer, and strategies for sustained healthy use and maintenance of the voice. Prerequisite: DRAM major.
Syllabus
Student Learning Outcomes, Goals, Objectives:
Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
Course Objectives
Free the natural voice by connecting it to impulse, need to communicate and by releasing habitual tensions.
Develop breath support, resonance, articulation, and expressive range.
Cultivate emotional and personal connection to voice work through text.
Establish sustainable vocal practices for storytelling and acting.
Learning Objectives
Discuss the basic anatomy of the breathing mechanism and vocal tract as it pertains to the actor and storyteller.
Develop strategies for the sustained healthy use of the voice
Independently execute an effective personalized vocal warm-up.
Demonstrate the beginning understanding of communication elements of speech and storytelling.
Course Grading Information:
Activity/Performance Measure | Percentage/Points |
|---|---|
Health Form | 1% |
First Self-Evaluation | 5% |
Play Attendances & Responses | 12% |
Personal Warm Up | 25% |
Everyday Voice Care Readings and Quizzes | 8% |
Vocal Anatomy Quiz | 7% |
Monologue 1 | 12% |
Monologue 2 | 15% |
Book Notation / Reading | 5% |
Final Self Evaluation / Reflection | 10% |
Grading Scale:
Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
93-100% | A |
90-92% | A- |
87-89% | B+ |
83-86% | B |
80-82% | B- |
77-79% | C+ |
73-76% | C |
70-72% | C- |
67-69% | D+ |
63-66% | D |
60-62% | D- |
0-59% | F |
Attendance/Participation:
Attendance: All students are allowed 3 absences to use at your discretion. My advice is to save them for when you need them. After 3 absences your FINAL grade will drop by 5 points (1/2 a letter grade) for each absence. After 9 absences total, you will receive a failing grade.
Tardy arrivals: Everyone runs late sometimes, but the beginning of this class is often focused, meditative body-awareness work that is disrupted with late arrivals. Every three tardies will count as an absence. Late arrivals after 10 minutes will count as an absence.
If you are not feeling well please stay home. If you are experiencing symptoms of illness and cannot stay home, please wear a mask to class. I will have individually wrapped masks available for all students who would like to use one. Due to the highly participatory nature of this course illness will spread quickly, so please consider your classmates and teachers when deciding whether or not to come to class and to wear a mask.
All reasonable accommodations will be made to accommodate student hardships, however, students must ultimately be able to achieve the learning objectives of this course to pass the course. More than 3 absences will adversely affect your grade because this class is a highly-participatory, activity based class. If you find yourself in extreme extenuating circumstances that you expect will cause you to miss more than 3 classes, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can make a plan of action to determine whether this course is the right fit for you at this time.
Your presence in class is crucial to your success. Please make your attendance a top priority whenever possible. This means taking good care of yourself. Sleep. Eat. Drink Water. Moderation in all things is a means to a healthy life. I understand that taking care of yourself is not easy, and it is a learned skill.
Course Materials Purchased by the Students:
No course materials are required, but students must attend at least 3 School of Theatre performances for evaluation and response.
Scholarly Perspectives
This course engages diverse scholarly perspectives to develop critical thinking, analysis, and debate and inclusion of a reading does not imply endorsement.