VOCAL PEDAGOGY - MUS 4531/5531, Section 001, 1 semester hour
Class meetings: Monday/Wednesday 11:00-11:50 in ARTS 3.01.30F
Instructor: Associate Professor John Nix, M.M., M.M.E., Cert. in Vocology
Office: ARTS 3.03.04; Phone: 458-5678; E-mail: john.nix@utsa.edu
Office hours: as posted or by appointment

GENERAL INFORMATION

This course (MUS 4531) is the first class in a two semester sequence.  In this course, you will have the opportunity to learn the principles which are the foundation of all teaching methodologies.  Principles learned in this class can be applied to both one-on-one teaching (singing lessons, vocal coaching) and group situations (class voice, choral music).  Through readings, class lectures, guest lectures and perhaps a field trip or two, you will be exposed to the anatomy, physiology, acoustics and development of the human voice.  Through lesson observations, you will have the opportunity to see how different teachers apply this information to teaching.  The second course (MUS 4541) is offered in the spring, and will cover repertoire selection for young singers, supervised teaching, applying vocal pedagogy principles to group settings, and will introduce you to voice technology.

We will be reading from a variety of books and journal articles.  I have a number of items on reserve in the library to supplement our basic text and interactive CD-ROM, Your Voice: An Inside View by Scott McCoy.  This book is available in the UC bookstore; you may also purchase it by contacting the publisher at www.voiceinsideview.com.

This course will require you to spend a good deal of time outside of class reading or observing other people teaching.  You should plan on spending at least two hours studying and preparing outside of class for every hour that you spend in class, especially at the beginning of the term, when we have a lot of reading to do.  Don’t fall behind.  This is not a class you can cram for.  Some of the reading is rather difficult, but we will spend a good deal of time in class going over what you have read.  If you don’t understand the reading at first, bring your concerns to class - others may have the same questions – or come see me during my office hours.  I have found that it takes several readings to absorb everything, so be patient!

COURSE OUTLINE

1.         Introduction.  What is pedagogy?  Why study anatomy, physiology, acoustics, vocal development?

2.         Body alignment for singing; Introduction to the Alexander Technique.

3.         Respiration: anatomy and physiology.

4.         Phonation: anatomy and physiology.

5.         Resonation: anatomy and physiology; the nature of sound; acoustics; registers.

6.         Vocal health and hygiene.

7.         Developmental stages of the voice.

PREREQUISITES

You must have had 2 semesters of MUS 1511 or its equivalent to take this course.

ASSIGNMENTS

Readings: McCoy (we will read the whole book) plus articles and selections from books on reserve (see attached detailed list).

Tests: We will have two in-class tests and a final.  The first in-class test will be at the end of September and will cover body alignment and the anatomy and physiology of respiration.  The second in-class test will be at the end of October and will cover the anatomy and physiology of phonation and resonation and acoustics.  The final will be cumulative and will include vocal registers, vocal health/hygiene, and the development of the voice.  The final exam will be held on Tuesday, December 12 from 1:30-4:15 pm.  Please mark this date and time on your calendars NOW. 

Notebooks: You will be required to turn in a notebook for this class.  It should include your notes from class discussions, notes on lessons you have observed (a minimum of 6 lessons observed for undergraduates - 3 male and 3 female; at least 9 lessons observed for grad students), and any handouts you may have gotten during the semester.  Graduate students will also be required to review a voice website as a part of their notebook.  Notebooks will be collected twice – at midterm and on the next to last day of class (so I can return them to you in time for your final!).  They should be neat and organized - if I can’t read it, I can’t grade it!  You are expected to have half of your lesson observations done by midterm (3 for undergrads, 5 for grads). 

GRADING

Participation                                                                               20%

Tests                            2 in-class tests               (September)       15%

                                                                        (October)           15%

                                    1 final                            (December)        25%

Notebooks                                                                                 25% (12.5% at mid term, 12.5% at end of semester)

Extra credit:                   extra lesson observations may raise your grade up to 2% per hour lesson observed or 1% per half hour lesson observed.  See me for details.

Missed exams:               If you miss an exam, you must make it up within one week of original date of the exam.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance is essential.  You are responsible for what goes on in class each day.  Your final grade will drop 5% (one half of a letter grade) for each absence after the third one (i.e., an A with 4 absences becomes a B+).  You must be in class to participate.  Class starts on time and will go the full period.  We will also have some daily activities (5 minute mini quizzes over readings) that will be part of your participation grade.

CONDUCT: Students in this course are expected to abide by the UTSA Student Code of Conduct.  Please be sure you have read this document (see Appendix B at www.utsa.edu/infoguide/appendices.cfm)

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: UTSA does not discriminate on the basis of disability.  Special assistance is provided to students with disabilities through disability services.  See www.utsa.edu/infoguide/chap_2.cfm#disability for more information. 

CELL PHONES: Please turn your phone off for this class.  Your colleagues are not paying tuition to have their class disrupted by your phone call.  The same applies to text messaging, pagers, etc.  If your job requires you to wear a pager or phone, you must set it on vibrate and you must completely and quietly leave the room to answer it.  Students failing to comply with this policy will be marked absent for any day when they disrupt class with their phone.

Please feel free to come by during my office hours if you have questions, or just want to “talk shop.” I look forward to working with each of you this semester!

John Nix

Pedagogy reading assignments

All ASSIGNED and OPTIONAL readings are either in your text, on 2 hour reserve in the library under my name and this course, or in the non-circulating periodical stacks (call numbers listed below).  You should plan to make copies of any of the reserve items for your notebooks.  “Read” means it is assigned, and you are responsible for the content in the reading.  OPTIONAL means you should try to read it if you can – valuable information is in the reading.

Books on reserve under my name and this course: 

Conable, Barbara.  How to Learn the Alexander Technique.  BF172.C66 1995

Doshcer, Barbara.  Functional Unity of the Singing Voice.  2^nd edition.  QP306.D67 1994

Titze, Ingo.  Principles of Voice Production.  QP306.T58 1994

Vennard, William.  Singing, The Mechanism and the Technic.  MT825.V466 1968

Please note: The Doscher book was used for this class last fall.  You might want to borrow a copy from one of your friends for this course, then return it to them.  You may also purchase a copy of the book at www.scarecrowpress.com or www.amazon.com – be sure to get the 2^nd edition.  I tried to organize this so you would not need to buy both books.

Unit 1.   Intro. to pedagogy.          Read Doscher, Functional Unity, p. xii-xix

                                                Read McCoy, pp. i-iii; pp. 79-82

Unit 2.   Body alignment.             (1) Read Doscher, pp. 69-83

                                                (2) Read Conable, How to learn the Alexander Technique, p. 1-11.

                                                (3) Read Conable, p. 98-113.

                                                (4) Read Farkas, “Alexander and Voice,” The NATS Journal, vol. 50, no.4                                                                             (1994), p. 15, 17-18.  IN FOLIO STACKS, ML27.U5 N2652, vol. 50

Unit 3.   Respiration.                   (1) Read McCoy, pp. 83-106

(2) Read Sundberg, “Breathing Behavior during Singing,” The NATS Journal, vol. 49, no. 3 (1993), p. 4-9, 49-51.  IN FOLIO STACKS, ML27.U5 N2652, vol. 49

Unit 4.   Phonation.                     Read McCoy, pp. 107-135

Unit 5    Resonation/Articulation.

            A. The Nature of Sound. (1) Read McCoy, pp. 15-25

                                                (2) Optional reading: Doscher, pp. 85-105

                                                (3) Optional reading: Vennard, Singing: the Mechanism and the Technic, p. 13-17.

            B. Anatomy/Physiology   Read McCoy, pp. 136-150

            C. Vocal Acoustics         (1) Read McCoy, pp. 27-50

                                                (2) Read Sundberg, “The Acoustics of the Singing Voice,” Scientific                                                                                     American, March 1977, p. 82-91.  IN FOLIO STACKS, T1.S5 vol. 236

                                                (3) Read Doscher, pp. 133-165

            D. Registers                  (1) Read McCoy, pp. 64-77

                                                (2) Read Donald Miller thesis chapter (I will supply this for you)

                                                (3) Optional reading (highly recommended): Doscher, pp. 171-204

                                                (4) Optional reading: Vennard, Singing, p. 63, par. 238 to p. 78, par. 276

Unit 6. Vocal health/hygiene         (1) Read McCoy, pp. 151-173

                                                (2) Read Thurman, “Voice Health and Choral Singing,” Choral Journal,                                                                                  May 1988, p. 25-33.  IN FOLIO STACKS, ML1.C656, vol. 28

                                                (3) Optional reading: Doscher, pp. 214-257

Unit 7. Developmental stages.      (1) Read Sataloff and Spiegel, “The Young Voice,” The NATS Journal,                                                                                 Jan/Feb 1989, p. 35-37.  IN FOLIO STACKS, ML27.U5 N2652, vol. 45

                                                (2) Read Gackle, “The Adolescent Female Voice,” Choral Journal, March                                                                              1991, p. 17-25.  IN FOLIO STACKS, ML1.C656, vol. 31

                                                (3) Read Harris, “The Young Female Voice and Alto,” Choral Journal, Oct.                                                                1987, p. 21-22.  IN FOLIO STACKS, ML1.C656, vol. 28

                                                (4) Read Titze, Principles of Voice Production, p. 178-185

                                                (5) Optional reading (but very long): Cooksey, “The development of a contemporary,                                                            eclectic theory...,” Choral Journal, in four parts: Oct 1977-Jan 1978.  Deals with the young                                                        male changing voice.  IN FOLIO STACKS, ML1.C656, vol. 18

CLASS MEETINGS AND TENTATIVE ASSIGNMENTS.  I reserve the right to adapt this schedule to best present the material and to best meet your needs in this course.

W 8/23              Class introduction.  Description of the assignments.  Assignment for Monday: Purchase textbook; Read                                   Units 1 and 2. 

M 8/28              What is pedagogy?  Definitions of key terms, rationale for this course, general principles

W 8/30              Body alignment.  Lecture/demonstration on Alexander Technique.  Read Unit 3

W 9/6                Body alignment.  Respiration (and how it relates to body alignment)

M 9/11              Respiration

W 9/13              Respiration; Review

M 9/18              FIRST EXAM!  Assignment: Read Unit 4

W 9/20              Phonation. 

M 9/25              Phonation.  Assignment: begin reading Unit 5 materials, esp. Unit 5, section B

W 9/27              Phonation and Resonation anatomy.  Assignment: Read Unit 5, section A

M 10/2              Nature of sound.  Read Unit 5, section B

W 10/4              Nature of sound/Anatomy and Physiology of Resonators/Articulators.  Assignment: Read Unit 5, section C

M 10/9              Anatomy and Physiology/Acoustics

W 10/11            NOTEBOOKS DUE (INCLUDES OBSERVATIONS).  Acoustics continued

M 10/16             Acoustics

W 10/18            Acoustics         

M 10/23             Vocal Jeopardy (review for exam)

W 10/25            SECOND EXAM!  Assignment: Read Unit 5, Section D

M 10/30             Registers

W 11/1              Registers.  (Unless we leave for NATS at Baylor early).  Assignment: Read Unit 6

M 11/6              Registers/Health and Hygiene

W 11/8              Health and Hygiene

M 11/13             Health and Hygiene.  Assignment: read Unit 7

W 11/15            Health and Hygiene/Development

M 11/20             Development

W 11/22            Possible lecture by Dr. Lynne Gackle (via Internet 2)

M 11/27             NOTEBOOKS DUE!  Review 

W 11/29            Possible field trip to UTHSC to meet with Dr. Blake Simpson (laryngologist)

12/12                FINAL EXAM 1:30-4:15