Teaching Philosophy
The most effective methods of teaching are those that not only seek to convey information
through lecture/instruction, but that also encourage and direct the practical application of that
information. Students not only retain more with this two-fold approach, but we are also able to
cater to a wider array of learning styles as educators.
In the studio, we deal most with the applied act of singing —
almost the exact opposite of the classroom environment, which deals
chiefly with information, and less with application. I believe that
students benefit most from the combination of a thorough knowledge of
the pedagogy behind the singing, and applied vocal instruction.
A firm foundation of the physiology of the vocal apparatus, along with
a basic comprehension of acoustics and the dynamics of sound can only
serve to aid our student in their understanding of the act of singing,
as well as to make them better singers.
Technique
The foundation of all good singing is the breath. It goes without saying that singing cannot
occur without it, but "good" breathing encompasses so much more than that. Singers must
engage themselves in active breathing — a much more concerted effort than
breathing for everyday life. Much of the "action" in active breathing finds its
place in the singer's appogio — the coordinated use of muscle antagonism in
the intercostal and abdominal muscles to effect a singer's support and control. Breathing
should be natural and in time — cyclical in nature. Only with this solid undergirding
can a singer perform properly. Just as good breathing propagates good singing, poor
breathing propagates poor singing, which in turn propagates even more poor breathing and
poor singing. A self-defeating cycle, to be sure.
In addition to proper breathing techniques, students should also be conversant in the
language of pedagogy, particularly the physiology of the voice, as mentioned above.
Understanding the constituent parts of the vocal apparatus, and how each contributes to
the act of singing, can be a valuable tool for our students, both in enabling them to
communicate with their teachers more effectively, and in giving them the information they
require for self-assessment. With such tools, students greater understanding and overall
growth will increase exponentially.
Technology
As we enter the new millennium, voice science is at the gateway to
an exciting new era. PC technology has advanced to such a degree that
our desktop and notebook computers are now capable of supporting imaging
and spectrogram programs previously reserved for hulking, unwieldy machines,
too cost-prohibitive for the average person (or institution, for that
matter). Pedagogues such as Richard
Miller at Oberlin, and
Garyth Nair at Drew are paving the way for the wide-scale introduction
of this technology into the studio for everyday use. The results that
can be achieved with the use of such tools are nothing short of amazing.
Voice imaging devices bring a visual aspect to voice teaching that has
heretofore never existed. Where, in the past, we have relied solely
on auditory feedback, now we can complement that with a visual representation
of the voice in action. In ten seconds of imaged sound from the human
voice, we can see graphic representations of the singer's vibrato, vowel
formants, and overtone series, including the "singer's formant."
This is not to say that we should replace our tried and true methods with machinery, or
that we as teachers are becoming obsolete. Quite the contrary. We should utilize this
technology to enhance and complement our teaching, just as any other tool might. Classical
method combined with 21st century technology — the possibilities are
limitless.
