One problem is our graduates’ reluctance to use research-based techniques when teaching choral music. When I attend many sessions at state, regional and national ACDA conferences, the advice given is frequently the same anecdotal advice that might have been given in 1926, the year when high school choral music in the United States became uniquely focused on performance quality.
An example: A focus of my research is the singing of adolescent boys and how that singing can be continued through the voice change and beyond. Yet, we often fail to present research about the boy and his voice to our students. It’s not a mystery or an enigma. We know exactly what happens during the boy’s voice change, and how it affects him physically, vocally, psychologically, and sociologically. Even better, we know that almost all boys like to sing. They just don’t often receive information about why they join chorus in the first place . . . to learn about singing and the voice in a group setting with their friends. We need to draw on current research to provide that information.
I see great possibilities in choral music education as a research-grounded artistic-academic endeavor. The best news is that, in the most obvious instance, choral music teachers can do this pretty much instantly, tomorrow. An abundance of research indicates that young people (including adolescent boys) want to become better singers. You’ve probably taken years of voice lessons. You’re already an expert in that. So, teach the students what you know and what they want to know. Teach vocal technique first, and use that as a bridge to teaching the fundamental skills necessary for successful choral participation.
(Make plans now to attend your 2016 ACDA Divisional Conference!)
Carl Smith says
James Maroney says