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IJRCS

IJRCS Preview – The Effects of Rehearsal Sequence on the Musical Expressivity of Young Voices

January 31, 2022 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The International Journal of Research in Choral Singing (IJRCS)  is ACDA’s scholarly publication that welcomes studies that apply rigorous, systematically-grounded methodologies, either quantitative or qualitative, to investigate phenomena of potential interest to all who sing in, work with, or are otherwise interested in choral ensembles. Below is the abstract from this article written by Craig Hurley and Rebecca L. Atkins titled “The Effects of Rehearsal Sequence on the Musical Expressivity of Young Voices.”
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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the sequence in which a choir learns the elements of a song (e.g., rhythm, pitch, text, expression) influence the musical expression (e.g., articulation, dynamics) of their performance. We were also curious if learning sequence would affect expressive retention over time. Participants included four intact sixth-grade choir classes from two large middle schools located in the southeast United States. Participants learned two different songs, one with an infused-expression sequence and one with a post-expression sequence. During the infused-expression sequence, participants learned expressive elements alongside rhythm, pitch, and text. During the post-expression sequence, participants learned the rhythm, pitch, and text first, followed by expressive elements. Each participant recorded a performance of each song immediately after the initial learning sequence and again one week later. Results showed that when students learned a song using an infused-expression sequence they performed more expressively both on the initial and retention recording than students who learned the same song using a post-expression sequence. Implications for the use and benefits of infused-expression sequencing as well as future research are discussed.

Visit https://acda.org/publications/international-journal-of-research-in-choral-singing/ to read this article.

**The ACDA Symposium on Research in Choral Singing will take place April 29, 2022. Find out more here.**

Filed Under: IJRCS Tagged With: ACDA Membership Benefits, ACDA Publications, IJRCS

International Journal of Research in Choral Singing: 2021 Volume 9 Overview

January 3, 2022 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The International Journal of Research in Choral Singing (IJRCS)  is ACDA’s scholarly publication that welcomes studies that apply rigorous, systematically-grounded methodologies, either quantitative or qualitative, to investigate phenomena of potential interest to all who sing in, work with, or are otherwise interested in choral ensembles.

Below is an overview of the Volume 9, articles published in 2021.

For more information, to submit an article, or to view the full archives, visit https://acda.org/ijrcs
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 Effects of Vibrato and Pitch-Varied Vocal Models on Acoustic Measures of High School and Undergraduate Singers’ Vocal Performance (by Sandy P. Hinkley)
The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of vibrato and pitch-varied vocal models on high school and undergraduate singers’ intonation and use of vibrato.

 Choral Directors’ Self Report of Accommodations Made for Boys’ Changing Voices: A Twenty Year Replication (by Janice N. Killian, John B. Wayman, Patrick M. Antinone)
To explore possible changes in educators’ self-reported strategies used to accommodate changing voices, we replicated survey data collected between 1998-2000 (Killian, 2003).

 Assessment in the Choral Classroom: A Case Study of a Secondary Choral Program (by Elizabeth R. Hearn)
The study identified external and internal influences that directly affected the use of assessment practices at Allen Thomas High School (ATHS), including the choir’s role in the school curriculum and culture.

 Male Adolescents’ Narratives about Their Choral (Non)participation in Public Secondary Music Schools of Greece (by Antonis Ververis)
The purpose of the present study was to investigate boys’ views about their participation in secondary school music ensembles with emphasis on the factors which influenced their decision whether to join school choirs.

 Real Voices, Virtual Ensemble 2.0: Perceptions of Participation in Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choirs (by Stephen A. Paparo)
The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of participation in Eric Whitacre’s virtual choirs among mostly amateur singers (N = 312) from 31 countries and answer four research questions.

 Facilitating Musical Expression in School Choirs: Honoring Individuality, Seeking Unity (by Andrea Maas)
This study explored how American high school choral directors and singers conceptualized and practiced musical expression. Data were generated through rehearsal observations, video-stimulated recall interviews (SRI), and semi-structured interviews with conductors and student focus groups.

Filed Under: IJRCS Tagged With: ACDA Membership Benefits, ACDA Publications, IJRCS, Research

IJRCS-Facilitating Musical Expression in School Choirs: Honoring Individuality, Seeking Unity

December 13, 2021 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The International Journal of Research in Choral Singing (IJRCS)  is ACDA’s scholarly publication that welcomes studies that apply rigorous, systematically-grounded methodologies, either quantitative or qualitative, to investigate phenomena of potential interest to all who sing in, work with, or are otherwise interested in choral ensembles. Below is the abstract from this article written by Andrea Maas titled “Facilitating Musical Expression in School Choirs: Honoring Individuality, Seeking Unity.”

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ABSTRACT

Expression is a critical component of musical experiences for many educators and students and some studies show that the most common goal of a musical experience is to infl uence emotion (Juslin & Västfjäll, 2008). However, the role of emotion in musical expression, and effective approaches for developing musical expression, remain unclear (Brenner & Strand, 2013; Juslin & Laukka, 2003; Meissner, 2021; Pavlou, 2013; Reimer, 2009; Woody, 2000). Unique considerations for singers, including facial expressions, vocal timbre, and lyrics, make choral settings rich environments for exploring how conductors and singers work toward an expressive ensemble performance. This study explored how American high school choral directors and singers conceptualized and practiced musical expression. Data were generated through rehearsal observations, video-stimulated recall interviews (SRI), and semi-structured interviews with conductors and student focus groups. A shared conceptualization of musical expression was constructed through data analysis which served as a working definition for the study. Specific approaches for facilitating musical expression are discussed in the following categories: (a) orienting ensembles toward musical expression, (b) approaches for facilitating musical expression that honor the individuality of singers, and (c) approaches toward a unified ensemble musical expression. Implications for choral directors who wish to facilitate musical expression with singers are described.

Visit https://acda.org/publications/international-journal-of-research-in-choral-singing/ to read this article

**The ACDA Symposium on Research in Choral Singing will take place April 29, 2022. Find out more here.**

Filed Under: IJRCS Tagged With: ACDA Membership Benefits, ACDA Publications, IJRCS

IJRCS–Knowledge Practices: Changing Perceptions and Pedagogies in Choral Music Education

August 23, 2021 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The International Journal of Research in Choral Singing (IJRCS)  is ACDA’s scholarly publication that welcomes studies that apply rigorous, systematically-grounded methodologies, either quantitative or qualitative, to investigate phenomena of potential interest to all who sing in, work with, or are otherwise interested in choral ensembles. Below is the abstract from this article written by Karen Howard titled “Knowledge Practices: Changing Perceptions and Pedagogies in Choral Music Education.”

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ABSTRACT

Preparing choral music educators who are sociocultural pedagogues requires the development of a knowledge base of diverse singing traditions, the meaningful inclusion of culturally diverse content in the choral curriculum and rehearsal, and thoughtful adaptation in the delivery of instruction that shows a sensitivity both to the learners and the represented music cultures. The purpose of this case study was to analyze the outcomes of a newly designed graduate course for choral conducting students as they engaged in singing traditions from marginalized and lesser-known music cultures.
The research focused on inequities in music education based on race, ethnicity, and music cultures that have resulted in asymmetric power relationships between choral directors and students. I applied Maton’s (2016) Legitimation Code Theory (LCT), a research framework inspired by Bourdieu’s (1986) work with “rules of the game” and Bernstein’s (2000, 2003b) work with knowledge codes.
LCT allows examination of knowledge practices and can be used to shape teaching practice and curricular content. The research was guided by the following questions: (a) what beliefs do music educators hold about repertoire and music cultures that they do and do not include in their choral curricula in relation to the place and time in which they teach, and (b) what can be discovered regarding successful pedagogical strategies based on knowledge and knower structures. Two relevant themes emerged including the impact of cultural elitism in the choral conducting community with subthemes of perfectionism and concerns related to performance practice, and the development of a reflective praxis.

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Visit https://acda.org/publications/international-journal-of-research-in-choral-singing/ to read this article

**The ACDA Symposium on Research in Choral Singing will take place April 29, 2022. Find out more here.**

Filed Under: IJRCS Tagged With: ACDA Membership Benefits, ACDA Publications, IJRCS

IJRCS: Real Voices, Virtual Ensemble 2.0: Perceptions of Participation in Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choirs

August 9, 2021 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The International Journal of Research in Choral Singing (IJRCS)  is ACDA’s scholarly publication that welcomes studies that apply rigorous, systematically-grounded methodologies, either quantitative or qualitative, to investigate phenomena of potential interest to all who sing in, work with, or are otherwise interested in choral ensembles. Below is the abstract from this article written by Stephen Paparo titled “Real Voices, Virtual Ensembles 2.0: Perceptions of Participation in Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choirs.“

___________________

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of participation in Eric Whitacre’s virtual choirs among mostly amateur singers (N = 312) from 31 countries and answer four research
questions: (a) What did participants gain from their participation? (b) What did they learn about
their voices and themselves as performers? (c) What were their perceptions of the similarities and
differences between in-person choirs and virtual choirs? and (d) How did virtual choir participation influence their current and future choral music participation? Data were collected via a researcher-designed, anonymous online survey. Results indicate that respondents gained a sense of personal satisfaction and global connection. The virtual choir afforded opportunities for those who were unable to participate in in-person choirs due to geographic isolation, schedule conflicts, personal disability, and audition barriers. For many, viewing their performance on video was a new experience and resulted in mostly negative critiques of their own voices. Respondents identified the lack of musical and social interaction between themselves, the conductor, and fellow singers as well as an absence of the embodied experience of being a part of the ensemble. In general, virtual choir participation seemed to encourage future choral singing participation. A discussion of access, assessment, connection, and post-production in virtual choirs as well as recommendations for integrating in-person and virtual music-making to enhance choral participation are provided.

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Visit https://acda.org/publications/international-journal-of-research-in-choral-singing/ to read this article

**The ACDA Symposium on Research in Choral Singing will take place April 29, 2022. Find out more here.**

Filed Under: IJRCS Tagged With: ACDA Membership Benefits, ACDA Publications, IJRCS, virtual choir

IJRCS-Male Adolescents’ Narratives about Their Choral (Non)participation in public secondary music schools of Greece

June 28, 2021 by Amanda Bumgarner Leave a Comment

The International Journal of Research in Choral Singing (IJRCS)  is ACDA’s scholarly publication that welcomes studies that apply rigorous, systematically-grounded methodologies, either quantitative or qualitative, to investigate phenomena of potential interest to all who sing in, work with, or are otherwise interested in choral ensembles. Below is the abstract from this article written by Antonis Ververis titled “Male adolescents’ narratives about their choral (non)participation in public secondary music schools of Greece.”

_____________________

The purpose of the present study was to investigate boys’ views about their participation in
secondary school music ensembles with emphasis on the factors which influenced their decision
whether to join school choirs. To fulfill this aim, the researcher conducted individual semi-structured interviews with 17 boys, students and graduates of two provincial public secondary music schools in Greece. These boys seemed to avoid their school choir, suggesting that enrollment in an instrumental ensemble and playing a musical instrument are activities of a higher social status, in comparison to participation in choirs and singing, respectively. Furthermore, according to their narratives, they seemed to choose music ensembles that (a) balance individuality with teamwork, (b) instill a sense of duty (“to feel needed”), (c) assign distinct individual roles, and (d) provide opportunities for personal expression, as well as (e) opportunities to distinguish themselves. In addition, they preferred ensembles which (f) do not have a mandatory character, (g) possess a high social status, and (h) provide opportunities for interaction with older individuals who are role models. This study aims to contribute to the international discussion about the reasons which prompt boys to avoid choral singing.

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Visit https://acda.org/publications/international-journal-of-research-in-choral-singing/ to read this article

**The ACDA Symposium on Research in Choral Singing will take place April 29, 2022. Find out more here.**

Filed Under: IJRCS Tagged With: ACDA Membership Benefits, ACDA Publications, IJRCS

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