IJRCS

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.**

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.**

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.**

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.”

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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.**