This paper was originally presented in a shortened form
during the Poster Paper sessions
at the 2000 NATS Convention in Philadelphia.

It is the result of a seven-year collaboration which began with a team-taught voice styles class and grew to include review of over 1,500 songs for pedagogical applications - the result of which is the 26 American Songs - No Arias. The authors also collaborate to present the day-long workshop Vocal Style and Performance Practice in Jazz and Swing.

This text is an abstract of a longer version which appeared in the Journal of Singing, volume 58, no. 1, September/October 2001. JoS now holds the copyright on the full text, so research a copy in your local music library if you would like more complete information on the 26 American Songs.

A wise selection of repertoire is an important factor in the progressive growth of the solo voice . . . appropriate selections can develop enthusiasm, and, at the same time, assist good tonal production. They can conserve and beautify the quality of each individual voice . . . inspiring the love for singing that will last through a lifetime. An unwise selection can destroy interest, impair good voices and thwart the desire for enjoyment of singing. ¹

SCENARIO

A student enters a voice studio seeking to improve technique. The student is in a band or wants to study musical theatre. The teacher assigns one of the Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias and, perhaps, several Vaccai exercises. After a few lessons the student ceases study.

REACTION

Many teachers would say this was not a serious student. We would disagree. This was not a serious teacher. Those trained in the philosophy of education understand if a teaching strategy fails, it is the teacher's fault. The teacher must find a way to teach to each individual student's needs and particular logic.

THEORY

It is the how of singing, not the what that will improve or undo sound technical practices. Choice of repertory does not make for good or bad technique. There is no inherent quality to a song which guarantees technique will improve by singing it. Nor will a specific song necessarily be detrimental to good singing.

Granted, much of jazz, swing, musical theatre, and popular singing is atrocious. So is a lot of classical and operatic singing. Just as we would not dismiss classical singing due to less-than-competent practitioners, so, too, we should not condemn non-classical styles as harmful or "bad" singing due to the unfortunately low standards of production. If we don't like the singing we hear in nonclassical styles, we should not dismiss it, but help improve it. This help need not include requiring the student to change styles. Classical training need not necessarily involve training in classical literature.

VOCAL CONVICTIONS

• We believe all good singing is essentially the same. There may be differences in performance practice or stylization, but a healthy voice act is universal.

• We believe the best vocal technique is free of muscular tension.

• We believe in analyzing individual aspects of singing, correcting production, eliminating tensions, and then resynthesizing the whole.

• We believe mastery of fundamental concepts is far more important than mastery of repertory.

• We believe "to be able to sing really well in one language is certainly a greater achievement than to distort several". ²

• We likewise believe to sing comfortably and well in a portion of the vocal range is far better than to tax both the voice and the listener by reaching for notes which cannot be produced with freedom and grace.

In choosing our tools, i.e.: the songs, for this project, we first established pedagogical goals in keeping with the vocal convictions above. Those aspects of singing which most often require attention are inhalation, initiating tone, breath maintenance, articulation, developing a connected and sustained style, ear training, and accuracy in vocal agility. ³

We follow a philosophy of achieving one goal at a time, moving on when mastery has been achieved. In keeping with this philosophy, we have chosen our teaching strategies and our tools so that each naturally focuses on a single aspect of singing, to which the student may devote undivided attention. The concentration and simplicity of each of the strategies leads to an ease of success, often within the first few renditions of the song, supporting a positive learning attitude. We work toward singing at peak efficiency with minimum effort while training the mind in new habits.

PEDAGOGICAL GOALS

INHALATION

• Develop a eupneic,⁴ low, abdominal, "at rest" breath, the standard for voice study.

• Banish the dyspneic⁴ breath, with its fight-or-flight, panic reflex closing of the glottis.

INITIATING TONE

• Begin tones freely, without local control of breath in the throat, whether it be glottal stopping, hard onset, left-over effects of a dyspneic breath, or other throat/tongue constrictions.

BREATH MAINTENANCE

• Maintain breath energy through continued engagement of torso musculature during voicing.

• Maintain openness of airway and vocal tract.

ARTICULATION

• Produce vowels with required tongue position changes only and without allowing the tongue to become rigid.

• Allow only the minimum tension necessary to form eachconsonant.

• Coördinate articulation with breath maintenance that the former does not interrupt the latter.

CONNECTED & SUSTAINED STYLE

• Maintain breath energy throughout phrases.

• Master a consistently even and uninterrupted flow of tone for all vowels, pitches, and volumes.

• Develop a minimally-interruptive consonant articulation.

EAR TRAINING

• Master pitch matching. ⁵

• Learn standard chord structures and derivative melodic patterns of repertory styles.

VOCAL AGILITY

• Navigate "breaks" in the range without singer-induced production changes.

• Master broken chords with knowledge of underlying theory.