Spring 2003 Course Syllabus for

VOCAL PEDAGOGY II

MUS 434 (MUS 6565)

Credit, 2 Semester Hours (3 graduate hours)

Prerequisite: junior or senior standing (graduate)

COURSE DESCRIPTION: A survey of the history of vocal pedagogy from 1600 to the present; special emphasis will be given to voice-training methods currently in use. The student will be expected to train a beginning voice student under the supervision of the instructor.

COURSE RATIONALE: This is a required course for vocal performance majors. Other interested upper-level students may also take the course. This survey represents a specialized area of knowledge concerning the efficiency and the evolution of teaching methods in light of physiological and acoustical efficiency as known through experiential and scientific data. An understanding of this information is foundational in vocal artists/instructors for their development of critical thinking in this area.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: The student should gain the ability (1) to compare and contrast the historical and current methodologies of teaching singing, (2) to recognize in a student problems of inefficiency, (3) to determine for a student appropriate pedagogical application, (4) and to impart to a student this knowledge in terms that encourage free and coordinated singing .

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: According to the paragraph under Honesty on page 53 of the 2002-2003 Mississippi College Undergraduate Bulletin, dishonesty in any form is subject to severe penalty. Refer to the current Mississippi College Tomahawk which can be found in the Office of Student Affairs, Nelson 212, or to University Policy 2.19 which can be found on the Mississippi College web site for further information.

METHOD: The instructor will present regular lectures and students will present reports as assigned.

ATTENDANCE: The requirements regarding absences and tardiness are set forth on page 50 of the 2002-2003 MC Undergraduate Bulletin. In addition to these regulations, students who are absent or tardy because or illness, emergency, or school-related function and notify the instructor in a timely manner may be allowed in the last full week of school to make up a missed test or may submit late assignments. Otherwise, any missed tests will be recorded as a grade of O; and late work will be penalized by one letter grade reduction per late-class period. (Excused late work will not normally be accepted beyond two class periods of its due date.) Three occurrences of tardiness will equal one absence.

TEXT: Miller, Richard. National Schools of Singing: English, French, German, and Italian Techniques of Singing Revisited. London: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1997.

Graduate Orientation: Two important sources of information should be read thoroughly.

A hard copy of the Graduate Orientation Manual may be obtained from the Graduate Office in Nelson 202 and may be viewed at: http://www/mc.edu/publications/graduate/orientation.html. A hard copy of the Music Department Graduate Orientation Manual may be obtained from the Music Department Office.

ASSIGNMENTS: (SEE TENTATIVE SCHEDULE FOR DUE DATES.)

Read from the primary text as assigned by the date noted in the tentative schedule. For each reading assignment, formulate at least three questions, from what you consider to be the most important material, and answer these questions in detail. Your questions and answers will be discussed in class. Maintain a notebook of concepts from the text, class notes, and handouts. Create an annotated bibliography of at least 16 books on vocal pedagogy. Present each source in correct bibliographic form followed by a brief annotation (3-5 sentences). Cite at least 8 professional book reviews. The instructor will choose five of these reviews for you to submit written summaries and read during class per the tentative schedule.

Select two topics for research through short journal articles/book chapters/encyclopedia articles. Submit complete bibliographic entries of four articles for each topic (total of 8). The instructor will chose five articles for the student to thoroughly summarize and read to the class according to the dates on the tentative schedule. (The summary of each article in the second half of the semester should also critique, thus proportionately emulating, the professional book reviews considered in the first half of the semester.) Copies of each student=s summaries will be distributed to the class members by the instructor. See Music Index online through MC=s web site @ www.hppmusicindex.com. and http://www.nats.org/ji.html.

Provide vocal training to an adult (at least 18 years old) who has had no private vocal instruction. This person must be willing to sing in class--before lessons begin (on or before Jan. 28) and at the end of the semester (on April 29). (If your student is unable to attend our class session, you may video tape your student for the class to view.) Formulate written objectives for this student, and keep a copy of these goals in order to assess and change as needed throughout the term. Submit updates paragraphs on the teaching process as assigned in the tentative schedule. Write a final evaluation of your student=s progress according to the stated objectives.

Visit the studio of voice instructors on campus as assigned and take notes.

Graduate Credit: In addition to the above requirements, graduate students, because they receive another full hour of credit on the graduate level, will also submit a research paper of 12-15 written pages with any charts, exercises, footnotes, bibliography, etc. considered in addition to this number of pages. Time permitting, students will make an oral presentation of these research papers to the class. The topic must be approved by the instructor no later than spring break, and a thorough outline and bibliography are due one month before the paper is due.

EVALUATION:

Tests will include matching, identification, short answer and discussion. Three major tests will be averaged for two-thirds of the semester grade for undergraduates. Each test will also contain material from the previous test(s).

The remaining one-third of the grade for undergraduates will be equally averaged from the following elements: the annotated bibliography of 16 sources; the bibliography of 8 journal articles; the summaries of 4 book reviews; the summaries of 5 articles; the student objectives, final evaluation, and two update paragraphs; chapter questions which are devised, answered, and discussed in class; and chapters 13-16 summaries as assigned. Grades for written assignments will be based on spelling, grammar and logical presentation as well as content. An incomplete sentence will cause an automatic letter-grade drop.

The semester grade for graduate students will be calculated with test average as one-half, research paper as one-fourth, and the remaining elements as one-fourth.

Final Exam: Prepare before the test to hand in at the beginning of the test (1) two brief paragraphs on two article summaries presented by your fellow students (one paragraph for each summary); and (2) choose four pertinent elements from the historical perspective of vocal pedagogy and explain why you think your choices are important. Also, bring your bibliography to the exam.

SCALE:

A = 100 - 94; B = 93 - 85; C = 84 - 75; D = 74 - 70; F = 69 and below

INSTRUCTOR: Nell Adams 925-3924 (and 924-0289 at home) Please feel free to call.