Burgin, John Carroll. Teaching Singing. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1973.

MT820 .B94

This book covers many of the concepts that we have covered thus far in class. Such
concepts include, breathing, phonation, and resonance. Additional topics that this book has
covered include vocal dynamics, ear training, diction and interpretation. For this review I
will study the topics of diction and ear training. I have struggled with proper diction and
ear training so I hope to learn some helpful information that will enable to teach these
concepts more easily to my students.
With diction there are three main points a singer must be aware of. These points
include articulation, enunciation and pronunciation. All of these points slowly build off of
one other beginning with articulation which is producing the vowels and consonants. Then
enunciation takes this a step further to clarify the audibility and clarification of said vowels
and consonants to communicate effectively with the listener. Finally, pronunciation is when
the vowels and consonants are looked at as large rhythmic groupings that begin as syllables
and end as phrases. All of these points are highly stressed because text is what sets vocal
music apart from instrumental music. Consonants hold the responsibility of making a
communicative sound and vowels are responsible for holding the expression and beauty of
the words you are singing.
This book stresses that ear training should be the first step in the study of singing
before a singer focuses on anything else. There are 32 different opinions from credible
sources stating why ear training is the most essential step in a singers career. All of these
statements agree that without a good ear, the singer cannot establish the difference between
a good and bad tone. This book suggests using sound and sensations as guides for
developing proper ear training claiming that singing is a sensory experience. Another
suggestion given is listening to vocal models and proper imitation between the voice student
and teacher. Students will first learn expression as means of imitation so it is crucial that a
voice teacher be able to model what he/she wants.

Phillips, Kenneth. Teaching Kids to Sing. Toronto: Maxwell Macmillan Canada, 1992.
T935 .P53 1992.
This book covers concepts that are essential for teaching young singers. Included are topics
regarding vocal pedagogy, psychomotor aspects, vocal parameters, the changing voice and how
to keep a students voice healthy. It then delves into deeper topics that a student must focus on
when singing. These topics include respiration, how to properly phonate, uniform vowels, diction
and expression of a piece. A proper and relaxed alignment is essential for the student to master
before they can properly breathe and phonate.
I always worry about teaching young students the proper concept of posture. Most often
when telling a student to stand up straight and lift their chest they tense and tighten their body. In
this book there are exercises that allow your students to gain proper postural alignment without
tensing everything up. One of these exercises is imitating a professional diver or gymnast. I like
this exercise because the student is already very familiar with both of these images. This book
also quotes the Alexander Technique when speaking about mental posture. The Alexander
Technique emphasizes even young singers to be aware of their bodily tension and gives three
points for a student to be aware of. The student must allow the neck and head to be free and
allow the torso to widen out and lengthen.
There are seven exercises given for a student to achieve a proper singing posture upon
standing. Each exercise focuses on a different part of the body. For example the exercises begin
with the balls of the feet up to the neck and extending back down to allow the students to focus
on the extremities of their hands. These exercises allow the student to feel the right and wrong
way of achieving such posture. The Knee lock exercise instructs the students to lock their knees
and feel how uncomfortable it is and then unlock the knees. Another exercise is the hip roll
which allows students to develop awareness of their hip placements by instructing them to roll
their hips forward and backward until they find a comfortable placement and their spinal column
begins to lift.

Malde, Melissa, MaryJean Allen and Kurt-Alexander Zelller. What Every Singer Needs To Know
About the Body. San Diego: Plural Publishing Inc., 2009.

When a singer becomes frustrated with their phonation they often attribute it to problems
with their technique. This book completely disagrees with that statement and attributes phonation
problems to tense and faulty movements. To gain mastery singers must be aware of aware of
their movements so they can discern whether they were good or bad. All too often a singer will
finally correctly sing a passage but they cannot replicate it because they do not know what they
did to make it correct. A singer must be constantly evaluating their movements and how effective
that specific movement was.
To be able to evaluate the movements a singer must be aware of their body and how each
body part functions. For example a student cannot correct their torso expansion if they are unsure
where their ribs are and how they expand. This book stresses a student developing an awareness
of their body map. The reason for this being that most faults can be attributed to not knowing
the structure of how something works rather than the actual function. A body map is your own
mental representation of your body. Included in your body map would be your structures, the
size of your structures, and how you think these structures function. To learn more about your
body map you must be familiar with the anatomical structures that are in your body. Once the
anatomical structures are learned you can then begin to attribute the size and functions of your
own body map.
Lastly once you have your own body map you can begin to perceive how your body
moves in motion and the quality of that movement. This is known as kinesthesia and is necessary
for a singer to develop so they can determine what and how much movement is necessary for a
specific phrase or piece. When using your kinesthetic sense you can evaluate your movement
through sensitivity, discrimination and responsiveness. These three steps allow you to perceive
your body in motion, discriminate when something has gone wrong and respond by bringing
yourself back to the correct spot.

Miller, Richard. Solutions for Singers: Tools for Performers and Teachers. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2004.

This book is setup through questions by performers and teachers that are commonly
asked at master classes the author teaches. Each subject is started off by a question and then
answered by the author. As I read throughout the book all of these questions are topics I have
thought of previously or have never even thought about before. This book is comparable to
typing a question into google search and having the perfect answer pop up as the first suggestion.
These questions address a vast variety of concepts including muscular structures, phonation
problems, vowels and laryngeal function. Some of these questions address different approaches
inquiring about which method is better. Other questions inquire about solving a problem they are
dealing with and exercises they may use to fix it.
For example the very first question is a topic we have addressed in class; appoggio versus
belly breathing. He compares the two techniques extensively addressing the muscles used in each
technique and the resulting tone. Even simple questions regarding whether sitting or standing is
better for the singer are addressed. He states that either position is fine as long as the head, neck,
and torso are aligned but it is important to constantly change ones position. Lastly, physiological
questions that a singer cannot control are discussed. For example, one student asked whether the
size and shape of a singers nose affects their resonance. He disputed that the size and shape of a
singers nose does not affect the quality but rather the space in the nasal passages.

Duey, Philip A. Bel Canto in its Golden Age: A Study of its Teaching Concepts. New York: Da
Capo Press, 1980. MT 820 .D92 1980

This book gives clarification, history, and the development of Italian singers in the 18th
century. In Part two, section three it gives the reader the history regarding the discovery of the
larynx and its structures. It wasnt until 1741 that an important milestone was made in
understanding the larynx by Antoine Ferrein. He denoted the term vocal cords and was finally
able to explain how they vibrate. The intrinsic muscles of the larynx were not even understood
until the 1800s. All information prior to this era was false or incomplete so as the understanding
of the larynx was formed, the vocal technique Bel Canto was emphasized. The book also gives
the history and background of vocal hygiene, developments of singing techniques, and
information on the castrati.
As the bel canto period began an emphasis was placed on how to properly express the
dramatic element of each specific solo song. Such elements included being aware that the eyes
and body were not doing ugly things. A lot of emphasis was placed on the singer not making
weird facial expressions and bodily movements. Some teachers even went as far to state that a
person with pleasant physical features can be well received by the audience even if theyre not
very good. The Bel Canto period was also the first era that an emphasis was placed on correct
breathing.One teacher of this time period (Mancini), states that a good singer stands in direct
correlation with chest capacity, force and velocity.
All in all Italy was the main source of singing knowledge. Teachers from other countries
all pay direct tribute to the teachers found in Italy during the Bel Canto period. These teachers
founded their beliefs on prior experiences and believed that these experiences were sufficient
enough to base their teachings off of them. There was also great emphasis placed on natural
methods and gifts of a singer. These natural gifts include a pleasing face, good breathing and a
good ear. The Bel Canto eras theories of phonation were still incorrect. The physiological
knowledge of the vocal mechanism had nothing to do with the Bel Canto era.

Miller, Richard. Training Soprano Voices. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.
MT 820 .M5995 2000
 This book is based upon the premise that a reliable vocal technique is acquired by
treating vocal tasks in a sequential way. This book gives exercises that a soprano may work on to
increase their technical abilities, as well as strategies to accomplish dynamic control. In chapter
four breath energy is discussed and tactics to increase control of breath energy are given. All of
these exercises are given to bring the singers awareness to certain parts of their body. For
example, one exercise may bring the singers awareness to their abdominal muscles while another
exercise places emphasis on the difference in front and back vowels. It even gives examples of
soprano vocal literature and how a soprano should approach the phrase and continue to carry out
the phrase.
Nasal Continuants as assistors in balancing a sopranos resonance are also discussed.
This section breaks down each nasal consonant into several areas. One area is where the soprano
should feel the consonant and where this consonant resonates. Again, sequential exercises
regarding nasal consonants are given to the soprano. Another topic discussed is vowel
modification and the equilibrium of the breath and abdominal muscles.
I enjoyed this book because it gives examples from vocal literature and then breaks it
down for the reader on how best to approach this section. For example there is a passage shown
that has a high G5 and the reader is instructed to maintain awareness of their breath and
abdominal equilibrium. Also, each exercise is notated for the soprano to practice. So if a soprano
wishes to work on one specific aspect of their vocal technique they can easily turn to the
correlating chapter and find a myriad of exercises.

Hines, Jerome. Great Singers on Great Singing. Garden City, NJ: Doubleday, 1982.
ML 1460 .H46 1982

This book contains 42 bibliographies given by successful singers regarding their vocal
journey. Licia Albanese was a singer at the Met from 1940 to her retirement in the 1960s. She
sang in over 1,000 performances while at the Met. Licia began her vocal studies at age 12 with
Rosetta di Leone as her teacher. After studying at a conservatory she made her debut in Parma
singing Butterfly. She describes in depth her feelings towards expression and voice quality. She
describes these with images such as a piece of velvet cloth, or chiffon. Her opinions on breath
regard keeping the belly in and expanding the chest and back. Licia has much information to
give regarding her technique. She is very aware of where she feels each note and what roles the
larynx and tongue play in her technique.
Another singer interviewed is John Alexander. He debuted as a tenor playing Faust in
Gounods opera in 1952 in Cincinnati and in 1961 debuted at the Met. John elaborates on a
comfortable singing position stating the chest should not be raised abnormally high. When taking
a breath imagine that youre wearing a belt and even when you exhale the pressure should be
maintained between the breath and the belly. John makes a distinct correlation between the
breath and timing. He believes to have a good breath is to time the breath. He elaborates that you
must take your maximum amount of breath and when you approach that maximum amount you
must be immediately ready to expel that air. John also claims to not listen to recordings and
compare yourself too much to them. The reasoning behind this is he believes each voice is like a
fingerprint, no two are alike and we must build our voices on our own unique sound.

Ware, Clifton. Basics of Vocal Pedagogy: The Foundations and Process of Singing.
MT820 .W26 1998.
 In Basics of Vocal Pedagogy: The Foundations and Process of Singing, both a scientific
and holistic approach to singing are discussed. The author believes that you are your own best
teacher and an actual teacher can assist you through a trial and error process. This text provides a
sequence addressing the what, how and whys of singing, and teaching singing. This author
believes that before one begins their vocal journey one must develop their own philosophy of
singing. This may include why one wants to sing, or why does one want to share their knowledge
with others? Also addressed in this book are the physcological problems that a singer must
combat and overcome in their career. Such problems may include wanting to identify as one
voice part but actually being a different voice part.
The few beginning chapters address a holistic approach to singing and the later chapters
delve into the scientific approach of singing. The author encourages students to accept their own
natural voice and develop a positive self-image about themselves. Students must sing in a way
that is compatible with their natural abilities and develop their mental imagery so they are able to
adequately express their repertoire. The use of a recording device is also advocated in the use of
student learning because what a student hears is not their actual voice but rather an aural
distortion of what everyone else hears. Whereas the author was previously attributing vocal
sounds to the perception of ones self, he is now attributing vocal sounds to muscular and
skeletal structures. He now begins to give singers exercises they can work on to improve their
tone quality through breath.

David, Marilee. The New Voice Pedagogy. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2008.
MT820 .D245 2008

The New Voice Pedagogy contains a large section regarding vocal health. I think this
subject is of an utmost importance to singers but is rarely stressed to singers before the
collegiate level. One symptom of a sick voice that is common to singers is hoarseness. This
occurs when the normal vibratory patterns of the vocal cords are interrupted or disturbed.
Hoarseness is caused by a change in mass of the vocal cords. This can be attributed to
inflammation or an excess amount of mucous in the epithelium layer of the vocal chords.
This limits a singers vocal intensity and the tone that is available to them.
A topic I found interesting was Laryngitis. I had previously assumed Laryngitis was
always associated with a medical illness. I learned that Laryngitis is categorized as any
inflammation of the larynx that involved the mucosa covering the cords. Laryngitis could
stem from yelling or an excessive amount of performance rehearsing. The singer must
refrain from singing or speaking to much while they have laryngitis. If they do not refrain
enough the inflamed mucosa will not get the chance to heal. One area I struggle with is
muscular tension in the larynx. I learned this is caused by pressed phonation and in turn
the closed portion of the vibratory cycle is increased. This takes more air to push my folds
apart. I must be wary of this in myself and in my future students.

Christy, Van. Expressive Singing. Dubuque, IA: W. C. Brown and Co., 1974. MT820

In Expressive Singing there is a section regarding the use of accompaniment in voice

class as well as the teacher as the accompanist. This book advocates that it is ok for a
teacher to be an accompanist if they are a highly skilled pianist or if there are no other
accompanists available. If the teacher must be the accompanist in rehearsal it is ok but
makes it harder on the teacher for them to listen and correct their class. I would agree with
this statement because in my experience as I play the different voice parts for a choir part
of my brain is always going to be focusing on the notes and not the sound I am hearing. The
section right below this regards the use of accompaniment in a voice class.
The accompaniment must be a proper model for the choir in terms of expression,
dynamics and rhythms. If the accompaniment is completely wrong it is best for the choir to
go without it at all. Also, an effective accompanist must not be the star of the show like they
would be in their solo piano literature. The accompanist must be even be aware of the
tessitura of the literature. For example if a section is singing in the low part of their range
the accompanist must make note and back off dynamically. The dynamic level of the
accompaniment is completely dependent on the power and penetrating quality of the voice
they are accompanying. Having the piano accompaniment too loud is also listed as a large
fault of voice teaching.
This text then gives the accompanist specific and general objectives for accompanist
to master. Such objectives include developing knowledge and mastery of skill when
accompanying various repertoire for different voices. It also gives examples of audio
lectures, readings and anthologies an accompanist may purchase to aid their learning.

Jones, Earl William. Sound, Self and Song: Essays on the Teaching of Singing.
Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1989.
MT820 .J66 19189

Chapter 7 in Sound, Self and Song: Essays on the Teaching of Singing covers different
approaches voice teachers may take in regards to explanations of directions. In the beginning of
the chapter the author provides many examples of phrases I have heard in my own voice lessons
and given to my voice students as well. Such examples included place the sound forward, or
support the tone. These are all great visual images for a student but how does a student actually
perform these tasks to achieve a desired tone?
The author categorizes voice teachers based on the emphasis of their teachings. He
categorizes an idealist teacher as a teacher who emphasizes improving the voice students
concept of sound but not their actual tone quality. The author states that students under the
direction of an idealist teacher will not enjoy their rehearsal times or their performances. The
reason being that idealists seek to control every aspect of a students voice so every student may
match. The result of this teaching is a student who tries too hard to over control their voice and
have a sufficient amount of tension. Another teacher is the Platonic teacher who does not take
the individuals voice into account. The students of this teacher may all sound the same or sing in
the same style of their peers. Platonic teachers seek to carefully control the lessons and will not
deter from their lesson plans.
The author also categorizes a teacher who accepts a students natural intonation as a
realist. This teacher believes that a natural tone will be the result of experiencing joy while
singing and feeling relaxed. Realists will lead their choir but also make sure to report to the choir
how they sound and how they are progressing. The realist will make the best of the rehearsal
time and their musical interpretations constantly evolve throughout experience and
performances.
Miller, Richard. Solutions for Singers: Tools for Performers and Teachers. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2004. MT820 .M5993 2004

Solutions for Singers: Tools for Performers and Teachers was written with the intent of
sharing historic and contemporary philosophies regarding vocal techniques with performers,
students, and teachers. He has a small section dedicated to learning how to portray emotion. The
author states that portraying emotion while singing alone in front of an audience is not a natural
thing, so it must be taught and learned. He explains that each person is uniquely diverse and as a
result of this, some will have to work harder than others at portraying the emotions of a song. He
exclaims that even an extroverted persons qualities may not transfer to their performance.
He gives specific elements that will aid a singer in developing their expression. He
denotes these elements as physical, acoustical and psychological. Being aware of your own body
is essential in order for the performer to present to the audience what they want. One way for a
singer to become aware of their bodily expression is through a visual recording. After the student
has been recorded (while not looking at the camera), the student and teacher may look at the
recording and discuss what they see. If the singer is shy about watching themselves in a mirror
the author states that they basically need to get over it.
He says this because in the current world seeing a performer visually is as important as
their audial performance. As well as using a visual recording, he gives other tactics that would
aid a student. Shifting a students body weight as the mood changes and envisioning the events
you are singing about may aid the student. Relaxing the hands and envisioning yourself singing
to every wall of the performance area are also tactics that enable the student to develop their
emotional expression.

Sataloff, Robert Thayer. Vocal Health and Pedagogy. San Diego: Singular Publishing
Group, 1998. RF510 S283 1998.

Vocal Health and Pedagogy covers a myriad of concepts regarding what effects the human voice.
Some effects discussed include allergies, age, neurological disorders, endocrine dysfunctions,
and medications. It also covers concepts for choral pedagogy, and a variety of voice therapies. In
chapter 29 the books covers Choral Pedagogy. The book states that a singers choral experience
can begin at an extremely young age and therefore has an extremely large influence in shaping
an individuals approach to singing.
An assumption is made that many choral conductors also have little to no experience with
the voice. As a result of a conductors minimal experience the conductor will not understand
proper vocal health for a singer. A singer may suffer from vocal fatigue, hoarseness, nodules,
and other problems. There are four basic approaches to choral singing that every choral
conductor must consider regardless of their background. These four basic approaches are,
relaxation, posture, breathing, and resonance. The book then lists corresponding exercises for the
conductor to use regarding these topics.
It is also important for the choral conductor to understand the significance of a breath.
The breath should depict the character and style the singers are about to engage in. In turn, the
conductor must express this demand with a characteristically appropriate gesture. The conductor
must also be aware of their body tension and placement of the hands. The singer will hold bodily
tension if the conductor holds tension in their arms, or the singer will sing heavy if the
conductors arms remain at a low level (below the belly button) for the duration of the piece.
Sell, Karen. The Disciplines of Vocal Pedagogy. San Diego: Singular Publishing
Group, 1998. RF510 S283 1998.

The Disciplines of Vocal Pedagogy focuses on educating the singer regarding more than
training the voice. This is an all-encompassing field of study regarding the history, science,
ethics, and psychology of vocal pedagogy. The author believes a singer must involve themselves
in this set of multi-disciplinary studies if they wish to be adequately prepared for their role as a
singer or teacher. In the introduction the author gives reason and real life examples as to why she
believes in this field of multi-disciplinary study.
She begins with the example of a student arriving for an audition. The teacher must
automatically evaluate their voice not even based on their abilities but if it sounds healthy or not.
If the student sounds healthy the teacher will have made a proper decision on whether or not they
would like to work with the student. The teacher should have made the decision based on a
students physiological, anatomical, and acoustical demands. If the teacher has decided to take
on the student they must analyze the students physical development to decide where in their
repertoire or field of study they should begin.
After the teacher has begun working with the student and the student is ready for a
performance the teacher must discuss the psychology of a performance with the student. The
teacher must guide the student in developing their communication skills with the audience. On
page four the author gives an illustration depicting the interplay of aesthetics, interpretation,
ethics, performance and a myriad of other concepts in relation to how they all form and make up
vocal pedagogy. The main emphasis of this book is placed upon what the voice teacher should
know in order to adequately teach.

Stark, James. Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy. Toronto: University of Toronto
Press, 1999. ML1460 .S72 1999
This book presents a history on vocal pedagogy from the beginnings of the bel canto period to
solo singing in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Each chapter presents a pedagogical concept
pertaining to one specific vocal technique. The first chapter regards how The Coup De La Glotte
came about, what it is, and how it happens. The second chapter describes Chiaroscuro, the third
speaks about registers, the fourth chapter discusses the workings of appoggio. Chapter 5
discusses Vocal Tremulousness, chapter 6 is about a singers expression, and lastly chapter 7
describes the Bel Canto Singer.
In class we learned a little bit about Manuel Garcia and The Coup de la glotte. Manuel
Garcia was born in Madrid in 1805. Both of his parents and his sisters were famous singers. He
was inspired to begin studying the larynx when he noticed the suns reflection off a windowpane
of the Royal Palace. This inspired him to look down his own throat and begin studying his own
larynx. Garcia provided many details on the physiology of the larynx and closely observed
laryngeal muscle fibres through dissection.
His most famous technique Coup de la glotte, is a technique of beginning a tone. This
includes both the setting up action of the vocalis muscles prior to phonation and the actual
initiation of phonation. He describes the stroke of the glottis as a neat articulation of the glottis
that gives a precise and clean start to a sound. He compares this to a cough, only different in the
fact that initiating phonation requires the delicate action of the lips and not the impulse of the air.
Miller, Richard. On the Art of Singing. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
MT820 .M599 1996

On the Art of Singing assembles topics that Richard Miller finds crucial to performers
and teachers. These topics include views from a variance of perspectives that will help the
performer and teacher to look at the topic in more ways than one. In chapter one he discusses
how to use imagery for the singer. He believes that singing is an action that encompasses
previous experiences of physical coordination, sensation, and sound. Singers seldom analyze
what they are doing as they are doing it, so they largely depend on the recall of what they felt to
evaluate what happened during the performance. He argues that some of the best teachers may be
the ones who have struggled with finding their own voice and have had to think of a multitude of
solutions to fix a problem.
As a current and future voice teacher Miller gives us five principles for the teacher to use.
The first concept is teacher and student rapport, a teacher can achieve this by sharing information
with the student in an encouraging way and avoiding any means of intimidation of dominance.
The second factor is diagnosis and prescription, Miller explains that any time a teacher suggests
to the student that there is a better way of doing things, it must be justifiable and explainable.
The third concept is using specificity of language, rather than using broad expressions such as
Sing from the diaphragm, the teacher must ensure the student understand the physical
workings of their mechanisms or broad phrases such as this will not work. Number four is an
efficient use of time, and number five is having a measurable result. The teacher must find
modes of instruction that enable a diagnosis of problems, and supply corrective procedures for
the students through specific language use. This saves a teachers and students time and enables
the student to produce measurable results.

Lebon, Rachel. Versatile Vocalist: Singing Authentically in Contrasting Style and

Idioms. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2006. MT820 L43 2006

In this book Rachel Lebanon discusses adverse styles of singing and how a singer must
adjust to each style. She also discusses factors that affect a performance including different
venues, accompaniment, and singing in various styles of music. The purpose of this book is to
dive into the adjustments that need to be made by a singer as he/she crosses musical style
boundaries. The first chapter regards an overview of microphone styles, and what factors initially
began to influence a singers different vocal approaches. Some of these factors discussed in
chapter one include instrumental backup, recording studio technology, and live sound backup.
Strategies to help a singer learn songs quickly and increase vocal endurance are also discussed to
help a singer conquer their first gigs.
Chapter two discusses different performance areas a singer may have to experience and
what to do to adjust to these areas. Small intimate areas are discussed and large performance
areas are discussed as well. Chapter three takes some time to dive into the classical vocal world
and chapters four and five discusses topics of controversy in different vocal styles. For example,
using vibrato in styles other than classical are discussed. The author tells the singer not to shy
away from vibrato regardless of the vocal style. The reason behind this is that when the sound is
coordinated with the breath, vibrato can be used in more ways than one.
 The author gives tips to help the singer coordinate their sound to singing back on the
microphone after singing classical music for a period of time. I find this information very helpful
because I often struggle going from choir and my voice lessons to singing in K-State singers.
Some the authors tips include refocusing your resonance and tone by focusing your placement
back to a middle register. Compress your phrases and be aware that vibrato may compromise
your tone if you are placing your sound in the wrong area. Articulate the breath in aggressive
styles rather than legato styles and be aware of over-inhalation. Allow the microphone to project
your voice and adjust the vowels and consonants in terms of the style of the song.

Large, John, ed. Contributions of Voice Research to Singing. Houston, TX: College Hill
Press, 1980. MT820 .C77

Contributions of Voice Research to Singing was written as a reference book to aid

students enrolled in vocal pedagogy courses and other courses that explore the research made in
singing. This book covers topics about aerodynamics, vocal registers, vibrato, singers, formants,
and intelligibility. Each topic includes research articles published within the last 125 years. For
example the first chapter covers the broad topics of aerodynamics and contained in the chapter
are research articles regarding the Bernoulli effect, breathing movements, and kinetic aspects of
singing.
Once the book discusses vocal registers there are articles by Manuel Garcia regarding
observations of the human voice, vocal ligaments versus registers, and articles about the
differences of a singers chest, head, and falsetto voice. The chapter about Vibrato contains
research on the average extent of a singers deviation from the pitch. To show this information
there are graphs that include a singers intensity of pitch, and tables that break down the numbers
show in the graph. There are also graphs that show what a singers placement does to the intensity
and pitch of the vibrato.

Nelson, Samuel. Singing With Your Whole Self: The Feldenkriais Method and Voice.
Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002.

This book was written to help a singer connect with their kinesthetic sense. The method
discussed in this book for developing sensitivity is based on the Feldenkriais Method, an
advanced system of developing sensory motor skills. The Feldenkriais methods aim is very
similar to the Alexander technique. Each of these techniques stress achieving maximum
efficiency with minimal effort. The Feldenkriais method consists of two parts: Part one is
awareness through movement, and the second part is functional integration. The two lessons are
designed to overlap each other so a student may easily transfer the knowledge of one domain to
the other. Through this method, students are guided through specific movement sequences.
Through these movement sequences students will learn a better way to perform the specific
function.
Also like the Alexander technique this method is named after the man who came up with
it, Moshe Feldenkrais. He injured his knee severely in his early twenties by playing soccer and
also injured his other knee as he hobbled around on the injured one. He eventually came over his
injuries but his knee problems resurfaced and he did not want to be bound to a wheelchair. To fix
this problem he had to come up with a way to analyze every minute function of his body. He
analyzed how he sat, stood up, walked, and rotated. It was this attention to detail that allow
Feldenkriais to develop his method.

Caldwell, Robert and Joan Wall. Excellence in Singing: Multilevel Learning and
Multilevel Teaching. Redmond, WA: Caldwell Publishing, 2001. MT825 .C35
2001

Volume two of Excellence in Singing centers on mastering the fundamentals of singing.

This volume covers four chapters with various exercises designed to help the singer achieve the
aligned objective. The first chapter teaches breath management and guides the student in relaxing
all muscle tension through breath and, mental, and kinesthetic exercises. This book also gives
exercises for the student to develop a deep rhythmic breath through relaxation and mental focus.
The second chapter explains how to get the student to develop a flexible breath through
activating the breath, proper inhalation and exhalation, suspending the breath, and recovering the
breath. This chapter also talks about the full cycle of breathing and how to properly breathe in
songs.
The third chapter explains how the teacher can enable their students to develop awareness
of the intrinsic muscles found in the larynx that enables phonation. To help train your singer in
developing the skills encourage them to focus their attention on flow phonation. This is
completely balanced phonation that occurs when the student balances the contractions of the
intrinsic muscles with the breath. The last chapter focuses on teaching and learning flexible
resonance. Teaching resonance means helping your student change the shape of her vocal tract.
A teacher can accomplish this by telling the student to change a physical description of the vocal
tract by bringing attention to the lips or tongue. You can also have the student change their vowel
tract with a vowel or consonant, also with an aural description of the tone quality you desire.
Another tactic is directing the students attention to the kinesthetic sensations in her body, or
asking her to imitate a sound. There are many tactics available for a teacher to use to help the
student change the shape of their vocal tract. Overall this book is extremely helpful because it
gives teachers a million and one tactics to help their student achieve the tone and vocal freedom
they desire.

Harrison, Peter T. The Human Nature of the Singing Voice: Exploring a Holistic Basis
for Sound Teaching and Learning. Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic, 2006
MT820 .H28 2006
The Human Nature of the Singing Voice takes a holistic approach to singing. It relates the
technical aspect of singing to the singers whole self. This book is split up into four different
sections; Civilisation of the Human Voice, Sounding the Self, The Communicating Imperative,
and Back and Beyond - Redefining Bel Canto. In part one Sounds of Life begins with discussion
of our hearing capabilities while still in the womb. Our aural sense is the first sense to develop
and continually affects our relationship with the outside world. Part one points out that our
singing voice is a complex instrument and is extremely vulnerable, and much can go wrong with
it. Part two examines the interrelationship of vocal activities, how they interact and how they
also function independently of each other. Part three examines three innate qualities of singing,
it's inherent musical skill, what it means in terms of communication, and its implications for
health. The human voice is extremely versatile, and many singers feel that they can only truly be
themselves when they sing. Also, the health of a singer has a direct impact on their instrument,
the healthier the singer the stronger their instrument will be. Part four talks about vocal health in
a holistic approach by focusing on the singers bodily health and not the just the health of the
larynx.
Emmons, Shirlee. Power Performance for Singers: Transcending the Barriers. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1998. MT892 .E55 1998
This book is about a singers performance, it is designed to help singers learn how to perform
vocally. This book teaches students to use what they have been given, how to enjoy their
performance, and how to create a consistent performance at the best of their ability. This book
follows the cycle of performance through the all of a performances stages. This is
preperformance, performance, and postperformance. If this book is read from beginning to end it
will give the reader the overall view of the mental process needed for a performance. However, if
the reader is only struggling with one specific aspect of their performance they may delve into
the chapter pertaining to their needs.
The first part of the book regards the power of a performance; what it is, the
characteristics of a peak performance, and what is mental toughness. The second part of the book
speaks about what a performer must go through before a performance. I enjoyed this chapter
because what how I feel and what I do preperformance makes up the total outcome of the
performance for me. A lot of times I feel a great bout of anxiety so I flipped immediately to page
147 where there were tips to help a performer deal with their anxiety. The book gave exercises
for recognizing whether your anxiety was completely mental or physical and gave the singer
ways to identify the anxiety so you can calm down. I think one helpful tip for a singer is to
identify a performance in which you thought you did well and try to repeat all of the things you
did preperformance to get ready for that performance. The next section talked about the actual
performance and how to handle the performance so you can show off the best of your ability and
the last section speaks about what to do after a performance. Overall this book was extremely
uplifting and helped me to realize my fears of performance are not unique. This book helped me
to identify my anxiety and how to handle it. This book would be a great read for any singer who
is doubting themself.

Dayme, Meribeth Bunch. The Performers Voice: Realizing Your Potential. New York:
W.W. Norton and Co., 2005.

This book is written for anyone who uses their voice every day in any way. This could be a
teacher, singer, actor, voice therapist, or professional speaker. Included in this book are
illustrations and examples of vocal exercises designed for a busy full time worker. These
exercises will help a person to realize their full potential and break through any previous
limitations on their voice. This book encourages a person to learn about the way they use their
own voice and how they can improve upon that.
Some exercises may seem like they are aimed specifically for speakers or singers but the
author reassures that the exercises may be applicable to anyone. There are a variety of physical
and imaginary exercises in this book for the user. The Performers Voice has three main sections;
Making Sense of Vocal Mechanics, The Art of Vocal Expression and Presentation and The Art
of Performing. Section one explains in simple and easy terms how the voice works and tells the
reader how one can observe their own voice technique. Part Two helps the reader develop their
vocal color and expressivity as well as addressing public speaking. Part Three helps the reader to
use their voice with proper mind and body coordination.
Davids, Julia. Vocal Technique: A Guide for Conductors, Teachers, and Singers. Long
Grove, IL: Waveland Press, 2012.

This book integrates three main areas: vocal science, vocal pedagogy, and choral rehearsal
techniques. Each area interacts with the other area, or both to explain the topic at hand. For
example, this book links vocal techniques to specific choral goals. The choral conductor must
understand good vocal technique since most singers spend more time with their choral conductor
than their private voice teacher. Also, choral singers may not take private voice lessons so it is
imperative that a choral conductor must understand good vocal technique and how to teach it to
their choir.
Each chapter includes exercises intended to help the singer focus on the technical process
rather than a perfect outcome of a complicated sequence. This book does a great job of
explaining why a specific technique should be used so the student can now know why they are
doing this technique. This book was created to be practical and easy to use but grounded in vocal
science.

McCloskey, David Blair. Your Voice At Its Best: Enhancement of the Healthy Voice,
Help for the Troubled Voice. Fifth edition. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc.
2011

This book serves to provide teachers, students, ministers, public speakers and anyone else who
uses their voice explanations of the processes involved in healthy vocal sounds. Information for
people who are just developing their voices, and information for those who have abused and
misused their voice and are in need of vocal rehabilitation are also used. This approach is
designed to help teachers of singing be able to explain the physical concepts needed to achieve
the vocal colors they are asking of their students.
The McClosky technique focuses on relaxation of the breath and muscles in order to
avoid damaging the voice. In Chapter two McClosky addresses freeing the voice through six
areas of relaxation. Throughout the book McClosky constantly addresses freeing the voice
through relaxation of the muscles and breath. At the end of the book he also dedicates two
chapters to taking proper care of your voice and voice disorders. His method builds the voice
from the foundation up, and therefore requires much patience as the student begins to practice
this method. If practiced correctly this method will ensure a student builds the foundation for a
healthy singing and speaking voice.

McCoy, Scott. Your Voice: An Inside View. Second edition. Delaware, OH: Inside View
Press, 2012.

Your Voice: An Inside View is an exploration of vocal science and pedagogy that
combines with multimedia to give the reader an extensive learning experience. Included in each
chapter are pictures, charts and corresponding explanations. This book explores multiple aspects
of the human voice divided into twelve total chapters. Each subject is broken down into minute
details regarding the specific topic. This book dedicates chapters to listening, sound, resonance,
and formants. As well as respiration, phonation, vocal health, registration, articulation, and
hearing.

Carman, Judith. Yoga for Singing: A Developmental Tool for Technique and
Performance. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.

Yoga can benefit a singer in many ways, such as postural alignment and strengthening the body
to meet the demands of singing. It also helps a singer to develop a smooth flow of breath and
helps the singer to practice focusing their mind on the moment and task at hand. Yoga also
benefits a singer in the relaxation techniques that transfer over to stressful performances. Part
one of this book is divided into chapters that focus on different parts of the body. This includes
the breath, mind, heart and the whole person with the intention of presenting the elements of
yoga in the same sequence a teacher would start a beginning voice student.
Each chapter contains a discussion between yoga practices and how they relate to the
voice. Part two contains yoga postures specifically aimed towards helping a singer fix a specific
vocal problem. It also includes a complete yoga practice for daily use, and short practices for
specific situations and vocal problem. Singers can benefit from the practices of yoga by
matching their practice to their current level of physical ability and vocal problems.

Chapman, Janice L. Singing and Teaching Singing: A Holistic Approach to Classical

Voice. San Diego: Plural Publishing, Inc., 2006.

Singing and Teaching Singing: A Holistic Approach to Classical Voice offers the insights
of a very experiences and successful teacher of singing, Janice Chapman. Chapman believes that
building a basic vocal technique should be at the forefront of every teachers mind. Rather than
building a singers technique over a long period of time, Chapman uses a more interventionist
approach and builds the singers technique quickly since the time teaching a student is limited. A
teachers pedagogy must constantly evolve and change to fit the singers physiological need. The
teacher should stray away from words that describe a singers sound and instead use scientific
and anatomical knowledge to teach their students.

Nair, Garyth. The Craft of Singing. San Diego: Plural Publishing Inc., 2007.

The Craft of Singing was written to provide a foundation of anatomic, physiologic,

acoustical and medical knowledge for new singers. This was written with the thought in mind
that in order for someone to fix something that is wrong, the person must know how it works
first. It also builds a foundational structure necessary for a students future vocal development.
Voice science is applied and combined with learning cognition and traditional vocal pedagogy to
help a singer build this foundation. This book is divided into three main parts that include a
singers knowledge base, a singers application of these techniques, and knowledge a singer must
know and be aware of.
In order for a student to develop their vocal technique they must be aware of their voice
and how it works. Part one considers the process of learning the voice, learning about sound, and
learning about the body. Part two is the application of these processes through coordinating the
brain, voice and body. Part three covers accessory knowledge a singer must also be aware of
other than the knowledge that regards performance and skills. Some of this accessory knowledge
includes views of the vocal registers, connecting these registers into a unified timbre, how to
program vocal music into specific groups, and how to dress and act when on the stage.

Smith, W. Stephen. Naked Singing: A Wholistic Approach to Singing. New York:

Oxford University Press, 2007.

This book is a wholistic approach to singing crafted by the philosophies of Stephen

Smith. He invites all singers to develop their unique individual sound through singing with their
whole self. Smith provides exercises for readers to develop a foundation for a free and liberating
sound that is uniquely theirs. This book is divided up into three different section: Basic Instincts,
The Inventions, and Where the Rubber Meets the Road. Within each section there are individual
chapters filled with tools and tips to aid the singer in accomplishing the specified task. Smith
addresses the holistic approach to singing with imagery and encouragement.

Reid, Cornelius. Bel Canto: Principles and Practices. New York: Coleman-Ross, 1950.
MT820 .R36
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the style of Bel Canto singing governed the
vocal world. Bel Canto singing has its own style regarding the very basics of tone production.
This book walks the teacher through guiding their student in the art and technique of Bel Canto
singing. It begins with the historic background of the Bel Canto singer and the early history of
vocal training. It explains how to achieve certain technical aspects of the voice by using this
technique of Bel Canto singing. Some techniques include working on the students register range
and helping them learn to control and master their level of intensity throughout these ranges. It
also has examples for students to use to practice their scales. It also discusses vibrator, tremolo,
and wobble; their differences, similarities, and how to achieve them. Lastly, the book discusses
breath control in the style of Bel Canto singing. It ends with the decline of Bel Canto singing.

Wall, Joan and Robert Caldwell. The Singers Voice. Redmond, WA: PstInc., 2005.
DVD. MT821 .S56 2005. DVD.

This DVD is narrated by Joan Wall and in the beginning she talks about how the human voice is
diverse and allows us to express our emotions with a variety of vocal colors and tones. She says
the reason for this is the different parts found in the human voice. You can categorize these parts
in three categories, breath, phonation and resonance. Together all of these parts push, pull and
shape the air directed in the body. She then talks about how the air goes into motion and complex
vibrations. The physical parts move the air, and the air moves the physical parts.
A chart is shown using a series of bars that each represent a partial, and when sounded all
at once they represent a unified complex sound. The height of each bar represents the amplitude,
which is the loudness or softness of that partial, the tamber comes from the relative proportion of
the partials. We hear different vowels and tone qualities based on these different partials that are
speaking. These can even create patterns which we call the harmonic series.
The air streams through the vocal folds with streams of pressure, the pressure will
increase and decrease. The more even the streams of pressure, the sound becomes consistent,
smooth and mellow. All of these changes can be reflected in a spectrum of partials as well.
Miller, Richard. Securing Baritone, Bass-Baritone and Bass Voices. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 2008. MT820 .M5992 2008

This book discusses recurring technical and performance questions for Baritone, Bass-
Baritone, and Bass voices. This book has a sequential guideline for development so the book
should be read consecutively. The chapters do not build off of each other so an experienced
singer can just pick up the book and look only at one chapter. However, for the in-experienced
singer or teacher it is best to look through the book sequentially. Miller also covers exercises that
pertain the experienced or in-experienced singer and correlate directly to technical problems a
singer might encounter in their vocal literature.
The book begins by defining the specific classifications of each baritone voice and what
distinguishes them from another. It also tells the voice teacher what to look for when classifying
your students. As said previously this book does build on itself because it begins with transitions
from speech to song, and then incorporates breath and vowel definition. It slowly moves to
dealing with vowel modifications and how to expand the singers range and incorporate vibrato
into their sound.

Manen, Lucie. Bel Canto: The Teaching of the Classical Italian Song-Schools: Its
Decline and Restoration. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. MT820
.M26 1987

This book addresses the need to give teachers interdisciplinary training in order to guide
their students in the right vocal direction. Many teachers instruct their students based on past
experience and never take the time to learn the science behind. This book serves to fix that
notion by giving teachers a wealth of information on techniques of the Bel Canto singer. Such
techniques are breath control, posture, resonation, and articulation. Exercises are given in the
book for the teacher to utilize with their student that correspond to the technical aspect that
would be currently discussed. The scientific reason for each exercise and an explanation given is
also provided for the teacher. These exercises and explanations help teachers and students to
understand the physiological workings of their instrument.

Miller, Richard. English, French, German and Italian Techniques of Singing: A Study in
National Tonal Preferences and How They Relate to Functional Efficiency.
Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1977. MT823 .M55

This is a study that analyzes the different tonal sounds found in different national schools
focusing on England, France, Germany, and Italy. It looks at the way each school has developed
the technical demand for meeting these specific tonal sounds and how it is physically done. The
functional efficiency of each national approach is also evaluated. This book was also written to
expose and show the singer to other schools of singing that are out there. This study was also
done to examine the tendencies of certain schools to discredit other national schools. It was
found that singers who embrace all of the national schools and dont associate them with one
national school often have the most successful careers.
 As you go through the book it cites each individual schools belief on how they wish their
students to achieve a specific technical aspect. For example, what technique discussed is the
glottal attack. The German school uses both the hard and soft glottal attack and the English
School uses the soft glottal attack. The French and Italian schools differ from each other because
the French use a less precise attack than the Italian schools. From discussing breath management,
laryngeal positioning, vowel formations, and registrations, this book discusses every technical
aspect imaginable and explains to the reader each national schools individual techniques.

Miller, Richard. The Structure of Singing: System and Art in Vocal Technique. New
York: Schirmer Books, 1986 MT825 .M646 1986

This book discusses the physical aspect of making the sound and helps the reader to think
about more than just the end performance. The aim of this book is to give the singer specific
exercises designed to help them achieve a freely functioning voice. Miller believes that vocalises
can be sung in a number of ways but mean nothing unless there is some distinct technical intent
behind it. To use this book the singer should identify their own technical voice problems and
figure out what they would wish to work on. Once the singer has identified his/ or her problem
there is a corresponding exercise for the singer to work on. The primary goal of a singer is a
beautiful sound so this book is aimed at helping the singer break through their issues as fast as
possible so they may achieve a beautiful sound.

Blades-Zeller, Elizabeth. A Spectrum of Voices: Prominent American Voice Teachers

Discuss the Teaching of Singing. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002. MT820
.B63 2002

A Spectrum of Voices is meant to function as a quick and handy reference to all

studio teachers. The book is divided into sections that correspond with a specific question.
The question was given to many voice teachers and all of their responses are put into that
section. There are three main parts to this book, Vocal Concepts, Training Singers:
Practical, Artistic, and Professional Development and lastly part three Teachers
Professional Training. The first part to the book gives information on teachers views and
approaches for teaching concepts such as posture, breath, and tone. Section two
incorporates advice to help a singer become well rounded and become an artist. Lastly,
part three all of the teacher opinions are combined to give the studio teacher advice, new
strategies, guidance and clarification of proper goals for their students. This book is handy
for new and experienced studio teachers, as well as a beginning professional singer. This
book contains advice and encouragement from the best teachers around.

Reid, Cornelius. Dictionary of Vocal Terminology: An Analysis. New York: Joseph

Patelson Music House, 1983. ML 102 . V6 R4 1983.

This dictionary was written so students, teachers, and scientists may develop and further
their understanding of vocal terminology. These terms were included in this dictionary to help
the user understand the functional process of the voice and understand what principles guide that
functional process. This dictionary serves to help the reader make connections between terms
and not see each vocal term as an independent function. It accomplishes this by writing other
terms in the margins of the page that the user may reference to help them make that specific
connection. Other than terms it also includes figures that the reader may look at to guide their
understanding of the physical structures of the larynx.
Reid, Cornelius. Modern Singing Master: Essays in Honor of Cornelius Reid, edited by
Ariel Bybee and James E. Ford. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002. MT 820
M687 2002.

This book explains Cornelius Reids pedagogical theories and how he implements these
theories with his students. His main premises include extraneous body movement with focus on
the essential workings of the voice. He also works with four basic principles which are the two
register theory, using pure vowels, the use of rhythm to encourage the muscles to react
spontaneously, and dynamic choices. Reid bases his theories of teaching proper vocal technique
and repairing a damaged voice on vocal facts. One of his most significant achievements shared in
this book is his work with the discovery of vocal registers. His work with vocal registers is so
significant because of the pedagogical context he places his discoveries in. The material with
which he fills his discoveries with is based on universal and particular, addressing itself
specifically to singers.

Brown, Oren. Discover Your Voice: How to Develop Healthy Voice Habits. San Diego:
Singular Publishing Group, Inc., 1996.

Discover Your Voice was written to help the singer discover what their voice can do. The
premise of this book is to inform singers how to free their voices so they can simply let the
sounds happen. This book begins with an explanation for why an singing can become so darn
difficult and how me must combat this difficulty with relaxation and breathing exercises. Some
of the exercises given in the beginnings of the book may seem so simple to the reader that they
dont feel as if they are doing enough.
Brown also expanses beyond vocal technique and exercises and exemplifies to the reader
the importance of looking beyond the voice itself so you can have a successful career. It also
look at choral singing, what happens when a large group of people sing together, and what can a
singer apply from this experience to their own vocal career. There are also scientific explanations
on physics, anatomy and physiology, neurology and the brain, hearing, and psychology. These
chapters are given for anyone wanting to develop a deeper understanding of the information on
voice problems and therapy. The final chapter is directed to the voice teacher and is intended to
stimulate his or her own observations.