CCM

Singing Voice Pedagogy Tutorial (Article)
This 33 minute tutorial was presented at the Voice Foundation's Annual Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, in June 2016, by Dr. David Meyer, Professor of Voice at Shenandoah University. This lecture explains the basics of vocal pedagogy, and includes discussion of what the field of vocal pedagogy needs from the field of voice science. (posted 1:56 PM, September 12, 2016)

Voice Technique for Musical Theatre Singers written by Trish Causey (Article)
This article provides an insightful overview of the musical theatre singing voice. Causey introduces experts within the pedagogy field and provides their credentials and professional opinions. Using quotes from each of these professionals, this article presents basic scientific and experiential evidence to explain the importance and necessity of training in the musical theatre style. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Belting Beauties and Soaring Sopranos: Vocal Pedagogy to Address the Wide-Ranging Needs of Musical Theatre Females (Article)
This is actually a thesis that examines the development of voice pedagogy in music theater and specfically examines techniques used for female sopranos and high belters. The author specifically attempts to tackle issues of breath management, vocal health, registration, and other aspects, and focuses specifically on those female singing actresses and roles that often demand a crossover style of singing. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

MUSICAL THEATER IN THE CLASSICAL VOICE STUDIO: a Unified Pedagogical Approach through a discussion of the Research on and Misconceptions of Belting (Article)
A well organized, overview of Belting. It begins with a review of the physiology of the voice, then moves into historical context, definitions and their discrepancies, and a discussion of what is actually occuring during belt singing. This presentation is filled with excellent citations and presents the controversies in a well thought out manner. It also discusses whether or not belting is healthy and then strategies for maintaining vocal health for those who teach and perform in this style. As a final thought they quote Barbara Doscher when she states that "our profession has a responsibility to all singers, not just to those whose aesthetic preference we agree with." A starting place for the teacher who is grappling with how to and whether or not to teach those who wish to belt. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Voice Students: What is Healthy Belting? (Article)
Jeannette Lovetri provides a great article that explains the term “belt”. She defines it as a “kind of vocal quality, derived from powerful, intensified speech, that can cut through a space and be heard well even when it isn’t electronically amplified.” Lovetri goes on to describe what she feels healthy belting is and what singers need to know about it. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

In Support Of Contemporary Commercial Music (non-classical) Voice Pedagogy (Article)
This often-quoted article presents the history of CCM styles and their development throughout the 20th century along with acoustic comparison of CCM singing with classical as evidence that contemporary singing is fundamentally different from classical and deserves its own pedagogical approach. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

CCM and Classical are NOT the Same (Article)
Jeannette LoVetri provides numerous examples of how CCM singing differs from classical singing. She expands on these ideas in other blog posts titled "More Details About Why CCM Is Different Than Classical" and "Still More About CCM vs Classical." Many of these ideas are further developed in scholarly journal articles Lovetri has authored/co-authored. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Musical Theater and Opera Singing—Why So Different? A Study of Subglottal Pressure, Voice Source, and Formant Frequency Characteristics (Article)
This voice science article examines the timbre differences in Musical Theater and Classical Singing. The author examines the different demands of each singer and takes into account microphone usage and the number of weekly performances. Björkner asserts that subglottal pressure is the main player in controlling vocal intensity. Five male opera singers and five mail MT singers were involved in this study, which seeks to determing "voice source characteristics" and formant frequencies at two fundamental frequencies (f0) and over a large dynamic range. Results indicate that MT and opera singers both sing with equally pressed phonation and that the singer's formant plays a large role in classical vs. MT singing. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Music theater vocal pedagogy and styles: An introductory teaching guide for experienced classical singing teachers (Article)
The purpose of this study is to develop an introductory guide for teaching music theater vocal pedagogy and styles. This guide is intended for experienced classical teachers. The conclusions of the research on mix/belt singing revealed significant differences between music theater vocal pedagogy and classical vocal pedagogy. To aid the classical teachers in learning about music theater vocal pedagogy and styles, the guide details the results of the pedagogical research on mix/belt singing and compares and contrasts the pedagogy to classical singing. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Growl Voice in Ethnic and Pop Styles (Article)
Presents evidence suggesting that a constriction and sympathetic vibration of the aryepiglottic folds is responsible for the distortion in some types of noisy phonation (eg. "growl"). (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

One sweet day: Vocal ornamentation and style in the african-american popular ballad, 1991--1995. (Article)
This dissertationaddresses the vocal stylisms of vocal ornamentations used in popular African American ballads in the 1990s. This type of singing is common in many forms of pop music. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Contemporary Worship Singers: Construct, Culture, Environment and Voice. (Article)
This dissertation discusses the role of the worship leader throughout history and in contemporary worship settings. Robinsons research is comprehensive and extremely informative. For his reasearch, Robinson used the ethnography techniques of survey and online interviews. Robinson investigated the musical, theological and vocal training of several worship leaders and "The study draws conclusions from the four structural pillars of enquiry (construct, culture, environment and voice) and delivers nineteen distinctive features that distinguish the Contemporary Worship Singer as a unique vocalist in the wider community of singers." The author admonishes singing teachers "to correctly identify the individual singer’s worship setting and correctly nominate the most appropriate vocal discipline." (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Microphone Techniques for High-Energy Praise and Worship Services (Article)
Most contemporary worship services utilize some sort of amplification, and this article helps demystify the types of microphones a worship leader or singer might use in services, along with suggestions of how to best implement amplification in different situations. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Broadway Bound: Teaching Young Musical Theater Singers in a College Training Program (Article)
This article by Mary Saunders-Barton describes her experiences teaching young musical theatre students non-classical music. She describes the basic fundamental techniques of singing and her technical training theory for both men and women. She describes more in detail the differences of teaching male and female students and gives several spoken and sung exercises to use. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Why It’s Time to Add Pop/Rock to Your Teaching (Article)
This article written by Matt Edwards discusses the singers' changing marketplace, and the pedagogy, science and audio technology of contemporary commercial music. He explains the misconceptions that Pop/Rock music is damaging to the voice. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Formant Frequency Shifts for Classical and Theater Belt Vowel Modification (Article)
In this article Ingo Titze presents research from an informal study conducted in Salt Lake City in 2010. Titze discusses the shift in formant frequencies that take place when a singer switches between classical singing and belt singing. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Comparing Belt and Classical Techniques Using MRI and Video-Fluoroscopy (Article)
This article was written from a presentation given at the Voice Foundation's 1999 "Care For The Professional Voice" Symposium in Philadelphia. It compares belt and classical vocal techniques using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), video fluoroscopy, and video laryngoscope on one subject. "The goal of this study was to gain evidence about the relationship between the thyroid and cricoid cartilages and how they might tilt or angle in classical versus belting." Popeil discusses terminology for the belt and the findings of this study. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Undergraduate Music Theater Education: Integrating Musical And Theatrical Skills. (Article)
The article explores on the curriculum in a music theater education. It notes on the required skills needed to be fit in such type of musical education which includes mastery in singing, acting and movements as stand-alone skills while integrating and aligning them, hence, basic classes that will provide future performers are needed in any undergraduate music theater programs. Furthermore, it cites on various methods and ideas that will help future performers develop connection and alignment in singing, acting and movements. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Strength training and rock singing for the young (Article)
Speech-language pathologist Barbara Wilson Arboleda discusses healthy ways to strengthen the young singer's voice when singing pop-rock. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

POPULAR SONG AND MUSIC THEATER. Are We The National Association Of Teachers Of Classical Singing? (Revisiting 1985) (Article)
In this article, the author reflects on his article "Are We the National Association of Teachers of Classical Singing?" that appeared in May 1985 issue of "The NATS Bulletin." The focus of the article is how NATS members can address the need for competent and knowledgeable singing instructors among nonclassical singers (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Working With "Mike (Article)
Robert Edwin addresses the need for amplification in voice lessons. He discusses some of the struggles new singers will face if they have not worked with a microphone and the specific genres of music that require amplification when performing. Some terms may be very slightly out of date, but an excellent resource. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Contemporary Commercial Music: More Than One Way to Use the Vocal Tract (Article)
This article discusses how the vocal tract is used in different styles of singing. It encourages voice teachers to use style-specific pedagogy with their students. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Music Theater Rocks! Organic Rock Singing 101 and Beyond (Article)
Neal discusses his nine "ingredients" for singing rock music organically: text emphasis, emotional affectations such as the "growl" (and includes exercises on how to produce the growl), speech-like text delivery, shorter vowels, and back beating, to name a few. He assumes one is familiar with musical terminology. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Still More About CCM vs Classical (Article)
This article discusses the differences in laryngeal position, diction, and registration found in CCM and Classical singing. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

Belting as an Academic Discipline (Article)
In this article, Andrew White provides an in-depth description of belting, including the muscles involved, airflow rate, larynx position, and resonance strategies. (posted 2:34 PM, August 27, 2014)

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