Journal of Singing Featured Article:

Pedagogic Pears: Exploring Vocal Resonance

by Robert Edwin

IN VOICE PEDAGOGY CIRCLES, the term “pear-shaped tone” has fallen into disuse. Popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the phrase describes a tone that is full, clear, warm, and resonant. The pear-shaped tone was the industry standard in both the teaching and performance of most Western European vocal music.

National Association of Teachers of Singing announces first ever national competition for music theater performers, the 2012 National Music Theater Competition. Details available at http://www.musictheatercompetition.com.

JACKSONVILLE, FL (December 1, 2011) -- National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) is sponsoring the first national competition for the music theater soloist: the National Music Theater Competition (NMTC).  The NMTC aims to seek out and award the best emerging talent in music theater in 2012. Eligibility and repertoire requirements have just been posted at http://www.musictheatercompetition.com.

2012 Membership Renewal is Now Available Online!

Your 2012 annual dues reminders should have already arrived in the mail boxes of NATS members.  The annual renewal period has begun, and continues until February 1st. Your timely renewal ensures that NATS is able to continue to expand its services to the membership. A late renewal fee of $10 is added to all memberships not renewed by February 1st. Members not renewed by March 1st lose all member privileges.   Save time and postage by renewing online. Log in to www.nats.org and select the renewal link that will appear under the membership menu tab. Need help logging in? Lost your member number or password? Download the NATS Website User Guide and FAQ for answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Journal of Singing Featured Article:

The Economy of Choir Size

by Ingo R. Titze

THE QUESTION OF APPROPRIATE CHOIR SIZE should be answered with a variety of criteria. According to Ternström, the characteristic sound of an ensemble, which comes from a mixture of the variabilities in frequencies and amplitudes produced by each singer, is met with less than a handful of choir members (1). Obviously, for SATB scoring, it requires at least four members. For precision tuning of harmonics across choir members, a small ensemble is preferable over a large ensemble.

National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Carnegie Hall Royal Conservatory Achievement Program (The Achievement Program) announced today a new partnership that will provide NATS members with resources for them to become more effective in their roles as music educators.

Launched in March 2011 by New York's Carnegie Hall and Canada's Royal Conservatory, The Achievement Program provides a national standard for musical achievement, offering a sequential course of study from beginner through advanced levels for people of all ages studying music. The program was created in response to feedback from parents and teachers throughout the US, requesting a top-quality nationally-recognized system to track students' musical progress and celebrate their accomplishments in keyboard, string, woodwind, brass instruments, voice, and the academic subjects of music theory, music history, and pedagogy.