JOS On Point

I Am the Very Model of a Modern Two Year Repertoire

As increasing numbers of students aspire to the music theater workforce, it becomes increasingly imperative to consider the unique needs of the last adolescent performer in terms of voice technique, movement, and casting suitability. Elizabeth Gerbi, respected voice pedagogue and singer-actor, in her article “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Two Year Repertoire,” from the March/April 2020 issue of Journal of Singing, presents a series of four semester benchmarks that allow individual performers to explore their unique assets within a carefully scaffolded body of literature. A detailed list of literature is further defined and organized by voice classification and song style.

JOS-076-4-2020-449.PDF (application/pdf, 248.5 K) posted at 12:28 PM, April 7, 2020

Implicit and Explicit Biases for Gender in Opera Roles

The March/April issue of JOS features “Implicit and Explicit Biases for Gender in Opera Roles,” in which authors Laura Carskadden and Jenine Brown examine reported imbalances in roles composed for men versus those for women. The authors conducted a study researching the possible implications of these imbalances on audience members, testing participants’ explicit and implicit biases. The authors ask whether performing within the most popular operas as written is propagating negative stereotypes against women, a question which holds implications for both contemporary voice pedagogy as well as opera production companies.

JOS-080-4-2024-409.pdf (application/pdf, 615.8 K) posted at 1:58 PM, March 1, 2024

Incorporating motivation into your model of motor learning

In his article, “Incorporating Motivation Into Your Model of Motor Learning,” in the May/June issue of “Journal of Singing,” leading cognitive science researcher and writer Lynn Maxfield maintains that, while the impacts of practice conditions such as augmented feedback and attentional focus have received ample attention in the field of motor learning, learner motivation, perhaps the most crucial element in the learning process, has been largely ignored. Starting from the premise that success begets success, Maxfield discusses fostering motivation in the voice studio, concentrating specifically on the motivational effect of feedback and promoting autonomy.

JOS-075-5-2019-583_-_Incorporating_Motivation_Into_Your_Model_of_Motor_Learning_-_Maxfield.pdf (application/pdf, 426.2 K) posted at 1:16 PM, July 22, 2019

Inspiring autonomous artists: A framework for independent singing

In a feature article, “Inspiring Autonomous Artists: A Framework for Independent Singing,” published in the May/June issue of Journal of Singing, Travis Sherwood explores the traditional teacher-student relationship in the voice studio and offers modifications to encourage a shift to a more student-centered pedagogy. His approach encourages dialoguing and questioning, empowering students to gain independence in the process. Autonomous artists make choices that impact the creative process and their voyage of self-discovery.

JOS-075-5-2019-527_-_Inspiring_Autonomous_Artists_-_Sherwood.pdf (application/pdf, 345.8 K) posted at 4:29 PM, August 12, 2019

Introducing The New Diverse Voices Column

The Journal of Singing is pleased to announce the debut of a new column in the 2025 May/June issue of the Journal of Singing. “Diverse Voices,” written by new co-associate editors Paul Patinka and Zipporah Peddle, will be guided by its mission to be “dedicated to shedding light on under-presented composers, vocal genres and singing styles, guided by NATS’ values and commitment to diversity and inclusion.” Their inaugural article includes an interview with NATS President Alexis Davis-Hazell, exploring the association’s Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (IDEA) efforts, and outlines scholarly philosophies and teaching application ideas using NATS “IDEA” resources.

JOS-081-5-2025-593.pdf (application/pdf, 347.3 K) posted at 2:13 PM, May 23, 2025

IPA Braille for Lyric Diction

Although resources for those who read braille are widely available, lyric diction resources with International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) braille for visually impaired voice students are nonexistent. In “IPA Braille for Lyric Diction: A Mutually Accessible Phonetic System for Teachers and Students,” published in the November/December issue of Journal of Singing, Cheri Montgomery introduces a new phonetic system that is mutually accessible by both the sighted and the blind, with examples from standard song literature, and directs instructors to resources that use the system.

JOS-077-02-2020-219.pdf (application/pdf, 7032.1 K) posted at 9:37 AM, November 4, 2020

IV - 005.pdf

IV_-_005.pdf (application/pdf, 429.7 K) posted at 11:10 AM, October 3, 2017

JOS-074-1-2017-83.pdf

Teaching Transgender Singers - Part 1

JOS-074-1-2017-83.pdf (application/pdf, 872 K) posted at 10:24 AM, October 17, 2017

JOS-074-1-2017-9 Chi-Chen Wu.pdf

JOS-074-1-2017-9_Chi-Chen_Wu.pdf (application/pdf, 13550.2 K) posted at 4:31 PM, October 4, 2017

JOS-074-2-2017-179 - Kenneth Bozeman - Voice Pedagogy.pdf

JOS-074-2-2017-179_-_Kenneth_Bozeman_-_Voice_Pedagogy.pdf (application/pdf, 516.7 K) posted at 12:54 PM, December 5, 2017

JOS-074-2-2017-209 Teaching Transgender Singers part 2.pdf

JOS-074-2-2017-209_Teaching_Transgender_Singers_part_2.pdf (application/pdf, 408.2 K) posted at 1:41 PM, November 7, 2017

JOS-074-2-2017-215 - Best Practices-Exercise Physiology - Nix.pdf

JOS-074-2-2017-215_-_Best_Practices-Exercise_Physiology_-_Nix.pdf (application/pdf, 1044.5 K) posted at 1:39 PM, April 13, 2018

JOS-074-2-2017-225 - Collab Corner - Frank Corliss.pdf

JOS-074-2-2017-225_-_Collab_Corner_-_Frank_Corliss.pdf (application/pdf, 230.6 K) posted at 2:03 PM, December 15, 2017

JOS-074-3-2018-269 - Honesty in Teaching - Sjoerdsma.pdf

JOS-074-3-2018-269_-_Honesty_in_Teaching_-_Sjoerdsma.pdf (application/pdf, 199.5 K) posted at 2:56 PM, January 8, 2018

JOS-074-3-2018-307 - DeBlieux-Moore Radiation for Laryngeal Cancer.pdf

JOS-074-3-2018-307_-_DeBlieux-Moore_Radiation_for_Laryngeal_Cancer.pdf (application/pdf, 151.1 K) posted at 1:27 PM, February 20, 2018

JOS-074-3-2018-329 - Sean McCarther - Getting in Zone pt1.pdf

JOS-074-3-2018-329_-_Sean_McCarther_-_Getting_in_Zone_pt1.pdf (application/pdf, 238.4 K) posted at 11:20 AM, January 23, 2018

JOS-074-3-2018-349 - Kristen Chenoweth - Leslie Holmes pt1.pdf

JOS-074-3-2018-349_-_Kristen_Chenoweth_-_Leslie_Holmes_pt1.pdf (application/pdf, 179.1 K) posted at 9:22 AM, February 8, 2018

JOS-074-3-2018-349 - Kristin Chenowith pt1.pdf

JOS-074-3-2018-349_-_Kristin_Chenowith_pt1.pdf (application/pdf, 179.1 K) posted at 2:53 PM, February 6, 2018

JOS-074-4-2018-377 - To Cherish is a Choice - Sjoerdsma.pdf

JOS-074-4-2018-377_-_To_Cherish_is_a_Choice_-_Sjoerdsma.pdf (application/pdf, 137.1 K) posted at 3:27 PM, April 3, 2018

JOS-074-4-2018-379_-_Voice_from_Prairie_-_Cutsforth-Huber.pdf

JOS-074-4-2018-379_-_Voice_from_Prairie_-_Cutsforth-Huber.pdf (application/pdf, 1847.3 K) posted at 11:20 AM, March 13, 2018

JOS-074-4-2018-393_-_Guide_to_Larsen_My_Antonia_-_Zavracky.pdf

JOS-074-4-2018-393_-_Guide_to_Larsen_My_Antonia_-_Zavracky.pdf (application/pdf, 506.5 K) posted at 11:20 AM, March 13, 2018

JOS-074-4-2018-405 - Critical Thought - Stephenson.pdf

JOS-074-4-2018-405_-_Critical_Thought_-_Stephenson.pdf (application/pdf, 213.7 K) posted at 10:03 AM, March 20, 2018

JOS-074-4-2018-419 - Exercise Physiology - Sandage-Hoch.pdf

JOS-074-4-2018-419_-_Exercise_Physiology_-_Sandage-Hoch.pdf (application/pdf, 302.1 K) posted at 10:42 AM, April 17, 2018

JOS-074-5-2018-493 - NATS visits AATS - Culture of Mentoring.pdf

JOS-074-5-2018-493_-_NATS_visits_AATS_-_Culture_of_Mentoring.pdf (application/pdf, 178.6 K) posted at 10:09 AM, May 7, 2018

JOS-074-5-2018-513 - Medical Privacy - Bradshaw - Cooper.pdf

JOS-074-5-2018-513_-_Medical_Privacy_-_Bradshaw_-_Cooper.pdf (application/pdf, 374.3 K) posted at 10:50 AM, May 22, 2018

JOS-074-5-2018-521 - Efficacy of Vocal Cool-Down - Ragan.pdf

JOS-074-5-2018-521_-_Efficacy_of_Vocal_Cool-Down_-_Ragan.pdf (application/pdf, 335.8 K) posted at 1:05 PM, June 5, 2018

JOS-074-5-2018-527 - Voice Class Learner-Centered Approach - Sauerland.pdf

JOS-074-5-2018-527_-_Voice_Class_Learner-Centered_Approach_-_Sauerland.pdf (application/pdf, 174.9 K) posted at 11:08 AM, August 7, 2018

JOS-074-5-2018-559 - Conference Syndrome - B Manternach.pdf

JOS-074-5-2018-559_-_Conference_Syndrome_-_B_Manternach.pdf (application/pdf, 365.1 K) posted at 1:53 PM, May 1, 2018

JOS-074-5-2018-563 - Creativity through silence - Haas.pdf

JOS-074-5-2018-563_-_Creativity_through_silence_-_Haas.pdf (application/pdf, 203.6 K) posted at 11:31 PM, June 18, 2018

JOS-075-1-2018-007 Child Prodigy - Mondelli.pdf

JOS-075-1-2018-007_Child_Prodigy_-_Mondelli.pdf (application/pdf, 538.8 K) posted at 12:14 PM, September 4, 2018

JOS-075-1-2018-17 - Worley - Henry Lawrence Freeman.pdf

JOS-075-1-2018-17_-_Worley_-_Henry_Lawrence_Freeman.pdf (application/pdf, 358.5 K) posted at 11:18 AM, October 2, 2018

JOS-075-1-2018-33 - Surkin - Students with Vision Loss.pdf

JOS-075-1-2018-33_-_Surkin_-_Students_with_Vision_Loss.pdf (application/pdf, 210.3 K) posted at 10:04 AM, September 18, 2018

JOS-075-1-2018-75 - Wisdom of Marchesi - Sjoerdsma.pdf

JOS-075-1-2018-75_-_Wisdom_of_Marchesi_-_Sjoerdsma.pdf (application/pdf, 155.8 K) posted at 10:03 AM, October 16, 2018

JOS-075-4-2019-429 - Five Things - McCoy.pdf

Is there a difference between teaching voice and teaching singing? Emphatically yes, asserts noted author and voice pedagogue Scott McCoy in his “Voice Pedagogy” column of the March/April issue of Journal of Singing. His article, “Five Things,” is a must read for voice teachers of every ilk, as it focuses on observational and technical skills essential to the voice studio. Concomitantly, McCoy destroys persistent pedagogic myths, and also vilifies complacent pedagogy.

JOS-075-4-2019-429_-_Five_Things_-_McCoy.pdf (application/pdf, 180.6 K) posted at 11:12 AM, April 2, 2019

JOS-076-1-2019-5 - Heritage and Heroes - Sjoerdsma.pdf

Founded on March 23, 1944, the National Association of Teachers of Singing celebrates its 75th anniversary during the 2019 calendar year. The first official publication of the association, then called The Bulletin, was first published in October of the same year. In commemoration of that seminal event, Journal of Singing Editor in Chief Richard Sjoerdsma has structured the September/October issue of the publication as an Anniversary Issue, replete with vintage articles from giants in the history of NATS. Sjoerdsma offers an overview of the celebratory publication in his commentary, "Heritage and Heroes."

JOS-076-1-2019-5_-_Heritage_and_Heroes_-_Sjoerdsma.pdf (application/pdf, 498.6 K) posted at 11:00 AM, September 3, 2019

JOS-076-2-2019-127_How_Do_You_Teach_Voice_Angell.PDF

JOS-076-2-2019-127_How_Do_You_Teach_Voice_Angell.PDF (application/pdf, 523.1 K) posted at 12:17 PM, December 3, 2019

JOS-076-2-2019-137_-_Mixed_Up_Registers_Young.PDF

JOS-076-2-2019-137_-_Mixed_Up_Registers_Young.PDF (application/pdf, 2301.2 K) posted at 10:18 PM, November 25, 2019

JOS-076-2-2019-203-Neuroscience for Singers

Cognitively speaking, the act of singing is a complex motor task virtually unrivaled in other fields of performance, artistic or athletic. As a result, it is necessary for the voice teacher to have a basic knowledge of the neurology of breathing, phonation, articulation, and audition. In order to address this need, cognitive scientist and voice pedagogue Lynn Maxfield, in his “Mindful Voice” column for the November/December issue of the Journal of Singing, offers “Neuroscience for Singers, Part I: Neuroanatomy” as an overview of the structure and general function of the nervous system.

JOS-076-2-2019-203.pdf (application/pdf, 396.7 K) posted at 9:20 AM, November 19, 2019

JOS-077-5-2021-587.pdf

JOS_077_5_2021_587.pdf (application/pdf, 196.4 K) posted at 1:35 PM, August 10, 2021

JOS-077-5-2021-693.pdf

JOS_077_5_2021_693.pdf (application/pdf, 362.5 K) posted at 1:35 PM, August 10, 2021

Journal of Singing – On Point: ‘The Vocal Point: A Conversation with Angel Joy Blue with host Melissa Treinkman’

Soprano Angel Joy Blue is featured in the January/February issue of the Journal of Singing’s “Vocal Point” column, which has evolved to a hybrid print-plus-video format under associate editor Melissa Treinkman. Treinkman’s third interview in this exciting new series features a compelling conversation with Blue, who discusses her operatic career, offers heartfelt advice to young singers, and shares her vision for the future of opera. All of the “Vocal Point” videos are permanently posted on the NATS YouTube channel.

JOS-080-3-2024-351.pdf (application/pdf, 512.7 K) posted at 3:53 PM, January 5, 2024

LGBTQ+ Vocal Literature: Songs for Life

Over the past two decades, society’s thirst for social justice, equality, and diversity clearly has been amplified. One minority group that has made huge strides toward acceptance, yet faces persistent prejudice and discrimination is the LGBTQ+ community, also an intrinsic part of our voice studios. In “LGBTQ+ Vocal Literature: Songs for Life,” published in the May/June issue of Journal of Singing, Dr. Christian Bester suggests that one way to help LGBTQ+ students find their own voices is to bring greater awareness to song literature that speaks specifically to that community. The article provides an overview of selected appropriate song literature, with specific references and music examples.

JOS_077_5_2021_619.pdf (application/pdf, 2342.6 K) posted at 12:58 PM, June 3, 2021

Life in the Time of Corona

Crises offer opportunities for reflection, reexamination, and change, writes Journal of Singing Editor in Chief Richard Sjoerdsma, in his commentary, “Life in the Time of Corona” (Journal of Singing 77, no. 1 [September/October 2020]: 3-5). Acknowledging the impact of corona particularly on the world of performance and performing musicians, Dr. Sjoerdsma goes on to say that to cope is to hope, and in this crisis we are given an opportunity to create that better world of which we sing.

JOS-077-01-2020-3.pdf (application/pdf, 267.8 K) posted at 8:14 AM, September 2, 2020

Lift Your Voice

World Voice Day 2022 (April 16) carries the theme “Lift Your Voice.” In his Editor’s Commentary for the March/April issue of the periodical, Journal of Singing Editor in Chief Richard Sjoerdsma, while gratefully acknowledging journal contributors’ expansion of the theme in their various columns for the commemorative issue, chooses another route. He exhorts, in these challenging times, lifting our voices with a resounding NO to all manifestations of evil that surround us, and with an equally resounding YES to the cultivation of good in all its guises.

Pages_from_JOS_078_4_2022_431.pdf (application/pdf, 191.3 K) posted at 8:50 AM, April 11, 2022

Listener's Gallery ‘Birgit Nilsson: A League of Her Own’

JOS-075-3-2019-379_-_Listeners_Gallery_-_Review_-_Birgit_Nilsson_-_A_Leagure_of_Her_Own.pdf (application/pdf, 128.7 K) posted at 12:45 PM, April 16, 2019

Loaded Words: The Ongoing Evolution of “Support”

In the November/December issue of the Journal of Singing, author Brian Manternach offers “Loaded Words: The Ongoing Evolution of ‘Support’” in the latest installment of “The Independent Teacher” column. Manternach notes that while the term “breath support” is frequently referenced by some teachers, others entirely eschew it, “believing it to be ambiguous at best and harmful at worst.” Manternach presents various definitions of the term, examines potential problems with how it is used, and considers alternate phrases that may be less “loaded,” while also highlighting some areas of general consensus in the ongoing evolution of the word “support.”

JOS-081-2-2024-205.pdf (application/pdf, 198.6 K) posted at 2:17 PM, November 25, 2024

Manual Mimicry in the Teaching and Learning of Phonemes for Singing

The integration of body movement during vocalization is seamless and ubiquitous in both speaking and singing, and a growing literature is dedicated to body movement in voice pedagogy. Caron Daley and Heather Leavy Rusiewicz, in “Manual Mimicry in the Teaching and Learning of Phonemes for Singing,” published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Singing, present a rationale for the use of manual mimicry gesture in the voice studio and choral rehearsal to facilitate articulation, resonance, and expressivity.

JOS_077_04_2021_521.pdf (application/pdf, 838.9 K) posted at 3:48 PM, March 5, 2021

Mindful Voice: Focusing The Scope: The Voice Practitioner’s Role in Trauma-Informed Care

The Mindful Voice column in The March/April issue of the Journal of Singing focuses on “The Voice Practitioner’s Role in Trauma-Informed Care.” Co-authors Elisa Monti, Megan Durham, and Allison Reynolds explore the term “trauma-informed,” which has gained popularity in the singing voice community since the outbreak of COVID-19. In this important article, the authors cover the definition, effects, and statistics of trauma and offer useful guidelines to teachers on how to be supportive in the presence of trauma-related reactivity, but in a manner that is within the scope of the voice specialist.

JOS-080-4-2024-455.pdf (application/pdf, 462.6 K) posted at 2:01 PM, March 1, 2024

Mobile Apps and Biofeedback in Voice Pedagogy

Voice teachers, students, professional singers, and voice scientists share a single goal: to lead singers in a healthful and aesthetically pleasing way to find their authentic voice. A targeted integration of technology as a part of a pedagogic toolbox can aid teachers and students in important ways. In her article, “Mobile Apps and Biofeedback in Voice Pedagogy,” published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Singing, Heidi Moss Erickson shows how biofeedback, a scientifically proven process, can be used with maximum effectiveness.

JOS_077_04_2021_485.pdf (application/pdf, 1372.2 K) posted at 3:46 PM, March 5, 2021

Motor Learning and Teaching Singing: An Overview

Motor learning researchers in various disciplines have highlighted principles of how we teach, including motivation, perceptual training, modeling, instruction, and feedback, and important components of learning such as autonomy and internal reference-of-correctness. In their article, “Motor Learning and Teaching Singing: An Overview,” published in the May/June issue of Journal of Singing, Laura Crocco and David Meyer present an overview of these principles, recommendations for applying them in teaching, and what recent research suggests about current use of these principles in one to one singing lessons.

JOS_077_5_2021_693.pdf (application/pdf, 362.5 K) posted at 4:05 PM, August 5, 2021

Musical Selection in Western Classical Academic Voice Studies: Does Composer-Singer Identity Alignment Matter?

In the January/February 2025 issue of the Journal of Singing, co-authors Paul M. Patinka and Zipporah Peddle explore the questions of “Musical Selection in Western Classical Academic Voice Studies: Does Composer-Singer Identity Alignment Matter?” Through the results of their own qualitative study in which three faculty-student pairs worked on repertoire whose composer shared a cultural minority identity with the singer, they explore themes that emerged from their study, using the subjects’ own words to inform their reflections on the potential of singer-composer identity alignment to spark both inspiration and exploration in the voice studio

JOS-081-3-2025-285.pdf (application/pdf, 329.7 K) posted at 12:35 PM, February 24, 2025

Nasality Deconstructed

In any discussion concerning nasality, many confusing terms arise, such as nasal resonance, twang, velopharyngeal opening (VPO), and nasalance. It is clear, however, that nasality does not often coincide to its perceptual characteristics. In “Nasality Deconstructed,” published in the March/April 2020 issue of Journal of Singing, singer, voice teacher, and researcher Nicholas Perna distills some of the more recent information regarding nasality and presents a foundation for the framework that nasality involves multiple issues, rather than a singularly caused event.

JOS-076-04-2020-429.pdf (application/pdf, 199.6 K) posted at 8:20 AM, May 19, 2020

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