Journal of Singing - On Point

Journal of Singing On Point is a series of articles which highlight relevant topics in the field of voice teaching. We encourage non-members to browse these items free of charge. If you would like to receive the complete "Journal of Singing," please consider subscribing. These volumes serve as a key reference source in your office, studio or library.

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JOS On Point

A Brief Survey of South African Art Song
Imported through its European heritage, the art song has found a place among South African composers. However, against the backdrop of its complicated history, South Africa’s art songs often seem to reflect themes of exile, inner struggle and nostalgia. In the November/December issue of the Journal of Singing “On Migration, Exile, and Cosmopolitanism: A Brief Survey of South African Art Song,” author Nico de Villiers explores how these themes resonate through South Africa’s complex history, and how they have subsequently been reflected in the genre of art song, with specific reference to songs by six prominent South African composers.
JOS-080-2-2023-145.pdf (application/pdf, 1185.5 K) posted at 2:47 PM, October 31, 2023
A Cornucopia of Media Offerings
The “Listener’s Gallery” column in the Journal of Singing (a JOS Staple since 2001) has been renamed “The Media Gallery.” Longtime associate editor Gregory Berg’s astute reviews of recordings now includes video and streaming services as well. Berg’s November/December column features his in-depth review of “BroadwayHD,” an on-demand digital streaming service that distributes musicals, spoken plays, concerts, and documentaries. Berg extols the incalculable virtues of learning from the practitioners of both sung and spoken theater, because “as singers and teachers of singing, we are engaged in one of the most profound acts of communication.” Readers should also check out Berg’s September/October review of the “Royal Opera House Stream.”
JOS-080-2-2023-243.pdf (application/pdf, 874.5 K) posted at 1:13 PM, October 31, 2023
A Time To . . .
In his Editor’s Commentary entitled “A Time To . . .,” published in the May/June issue of the Journal of Singing, Editor in Chief Richard Dale Sjoerdsma announced his intent to relinquish that position at the end of the 2022-23 publication cycle. At that point, Dr. Sjoerdsma, only the seventh full time editor in the journal’s 80 year history, will have served 22 years at the helm of the distinguished peer reviewed periodical, official organ of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. A search has been launched to fill the position, and interested persons may find a job description, applicant requirements, and directions for application at NATS.org under “Job Center.”
JOS_078_5_2022_555.pdf (application/pdf, 696.3 K) posted at 11:29 AM, May 9, 2022
Against the Wind: Singers Growing Old
Singers grow old, and they must grapple with accommodating to changes in voice and anxiety about continued ability to perform. JoAnna E. Sloggy and Graham D. Rowles, in their article “Against the Wind: Singers Growing Old,” published in the May/June 2019 issue of “Journal of Singing,” discuss aging in prominent rock stars past and present. In the light of unrealistic audience expectations that hold them to standards of their youth, these iconic personalities face difficult challenges and decisions that they discuss in their own words.
JOS-075-5-2019-535_-_Against_the_Wind_-_Sloggy_-_Rowles.pdf (application/pdf, 335.6 K) posted at 9:31 AM, June 18, 2019
An Introduction to Vocal Fold Masses
Singing teachers often are first to recognize vocal problems and recommend medical evaluation. Several vocal masses can affect the professional voice, and it is important to understand the multifactorial contributions and pathogenesis of each to determine prognosis. In “An Introduction to Vocal Fold Masses,” published in the January/February issue of Journal of Singing, authors Vishnu V. Martha, Swetha Vontela, and Robert T. Sataloff identify causes and treatment for several vocal masses, recommending close collaboration between laryngologists, singing teachers, and other voice professionals.
JOS-079-3-2023-339.pdf (application/pdf, 1305.4 K) posted at 3:17 PM, January 6, 2023
An investigation of CCM voice pedagogy: A class of its own?
Surging public interest in and demand for singing voice training in CCM styles has posed a dilemma for singing teachers, performers, and voice students who have been trained only in the traditional classical model, and American voice pedagogy has been slow to respond. The major challenge is that the field of CCM singing lacks a systematic, clear, and cohesive pedagogy that addressed the specific style-related technique and vocal health needs of CCM singers. In the January/February 2020 issue of Journal of Singing with “An Investigation of Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) Voice Pedagogy: A Class of Its Own?,” Irene Bartlett and Marisa Lee Naismith contribute a significant contribution to a gradually expanding literature.
JOS-076-3-2020-273_-_Bartlett-Naismith_-_An_Investigatin_of_CCM.pdf (application/pdf, 416.5 K) posted at 11:45 AM, February 4, 2020
Anti-Fat Bias in the Singing Voice Studio, Part One: Culture and Context
In the first of a two-part article, “Anti-Fat Bias in the Singing Voice Studio, Part One: Culture and Context,” appearing in the March/April issue of the Journal of Singing, authors Elizabeth Ann Benson and Kate Rosen provide extensive context and insight into the culture of discrimination that fat people encounter. This installment of an important study examines fat stigma, vocabulary, medical care, fatphobia rooted in racism, and a plethora of related issues, in an effort to begin a conversation that could profoundly impact our entire society.
JOS-079-4-2023-503.pdf (application/pdf, 499.9 K) posted at 9:59 AM, March 13, 2023
Audio Technology: A Tool for Teachers and Singers
Alongside a developing systemic pedagogy for CCM is an awareness of the primal importance of audio technology in contemporary singing. Aaron Cafaro and Christopher Arneson, in “Audio Technology: A Tool for Teachers and Singers,” published in the January/February issue of Journal of Singing, introduce fundamental aspects of audio technology and explore how that technology can benefit singers and voice teachers in the context of the voice lesson.
JOS-076-3-2020-311_-_Cafaro_-_Arneson_-_Audio_Technology.pdf (application/pdf, 531.3 K) posted at 11:27 AM, January 21, 2020
“Assigning Racially and ethnically Specific Repertoire: The Student Veto Option"
Singing teachers find that students are more motivated to practice repertoire they have chosen themselves. But who is best equipped to choose repertoire in the voice studio for singers of a specific race or ethnicity? In his article, “Assigning Racially and ethnically Specific Repertoire: The Student Veto Option,” published in the May/June issue of the Journal of Singing, Brian Manternach identifies opportunities and problems that ethnically and racially specific repertoire can present in both the voice studio and in singers’ professional preparation, and he introduces the “student veto” policy as a pedagogic principle.
JOS_077_5_2021_685.pdf (application/pdf, 364.8 K) posted at 3:09 PM, July 12, 2021
“The Telegraph of the Heart”: American Songs by Augusta Browne
Augusta Browne Garrett (c. 1820-1882) stands out as a skilled musician who was one of the women most active in publishing sheet music in 19th century America, with music in print a half century before that of Amy Beach and a decade before Stephen Foster’s. In “’The Telegraph of the Heart’: American Songs by Augusta Browne, “ published in the May/June issue of the Journal of Singing, pianist/musicologist Bonny H. Miller demonstrates that, sidestepping hackneyed clichés of many parlor ditties, Browne’ songs are exemplary works that exhibit musical thought and sophistication.
JOS-076-05-2020-517.pdf (application/pdf, 956.5 K) posted at 11:28 AM, August 13, 2020
Beyond the Spirituals: Harry T. Burleigh’s Five Songs of Laurence Hope
Written in 1915, Five Songs of Laurence Hope are considered by many to be Harry T. Burleigh’s greatest achievement. These harmonically adventurous, lush musical settings stand in stark contrast to the straightforward style of his more familiar spiritual arrangements. Gregory Zavracky, in his article, “Beyond the Spirituals: Harry T. Burleigh’s Five Songs of Laurence Hope," found in the May/June issue of the Journal of Singing, provides information relevant to the performance and teaching of the cycle. Included are short biographies of the composer and poet Adela Cory Nicolson, details about the premiere and its reception, technical considerations, poem synopses, and musical analysis.
JOS_078_5_2022_559.pdf (application/pdf, 811.3 K) posted at 3:27 PM, August 4, 2022
Bringing a Different Kind of Research into the Studio
Internationally known composer and voice teacher David Sisco is the author of a provocative article, “Bringing a Different Kind of Research into the Studio,” in the September/October issue of Journal of Singing. In it, he highlights several dynamic tools to enhance voice teaching effectiveness, outlines studies that illuminate them, and models application in the studio. These tools include teaching curiosity, teaching vulnerability, practicing mindfulness, practicing self-care—all critical issues for the engaged voice pedagogue.
JOS-077-01-2020-19.pdf (application/pdf, 186.4 K) posted at 8:15 AM, September 2, 2020
Cancer Chemotherapy: An Overview and Voice Implications
Three respected otolaryngologists and an Oncology Pharmacy Specialist join to write “Cancer Chemotherapy: An Overview and Voice Implications” in the May/June issue of the Journal of Singing. The many treatment options for cancer and the plethora of chemotherapeutic drugs and other agents continue to grow. Current agents possess effective antitumor activity, but they come with a multitude of voice impairing side effects of varying severity with which singers and singing teachers should be familiar.
JOS-076-05-2020-559.pdf (application/pdf, 444.4 K) posted at 12:56 PM, July 7, 2020
Care of the Professional Voice: ‘Voice Rest’
All too often, “Don’t Sing” is an unnecessary prescription given to patients for various voice maladies. “Don’t speak” is a less common recommendation, and it is justified even more rarely. In their article “Voice Rest” in the May/June issue of “Journal of Singing,” physicians Robert Sataloff, Adam Rubin, Karen Lyons, and Voice Pathologist/Singing Voice Specialist Jean Skeffington offer reasons when absolute voice rest is necessary and how the patient should handle it. They also examine the more common relative voice rest, with practical suggestions for patient program of activity during this therapy.
JOS-075-5-2019-557_-_Voice_Rest_-_Satalof_-_Cline_-_Lyons_-_Skeffington_-_Rubin.pdf (application/pdf, 697.9 K) posted at 11:10 AM, July 9, 2019
Care of the Professional Voice: Gluten Sensitivity
Gluten allergy seems almost faddish as a “maladie du jour,” but its ubiquity is much more real than imagined. In their article “Gluten Sensitivity” for the column “Care of the Professional Voice” of the January/February issue of “Journal of Singing,” Drs. Aaron J. Jaworek and Robert T. Sataloff suggest that the problem, especially with the concomitant gastroesophageal reflux, poses a serious threat to singers. In the article, the authors thoroughly identify the allergy, and discuss its diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.
JOS-075-3-2019-303_-_Gluten_Sensitivity_-_Jaworek-Sataloff.pdf (application/pdf, 448.7 K) posted at 1:56 PM, February 5, 2019
CCM versus Music Theater - A Comparison
At the turn of the present century, music theater pedagogy was often considered synonymous with CCM pedagogy. As we near the end of the second decade of the 21st century, separate pedagogies are emerging that distinguish important differences between the training of commercial singers and that of music theater performers. These are explored by noted scholars and voice practitioners Matthew Edwards and Matthew Hoch, in “CCM versus Music Theater: A Comparison,” published in the November/December 2018 issue of “Journal of Singing.”
JOS-075-2-2018-183_-_CCM_versus_Music_Theater_-_Edwards-Hoch.pdf (application/pdf, 230.3 K) posted at 11:35 AM, December 17, 2018
Cinderella Meets Cendrillon: Music Theater and Opera Living Under the Same Roof
For many years, opera and music theater have occupied separate—and often antagonistic—worlds, playing to very different audiences. In “Cinderella Meets Cendrillon: Music Theater and Opera Living Under the Same Roof,” featured in the November/December issue of “Journal of Singing,” authors Mark McQuade, Jennifer McQuade, Allen Henderson, and David Sisco outline a modern trend in U. S. and European performance venues to include both genres, a movement that has financial, attendance, and pedagogic ramifications.
JOS-075-2-2018-121_-_Cinderella_Meets_Cendrillon.pdf (application/pdf, 626.5 K) posted at 3:12 PM, November 27, 2018
Cognition in the Age of Corona
Singer, voice pedagogue, cognitive scientist, and author Lynn Helding has long espoused adding to the two pillars of voice science, physiology and acoustics, a third pillar, cognitive science. In her article, “Cognition in the Age of Corona: Teaching Students How to Learn,” published in the November/December issue of Journal of Singing, she examines how to leverage what is known from cognitive science about the connection between volition and learning so that music students might examine their own agency and responsibility for learning, and teachers might create the best cognitive conditions of online learning in the Age of Corona.
JOS-077-02-2020-249.pdf (application/pdf, 1361.4 K) posted at 9:36 AM, November 4, 2020
Collab Corner - “The Art and Skills of Learning (New) Music: Lucy Shelton’s Practice Guide”
Internationally acclaimed soprano Lucy Shelton has made a career embracing challenges of new music. In “The Art and Skills of Learning (New) Music: Lucy Shelton’s Practice Guide,” found in the March/April issue of Journal of Singing, Ms. Shelton shares her method for learning contemporary works. Her carefully constructed toolkits provide practical approaches designed to greatly reduce the fear of seemingly daunting scores and render them more easily accessible to the interested singer.
JOS-075-4-2019-477_-_Collab_Corner_Art_and_Skills_of_Learning_New_Music_-_Shelton.pdf (application/pdf, 2048.6 K) posted at 12:39 PM, April 16, 2019
Collab Corner: Dalton Baldwin: His Personal and Musical Legacy
Surely one of the great collaborative pianists of our time was Dalton Baldwin, whose musical legacy includes performing and recording with the world’s most distinguished artists, such as Elly Ameling, Jessye Norman, José Van Dam, and a host of others. But perhaps his most significant collaboration was with Gérard Souzay, with whom Baldwin recorded much of the great French art song literature. Margo Garrett, herself a well known collaborative pianist and teacher, pays tribute to the artist in an article, “Dalton Baldwin: His Personal and Musical Legacy,” in the May/June 2020 issue of the Journal of Singing.
JOS-076-05-2020-601.pdf (application/pdf, 517.1 K) posted at 2:03 PM, June 9, 2020
Contemporary Perspectives on the Countertenor
Unlike systematic voice pedagogy for classical singers pioneered by the legendary Richard Miller, and an emerging pedagogy for CCM singers headed by Robert Edwin, Jeanette LoVetri, and others, there is no similar codified approach for the countertenor voice. In the November/December issue of “Journal of Singing,” Jerod Reetz continues a movement to fill this gap with his “Contemporary Perspectives on the Countertenor: Interviews with Kai Wessel, Corinna Herr, Arnold Jacobshagen, and Matthias Echternach.” The article reflects contemporary thought on the topic, furthering an understanding of the countertenor voice and its pedagogy.
JOS-075-2-2018-131_-_Contemporary_Perspectives_on_the_Contertenor_-_Reetz.pdf (application/pdf, 204.7 K) posted at 10:43 AM, December 4, 2018
Conversations About Instructional Touch in the Voice Studio
Instructional touch in the teaching of singing, a viable tenet of voice pedagogy for centuries, currently has engendered considerable debate concerning its effectiveness and appropriateness. In an important article published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Singing, “Conversations About Instructional Touch in the Voice Studio,” authors Brian Kremer and Kim Shively offer a balanced critical examination of the dynamics involved in contactless pedagogy as well as the ethical use of instructional touch.
JOS-079-4-2023-469.pdf (application/pdf, 254.7 K) posted at 11:24 AM, April 20, 2023
Crohn’s Disease of the Voice
Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with increasing presence in the Western world. IBD primarily affects the gastrointestinal tract, but due to widespread inflammation, extraintestinal manifestations (EIMs) of the disease are common. In their article, “Crohn’s Disease of the Voice,” published in the November/December issue of the Journal of Singing, Sarah Ecenbarger, Rachael Gates, and Susan Kais posit that recognizing EIMs in Crohn’s disease is important to professional voice users, especially singers. It is possible that subtle changes of the voice and laryngeal regions due to inflammatory conditions, such as Crohn’s disease, may go unnoticed, and hence undiagnosed, in the general population.
JOS-079-2-2022-189.pdf (application/pdf, 445.4 K) posted at 2:55 PM, November 7, 2022
Cultivating Instincts_Music Theater Students_Spectral Pedagogy
JOS-074-2-2017-203.pdf (application/pdf, 253.3 K) posted at 12:08 PM, November 21, 2017
Culture vs. Science in Voice Pedagogy
In “Culture vs. Science in Voice Pedagogy,” appearing in the September/October issue of the Journal of Singing, noted voice pedagogue and CCM specialist Robert Edwin examines a crucial question: Do cultural and tribal beliefs still inform our voice pedagogy more than science and thus inhibit singers from exploring the full potential of both the human voice and artistic expression? The article summarizes and continues the author’s 37-year pedagogic career of exposing archaic myths, inaccurate definitions, and cultural biases.
JOS-077-01-2020-81.pdf (application/pdf, 137.1 K) posted at 3:13 PM, October 6, 2020
Developing a Vocal Manual Therapy Intervention for the Treatment of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux in Professional Voice Users: A Pilot Study of Two Elite Singers
Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is an inflammatory condition characterized by the backflow of gastric contents in the larynx, pharynx, and upper aerodigestive track. An estimated 4-6% of patients who visit ENT clinics present with LPR symptoms, and comorbidity with voice disorders is common. British voice practitioners and researchers Lydia Flock and Stephen King, in their article “Developing a Vocal Manual Therapy Intervention for the Treatment of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux in Professional Voice Users: A Pilot Study of Two Elite Singers,” appearing in the May/June issue of the Journal of Singing, extends existing research and details the development of a vocal manual therapy intervention specifically designed for use with professional voice users, also providing preliminary evidence of the potential effectiveness of manual therapy in reducing elite singer LPR symptoms.
JOS-079-5-2023-593.pdf (application/pdf, 606.6 K) posted at 2:38 PM, May 8, 2023
Editor’s Commentary
With his final “Editor’s Commentary” column in his capacity as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Singing, published in the May/June issue of the periodical, Dr. Richard Sjoerdsma pens a valedictory entitled “Ade!” In it, Sjoerdsma muses over a few of many editorial highlights of his 22-year career, offers thanks to many who played significant roles in his journey, and expresses confidence in the future of the journal. The issue also contains a salute to retiring contributors, and a tribute page “Celebrating Richard ‘Dick’ Sjoerdsma.”
JOS_Final_Editor_s_Commentary_2023.pdf (application/pdf, 855.3 K) posted at 2:03 PM, May 8, 2023
Editor’s Commentary on World Voice Day
Each year, the March/April issue of the Journal of Singing honors World Voice Day, an international event commemorated annually on April 16. In the current issue, retiring Editor in Chief Richard Dale Sjoerdsma devotes his “Editor’s Commentary” column to the WVD 2023 theme, “Your Voice Matters.” Dr. Sjoerdsma argues that, beyond the care and nurture of the voice in its physical and spiritual dimensions, one cannot effectively separate that theme “Your Voice Matters” from what matters in life. What matters in life is love, and a corollary to the WVD 23 theme may be to love your voice and share it with love.
JOS-079-4-2023-433.pdf (application/pdf, 369.9 K) posted at 10:50 AM, April 11, 2023
Editor’s Commentary Sept/Oct 2023
In the September/October issue of the Journal of Singing, new Editor in Chief Lynn Helding introduces readers to exciting changes in her inaugural “Editor’s Commentary.” The “Vocal Point” has evolved from a print-only column to a hybrid print-plus-video format under new associate editor Melissa Treinkman, whose interviews with established singers in a variety of genres are posted on the NATS YouTube channel. Pianists Alison d’Amato and Elvia Puccinelli are the first team of joint associate editors to assume the collaborative piano column “Collaborations,” and David Meyer and John Nix launch their new column, “Practical Voice Science.” For budding academic writers, the journal’s “Mentored Writing Initiative” and the “Richard Sjoerdsma Excellence in Writing Award” are announced.
JOS-080-1-2023-007.pdf (application/pdf, 176.6 K) posted at 2:07 PM, October 9, 2023
Editor’s Commentary: A Retrospective on 20 Years
In his Editor’s Commentary, “A Retrospective on 20 Years,” published in the May/June issue of Journal of Singing, Editor in Chief Richard Sjoerdsma looks back on his two decades in the position. The journey has resulted in more than 300 feature articles, some 1600 regularly recurring columns, and millions of words, and has rendered the periodical at the vanguard of publications that deal with the act and art of singing, reflecting the thinking of the best scientific and pedagogic minds past and present.
JOS_077_5_2021_587.pdf (application/pdf, 196.4 K) posted at 4:06 PM, August 5, 2021
Editor’s Commentary: Auris Vermis—Earworms
Earworms—bane or blessing? In his commentary, “Auris Vermis—Earworms,” for the May/June issue of the Journal of Singing, Editor in Chief Richard Sjoerdsma cites some contemporary research on this ubiquitous cognitive phenomenon, and provides several examples of some verbal, emotional, and existential triggers that loosen earworms. Voice practitioners seem to possess a particularly rich loam in which they can thrive.
JOS-076-05-2020-513.pdf (application/pdf, 231.6 K) posted at 12:57 PM, July 7, 2020
Evidence-Based Voice Pedagogy (EBVP), Part 1: Voice Research Component
Lynn Maxfield, Associate Editor for the “Mindful Voice” column of the Journal of Singing, pairs with noted scholar, singer, and voice pedagogue Kari Ragan in “Evidence-Based Voice Pedagogy (EBVP), Part 1: Voice Research Component,” published in the March/April issue of the periodical. It is the first in a series that explores and defines components of an evidence-based tripartite pedagogic framework: voice research; voice teacher expertise and experience; student goals and perspectives. In Part 1, the authors posit that voice research, in its relation to voice pedagogy, incorporates evidence arising from numerous fields of study, employing widely varying methodologies.
JOS_077_04_2021_543.pdf (application/pdf, 356.1 K) posted at 11:26 AM, April 8, 2021
Evidence-Based Voice Pedagogy (EBVP), Part 3: Student Goals and Perspectives
Lynn Helding and Kari Ragan, each a distinguished singer, voice pedagogue, researcher, and author, conclude a multipart series of articles that explores and further defines each of the three components of the Evidence-Based Voice Pedagogy framework. In “Evidence-Based Voice Pedagogy (EBVP), Part 3: Student Goals and Perspectives,” published in the May/June 2022 Journal of Singing, the authors explicate the goals and perspectives component of EBVP so that as it evolves as a teaching model, the complex and interpersonal nature of effective voice teaching will include a humanistic/holistic approach.
JOS_078_5_2022_635.pdf (application/pdf, 241.8 K) posted at 11:29 AM, May 9, 2022
Examining How Voice Teachers Influence Student Achievement
Research defining qualities of the expert voice teacher predominantly have focused on attributes, behaviors, and practices of classical voice teachers. In “Examining How Voice Teachers Influence Student Achievement,” published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Singing, Australian voice pedagogues/researchers Heather Fletcher, Amanda E. Krause, and Jane W. Davidson examine different attributes and characteristics of expert voice teachers--specifically background and experience, along with psychological components, including empathy and leadership--in order to determine more precisely what influences student success.
JOS-079-4-2023-445.pdf (application/pdf, 712.7 K) posted at 10:46 AM, March 13, 2023
Exceptional Students in the Voice Studio: Understanding and Training Students with Asperger’s Syndrome
Although it remains a pedagogy largely unaddressed in higher education music curricula, teaching voice lessons to exceptional students who experience difficulty in learning due to impaired communication and social skills is an increasingly encountered challenge. Ann Cravero, in her article “Exceptional Students in the Voice Studio: Understanding and Training Students with Asperger’s Syndrome,” appearing in the November/December issue of the Journal of Singing, focuses on an approach to voice pedagogy for students identified with a singular disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome.
JOS-077-02-2020-159.pdf (application/pdf, 675.4 K) posted at 2:45 PM, December 9, 2020
Exogenous Testosterone and the Transgender Singing Voice: A 30-Month Case Study
In their article, “Exogenous Testosterone and the Transgender Singing Voice: A 30-Month Case Study,” published in the March/April issue of the Journal of Singing, coauthors Ari Agha and Laura Hynes initiate the first rigorous, scientific description of the timing and nature of the singing voice changes of an assigned female singer taking testosterone. The article includes links to illustrative audio recordings of the singer’s changing voice and pushes traditional boundaries of voice research by considering the singer’s embodied, emotional experience of their voice.
Pages_from_JOS_078_4_2022_441.pdf (application/pdf, 723 K) posted at 9:45 AM, March 7, 2022
Exploring Adjunct Teaching, Part 1
In a two part article, “Exploring Adjunct Teaching,” appearing in the March/April and May/June issues of the Journal of Singing, voice pedagogue Brian Manternach investigates issues related to adjunct voice instruction in higher education. Part 1 examines how reliance on adjunct labor has impacted academia at large, as well as how it impacts studio voice lessons. In order to more accurately portray what adjunct teaching looks like on a day to day basis, Part 2 relates personal experiences of five teachers who currently work, or have previously worked, as adjunct voice teachers.
JOS-076-04-2020-459.pdf (application/pdf, 187 K) posted at 11:32 AM, August 13, 2020
Exploring Adjunct Teaching, Part 2
In a two part article, “Exploring Adjunct Teaching,” appearing in the March/April and May/June issues of the Journal of Singing, voice pedagogue Brian Manternach investigates issues related to adjunct voice instruction in higher education. Part 1 examines how reliance on adjunct labor has impacted academia at large, as well as how it impacts studio voice lessons. In order to more accurately portray what adjunct teaching looks like on a day to day basis, Part 2 relates personal experiences of five teachers who currently work, or have previously worked, as adjunct voice teachers.
JOS-076-05-2020-581.pdf (application/pdf, 411.4 K) posted at 11:31 AM, August 13, 2020
Exploring the Pedagogic Legacy of Barbara Doscher
The late Barbara Doscher, iconic voice pedagogue and author of the seminal and widely used text, The Functional Unity of the Singing Voice, continues to find voice through her many students. One of the most prominent of those, John Nix, in his article “’Well for God’s sake, don’t peep!’—Exploring the Legacy of Barbara Doscher,” published in the January/February 2020 issue of “Journal of Singing,” outlines the technical aspects and teaching style of one of the twentieth century’s most important voice teachers.
JOS-076-3-2020-255_-_Nix_-_Legacy_of_Barbara_Doscher.pdf (application/pdf, 458.9 K) posted at 4:36 PM, January 6, 2020
Focus of Attention in Voice Training and Performance: Applications to the Voice Studio
The question of where singers should place their attention during learning and performance, known as focus of attention in the motor learning field, is a highly relevant, yet often overlooked aspect of voice training. In her article, “Focus of Attention in Voice Training and Performance: Applications to the Voice Studio,” published in the September/October issue of Journal of Singing, Melissa Treinkman guides singing teachers wishing to translate internal focus directives into external ones. Imagery, the use of props, character voices, primal sounds, and emotional engagement are introduced as strategies for inducing external focus.
JOS-079-1-2022-021.pdf (application/pdf, 350 K) posted at 4:19 PM, September 9, 2022
Focus of Attention Research: A Review and Update for Teachers of Singing
Focus of attention research is a subset of the motor learning field that continues to expand and inform. In her article, “Focus of Attention Research: A Review and Update for Teachers of Singing,” published in the January/February issue of Journal of Singing, singer, voice pedagogue, and author Melissa Treinkman provides a review and update of the current state of research on focus of attention, with particular attention to implications for singers and teachers of singing.
JOS_077_03_2021_407.pdf (application/pdf, 1523.1 K) posted at 4:20 PM, February 5, 2021
From the President: Happy 80th Birthday, NATS! 1944–2024
In the January/February issue of the Journal of Singing, NATS President Diana Allan observes the association’s 80th Birthday through the lens of the popular book and film by world traveler Dan Buettner: “The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons From the Healthiest Places on Earth.” Allan applies key concepts of Buettner’s “Blue Zones” to NATS, and considers how the association might create its own NATS Blue Zone so that the membership remains healthy and thriving for the next 80 years, thereby significantly enhancing its longevity and its impact.
JOS-080-3-2024-257.pdf (application/pdf, 487.3 K) posted at 3:35 PM, January 5, 2024
Habilitation for the Aging Avocational Singer
Understanding the needs of the aging singer, a rapidly expanding demographic, is increasingly important for the informed voice teacher. Canadian singer and voice teacher Dann Mitton, in his article “Habilitation for the Aging Avocational Singer,” published in the January/February edition of the Journal of Singing, identifies aspects of the aging process that impact the singing voice, and suggests pedagogic interventions for six common challenges experienced by aging singers: onset, power, intonation, vibrato, noise, and vowel production.
JOS-078-3-2022-347.pdf (application/pdf, 380.1 K) posted at 11:55 AM, January 24, 2022
Hidden Treasures: Rediscovering La Chanson d’Éve
Emerging from a decade-long project prompted by Peters Edition, a study by Emily Kilpatrick and Roy Howat, “Hidden Treasures: Rediscovering La Chanson d’Éve, appearing in the November/December issue of Journal of Singing, explores matters of source history, notational and performing problems, and editorial procedure in Fauré’s song cycle. The investigation allows a transformative reappraisal of the work’s place in the repertoire.
JOS-079-2-2022-145.pdf (application/pdf, 2261.8 K) posted at 2:56 PM, November 7, 2022
How Mind Governs Voice
In its Anniversary Issue (September/October 2019), the Journal of Singing reprints an article from The NATS Bulletin of 1972 by Victor Fields, “How Mind Governs Voice. Part 2: A Basic Approach in the Teaching of Singing.” A formidable voice pedagogue and writer, and a titan in the history of NATS, Fields may also be considered a pioneer in the area of cognitive sciences as applied to teaching singing. His article is as fresh and relevant today as when it was written.
JOS-076-1-2019-65_-_How_Mind_Governs_Voice_-_Victor_Fields.pdf (application/pdf, 587.3 K) posted at 9:46 AM, September 17, 2019
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
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

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