Date
5-22-2024
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Music Education (DME)
Chair
Samantha Miller
Keywords
Vocal education, middle school choir, choral music education, teacher education, music methodology, adolescent vocal pedagogy, evidence-based vocal pedagogy, character education, pubescence, puberty, adolescence
Disciplines
Education | Music
Recommended Citation
Nogueras, Eunice, "The Middle School Developmental Vocal Methodology: A Middle School Vocal Music Instructional Methodology - The Vocal Pedagogy Branch" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5656.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5656
Abstract
Middle school can be a precarious time for students and teachers. During this seemingly difficult time, some students cope by participating in choir. Studies outline that middle school choir can be notably beneficial for students. However, teaching middle school choir can be challenging, as directors must respond to students’ varying physiological development, especially when training their voices and establishing a choir. Further, choral music education throughout the United States tends to lack uniformity in curricula despite national and state standards, particularly at the middle school level. While some choral music educators in low socio-economic locations maintain successful programs, some are novice teachers, lack funding, or are experiencing challenges in developing a successful program. Moreover, there is a lack of resources, such as prepared methods and curricula, especially pertaining to pubescent voice training and vocal pedagogy targeted for middle school singers. To meet this need, this study analyzed the available vocal pedagogy resources targeted at middle school-age singers. This research aimed to bridge the curricular and methodological gap in middle school choir rehearsals, by tailoring evidence-based vocal pedagogy to the understanding of middle school choral educators. The target audience for The Middle School Developmental Vocal Methodology are novice, less experienced teachers. A curriculum pairing is provided as an example of how vocal pedagogy can be accessible and implemented into the traditional middle school choir classroom and research-based practices for middle school choir directors and adolescent vocal instructors.
