Date
7-21-2026
Department
School of Music
Degree
Doctor of Music Education (DME)
Chair
Jessica Frerich
Keywords
McClosky Technique, McClosky, David McClosky, Vocal Health, Vocal Disorders, Music Educators, Elementary Music, SOVT, Voice Disorder, Prevention Strategies, SVHI-10, Vocal Mechanism
Disciplines
Education | Music
Recommended Citation
Day, Shannon, "Elementary Music Educators and the McClosky Technique" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8717.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8717
Abstract
Despite years of private vocal instruction and coursework on the singing voice, many music educators have not continued their vocal study beyond their former institutional requirements, nor have they received training in the proper use and care of the speaking voice, which has led to the development of vocal disorders and complaints of poor vocal health. This study examines the varying levels of vocal health among elementary music educators as they undergo vocal health exercises using the McClosky Technique. The McClosky Technique offers a distinctive approach to vocal health that emphasizes the release of muscular tension within the voice. The technique’s goal is to achieve functional efficiency by coordinating the different parts of the vocal mechanism in an efficient way that limits stress, tension, and fatigue in both the singing and speaking voices. This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study assesses vocal health among elementary music teachers before and after implementing the McClosky Technique. The study utilizes the Singing Voice Handicap Index-10 (SVHI-10) as a quantitative pre- and post-test measure of the educators’ vocal health. The findings consider the relationship between years of teaching, age, and gender. Additionally, each participant completes a qualitative questionnaire describing perceived changes in their singing and speaking voices, as well as the program's effects, in their own words. The research is necessary because it not only offers a new, tangible, and specific approach to addressing vocal health issues but also provides a foundation for developing a preventive program to promote optimal vocal health among music educators.
