Fostering singing agency through emotional differentiation in an inclusive singing environment

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain insight into experiences of adults who expressed personal discomfort with singing, either alone or when others might hear them. Singing agency in music learning, one’s belief in one’s own capacity to sing aloud, served as the guiding lens for the study. Narrative analysis of interview data, from 15 adults who self-identified as non-singers, provided understanding of experiences that they believed undermined their capacity for singing agency. Four initial themes emerged as participants described wounding incidents with resultant perceptions of deficit, disability, and shame; personal strategies to enhance or protect singing agency; perceived obstacles to singing agency; and personal definitions of good singing. Findings describe vocal skill development through emotional differentiation, linking singing agency with principles that underlie a social constructivist approach to music learning and teaching and a Universal Design for Learning.