Issues of musical and vocal education of theater students

The author considers the problem of training specialists in the field of Acting and shows that the need of theaters for actors of a "synthetic" kind (with universal voice capabilities, with a high degree of musicality) is dictated by the increasing role of musical elements in a modern performance and is also determined by the search in modern directing. Theatrical practice demonstrates that the musicality of an actor is a crucial quality of acting. Today, in general, as always, the issues of organizing and implementing vocal education for future actors are among the most complex and energy-intensive. First-year students who come to the theater program track at the higher educational institution either do not have any preliminary vocal training at all, or are trained at the elementary level. Nevertheless, it should be noted that some of them were trained to play musical instruments and have musicality. The article deals with the specifics of working with students, aimed mainly at the formation of basic singing skills, which are associated with the acoustic properties of sound, high singing position, vocal diction, breathing, voice science, i.e. all the things that make up the technology of singing professionalism. Meanwhile, the author shows that this work is not with students of the vocal department, but with future actors of the drama theater. And our task is to educate an artistic and creative person, a participant in the dramatic process, which is all theatrical activity.

Them and the Timbre of Gender

Inspired by a question—“Trans singers exist, but what would we do with them?”—Marchand Knight, a classically trained soprano, began composing Them, an opera based on the lives of genderqueer artists Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. These questions emerged as central to the piece: Does gender have a timbre? What are the semiotics of gender that are implicitly (or explicitly) embedded in operatic composition by librettists and composers, and how can they be used or dismantled in this work? How has the taming of the classical voice by the German Fach system stymied Western awareness of what falls outside the box? Through a combination of secondary and primary source research on opera culture, voice science and training methodologies, aesthetics, timbre perception, and gender semiotics, Marchand Knight and Marchand challenge the notion of gendered voices by looking at sounds praised outside of white, Eurocentric, patriarchal, classical vocal pedagogies.

The 13th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research (June 2–4, 2019, Montreal, Quebec, Canada)

The 13th International Conference on Advances in Quantitative Laryngology, Voice and Speech Research (AQL 2019; http://aql2019.conference.mcgill.ca/index.html) will be held in Montreal, Canada, 3–4 June 2019. Pre-conference workshops will be held on 2 June 2019. The conference and workshops provide a unique opportunity for partnership and collaboration in the advancement of quantitative methods for the measurement and modelling of voice and speech. The AQL accomplishes this mandate by facilitating an interprofessional scientific conference and training intended for an international community of otolaryngologists, speech–language pathologists and voice scientists. With a continued drive toward advancements in translational and clinical voice science, the AQL has rapidly expanded over the past 20 years, from a forum of 15 European member laboratories to a globally recognized symposium, connecting over 100 delegates from across the world.

Epilogue

The study of voice and voice quality has long been characterized by segregation across disciplinary lines, with little interchange of data or ideas between scholars who do not share the same research focus. Recent efforts have begun to merge traditions in the voice science community (for example, by examining the perceptual effects of changes in one or more aspects of voice production). However, studies by scientists of the manner in which humans produce and perceive voice quality remain nearly unintelligible to humanists examining issues of social, cultural, aesthetic, and political messages conveyed by the same phenomena, and vice versa. This chapter attempts to provide a preliminary foundation to support dialogues and promote mutual understanding between these two groups of scholars. The author’s intent is to show where these different scholarly traditions overlap, where they abut, and where they differ, with the goal of elucidating how these bodies of work might eventually combine as parts of a single discipline of voice studies.

The Art and Craft of Phonomicrosurgery in Grammy Award–Winning Elite Performers

Background: Since the renowned opera maestro Manuel Garcia presented “Observations on the Human Voice” using mirror laryngoscopy in 1855, there has been an inextricable link between performing vocalists and laryngologists. Today, specialized laryngeal surgeons continue the tradition of integrating medical and surgical management of performers with those skilled in vocal arts, voice science, and voice therapy. With advances in surgical instrumentation and techniques, increasing opportunities have evolved to surgically restore lost performing voices. However, it is especially challenging because of a range of factors, including the need for optimal technical precision, management of expectations, complexity of informed consent, public visibility of these patients, and the economics related to the success and failure of surgery. A number of these key issues apply to phonomicrosurgical procedures in nonsingers as well. Consequently, reviewing the art and craft of phonomicrosurgery in elite performers provides valuable insights into the optimal management of any patient. Methods: A retrospective review was done of microlaryngeal procedures for the past 20 years, and 18 elite performers were identified who were Grammy Award winners. Microsurgical methods for different lesions are illustrated. Composite analyses of the group along with their associated pathology was done to provide insights into key issues. Results: The 18 patients in this cohort have won 80 Grammy Awards, which were garnered from 242 nominations. All 18 had substantial deterioration in voice quality and could retain more than 1 pathology. Significant loss of superficial lamina propria (SLP) pliability was present in 15 of 18, varices and/or ectasias leading to vocal hemorrhage in 6, vocal polyps in 9, fibrovascular nodules in 6, arytenoid granuloma in 1, sulcus from prior microlaryngeal surgery leading to vocal fold SLP scarring in 4, sulcus from long-term phonotrauma leading to vocal fold SLP scarring in 4, benign cyst in 1, precancerous dysplasia in 2, and invasive carcinoma in 2. Subsequent to phonomicrosurgery, all reported improvement in their performance. Conclusions: Laryngologists and laryngeal surgeons have shouldered a burden of responsibility for elite performing vocalists since the origin of our specialty. Most lesions and diagnoses that are encountered result from phonotrauma. Optimizing singers’ care provides surgeons with extremely complex technical, emotional, social, and financial challenges. Focused analysis of managing elite performing vocalists effectively integrates a range of essential issues, which provide key insights to assist clinicians treating nonperforming patients requiring phonomicrosurgery.

The Oxford Handbook of Choral Pedagogy

This text explores varied perspectives on teaching, learning, and performing choral music. Authors are academic scholars and researchers as well as active choral conductors. Topics include music programming and the selection of repertoire; the exploration of singer and conductor identity; choral traditions in North America, Western Europe, South America, and Africa; and the challenges conductors meet as they work with varied populations of singers. Chapters consider children’s choirs, world music choirs, adult community choirs, gospel choirs, jazz choirs, professional choruses, collegiate glee clubs, and choirs that meet the needs of marginalized singers. Those who contributed chapters discuss a variety of theoretical frameworks including critical pedagogy, constructivism, singer and conductor agency and identity, and the influences of popular media on the choral art. The text is not a “how to” book. While it may be appropriate in various academic courses, the intention is not to explain how to conduct or to organize a choral program. While there is specific information about vocal development and vocal health, it is not a text on voice science. Instead, the editors and contributing authors intend that the collection serve as a resource to inform, provoke, and evoke discourse and dialogue concerning the complexity of pedagogy in the domain of the choral art.

Commentary: Vocal and Choral Music

The field of voice instruction has experienced a dramatic shift in emphasis over the last 50 years. More than ever before, vocal music education is grounded on accurate physiological, acoustical, biomechanical, neuromuscular, and psychological evidence rather than on successful methods of a star teacher. While aspects of traditional approaches remain in use, the rapid growth of vocal pedagogy programs and the dissemination of information on motor learning, technology-enhanced instruction, arts medicine, and voice science have internationalized best practices. Simultaneously, the overall quality of education and performance has been raised, not only in major cultural centers but also in regions and countries as a whole. This article aims to guide educators through the full gamut of vocal possibilities: Individual adult voices and choirs, developing young singers, and aging adults.