This class covers the mechanics of creating a beautiful sound, through the study of anatomy and production of sound, and optimal teaching methods. Supplemental readings from Cantabile: A Manual about Beautiful Singing for Singers, Teachers of Singing and Choral Conductors by Katharin Rundus and connected reading responses support the topics covered in class. Students are taught to create effective lesson plans that prioritize the creation of beautiful music.

Reading Response

Week 8

1. Lyric and dynamic tone descriptions refer to the size and tone of the voice. Depending on the size of the voice, a singer can be assigned different roles for character purposes. A free tone should sound like it is easily produced even if it is not, while a forced tone can be associated with a more emotional section of the music as an emphasis. The idea of a free or forced tone varies from listener to listener depending on the type of music they are most familiar with. 

2. 

1. Labial/Bilabial: at the lip or lips vibrating, [b]
2. Glottal: at the glottis, [h]
3. Labio-Dental: upper teeth and lower lip, [f]
4. (Lingua) Alveolar: tongue at the gum line behind the teeth, [t]
5. Lingual-Dental: tongue at the teeth, [θ]
6. (Lingua) Velar: back of tongue at the soft palate, [g]
7. Palatal: tongue tip at the hard palate, [r], or tongue blade at the hard palate, [j]

3.  The Nine Articulators are the tongue, jaw, soft palate, hard palate, teeth, alveolar ridge, lips, vocal folds, and nasal cavity. 

4. A consonant is described as an obstruction of the vocal tract. They are determined by the movement of the articulators, vibrations or no vibration of the vocal folds, the place of the articulation, and the manner of obstruction.

5. There is a belief that you must maintain a musical pitch throughout an uninterrupted phrase, which is impossible to do. This is because the English language has unvoiced consonants which means the vibration of the vocal folds needs to stop every once in a while. By trying to sing with an uninterrupted pitch, the singer loses the ability to articulate. To create a continuous legato, it is important to remember to continue the breath, even with unsounded consonants creating little pauses. 

Citation

1. McCoy, Scott. Your Voice: An Inside View. 3rd ed.,
2. Rundus, Katharin. Cantabile: A Manual about Beautiful Singing for Singers, Teachers of Singing and Choral Conductors. 3rd ed., Pavane Publishing, 2022.
3. Zeller, Kurt-Alexander. “Singing as Communication: Mapping the Structures of Articulation.” What Every Singer needs to Know about the Body. 2017, pp.197-219. https://csulb-my.sharepoint.com/personal/stevie_hirner_csulb_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fstevie%5Fhirner%5Fcsulb%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2FMUS%20125H%20%E2%80%94%20Instrument%20Methods%20%2D%20Voice%2FMUS%20125H%20%E2%80%94%20Assignment%20Resources%2FMUS%20125H%20Readings%20and%20Handouts%2FZeller%20%2D%20Singing%20as%20Communication%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fstevie%5Fhirner%5Fcsulb%5Fedu%2FDocuments%2FMUS%20125H%20%E2%80%94%20Instrument%20Methods%20%2D%20Voice%2FMUS%20125H%20%E2%80%94%20Assignment%20Resources%2FMUS%20125H%20Readings%20and%20Handouts&ga=1

Teaching Episode: Focused rehearsal

Teaching Episode: Focused Rehearsal- Three Quotes by Mark Twain by Andrea Ramsey.

Lesson Plan: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zdus43zGVdkwgymIvWKynThv2CNQZnVQ/view?usp=sharing