We are in an age where a scientific approach to pedagogy is considered extremely important. I have talked a lot about the limits of discussing acoustics and physics with a…
Tag: science
Let’s pretend that, in order to be a voice teacher, there are 100,000 possible facts to know. Let’s say that there are five kinds of these facts, divided into groups…
As teachers, we want to get the best results with our students. There are big picture goals, like easy breathing, good body alignment, efficient use of breath, accurate intonation, and…
the study of the methods and activities of teaching – retrieved from: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pedagogy
Definition of Gestalt: “…something that is made of many parts and yet is somehow more than or different from the combination of its parts” (retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gestalt) Someone asked me…
In the online forums I’m seeing many discussions about voice science – Explanations of “open throat”. Descriptions of sound profiles of ideal (so they claim) vocal attributes. Assumptions about desirable…
I have dared to enter the fray in yet another social media discussion on the value of voice science in the teaching of singing. It gets so heated, but my…
Maximizing resonance is a worthwhile endeavor, if resonance is an important value for you. But can it, should it, and must it have a cost? Let’s say that you have…
We have two accelerating trends in vocal pedagogy that show no signs of slowing down soon. A few words describing each (wording changed slightly to protect the privacy of the…
Polishing biases: Looking for snippets of knowledge to support something already firmly believed. Discarding that which conflicts with your agenda. Building a case. Preference for received instruction versus independent study.…
Anglo-Saxon cow bile and garlic potion kills MRSA What does this have to do with singing? Empiricism! From the article, this quote from Dr. Cristina Lee (no relation) jumped…
Empirical: “1. originating in or based on observation or experience” and “2. relying on experience or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory” – merriam-webster.com It is…