Voice

Vocal Study

The voice faculty in the Department of Music, Theatre, & Dance base their instruction on the conviction that vibrant, healthy singing in all classical, musical theatre and other popular forms is founded on the same principles of vocal production. Consequently, all students of voice should expect to study techniques and repertoire that have been proven to facilitate the acquisition of a sound, consistent and reliable technique of singing.

  • All students in the B.A./Voice Performance & Pedagogy Option and the B.A. in Music Education must enroll in 2 credits of Performance Studies instruction in each semester. They receive one 45-minute private lesson per week and are required to participate in the weekly Voice Performance Lab appropriate to their level (MU 1420 or MU 3420).
  • Students in other options within the B.A. in Music having voice as the primary instrument must enroll in 1 credit of Performance Studies instruction in each semester (one 30-minute lesson per week). However, they are strongly urged to enroll for 2 credits (one 45-minute private lesson per week), because longer lessons contribute to faster progress. Students in this option are required to participate in the weekly Voice Performance Lab appropriate to their level (MU 1420 or MU 3420).
  • All students in the B.A./Music Theatre Performance Option must enroll in 1 credit of Performance Studies instruction in each semester (one 30-minute private lesson per week). However, they are strongly urged to enroll for 2 credits (one 45-minute private lesson per week). Students in this option are required to participate in the weekly Voice Performance Lab appropriate to their level (MU 1420 or MU 3420).
  • All students incorporating music/voice into an Interdisciplinary Program determine, in consultation with the music advisor assisting in the development of this major, the credits of Voice Performance Studies to be included. With the concurrence of the Performance Studies teacher, Interdisciplinary majors who attain level 3000 or 4000 in their course of study may perform a Junior or Senior Recital. All requirements for permission to present a public, solo recital must be met. See the appropriate section in the Music Student Handbook for a description of these requirements.
  • All Music/Voice minors will enroll in 1 credit of Performance Studies instruction, one 30-minute private lesson, for five semesters of study They are encouraged to participate in the weekly Voice Performance Lab appropriate to their level of study. These students may enroll for 2 credits of private vocal instruction if the instructor supports this increase and has time available, AND if permission is granted by the Director of Voice Performance Studies. The five-semester requirement for the minor pertains regardless of whether the student is enrolled for 1 or for 2 credits of private instruction.
  • Theatre majors(non-Music/Theatre Performance Option) and minors who desire to study singing should consult with the Director of Voice Performance Studies regarding the course of study most appropriate for them. A singing audition and/or a recommendation from the Director of Choral Studies may be required. Except for those students who have already studied singing privately and who already possess music reading skills, it is most likely that enrollment in Voice Class I (ME 1200) and University Chorale (MU 2440) will be required prior to approval for private vocal instruction.

Performance Studies Notebook

All voice students will maintain a Performance Studies Notebook (see heading under each Performance Studies Level for specific requirements).

Grading

Grades at all levels are computed according to the following formula:

  • Studio grade:  90 percent
  • Notebook grade:  5 percent
  • Jury grade: 5 percent

Voice Curriculum

The following courses are required in the curriculum of students enrolled in the B.A. Music/Voice Performance & Pedagogy Option.

  1. MU 2000:  Diction for Singers
  2. MU 3430:  Survey of Vocal Literature
  3. MU 4280:  Voice Pedagogy for Majors **

**MU 4280 may substitute for (Voice Class II/Pedagogy) for B.S. Music Education majors. These majors will also find MU 2000 particularly useful to them as choral directors.

Voice majors enrolled in other options within the B.A./Music should consider taking some of these voice specialty courses. MU 2000 is particularly useful for all voice majors.

B.A./B.S. Interdisciplinary majors should include this coursework if their program is directed toward pre-opera Performance Studies.

Students majoring in B.A./Music/Voice (all options), B.S./Music Education/Voice, and B.A./Theatre (Music Theatre Performance Option) are required to enroll in either:

  1. MU 1420 (Performance Lab I): students who are studying voice at the 1000 level
  2. MU 3420 (Performance Lab II): students who are studying voice at the 2000, 3000 or 4000 levels

These performance labs meet once a week and carry no specific credit because the credit is already awarded through Voice Performance Studies. Lab participation is reported to the Performance Studies teachers so that this may be factored into the student’s semester grade.

For satisfactory completion of each level of private vocal study, the student should demonstrate the following competencies: