Mississippi College
Department of Music
M434: Voice Pedagogy II
Spring 2016
Instructor
Nicholas Perna, DMA
NKPerna@mc.edu
601.925.3900
Aven 209
Meeting Time
Lecture
T/R
2:55-4:10 PM (403)
PR
MUS 433
Office Hours
Posted on instructor’s office door.
Due to the nature of my applied lesson schedule it is always best to
email me for a specific appointment time.
Catalog Description
A survey of the history of vocal pedagogy from 1600 to the present; special emphasis will be given to
voice-training methods currently in use. The student will be expected to train a beginning voice student
under the supervision of the instructor.
Course Rationale
The applied study of singing is a very personal journey for each individual who is brave enough to seek the
joy of song. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the voice pedagogue to treat students individually, to
provide each of them with support, encouragement, and constructive criticism, which is necessary to guide
the student through their journey. Each singer who becomes a teacher is still currently on their own voice
journey, which can make it easy to mirror our own strengths and struggles on our students. I would rather
suggest that the voice teacher model their teaching after Paul's words, "Pay careful attention to your own
work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to
anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct." (Galatians 6: 4-5, NLT). If you eliminate
the comparison of self to each student, it allows you to view your teaching through the eyes of how to best
SERVE the individual. This aligns with Mississippi College's vision of "advancing the genuine well being
of the community."
Part of the Mission of Mississippi College is to "pursue knowledge and truth." Through the careful study of
voice anatomy and science, we will further seek to eliminate the "guess-work" of voice teaching. The
singing voice has seen a significant increase in the amount of empirical data now generated on elite
singing. New models of voice teaching are firmly rooted in empirical fact, rather than the traditional
mentor-apprentice model that is still common in applied music study.
Course Objective
The objective of Voice Pedagogy II is to train the student to develop skills necessary to teach voice.
Students will study voice acoustics to base pedagogic goals on scientific fact. Aural and visual analysis of
singers on video, sound recordings, and in-class singers will train students to diagnose inefficient voice
production. Students will benefit from supervised teaching of classmates demonstrating inefficient voice
production.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course students will be able to
 Relate formant (vowel) space to harmonic (phonation) sound for the purpose of efficient
interactions for Classical Western and CCM singing.



Diagnose vocal inefficiency related to, respiration, phonation, articulation, and resonation.
Promote vocal efficiency related to, respiration, phonation, articulation, and resonation through
clear use of terminology and imagery.
Assign repertoire that enhances vocal technique.
Text
The required texts/materials for this course are:
Bozeman, Kenneth. Practical Vocal Acoustics. Pendragon Press. 2014.
McKinney, James C. The Diagnosis et Correction of Vocal Faults. Waveland Press. 2005.
Supplemental materials for lectures will be drawn from:
McCoy, Scott. Your Voice: The Basics. Inside View Press. 2015. (Only available as eBook)
Miller, Donald G. Resonance in Singing. Inside View Press. 2008.
Muscle Premium. Visible Body. (App for Mac, PC, iPad, or Android tablet).
Attendance
Attendance at all sessions is expected and required. You are allowed 2 absences. Upon the third
absence your letter grade will plummet one letter grade. This will repeat accordingly per each
additional absence. Class will begin at 2:55 pm. If you are late to class you will be counted as tardy.
Two tardy appearances will count as 1 absence.
Disability Services
In order for a student to receive disability accommodations under Section 504 of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, he or she must contact Student Counseling Services (SCS). SCS will assist with
information regarding the appropriate policy and procedure for disability accommodations before each
semester or upon immediate recognition of the disability. SCS is located in Alumni Hall Room #4 or
you may contact them by phone at 601-925-7790. The Director of Student Counseling Services, Dr.
Bryant may be reached via email at mbryant@mc.edu.
Academic Integrity
See attached policy.
Cell Phones and Audio/Video recording
Cell phones must be silenced for the duration of class. Text messaging, games, web-surfing, and other cell
phone-related activities are not permitted during class. Calling a student during class and asking him to tell
the instructor you will be late or absent is not acceptable.
Audio or video recording of lectures or any class session by students is strictly prohibited without express
written permission of the instructor in advance of the requested recording. Permission may be granted for
academic purposes and to assist students with documented special needs.
Assignments may be video recorded by the instructor.
Moodle & Email
This course will utilize Moodle for notes and assignments. It is recommended that you use a high-speed
wired connection.
Students are expected to read and reply to email at least one time each day. Email will be the primary
manner of communication outside of class. Please include a relevant subject line in email communication.
If you have a question, please check the syllabus and if you cannot find an answer, ask it!
Projects, Assignments, and Evaluations
Discussion Questions:
For each class that has an assigned reading you are to bring TWO questions that may be used as
discussion questions during that day's class. Discussion questions must be turned into the instructor at the
beginning of each session. The question should be a "dig-deeper" or "clarification" topic from the assigned
reading.
Piano Skill Test:
You will be given a one-page handout of piano exercises to play in class as a means to measure your ability
to successfully play vocalizes for students.
Teaching Video/Student:
Throughout the semester you must teach ONE voice student 5 30-minute lessons. The student may NOT
be enrolled in voice at MC. The student should be aged 13-25. You must video record 2 of these lessons.
The each lesson should include a minimum of 15 minutes of technique work and 5 minutes of repertoire.
You should assign the student 1 song to learn. English is advised; CCM style is acceptable. The videos
must be submitted electronically either by external storage device or cloud transfer.
Exams/Quizzes:
Each quiz may include a written portion, audio/visual diagnosis and correction, and an in-class teaching
demonstration. For in-class teaching demonstrations the course instructor or fellow students will
demonstrate vocal inefficiencies for which you must provide corrective procedures with clear terminology
and imagery.
Repertoire Selection Assignment:
You are to create an eight-semester sequence of repertoire for your own voice type. Include a 2-3 page
rationale that accounts for planning a junior and senior recital within this repertoire.
Grade Distribution
Discussion Questions (1 point each)
Piano Skill Test
Teaching Video/Student
Exam 1: Resonance
Exam 2: In Class Teaching
Repertoire Assignment
12 points
8 points
20 points
20 points
20 points
15 points
Total
100 points
Grade Scale
A = 90-100 points
B = 80-89 points
C = 70-79 points
D = 60-69 points
F = 50-69 points
Course Calendar (Subject to change)
Date
Topic
Assignment Due
1/12
Course Overview
1/14
What are Formants/Harmonics
1/19
What are Formants/Harmonics
1/21
Formant Harmonic Interactions
Bozeman 5 & 9 & 12
1/26
Western Classical Female Resonance
Bozeman 6
Bozeman 1-4
1/28
Western Classical Female Resonance
Bozeman pp. 85-88
2/2
CCM Female Resonance
Bozeman 11
2/4
CCM Female Resonance
2/9
Western Classical Male Resonance
Bozeman 7-8
2/11
Western Classical Male Resonance
Bozeman pp. 80-85
2/16
Exam 1: Resonance
2/18
Review Breath/Posture Pedagogy
McKinney pp. 33-45, McKinney pp. 56-64
2/23
Review Articulation Pedagogy
McKinney pp 160-165
2/25
Review Phonation Pedagogy
McKinney 82-92
3/1
Piano Skill Test
3/3
IN CLASS TEACHING
3/15
IN CLASS TEACHING
3/17
IN CLASS TEACHING
3/22
3/24
IN CLASS TEACHING
IN CLASS TEACHING
VIDEO #1 DUE
3/29
Repertoire Selection: Online Lecture
Spivak Handout
3/31
Repertoire Selection: Online Lecture
4/5
IN CLASS TEACHING
4/7
IN CLASS TEACHING
4/12
IN CLASS TEACHING
4/14
IN CLASS TEACHING
4/19
Voice Type Identification
4/21
4/26
Repertoire Selection Assignment Due
VIDEO #2 DUE
Exam 2: Teaching
The Responsibility Chair