The integration of embodied pedagogies has a long history in music education, and especially in choral singing (Benson, 2011; Ehmann, 1968; Jaques-Dalcroze, 1921). Manual mimicry gestures are hand movements that mirror the spatiotemporal attributes of speech sounds with an analogous gesture (Rusiewicz & Rivera, 2017). The present study investigated the effects of manual mimicry gestures […]
IJRCS
Choral Directors’ Self Report of Accommodations Made for Boys’ Changing Voices: A Twenty Year Replication
To explore possible changes in educators’ self-reported strategies used to accommodate changingvoices, we replicated survey data collected between 1998-2000 (Killian, 2003). The original survey,developed from strategies of 47 experienced directors, consisted of a checklist of accommodations (treble singers only, rewrite parts, sing an octave lower, assign non-singing responsibilities, separate choirs by TB or Treble) and […]
Disrupting the Choral Class System: A Journey of One High School Choral Program
This case study sought to investigate one educator’s attempt to disrupt “the choral class system” within their public high school choral program. The following questions guided this research: (a) How does one teacher restructure a choral program to increase student access? (b) What meanings do student participants ascribe to participation? (c) What do the choral […]
Barbershop Harmony Society Judge Perceptions of Expressive Performances and Contest Adjudication
The purpose of this basic qualitative study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016) was to analyze Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) judge perceptions of vocal and visual expression and what elements make up expressive performances. A secondary purpose was to explore how BHS judges perceived and utilized information gleaned from training. I interviewed ten current BHS judges from […]
Scoping the Literature of Transgender Singing: Experiences and Pedagogical Insights in Choral Contexts
Choral conductors have expressed interest in working with transgender singers more effectively, however, opportunities for professional development and resources in this area have been limited. This article reports a scoping review designed to explore the experiences of transgender singers in choral settings. Results offer insights for choral conductors seeking to enhance their support for this […]
Embodying the Music: A Survey of Choral Music Educators on Conducting Injury and Wellness Techniques
The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify the most common choral conducting-related injuries, and determine the ways conductors completing the survey have adapted their physical gesture to accommodate or avoid pain and discomfort. Utilizing a researcher-designed online survey, we asked choral music educators to identify and describe musculoskeletal and vocal injuries sustained throughout […]