An Examination of Methods Used to Teach Practice Strategies in the College Voice Studio

Abstract

This study investigated collegiate voice instructors’ approaches for teaching practice strategies to their students. Voice instructors ( N = 46) from accredited institutions in three Midwestern states participated in a researcher-designed survey, which described (a) the types of practice strategies addressed in lessons, (b) the methods used for assessment, and (c) the value instructors placed on specific practice strategies. Respondents typically used logs and journals to keep track of students’ progress. Score study was valued and used as a practice strategy most often by respondents, but other strategies such as repetition to improve accuracy and focusing on the most difficult sections of the music were also rated highly. Findings suggest that although these collegiate voice instructors seemed to be incorporating a variety of assessment and teaching strategies into their studio instruction, no consistent, formulaic method for teaching college singers to practice could be identified.