The Joy of Singing - Introduction

The development of a healthy and consistent singing technique can promote a lifetime of musical enjoyment. Although members of the Soldiers' Chorus come from diverse musical backgrounds, we all share a concern for singing correctly and efficiently, allowing us to perform in a variety of musical styles.

This website will guide you through six important topics in vocal technique, followed by a resource guide of books and materials that we hope will assist you in your present and future vocal studies. For more detailed information on vocal technique, please refer to the video below, The Joy of Singing.

The links in the upper right column will take you to areas of concentration.

The Joy of Singing - Body Alignment

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Since the singer's instrument is the body itself, correct alignment should be the first step in vocal production. Here are four ideas that will help you improve your singing through proper body alignment.

1. With feet shoulders' width apart, balance weight equally on both feet.

 

2. Flex knees slightly, so that they are not locked.

 

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3. Slowly raise arms above head, then lower them, allowing rib cage to remain high. Gently swing arms back and forth, so that your rib cage feels as if it's floating.

 

4. Look straight ahead, gently nod up and down, and side to side, allowing head and neck to move easily.

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The Joy of Singing - Efficient Breathing

Like all wind instruments, the voice operates on a freely flowing and unforced stream of moving air. The larynx acts as a valve in regulating the flow of air through the vocal folds.

To ensure that the flow of air is unforced, and that the larynx is allowed to operate freely, the singer must breathe in a manner that lets the air move efficiently. The diaphragm, a very thin but very powerful muscle located directly beneath the lungs, flexes and relaxes, helping to cause the lungs to inflate and deflate.

The expansion and contraction of a blacksmith's bellows perfectly demonstrates this type of breathing motion.

One way to learn this technique is to lie flat on your back, with an object on your stomach, and observe the object as it rises and falls.

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The Joy of Singing - Relaxation and Focus

Performing to audiences can both exhilarating and terrifying-even to professionals! Every musician gets the jitters before they perform, but the challenge to each and every artist is to keep focused and relaxed.

The brain is the most important part of the singer’s instrument! Keeping proper mental focus while singing can help you from "giving in" to too much performance anxiety. Your voice cannot operate efficiently if you are feeling overly nervous. Here are two exercises to help you focus properly.

1. As you slowly breathe, visualize the words "in" and "out" as you inhale and exhale. Try to stay focused on just those two words-or any other words. The important thing is to focus on the words and not become distracted.

2. Inhale slowly, counting to four. Gently hold your breath for four counts. Exhale slowly, again counting to four. Repeat this exercise as many times as you wish to help you feel more focused and relaxed.

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The Joy of Singing - Warming Up

Because singing engages a variety of muscles, including the vocal folds, it is just as important for a singer to warm up before a rehearsal or performance as it is for a quarterback before a football game. Here are four warm-ups that will help get your voice going.

1. Gently hum. As you hum, gently separate the upper and lower jaw, creating a feeling of "tallness" inside the mouth. Start in the middle range and hum downward in pitch.

2. Open your mouth, continue on a "ah" vowel. This should sound like sighing. Keep your jaw relaxed and open.

3. Sing a downward five-note scale (sol-fa-mi-re-do) on "mee."

4. Try other vowels like "may," "mah", "moh," and "moo."

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The Joy of Singing - Interpretation and Diction

The additional element of text affords singers a unique opportunity to convey the thoughts of writers and poets to an audience. Reciting poetry or acting in dramatic productions is excellent training for young singers.

Try this exercise with a friend. Read aloud to each other from a familiar text. Click on the following link to try this exercise.

"My Country, 'Tis of Thee," and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Interpretation: Bringing A Text To Life

Singers have an advantage over instrumentalists in that they have an added dimension: text. Beautiful music is made even more beautiful by beautiful words.

However, with this comes an additional responsibility: the singer has to make the text believable to the audience. Here’s one way to get started-by learning how to emphasize certain words over others.

Below you will find the text to "America" (My Country, 'tis of Thee). Words to be emphasized are in BOLD print. Say this text aloud into a tape recorder and listen to yourself. See if you can understand the meaning of the text. Or, speak it to a friend or teacher.

My country, 'tis of thee,Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.Land where my fathers died,Land of the pilgrims' pride,From ev'ry mountainside,Let freedom ring.

Here's an excerpt from "Battle Hymn of the Republic." No bold print this time! Experiment by emphasizing different words and phrases. There is no single correct way to interpret the text-two singers might have two completely different approaches to the same words.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea;With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,While God is marching on!

Notice how certain words such as nouns and verbs naturally receive more weight, or stress, than others. Now read from an unfamiliar text, and listen to each other to see if you can understand the text's message.

A mirror is one of the singer's greatest teaching tools. Mirrors will never lie to you, and they always give immediate feedback as to what kind of visual picture you are presenting "on stage."

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The Joy of Singing - Healthy Habits for Singers

You cannot effectively perform if you are not in good health. Your body is your instrument, so keeping it in good working order is critical to singing well for many years.

Your body is mostly water, so staying properly hydrated is vital to promoting vocal health. Keep a water bottle nearby when practicing, and make sure you are well hydrated before and after a rehearsal or performance.

Good nutrition helps keep the body healthy. The USDA Food Guide Pyramid is a great model to follow.

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Any type of exercise will greatly benefit your singing since many types of exercise use the same muscles that are involved in vocal production.

Take care of your ears. They are an important part of your instrument. Wear hearing protection when exposed to continuous loud noise.

Get plenty of rest and sleep-your body needs the rest to refresh itself after any kind of physical exertion.

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The Joy of Singing - Lesson Plans

The U.S. Army Field Band has compiled a series of lesson plans to accompany the educational video The Joy of Singing. Written by members of the Soldiers' Chorus who have teaching experience at all levels, from elementary to college, these lessons use the major concepts from the video as a departure point for exciting and informative activities to be used in a choral or private voice setting. Each lesson can be viewed in HTML or downloaded as a PDF for ease of printing. At the end of each lesson is a list of standards specific to the concepts addressed in that lesson. These standards are taken from the National Standards for Arts Education.*

It is the wish of The U.S. Army Field Band that educators in a variety of settings will find these lessons to be valuable tools in enhancing their curricula.

Individual Lesson Plans:

Body Alignment Efficient Breathing Warming Up Stylistic Aspects of Diction and Interpretation Care and Feeding of the Voice Elementary Choirs

The Joy of Singing: BODY ALIGNMENT

This lesson is suitable for inclusion in a high school choral or collegiate “class voice” environment.

OBJECTIVES: Students will participate in exercises to reduce physical stress. Students will understand relaxation techniques that will facilitate a relaxed

and appropriate body alignment. Students will understand proper body alignment and be able to demonstrate it

while singing.

MATERIALS: A large space where students can lie on the floor and move freely A book of similar size/weight for each student The Joy of Singing video

PROCEDURES:1. Have students lie on the floor with their eyes closed, on their backs. 2. Ask students to compare the right and left sides of their bodies, starting from

top to bottom. Which side is more relaxed? 3. Have students visualize relaxing different sections of their body as directed

by the teacher, going from top to bottom, pausing with each section.

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4. Following these steps, allow students to simply relax (still lying on the floor), asking them to concentrate on their breathing.

5. Have students place the books on their abdominal areas. Ask them to focus on how they are breathing and which muscles they are using as the book moves up and down.

6. Have students stand up with their feet shoulder-width apart, balancing weight equally on both feet.

7. Flex knees slightly, so the legs are not locked. 8. Slowly raise arms above the head, then lower them, allowing the rib cage and

chest area to remain high. Gently swing arms back and forth, so that the rib cage feels as if it is floating.

9. Make sure the shoulder and neck area is relaxed and moving freely. 10. The chin should be parallel to the ground.

EXPLORATION:1. Collaborate with the physical education instructor to create units about

physical relaxation techniques as well as body movement awareness. Try to incorporate ideas from the Feldenkrais or Alexander Methods.

2. Collaborate with the drama instructor to create units utilizing visualization as a method to create physical relaxation.

ASSESSMENT: Were students able to physically relax? Were students aware of how and where they breathe while lying down? Were students able to maintain the high rib cage and chest area after lowering

their arms? Were their neck areas moving freely and their chins relaxed?

RESOURCES:Alexander Technique Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide to Improving Breathing, Posture, and Well-Being at Any Age. Brennan, Richard O. Charles E Tuttle Co., Inc.: Boston, 1996.

Indirect Procedures: A Musician’s Guide to the Alexander Technique. De Alcantara, Pedro. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1997.

Singing with Your Whole Self. Nelson, Samuel H., and Blades-Zeller, Elizabeth. Rowan and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.: New York, 2002.

The Feldenkrais Method. Rywerant, Yochanan. Basic Health Publications: North Bergen, New Jersey, 1983.

NATIONAL STANDARDS:*1b.8c.

Sing music written in four parts, with and without accompaniment.Explain ways in which the principles and subject matter of various disciplines outside the arts are interrelated with those of music.

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The Joy of Singing: EFFICIENT BREATHING

This lesson is suitable for inclusion in a high school choral or collegiate "class voice" environment.

OBJECTIVES: Students will demonstrate the ability to sing with a free-flowing and unforced

stream of air while utilizing correct body alignment. Students will transfer this task from warm-up exercises to Battle Hymn of the

Republic.

MATERIALS: Battle Hymn of the Republic (SATB/arr. Wilhousky), in enough copies for

the entire group The Joy of Singing video

PROCEDURES:1. Have students assume a position of correct body alignment, learned during

previous lesson. 2. Have students breathe in, beginning the breath with a snore, making sure they

actually make the sound of a snore. 3. Notice how the top of the mouth (palate) lifts during the snore. 4. Have students stick their tongues out, fairly far from the mouth. During the

exhale, have students vibrate their tongues, creating a "raspberry" sound. This may take some practice!

5. Now, combine the two exercises. Have students inhale with the snore, and exhale on the buzzing tongue. This exhale can be a simple five note warm-up, either up or down the scale.

6. Have students focus on where their breaths are originating. Is it in the upper or lower abdomen? The correct placement should be the lower abdomen.

7. Now have students place their hands against a wall, with one foot in front of the other. Keep their heads in line with their spines. Have students push against the wall with force. Quickly, have them perform the above warm-up while pushing against the wall. This forces the airflow to come from the lower abdomen and helps the student feel the exact placement of the air flow.

8. Do these exercises during warm-ups as often as needed to solidify the ideas and physical sensations.

9. Slowly, add these ideas to actual music. Have students begin at rehearsal number seven in Battle Hymn. Perform each phrase using the exercises above. Begin by having students utilize the "raspberry" sound on each phrase, then actually sing each phrase pushing against the wall. Relax between phrases, reset the body, then continue with the next phrase.

10. Eventually, perform the entire piece using these exercises. Finally, perform the piece as normal, asking students to think of the "snore placement" with each breath as well as the lower abdominal breathing.

EXPLORATION:1. Consider developing a unit with a physical therapist or a massage therapist.

Both professions specialize in the relationship of muscles to each other and both emphasize breathing in a relaxed way from the lower abdomen.

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2. Consider team-teaching this lesson (or the Body Alignment lesson) with the physical education instructor and/or the drama instructor to promote physical relaxation, deep breathing, and posture awareness.

ASSESSMENT: Did students demonstrate correct body alignment? Did students sing with a free-flowing and unforced stream of air? Did students improve their singing of Battle Hymn following the related

warm-up exercises?

RESOURCES:Bel Canto: A Theoretical and Practical Vocal Method. Marchesi, Mathilde. Dover Publications, Inc.: New York, 1995.

Discover Your Voice: How to Develop Healthy Voice Habits. Brown, Oren L. Singular Publishing Group, Inc.: San Diego, 1996. (Includes audio CD)

NATIONAL STANDARDS:*1b.8c.

Sing music written in four parts, with and without accompaniment.Explain ways in which the principles and subject matter of various disciplines outside the arts are interrelated with those of music.

The Joy of Singing: WARMING UP

This lesson is suitable for inclusion in a middle or high school choral, or collegiate“class voice” environment.

OBJECTIVES: Students will learn the value of warming up regularly. Students will be provided with effective warm-ups for their genders and voice

types. Students will recognize their continual healthy progress. Students will be encouraged to participate further in musical programs.

MATERIALS: The Joy of Singing video The exercises provided in this lesson plan

PROCEDURES:*When warming up the voice, the difference in gender cannot be ignored. Males and females, based on physiological differences, have different "trouble spots" in their ranges as well as different places where resonance is optimum. We always try to maximize the "ring" in an individual voice.

1. Warm up the body before the voice with simple exercises: a slow neck roll, a repeated shoulder lift followed by a drop, touching toes and slowly rolling up one vertebra at a time, massaging the muscles of the jaw and face, and opening arms and stretching them as far back as possible, gently.

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2. With the group, complete the respective vocalises found below. Note: explore the ranges of your young singers, but be careful not to take any of these exercises to extremes.

3. Listen for things over time such as: relaxation of tongue tension, greater release of air, mixing in the higher voice to blend the registers, increased agility, and a more focused tone.

4. Employ, as much as possible, the descending vocalise to achieve the effect of a well-blended sound. This is especially useful for a good mix with choral singing but serves the soloist as well.

5. Although it is more time-consuming, work with students individually to demonstrate certain points.

6. Keep a moderate dynamic in mind. Singers can hear themselves better and hence blend with each other better when they are not over-blowing.

EXPLORATION:1. Give students the assignment of listening to a recording of your choice and

ask them to discuss it, focusing on their impressions. 2. Ask your students to attend a certain number of musical events during the

year and report on the style and execution, asking for their specific observations regarding group performance.

3. Split them into small groups and have them work on a short piece to perform for the group, focusing on diction and communicating words. They may consult other teachers for help.

ASSESSMENT: Did students have insightful observations about the recordings that were

assigned? Did students attend musical events and gain something from their experience? Did students approach their individual projects with enthusiasm and explore

the diction of the pieces?

Note: Coupled with the importance of choosing exercises that most benefit students is the responsibility of treating young voices with care. Barbara Doscher, a well-known pedagogue from the University of Colorado, said, "The single most important trait of the young voice is its limited endurance." Although warming up the voice is vital, over-rehearsing can be a danger. At an age when talking and socializing is at the center of their worlds, students are often at risk of over-exerting their vocal cords.

As teachers, we all want the students to come away with a positive experience. If they are pushed beyond their limits at a young age, they have little chance of achieving this goal. To err on the side of caution will ensure that they can grow and learn in a healthy, happy, and enthusiastic way. Making music will then be a tool that they can keep and use forever, and perhaps even pass on to students of their own.

RESOURCES:Alexander Technique Manual: A Step-by-Step Guide to Improving Breathing, Posture, and Well-Being at Any Age. Brennan, Richard O. Charles E Tuttle Co., Inc.: Boston, 1996.

Indirect Procedures: A Musician's Guide to the Alexander Technique. De Alcantara, Pedro. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1997.

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Singing with Your Whole Self. Nelson, Samuel H., and Blades-Zeller, Elizabeth. Rowan and Littlefield Publishers, Inc.: New York, 2002.

The Feldenkrais Method. Rywerant, Yochanan. Basic Health Publications: North Bergen, New Jersey, 1983.

NATIONAL STANDARDS:*1.6a.6c.

7a.

7b.

7c.

Singing alone and with others.Students analyze aural examples of a varied repertoire of music.Students identify and explain compositional devices and techniques used to provide unity, variety, and tension and release in a musical work, and give examples of other works that make similar uses of these devices and techniques.Students evolve specific criteria for making informed, critical evaluations of the quality and effectiveness of performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations and apply the criteria in their personal participation in music.Students evaluate a performance, composition, arrangement, or improvisation by comparing it to similar or exemplary models.Students evaluate a given musical work in terms of its aesthetic qualities and explain the musical means it uses to evoke feelings and emotions.

PROVIDED EXERCISES:

The Joy of Singing: DICTION AND INTERPRETATION

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This lesson is suitable for inclusion in a private voice lesson or in a collegiate "class voice" environment.

OBJECTIVES: Students will explore song texts and how to bring personal interpretation to

their singing. Students will observe how diction and dynamics yield expressive and

dramatic communication.

MATERIALS: A piece of music for study

PROCEDURES:1. To help approach music interpretively, ask a student to recite the text of a

song as though he or she were reading a poem. 2. Recite the text while the accompaniment is played.3. Ask the student to create an improvisation based on the written text to be

spoken over the accompaniment. This monologue exercise can venture into all aspects of character development: who, what, where, and why. Encourage the student to be creative and fanciful.

4. For practice of legato and vowel clarity, have the student sing only the vowels of the text in rhythm.

5. Ask the student to read the song text, emphasizing only the important words and calling special attention to nouns and verbs.

6. Ask the student to analyze the song's dynamics and rhythm. Can the student relate these compositional devices to the meaning of the text? Call attention to how dynamics and rhythm create mood, tone, and drama.

7. Ask the student to locate unfamiliar words in the text and define them. Ask the singer to identify any words employing onomatopoeia, or the use of simile and metaphor or other literary devices. If the text is in a foreign language, ask them to translate it.

EXPLORATION:1. Having a deep understanding of the literal and historical context of a text

enhances interpretation. Ask the student to research the origin of a text. Who wrote it, when, why, and for whom or what?

2. Giving a text a personal connection brings it to life. Ask the student to create a character, time frame, situation and reason for singing the song. This exercise can incorporate information that the student finds during research.

3. Videotape the singer performing the piece of music. Ask him or her to analyze this performance for clear diction, expression and communication. As part of the self-evaluation, name goals that were accomplished and goals to improve upon in future performances.

4. Have the student perform the piece for a group of peers. If the student seems comfortable hearing constructive criticism, ask listeners to offer their impressions of the performance regarding clarity of text through diction and presentation.

ASSESSMENT: Can the student form a personal idea about the music?

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Does the student have a working knowledge of the origin and content of the text and music?

Can the student clearly communicate the text vocally and dramatically?

The Joy of Singing: CARE AND FEEDING OF THE VOICE

This lesson is suitable for inclusion in a middle or high school choral environment.

OBJECTIVES: Students will understand misuse of the voice and resultant disorders. Students will work with others to determine five rules to protect and aid the

voice.

MATERIALS: Model of a larynx, available through many medical bookstores or online Bottle or can of a caffeinated beverage Packaging of an over-the-counter cold medication and/or other products

which can be detrimental to the voice, depending on what your school may allow you to bring in

Photos or illustrations of dysfunctional vocal cords A measuring cup (8-oz. only), a plastic half-gallon jug, and a plastic gallon

jug

PROCEDURES:1. Divide the class into groups. Have each group create five rules for behaviors

that they feel would create and maintain a healthy voice, based upon their knowledge up to this point, and justify each rule.

2. Discuss as a class: how do we feel vocally after attending a football game or other sporting event? How about after a rock concert? How do our voices feel when we are sick? Using your larynx model, remind them of the location and appearance of healthy vocal cords.

3. As a class, create a list of what they consider to be misuses of the voice. How informed are they? If the following have not been suggested, steer the discussion so they can see that these ideas are also included--moving beyond one's acceptable vocal range, dehydration, vocal use during upper respiratory infections, abrasive laughing, and throat clearing. Certain substances (alcohol, tobacco, antihistamines, antibiotics, Prozac, caffeine, sprays and inhalers, etc.) can also have detrimental effects.

4. Building upon the earlier discussion, what are characteristics of the misused voice? How does this affect singing? Discuss possible outcomes of misuse, including nodes, polyps, laryngitis, scarring, and cancer. Show pictures (color, if possible) of what the vocal cords look like under these conditions. Don't try to scare them, but do let them know of the seriousness of vocal mistreatment to someone who wishes to become a professional voice user (singer, actor, TV or radio announcer, telemarketer, etc.).

5. Point out the importance of proper hydration. Encourage students to become members of the "Half-Gallon Club," demonstrating exactly how much water that is. Adding a splash of lemon or another citrus juice can provide a slight

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flavor and cut mucus production, if students raise these concerns. 6. Following this discussion, what would each group add or change within their

lists of rules? Allow a few minutes of discussion, then have groups compare notes and create a master list. Later, make copies for each student.

EXPLORATION:1. Contact an otolaryngologist or a speech therapist and arrange for students to

hear recordings of various "misused voices," with discussion of the problems that create those sounds.

2. Aural health is just as important. On a smaller scale and avoiding redundancy, examine issues in maintaining lifelong, healthy hearing habits.

3. Provide the students with sketches of the larynx and modeling clay. Allow them to work in groups to build their own models, using this process as a springboard to discuss changing laryngeal sizes, changing voices, and differences in vocal range.

4. Focus on treble voices: bring in an adult soprano and an adult mezzo to compare and contrast these sounds with those of adolescent girls and unchanged boys.

ASSESSMENT: Did students describe misuse of the voice? Did students describe vocal disorders? Did students create rules for creating and maintaining a healthy voice?

RESOURCES:Bel Canto: A Theoretical and Practical Vocal Method. Marchesi, Mathilde. Dover Publications, Inc.: New York, 1995.

Discover Your Voice: How to Develop Healthy Voice Habits. Brown, Oren L. Singular Publishing Group, Inc.: San Diego, 1996. (Includes audio CD).

NATIONAL STANDARDS:*7b.

8b.

Students evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their own performances...offering constructive suggestions for improvement.Students describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music.

The Joy of Singing: ELEMENTARY CHOIRS

This lesson is suitable for inclusion in an elementary school or sixth grade chorus.

OBJECTIVES: Students will listen to a recording of Zion's Walls, clapping on the steady beat

and on the rhythmic beat of the soprano line. Students will assess the lyrics and write a description of the scene of the song. Students will share their understanding of the scene with the class. Students will watch the video portion of Zion's Walls and compare their

version of the scene with the scene as depicted in the video. Students will sing Zion's Walls and describe where steps and leaps occur in

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the melodic line.

MATERIALS: The Joy of Singing video The Legacy of Aaron Copland (recording available from The U.S. Army

Field Band)Zion's Walls, Aaron Copland (Boosey and Hawkes, Inc.)

Paper and pencils

PROCEDURES AND EXPLORATION:Activity #1: Exploring Rhythm and Melody

1. Listen to the Soldiers' Chorus CD recording of Zion's Walls. Ask the students to clap on the steady beat of the music.

2. Listen again and ask the students to clap on the rhythmic beat of the soprano line of the music.

3. Divide the students into two groups and ask half of the class to clap on the steady beat while the other half of the class claps on the soprano line rhythmic beat. Prior to playing the recording for the third time, ask the students to listen to the words and be ready to describe the meaning of the song's lyrics.

Activity #2: Integrative Technique: Exploring Music through Creative Writing1. Ask the students to write a short paragraph that describes the scene of the

song. How might a movie scene or a video of the song look? 2. Ask a few students to read and share their paragraphs with the class. This

might also be accomplished in small break-out groups in the older grades. Ask the students to notice the variety of pictures or scenes that are represented in each of the paragraphs.

Activity #3: Exploring Diversity through Music1. Watch the Soldiers' Chorus video portion of Zion's Walls. Ask the students to

write down words that describe the scene. 2. Questions for discussion:

*How did the video scene depicting the Grandma Moses' painting compare with the imagined scene as described in your paragraph?*How did your family, school, or community affect how you depicted your scene?

Activity #4: Sing!1. Distribute music for Zion's Walls to the students. Ask the students to sing the

soprano line, measures 6-24. If the a-flat in measure 23 is beyond the students' range, sing in a lower key.

2. After the students have learned the melody, ask them to assess where the steps or leaps occur in the melodic line.

3. Sing again, and ask students to raise a hand when they sing a leap in the melody.

ASSESSMENT: Did the students clap on the steady and rhythmic beat of the song with at least

75% accuracy? Did the students write a description of the scene that worked with the song's

lyrics? Did the students compare their imagined scenes with the scene as depicted in

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the video? Did the students sing the soprano melody (meas. 6-24) with at least 75%

accuracy? Were the students able to assess where the steps and leaps occurred in the

melody?

NATIONAL STANDARDS:*1a.

2f.5a.6b.

7.8b.

9c.

Singing independently, on pitch and in rhythm, with appropriate timbre, diction, and posture while maintaining a steady tempo.Performing independent instrumental parts while other students play contrasting parts.Reading whole, half, dotted half, quarter, eighth notes and rests in a variety of meters.Demonstrating perceptual skills by moving, by answering questions about, and by describing aural examples of music.Evaluating music and music performances.Identifying ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music.Identifying various uses of music in their daily experiences and describing characteristics that make music suitable for each use.

The Joy of Singing - For Further Reading

We recommend the following resources in your study of vocal music:

VOCAL TECHNIQUE

Benson, Herbert. The Relaxation Response. New York: Morrow and Co. Inc., 1975. Conable, Barbara and William Conable. How to Learn the Alexander Technique. Portland, OR:

Andover Press, 1995. McKinney, James. The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults. Nashville: Broadman Press,

1982. Thurmann, Leon and Graham Welch. Bodymind & Voice. The VoiceCare Network, 2000. Vennard, William. Singing: The Mechanism and the Technique. New York: Carl Fischer, 1967. Sundberg, Johan. "The Acoustics of the Singing Voice," Scientific American. Vol. 236, No. 3. New

York: Scientific American, Inc., March 1977. "The Respiratory System, Pharynx and Larynx, Ear, Nose and Throat." The World's Best

Anatomical Charts. Skokie, IL: The Anatomical Chart Co., 1995.

DICTION

Bernac, Pierre. The Interpretation of French Song. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1970. Colorni, Evelina. Singer's Italian. New York: Schirmer Books, 1970. Grubb, Thomas. Singing In French. New York: Schirmer Books, 1979. International Phonetic Association. The Principles of the IPA. London: University College, 1961. Marshall, Madeleine. The Singer's Manual of English Diction. New York: Schirmer Books, 1953. Moriarty, John. Diction. Boston: E.C. Schirmer Music Company, 1975.

The Joy of Singing - Video Resources Listed in Sequence

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"America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)" Arr. Robert Edgerton. Used by permission of Shawnee Press, Inc., performed by the Soldiers' Chorus.

"Act I Finale" from La Cenerentola, Gioacchino Rossini. Used by permission of Belwin Mills Pub. Corp., performed by Bel Canto.

Quote by Nellie Melba, The Music Lover's Quotation Book, Compiled and Edited by Kathleen Kimball. Used by permission of Sound and Vision, 1990.

"Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden" J.S. Bach. Used by permission of C.F. Peters Corporation, performed by the Soldiers' Chorus, 2 oboes, english horn, bassoon, organ.

Rose Windows and Architectural Interiors, Rose Windows, Painton Cowen. Used by permission of Chronicle Books- A Prism Edition, 1979.

Diaphragm animation, Bodyworks. Used by permission of The Learning Co., 1994.

Vocal Fold Illustration, Used by permission of Anatomical Chart Co., 1993, 1995.

Quote by John Logan, The Music Lover's Quotation Book, Compiled and Edited by Kathleen Kimball. Used by permission of Sound and Vision, 1990.

"Shenandoah" arr. James Erb. Used by permission of Lawson-Gould Music Publishers, Inc., performed by the Soldiers' Chorus.

Winter in the Mountains, a Pantheist Poem: Morning, 1900, Vittore Grubicy. 1900: Art at the Crossroads, Robert Rosenblum, Maryanne Stevens, Ann Dumas. Used by permission of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2000.

Quote by Ben Johnson, The Music Lover's Quotation Book, Compiled and Edited by Kathleen Kimball. Used by permission of Sound and Vision, 1990.

"Vita de la mia vita" Luca Marenzio, Used by permission of American Institute of Musicology, performed by the Vocal Arts Ensemble.

Oriental Poppies, Georgia O'Keeffe. Georgia O'Keeffe: Art and Letters, Jack Cowart, Juan Hamilton. Used by permission of Little, Brown and Co., Inc., 1987.

Quote by Phil Jackson, Sacred Hoops. Used by permission of Hyperion, 1995.

Quote by Wynton Marsalis, Marsalis on Music, Wynton Marsalis. Used by permission of W.W. Norton & Co., Inc., 1995.

"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" Vaughn Horton, Denver Darling and Milton Gabler, Arr. Kirby Shaw, Used by permission of RYTVOC, Inc., performed by Vocal Ease.

Reflection of the Big Dipper, Number 1, 1949, Number 3, 1949: Tiger, Jackson Pollock, Jackson Pollock, Kirk Varnedoe, Pepe Karmel. Used by permission of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1998.

Quote by Confucius, The Music Lover's Quotation Book, Compiled and Edited by Kathleen Kimball. Used by permission of Sound and Vision, 1990.

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"Dry Bones!" Arr. Robert L. Jefferson. Used by permission of Theodore Presser Co., performed by the Soldiers' Chorus.

Album Quilt, Jesse Covington. Souls Grown Deep, African American Vernacular Art, Paul Arnett, William Arnett. Used by permission of Tinwood Books, 2000.

Quote by Robert Schumann, The Music Lover's Quotation Book, Compiled and Edited by Kathleen Kimball. Used by permission of Sound and Vision, 1990.

"Where is Love?" Arranger unknown (Handwritten manuscript), performed by SoundOff!

The Starry Night , Vincent van Gogh. Van Gogh, Meyer Schapiro. Used by permission of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1983.

Food Guide Pyramid, Used by permission of The US Department of Agriculture.

Quote by Jessye Norman, Used by permission of American Music Teacher, 1998.

"Zion's Walls" Aaron Copland. Used by permission of Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., performed by the Concert Band and Soldiers' Chorus.

Country Fair, Grandma Anna Moses. Grandma Moses: 25 Masterworks, Jane Kallir. Used by permission of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1997.

"Battle Hymn of the Republic" Arr. Peter J. Wilhousky. Used by permission of Carl Fischer, Inc., performed by the Concert Band and Soldiers' Chorus.

http://www.armyfieldband.com/pages/education/joyofsinging/lesson_plans/joslp_intro.html

Full length Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=impG0XLvMy8

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