Four real-time visual feedback computer tools for singing lessons (Singad, Albert, Sing & See, and WinSINGAD), and the research carried out to evaluate the usefulness of these systems are reviewed in this article. We report on the development of user-functions and the usability of these computer-assisted learning tools. Both quantitative and…

Self-analysis is a basic component of artistic development. For the singer, self-analysis is equally important, but the steps for improvement may be less visible. As Richard Alderson has noted, a singer "hears his voice from the inside through the bony structure of the head rather than outside through the eardrum. We as singers are doomed to a…

In this article, first I describe from observation the spontaneous vocalisations produced during free play by young children of 18 months to three-years-old. I propose that a focus on vocalisations can provide valuable insights into general aspects of children's play. Next I describe two musical play situations between toddlers and their mothers…

This paper explores 122 secondary school students' perceptions of the choral learning environment. A survey questionnaire was developed taking into consideration the responses of a pilot study in which students were requested to list what they liked and disliked about the choir. The participants rated their degree of agreement on a five-point…

Young children are natural-born musicians and rhythm instruments provide a wonderful bridge between a toddler's innate need to make noise and a child's true musical awareness and expressiveness. Rhythm instrument activities are so easy. With most of them, the child is simply copying one motion at a time. There is nothing to remember. Another…

In this article, the author shares her experience in visiting Mount Lebanon School in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. Mount Lebanon (pre K-3) calls itself a school community, and that community has a strong showing in every aspect of school life, beginning with the way the building is laid out. To get almost anywhere in Mount Lebanon School, one has…

In an effort to further the understanding of gender traits or sexual bias that high school-aged choral music students might be exposed to in their curricular materials, two choral textbooks Choral Connections Beginning Level 1 Treble Voices and Choral Connections Beginning Level 1 Tenor-Bass Voices published by Glencoe MacGraw-Hill in 1999 were…

Five teaching experiments with French songs, in grades 7, 8 and 9, are described. Aural understanding was practiced first, then use of the text. In the 9th grade, work on the content became most important, with the aim of correcting and expanding the common conception of France. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

While group singing of composed songs and the singing that takes place during circle games are the commonest forms of music instruction for young children, children should also be encouraged to engage in free musical play or spontaneous singing. In spontaneous singing, the child creates a song at a moment's notice while engaged in play. Free…

The material in this teacher's guide for a high school elective course may be used in a variety of curriculum designs--from a mini elective to a full year course. The rationale section explains that folksinging can be a valuable activity in the classroom by: 1) presenting a mirror for the student's personality and by being a useful tool for…

This document is a supplement to TE 499 767, presented in this issue. The contents are similar to the original document, but the supplement expands on the subject of "Course Procedures, Strategies, and Suggested Learning Activities." Resources for the Pupil and Teacher are listed. A Choral Written Test and a True and False Test conclude…

A teacher, who inherited a classroom with a piano, describes the benefits that class sing-a-longs brought to her third-graders. A bibliography of the class's favorite songbooks is appended. (SJL)

A description of French instruction in kindergarten and primary grades in Louisiana by the method "Chantons avec Jeannot Lapin." It is an audio-visual approach whose goal is to sensitize students to the spoken language. A description of the methodology and a sample lesson plan are given. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

A discussion of the difficulties one experiences in understanding a foreign language in song. The difficulty comes from the rhyme and rhythm, and from the medium, the form of linguistic expression, itself. (AMH)