Contemporary commercial voice technique, pedagogy, and practices: a scoping review

Date
2024-03
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Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The popularity of Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM) continues to grow, yet CCM singers face challenges in receiving appropriate training, academic opportunities, and professional support. The world of CCM performing arts is often discriminated against, and considered less artistic, skilful, refined, and healthy by some institutions and pedagogues who favour Classical Music. Considerable research indicates that CCM singers require specific skillsets and versatile voice techniques to suit the wide-ranging stylistic requirements of diverse CCM genres. Consequently, there is a lack of knowledge and education in CCM voice technique, and a lack of consistency in the recent CCM voice pedagogical methods. Voice pedagogues often lack the necessary knowledge and skill to train CCM singers how to sound authentic in different CCM genres. This impacts the quality of CCM teaching and the safety of style-driven vocal effects. There is a need for more coordinated research on CCM voice techniques, as well as empirical evidence and pedagogical frameworks that support various CCM definitions, theories, methods, and principles, in order to provide practical guidelines and recommendations for practice. Using a Scoping Review method, this study aimed to collate and synthesise current peer-reviewed research to provide an evidence-based foundation for further CCM voice pedagogy and performance development, driven by the main research question, “What is known from the peer-reviewed literature about the pedagogy and stylistic application of CCM voice technique?” The results indicate a lack of adequate and appropriate voice instruction for singers who perform in CCM genres. There is a need for recognition and respect for CCM voice skillsets and common terminology in the field of CCM voice training that would lead to clarity, integration, and improved consistency in teaching and learning CCM voice techniques. The results demonstrate the importance of posture, alignment, and cardiovascular fitness for the singer’s body as their instrument. The findings also acknowledge the potential vocal risks of using various CCM voice qualities; however, these risks are heightened in singers who are not adequately trained or cannot sustain the high muscular energy that different CCM voice qualities demand. The results wrestle with the intricate subject of CCM vocal registration and breathing techniques. The study stresses the inefficacy of a one-size-fits-all pedagogical method and advocates for an approach to CCM voice pedagogy grounded in Evidence-Based Voice Pedagogy (Ragan, 2018; Bartlett, 2020). The value of cross-training is recognised, emphasising the pedagogical benefits of training singers across various styles and genres.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die gewildheid van kontemporêre kommersiële musiek (KKM) hou aan om te groei, tog staar sangers van KKM uitdagings in die gesig met betrekking tot toepaslike opleiding, akademiese geleenthede en professionele ondersteuning. Daar word dikwels teen die wêreld van die uitvoerende kunste van KKM gediskrimineer, en dit word deur sommige instellings en pedagoë wat klassieke musiek voorstaan, beskou as minder artisties, vaardig, beskaafd en gesond. ‘n Beduidende hoeveelheid navorsing toon dat KKM-sangers bepaalde vaardighede asook veelsydige stemtegnieke nodig het om te voldoen aan die omvattende stilistiese vereistes wat die uiteenlopende KKM-genres stel. Daar is gevolglik ‘n gebrek aan kennis en opvoeding in KKM-stemtegniek en ‘n gebrek aan konsekwentheid in die meer onlangse pedagogiese metodes vir die stem in KKM. Stempedagoë het dikwels ‘n gebrek aan die nodige kennis en vaardighede om KKM-sangers op te lei om outentiek te klink in die verskillende KKM-genres. Die gehalte van KKM-onderrig, sowel as die veiligheid van stylgedrewe stem-effekte, word direk hierdeur beïnvloed. Daar bestaan ‘n behoefte aan meer gekoördineerde navorsing oor KKM- stemtegnieke, sowel as aan empiriese bewyse en pedagogiese raamwerke wat verskeie KKM-definisies, -teorieë, -modelle en beginsels ondersteun om sodoende praktiese riglyne en aanbevelings vir inoefening te bied. Deur gebruik te maak van ‘n verkennende-oorsigmetodologie is die doel van hierdie studie om huidige portuurbeoordeelde navorsing te vergelyk en te sintetiseer om ‘n bewysgebaseerde fondasie te bied vir verdere KKM-stempedagogiek en uitvoeringontwikkeling (Eng. performance development), wat aangedryf word deur die vernaamste navorsingsvraag, nl. “Wat weet ons uit die portuurbeoordeelde literatuur oor die pedagogiek en stilistiese toepassing van KKM-stemtegniek?” Die resultate dui op ‘n gebrek aan voldoende en toepaslike stemonderrig van sangers wat in die KKM-genres optree. Daar bestaan ‘n behoefte aan erkenning en respek vir KKM-stemvaardighede en algemene terminologie op die terrein van KKM- stemonderrig, wat sal lei tot duidelikheid, integrasie en verbeterde konsekwentheid in die onderrig en aanleer van KKM-stemtegnieke. Die resultate toon die belangrikheid van postuur, belyning en kardiovaskulêre fiksheid vir die sanger se liggaam as instrument. Die bevindinge erken ook die potensiële risiko’s vir die stem deur gebruik te maak van verskeie KKM-stem-eienskappe. Die voorkoms van hierdie risiko’s is egter groter by sangers wat nie behoorlik opgelei is of nie die hoë spierenergie kan volhou wat die verskillende KKM-stemeienskappe vereis nie. Die resultate stoei met die ingewikkelde onderwerp van KKM-stemregister en asemhalingstegnieke. Die studie beklemtoon die ondoeltreffendheid van ‘n “een-grootte-pas-almal” pedagogiese benadering, en bepleit ‘n benadering van KKM-stempedagogiek wat gefundeer is in bewysgebaseerde stempedagogiek (Ragan, 2018; Bartlett, 2020). Die waarde van kruisopleiding word erken met klem op die pedagogiese voordele daaraan verbonde om sangers in verskillende style en genres op te lei.
Description
Thesis (MMus)--Stellenbosch University, 2024
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