Honors College Theses

Publication Date

2026

Major

Music Performance (B.M.)

Release Option

Open Access

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Jennifer D'Agostino

Abstract

This research discusses undergraduate voice students' understanding of vocalizes and their purpose. To discuss this subject, a vocalize has been defined along with its purpose analyzed. By discovering what methods voice teachers are using to prescribe vocalizes tells us how they are educating their singers on developing technical singing skills. This research was collected through a survey conducted in Qualtrics and was shared via social media voice teacher forums and collegiate music settings. This 5-10 minute long survey included participants that are either undergraduate voice students or undergraduate voice teachers. The teachers and students completed different surveys, both asking about how vocalizes are used in their undergraduate voice lessons. The teachers were asked questions involving how they define and assign vocalizes to their students, while the students were asked about their understanding of vocalizes and comfortability with self-prescribing vocalizes in the practice room, with the purpose of building technical skill. The result of this research provides further insight into how undergraduate voice teachers are teaching technical singing skills to their students and what resources they are using to do so. Furthermore, this reveals if undergraduate voice students have the ability to independently prescribe vocalizes for enhanced singing technique, or if they are incapable of performing this task for themselves and/or future voice students in the classroom or private lesson setting.

Thesis Summary

This research discusses undergraduate voice students' understanding of vocalizes and their purpose. To discuss this subject, a vocalize has been defined along with its purpose analyzed. By discovering what methods voice teachers are using to prescribe vocalizes tells us how they are educating their singers on developing technical singing skills. This research was collected through a survey conducted in Qualtrics and was shared via social media voice teacher forums and collegiate music settings. This 5-10 minute long survey included participants that are either undergraduate voice students or undergraduate voice teachers. The teachers and students completed different surveys, both asking about how vocalizes are used in their undergraduate voice lessons. The teachers were asked questions involving how they define and assign vocalizes to their students, while the students were asked about their understanding of vocalizes and comfortability with self-prescribing vocalizes in the practice room, with the purpose of building technical skill. The result of this research provides further insight into how undergraduate voice teachers are teaching technical singing skills to their students and what resources they are using to do so. Furthermore, this reveals if undergraduate voice students have the ability to independently prescribe vocalizes for enhanced singing technique, or if they are incapable of performing this task for themselves and/or future voice students in the classroom or private lesson setting.

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