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ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Diction for singers: a comprehensive assessment of books and sources

Mahaney, Cynthia Lynn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1148931700

Abstract Details

2006, Doctor of Musical Arts, Ohio State University, Music.
A common dilemma for today’s college voice professor is how to teach vocal diction effectively to the undergraduate student in the limited time allotted to these courses in a college music program. The college voice professor may rely on familiar and previously used texts, though other excellent resources have become available in the last decade. It is the purpose of this study to identify the diction books and supplemental sources currently used in the United States, and provide assessment of their suitability for teaching undergraduate voice students. A survey was conducted to determine which books and sources college professors currently use in vocal diction classes. The survey concentrated primarily on diction instruction resources for the Italian, German, and French languages, since these are the first languages that need to be mastered by the undergraduate voice student. The survey instrument was sent to all 1,733 institution members of the College Music Society in the United States. The 118 completed surveys which were returned formed the basis of this study. From the 118, twenty-two interviews were conducted with instructors who used different diction texts. The questions for both the survey and the interviews deal with the accuracy and accessibility of the books and sources used by the diction instructor, and the preferred structure and activities for this type of course. For results of the survey which featured a number of respondents, a bar graph format provides easy visibility. The most frequently used texts and supplemental sources are discussed in depth and are included in an annotated bibliography. Survey results indicated that "Diction for Singers" by Joan Wall, Robert Caldwell, Tracy Gavilanes, and Sheila Allen, is the textbook most widely used, with 60% of respondents naming it as their primary text. Supplemental sources identified and evaluated by respondents included books other than diction texts; dictionaries, song anthologies, recordings, software programs, and websites. The conclusion of the document offers ideas and options for the lyric diction instructor based on the results of the surveys and interviews, and suggestions for future research to survey a more representative sample of vocal institutions.
Eileen Davis (Advisor)
448 p.
Education, Higher; Music
Diction; Lyric Diction; Vocal Diction; Singing; Italian; French; German; Survey; Interview; College Diction Professor; College Voice Professor; Diction Books; Diction Texts; Diction Sources; Diction Websites; Diction Articles; Singing Diction

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mahaney, C. L. (2006). Diction for singers: a comprehensive assessment of books and sources [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1148931700

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mahaney, Cynthia. Diction for singers: a comprehensive assessment of books and sources. 2006. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1148931700.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mahaney, Cynthia. "Diction for singers: a comprehensive assessment of books and sources." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2006. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1148931700

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1148931700
14,956
© 2006, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.