Vocalist.org archive


From:  "Lloyd W. Hanson" <lloyd.hanson@n...>
Date:  Thu Jan 24, 2002  11:12 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Children's songs - was why female pop singers don't use head voice, much

Dear Richard and Vocalisters:

>On Wed, 23 January 2002, "Lloyd W. Hanson" wrote:
>> This is even true in the music that is printed for children to sing
>> in elementary school. Its range now is from about G below middle C
>> to G an octave above. Whereas in the 1950's, elementary school song
>> books pitched songs from middle C up to G an octave and a fifth above
>> middle C. Quite a difference in range, and, my opinion, a range that
>> is damaging for a child's voice.
>
>Out of curiousity, is there any difference between the two eras as
>well in terms of how they're written - i.e., unison vs. part writing?

COMMENT: The song series used in most schools during the 1950's,
'60's and somewhat into the '70's included songs to be sung in
unison, two part and three part. The emphasis was on first learning
to sing in tune (carry a tune) in the elementary school with sight
singing introduced a bit in 2nd grade and part singing in third
grade. By fourth grade, students were expected to be able to read
unison and some two part songs. In the best elementary schools, by
6th grade the students could read 3 part songs.

This was the structure of such books as those published by Ginn and
Company, American Singer and some others. The songs were primarily
folk songs because classroom music of the time recognized that
American folk songs were gradually disappearing with the advent of
radio. As people became entertained rather than entertaining
themselves the passing down of folk songs from generation to
generation was no longer occurring.

All elementary music was taught either by the
self-contained-classroom teacher or a music teacher who went from
classroom to classroom and taught the children while the classroom
teacher assisted. Colleges prepared all music education students to
teach elementary classroom music as well as their speciality (band,
choir, orchestra). Elementary classroom music was considered the
"cradle" of music program for all students whether they continued on
in music by joining the band or choir or orchestra or let their
experience in classroom music be their only training, basic as that
was.

In about the late 60's and throughout the 70's new classroom music
books came out which were built around listening as the fundamental
source of music training. Singing emphasis was reduced and record
playing was emphasized in these texts. Music reading was almost
completely eliminated. These books met the demands of parents and
school administrators who were questioning the concept of every child
learning how to sing. It was their contention that the so called
"non-singing" children were embarrassed and perhaps scared by their
experience trying to learn to sing.

I taught elementary school music for two years in my first teaching
position in a medium sized city in central Wisconsin. I never did
find a non-singing student. I did find students who were not as fast
as some others in learning a new song, either by rote or by reading,
but they eventually learned every song we sang and were very proud of
their accomplishment. I sometimes watched students who were not as
fast as some others in learning the skill of mathematics or reading
and they, too, eventually learned what was required of them. And
they, too, were very proud of their accomplishments.

Elementary school is place and time for learning skills such as
reading, mathematics, singing, etc. Skills can only be learned by
doing them. Skills require practice. And elementary schools have
always excelled at providing the process that encourages and offers
success through practice. In music, that approach was abandoned in
favor of having a "concept" of music without developing the skills
necessary to even faintly understanding the concept.

Now we have students who are far more wise about many different kinds
of music but most do not have any abilities or skills in music. Just
listen to "Happy Birthday" being sung in a restaurant and notice that
almost no one can "carry the tune."

--
Lloyd W. Hanson
Flagstaff, Arizona






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