The effect of a summer choir camp experience on children's short-term and long-term singing voice achievement

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Ackerman, Rachel Elisabeth
Area of Honors:
Music Education
Degree:
Bachelor of Music Education
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Joanne Rutkowski, Thesis Supervisor
Joanne Rutkowski, Thesis Honors Advisor
Anthony Thomas Leach, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
children's singing voice
choir
summer program
Abstract:
This study stemmed from a need for singing instruction that I identified within my own church community after hearing the children’s choir sing. I heard great potential for that group of children but they needed proper instruction for better use of their singing voices. The purpose of this study was to investigate if children can learn to sing in a healthy manner from participating in a week-long summer music camp. The principle questions investigated were to see if children’s use of singing voice improved after a one-week choral experience and if the improvement of singing voice is retained at the end of the summer. This study took place over one week in the summer of 2011. Children (n=15) participated in a children’s choir camp that focused on singing and musicianship through singing songs, listening activities, and the use of solfège. With the use of the Singing Voice Development Measure, the participants’ singing voices were recorded and rated three times: once at the beginning of the week, once at the end of the week, and once at the end of the summer, approximately two months after the camp was held. Based on the analysis of the data, the children’s singing voices did not significantly change after a one-week choral experience. However, the children’s singing voices significantly improved over the summer when singing on text but not on a neutral syllable.