Adams-Johnson a VOICE TEACHER's REFLECTIONS 60

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

Ubiquity: The Journal of Literature, Literacy, and the Arts, Research Strand, Vol.4 No.1, Spring/Summer 2017, pp. 60-101, Ubiquity: http://ed-ubiquity.gsu.edu/wordpress/ ISSN: 2379-3007

A Voice Teacher’s Reflections on

Working with a Post-Menopausal Voice Student

University of Oklahoma

Correspondence concerning this article should be directed to Susan Adams-Johnson, 401 West

Brooks, Room 120, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019.

Contact: [email protected]

Ubiquity: The Journal of Literature, Literacy, and the Arts, Research Strand, Vol.4 No.1,

Spring/Summer 2017

60 Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

Abstract

This study examines the use of a constructivist andragological (Knowles, 1970) process in teaching a post-menopausal voice student. Utilizing a Socratic teaching methodology (Allsup &

Baxter, 2004; Matthay, 1921; Moore, 1973; Schwartz, 2009), practical strategies were constructed to enable this student to develop self-efficacy toward good vocal practices. Vocal instruction focused on the use of basic exercises to address four aspects of vocal aging: (a) lessening of vocal intensity, (b) reduced vocal range, (c) decrease of timbre, and (d) vocal fatigue. Additionally, tuning, body tension, and vocal identity were identified as areas of interest.

These methods were found to be effective in increasing the student’s self-confidence and improving vocal performance.

Keywords: post-menopausal, vocal intensity, timbre, constructivism, andragogy, andragological teaching, Socratic methodology.

Ubiquity: The Journal of Literature, Literacy, and the Arts, Research Strand, Vol.4 No.1,

Spring/Summer 201

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

A Voice Teacher’s Reflections on Working with a Post-Menopausal Voice Student

Introduction

As an individual who is passionate about adult education and the fine arts, I have found that some of my deepest joys have been working with individuals who have struggled with expression of their own voices. In many cases, the acknowledgement that their voices do matter aids them in liberating their artistic abilities, especially in singing. This has been especially true

1 in working with Jane who is a post-menopausal voice student in my private voice studio.

Jane had previous experience with voice teachers whose teaching methods tended to be pedagogical in nature rather than andragological (Knowles, 1970). My own doctoral coursework in education firmly rooted me in andragological theory and practice. As a non-traditionally aged student, I identified personally with the core elements of andragogy as articulated by Knowles,

Holton, and Swanson (1998): “(1) the learner’s need to know, (2) self-directed learning, (3) prior experiences of the learner, (4) readiness to learn, (5) orientation to learning and problem solving, and (6) motivation to learn” (p.133). In comparison, studies identify core elements of pedagogy as follows:

• The learner is dependent upon the educator.

• The learner is perceived to have limited experience.

• The educator’s experience is more significant than the learner’s.

• Learning is based on subject matter rather than problem solving.

• The educator assesses achieved mastery of information.

• The educator decides if the learner can move to the next level.

1 “Jane” is a pseudonym. 62

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

• External rewards are more important than internal incentives (Beaven, Hauck, Comas-

Quinn, Lewis, & de los Arcos, 2014; Gibbons & Wentworth, 2001; Knowles, 1970;

Yoshimoto, Inenaga, & Yamda, 2007).

As this list indicates, the learner is essentially passive in the pedagogic process and has little opportunity for input.

Andragogic processes seek to encourage active learning. My personal experience with andragogic constructivist teaching methodologies is that these methods empower the student and increase a sense of self-efficacy (Aragon & Johnson, 2002; Chan, 2010; Taylor, Marineau, &

Fiddler, 2000). Traditional pedagogic methods for singing require the student to do as they are told, often without an explanation or a thorough understanding of why a student is being instructed in a particular manner or style (Riggs, 2006). While beginning singers or other beginner musicians need a pedagogical approach to establish a baseline of information, knowledge, and skills, mature students tend to respond more positively to an environment that engages them directly in the learning process (Davenport & Davenport, 1985; Delahaye,

Limerick, & Hearn, 1994; Hanson, 1996; Holmes & Abington-Cooper, 2000; Ozuah, 2016).

Individuals assemble their particular comprehension and understanding of the world through experiencing events and interactions, in the context of the material world, with other individuals. They also reflect on those occurrences and encounters to filter and shape their learning (Appleton & King, 2002; Schcolnik, Kol, & Abarbanel, 2016; Schwandt, 1994; von

Glasersfeld, 1989; Wertsch, 2009). With these concepts in mind, I began to adapt my instructional style within my applied voice studio to explore and incorporate an epistemological stance of constructivist methodology while working with adult voice students.

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

Literature Review

There is a robust body of medical research documenting menopause and its effect upon the vocal mechanism. However, there is a very limited body of work on how menopause affects vocalists, either professionals or community singers. Studies of sex hormone receptors in the vocal folds have been performed by various researchers (Amir & Biron-Shental, 2004; Ferguson,

Hudson, & McCarty, 1987; Marsigliante, Muscella, Resta, & Storelli, 1996; Newman, Butler,

Hammond, & Gray, 2000; Schneider et al., 2007; Voelter et al., 2008). D’haeseleer, Depypere,

Claeys, Van Borsel, and Van Lierde (2009) provided a vigorous literature review of the impact of the menopause on the female larynx and vocal quality.

Abitbol, Abitbol, and Abitbol (1999) examined the association between the hormonal climate and female voices. The discussion of physiology, hormonal bio-chemistry, and pre- menstrual and menopausal syndromes was placed within a historical context. Boulet and Oddens

(1996) provided a comparison of vocal changes between male and female singers over the age of

50. Sataloff, Caputo Rosen, Hawkshaw, and Spiegel’s (1997) study investigated physiologic changes of aging that may affect vocal phonation.

Raj, Gupta, Chowdhury, and Chadha (2010) documented the effect of hormones on the larynx. Mendes-Laureano et al. (2006) compared voice frequencies between women with regular menstrual cycles who did not take hormonal contraceptives, post-menopausal women who did not take hormone therapy, and post-menopausal women who did take hormone therapy. Baker

(1999) discusses the changes in the speaking and singing voice in women after undergoing hormone therapy with virilizing agents. These studies aid in developing a medical foundation for understanding how hormones modify the larynx but do not discuss how a vocal teacher can help a post-menopausal student in navigating the changes to the voice mechanism.

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

There is some literature that provides general aging information for the use of singers, teachers, and choral directors. Edwin (2012) described a 90-year-old male student and the strategies used while working with an aging voice. Linville’s (1987) study investigated fundamental frequency stability in older women and its perceived acoustical quality. Rayapati’s

(2012) book, Sing Into Your Sixties... And Beyond!, provides a description of vocal challenges that may be faced by older singers. This work provides specific vocal exercises to maintain flexibility and stamina; an anthology of songs is also included.

Smith and Sataloff’s (2012) book Choral Pedagogy and the Older Singer is a resource for choral directors. Medical and vocal health chapters deliver information on physiology, anatomy, and other factors affecting the aging voice. Butler, Lind, and Van Weelden (2013) provided a brief physiological overview of aging choral singers and discussed breathing, diction, and vocal exercises to be used during rehearsal. Sataloff and Linville (2006) gave a concise synopsis of aging and its effect upon the voice; diction exercises are provided in the appendix of their book.

There is a paucity of formal research detailing aspects of post-menopausal conditions of singers from the perspective of teachers of singing. DiMaio (2013) addressed strategies in aiding elite singers during menopause and post-menopause. DiMaio also asserted that these strategies are useful for all women singers, regardless of professional status. While there were multiple studies of the singing voice throughout the 20th century (Bartholomew, 1942; Brodnitz, 1962;

Cleveland, 1977; Gobl, 1989; Mills, 1913; Rossing, Sundberg, & Ternström, 1987; Wolf,

Stanley, & Sette, 1935), some scholars (Callaghan, 2000; Miller, 1998) indicate that it is problematic to derive definite conclusions about the implications of singing pedagogy. This is because many of the scientific studies have typically utilized small numbers of participants who

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS are usually students rather than professional singers and seldom associate the vocal strategies used to provide tangible outcomes. In addition, the learning styles or the teaching approach were infrequently identified. As mentioned earlier in this article, indication of the use of the Socratic

Method appeared in analyses of music appreciation courses, applied piano studios, and choral studies (Allsup & Baxter, 2004; Matthay, 1921; Moore, 1973; Schwartz, 2009). I was unable to locate peer-reviewed studies of this methodology in studies of applied voice.

Methodology

Theoretical framework. My process of documenting the use of the Socratic Method with Jane is founded on a combination of phenomenology, narrative inquiry, and case study methodologies. The Socratic Method of teaching is a form of shared dialogue between educator and learner. Its aim is to explore the essential ideas and beliefs upon which an individual’s statements, assumptions and arguments are founded by using open-ended questions (The

Stanford University Center for Teaching and Learning, 2003).

“Phenomenology studies conscious experience as experienced from the subjective or first-person point of view” (Smith, paragraph 1, 2013). Phenomenology supplied the components of (1) allowing Jane’s own perspective to provide the insight into her motivations via interview and comments made during the lessons; (2) beginning the study not with a hypothesis, but a description of the series of activities and interactions between the participant and the researcher; and (3) valuing the lived experience as important (Brocki & Weardon, 2006). Vallack (2010) identifies that phenomenology provides a method to process daily, subjective ways of comprehending intuitive knowledge, and that it is able to be formalized in “a theoretical framework for rigorous, intersubjective insight” (p. 109). Spiegelberg (1971) expresses the belief that the objective of phenomenology is to expand and heighten the comprehension of the gamut

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS of immediate experiences. The analytical consideration of the conscious experience is important

(Jopling, 1996). The ideographic experience of the participant is joined with the researcher’s reflective and subjective analysis to provide a crucial interpretation which may allow others to identify commonalities that they (the readers) might share (Reid, Flowers, & Larkin, 2005).

Narrative inquiry is the study of experience comprehended through narrative. It is a way of describing the experience of an individual that progresses from the field notes or observations to a final text and allows for the subjective experiences to provide material for analysis. The documentation of everyday norms (i.e. time, place, social experiences) creates a conceptual scaffolding that allows for a variety of analytical tools and textual understandings. This form of inquiry permits the research to focus on ethics, social justice, inclusion and diversity, utilizing innovative approaches to the lived experiences of the participants (Clandinin & Huber, 2010).

Narrative inquiry supported the elements of (1) an autobiographical focus from the researcher’s perspective, (2) the documented relationship between researcher and participant as vital to created meaning, and (3) Jane’s description of her experiences as they express and underline feelings that may be relevant to other women who are in her age group and areas of musical interest (Sandelowski, 2000). Pinnegar and Danes state, “Narrative inquiry embraces narrative as both the method and the phenomena of study” (2007, p. 4). This slant typically is initiated with the investigator's autobiographically focused narrative connected to the research query (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). Further, Ellis and Bochner (2000) establish that the mode of narrative inquiry may construct a distinctive relationship between researchers and participants that stresses the process rather than control of information. This distinctive relationship emerges from social forces that are structural or from interaction inherent between researcher and the participant (Burr, 2003).

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

A case study is a description of an individual, a group, or a situation that has been researched during a specific time and place. In many instances, this strategy is useful for describing an outlier situation or an individual. Alternatively, a case may be chosen to be documented due to the inherent interest of the researcher and local knowledge of the participant or the circumstances (Fenno, 1986; Mills, Durepos, & Wiebe, 2010; Yin, 2014).

Case study methodology provided (1) the ability to examine a single individual with the anticipation that this material could be useful to other applied teachers and to mature individuals interested in learning to sing or in returning to a formal series of lessons and (2) the ability to examine a phenomenon when there are no clear-cut boundaries (Yin, 2014). Flyvbjerg (2006) makes the point that a case study will generate “context-dependent knowledge which research on learning shows to be necessary to allow people to develop from rule-based beginners to virtuoso experts” (p.221). Yin (2014) allows that many areas of research do not have clearly evident boundaries. In other words, a case study may not always fall under an actual methodology but may be utilized more as a strategy to highlight the importance or validation provided by the elements of an individual case (Cavaye, 1996; Kohlbacher, 2006; Hartley, 2004; Stake, 2000).

Constructivism branches from cognitive learning theory, which argues that a thinking person interprets “sensations and gives meaning to events that impinge upon his conscience”

(Grippin & Peters, 1984, p. 76). It is a search for meaning and is built/developed by the learner

(Baumgartner, 2003). It is interesting to note that Merriam and Caffarella (1999) find that constructivists are at variance whether the meaning-making is primarily social or individual; they do agree that meaning-making is based on a priori knowledge. Additionally, the dialogic process of learning conversations led by a subject matter expert can be an advantageous strategy to introduce learners to new and more complex concepts (Driver et al., 1994).

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

This mixture of qualitative research methodologies was chosen because each approach provided threads of inquiry that could be woven into a relevant aggregate. All approaches work well with the activities of observation, writing field notes, and interviews. These activities necessitate interaction between the researcher and the participant in some form (Hesse-Biber &

Levy, 2004). Since there was only one set of interactions between a single individual and the researcher, elements of all approaches were deemed necessary. Case study was used because of the individual nature of the case. Narrative inquiry was used because the interaction was predominantly verbal and observable without the use of recording devices. Phenomenology validated the importance of the lived experience. Constructivism as an epistemological stance allowed for a positive and encouraging climate for teaching and learning.

As Jane and I began our studio work together, it became apparent to both of us that my dedication to an epistemological stance rooted in constructivism resonated deeply with her. She has multiple degrees, is a director of a religious studies program, has numerous publications, and values research. Due to her academic background, Jane began to urge me to document my observations of our studio time. It was clear to her that the strategy of the Socratic Method that I used while working on vocal skills was highly successful in her cognitive comprehension of vocal technique. This increased her ability to physically repeat healthy vocal and breathing movements that produced a more pleasant tone quality. With her encouragement and willing participation, I began to take field notes to document the types of vocal exercises that I used, as well as my observations of her process of working through the frustrations and successes of developing a healthier vocal technique that resulted in a warmer and richer tone quality.

For the sake of this study, I chose to document a series of limited scalar vocal exercises

(described in “Findings” section below) that I felt would be easily replicated by other applied

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS voice teachers. These scalar exercises are appropriate for beginning vocal students as well as more advanced students, depending upon the goals that the teacher identifies. Further, they were familiar to Jane; she did not have to concentrate upon learning new musical patterns. This allowed her to focus on developing healthy vocal and breathing movements for good intonation and musical interpretation.

In addition, I wished to document the teaching strategy of the Socratic Method within the applied vocal studio. The use of engaging critical thinking skills by the use of the Socratic

Method has been documented in music appreciation courses, applied piano, and choral studies

(Allsup & Baxter, 2004; Matthay, 1921; Moore, 1973; Schwartz, 2009). However, I was unable to locate peer-reviewed studies utilizing this form of constructivist methodology within applied vocal studies for beginning or advanced students.

Data collection and analysis. The period of observation and gathering of field notes for this study was nine months. I observed Jane during the lessons and wrote immediate field notes following each lesson, resulting in 20 pages of field notes. No use was made of recording equipment; often students find their own recorded voices difficult to hear and analyze, especially when they have issues of self-doubt. Jane’s initial lack of self-confidence contraindicated recording. Moreover, as we worked through the vocal exercises and songs, the themes of self- doubt, lack of self-confidence, and long-term frustration were apparent from the first lesson and were mentioned at every lesson over the nine-month period of this project. These themes were also obvious in the interview with Jane as she verbalized her reflections. Analysis of the field notes used an open coding, constant comparison process (Griffiths & Oxford, 2014). The main coding categories were self-efficacy and physicality (both negative and positive) that were

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS motivated by learning or by coming to terms with emotional history. For detailed coding information, see Appendix 1.

The in-person, open-ended interview was recorded and resulted in 11 pages of double- spaced transcript; it documented Jane’s perspective of her emotional state as it touched the technical aspects of her singing and her response to the constructivist teaching methodology. The transcript was also subjected to a rigorous line-by-line coding to see if her actual verbiage matched the field notes’ themes. See Appendix 2 for a list of interview questions.

Jane had a weekly voice lesson that lasted between 45 and 90 minutes. The lessons often ran longer than the usual 45 minutes due to Jane’s willingness to engage in dialogue about the analysis of vocal technique exercises using the Socratic Method of questions and answers as well as to discuss her own reflections on my teaching style and her learning style. (See “Findings” below for sample questions.)

Subjectivity and limitations. Subjectivism guides qualitative research (Ratner, 1997).

Subjectivity is a conduit for selection of subjects and methods, interpretation of data, and the formulation of hypotheses. Scholars must consider private objectives and values and their influence on the study. However, the participant must be liberated to convey whatever subjective idea/thought/concept that he or she chooses, and the investigator is released to subjectively understand and interpret data (Ratner, 2002).

The choice of constructivism as an epistemological stance influences the social choice of interaction; therefore, subjectivities of each individual (researcher and participant) must be considered. In singing, the “voice is the product of a delicate balance of physiologic control, artistry, and technique” (Teachey, Kahane, & Beckford, 1991, p. 51). Vocal technique is subjective, and it is seldom that vocal teachers or expert singers will agree on all aspects of vocal

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS technique (Cao, Li, Liu, & Yan, 2008; Ekholm, Papagiannis, & Chagnon, 1998; Oates, Bain,

Davis, Chapman, & Kenny, 2006; Popeil, 2007; Wapnick & Ekholm, 1997). As innovative musical styles have emerged, singers have met new challenges by modifying techniques (Stark,

1999). However, scholars have documented that many expert singers and vocal teachers agree that effective technique is essential to vocal quality, and weak technique is acknowledged when faults become apparent within the overall sound without defining a complete set of objective scientific criteria (Mitchell & Kenny, 2004; Teachey, Kahane, & Beckford, 1991).

The relationship between voice student and teacher is inherently social; this requires that

I acknowledge potential or active biases. Stereotyping of aging voices could be a bias in working with a post-menopausal student. However, the recognition of Jane’s intense interest in vocal training aided me in individuating her needs. In addition, we were both able to assess the emotional impact of ageism as it affected both of us. Anxieties about viable vocal technique, warm and pleasant tone-quality, limited mobility, breathing issues, and lessening of range may be realities of aging. The question is: do these issues lead the teacher to assume a lack of artistry, expect an inability to regain muscle tone for breathing, expect an inability to increase vocal range, or to develop viable vocal technique? In other words, do natural physical issues necessarily lead to biases that can limit teacher and student?

The limitations of this study include: (1) only one participant/practitioner pair, (2) short timespan documented (nine months), and (3) no video or audio recording of the lessons. I feel that this is an area of study that would benefit from multiple participants (singers) and multiple practitioners (teachers). It would also benefit if the researcher was not one of the participant/practitioner pairs so that bias might be more objectively limited.

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

Findings

This section describes the general effect of menopause on the voice, Jane’s history of singing and purpose in returning to vocal study, a description of the specific vocal exercises utilized for this study, a sample Socratic methodology questions used in the lessons, and selected responses from Jane’s interview transcript.

Working with a student who has a post-menopausal voice has several challenges. There are physical aspects as well as psychological aspects that present themselves during each voice lesson. As noted by Abitbol, Abitbol, and Abitbol (1999), “The female voice evolves from childhood to menopause, under the varied influences of estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone. These hormones are the dominant factor in determining voice changes throughout life” (p. 424). Other studies concur that the human voice is particularly susceptible to endocrinological alterations (Awan, 2006; Baker, 1999; D’haeseleer et al., 2011; Lindholm,

Vilkman, Raudaskoski, Suvanto-Luukkonen, & Kauppila, 1997; Raj, Gupta, Chowdhury, &

Chadha, 2010).

Abitbol, Abitbol, and Abitbol’s (1999) study notes that clinical menopause in women may result in the (a) lessening of vocal intensity, (b) reduced vocal range, (c) decrease of timbre, and (d) vocal fatigue (p. 439). All four of these factors have manifested in Jane’s situation. Jane is a 59-year-old female who is post-menopausal. She drinks alcohol very moderately, has not been a tobacco smoker, and self-reports as having an autoimmune disease but states that with medication she does “pretty well”. Additionally, she holds multiple degrees within the arts and humanities and she considered herself a mezzo-soprano due to a former instructor placing her in that vocal category.

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Jane entered my studio nine months ago to work on vocal issues. She self-identified with the four aspects that the Abitbol, Abitbol, and Abitbol (1999) study noted, and she wanted to return to regular voice training to maintain vocal health and regain suppleness. She said “I love to sing and I want to do it better and with more confidence. I’m a member of a church with a choir, and I want to feel competent about my voice and my musical ability.”

Because of my interest in post-menopausal voice, I agreed to work with her once a week with times ranging from 45 to 90 minutes. When we began vocalizations, I observed that she could vocalize from F32 to D5 with relative ease. However, there were tuning issues that produced visible body stress when we began to move from B4 to D5. The stress was triggered by both physiological and psychological reasons. Jane explained that some of the emotional stress was “tied up with my family history, my mother telling me I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket, my first husband saying that I sang more off-key than anyone he’d ever heard, being told to fake- sing in a chorale concert…” While this article will not engage the psychological aspects of

Jane’s situation, they were important elements of concern while working with her on the physiological issues (Chapman, 2011).

I initially diagnosed the lessening of vocal intensity from a lack of healthy muscle suspension and support. Healthy, fully engaged support for singing will involve the pelvic floor muscles, intercostal muscles, transversus abdominis muscles, and the external and internal oblique muscles, among others (Campbell, 1968; Chapman, 2011; Pettersen & Westgaard, 2004;

Proctor, 1968; Staes et al., 2011). In Jane’s situation, she was vocally out of shape due to lack of singing for several years. Her stamina was very limited and she could not sing a five-tone pattern in one breath. We spent several minutes at the initial lesson reviewing basic breathing exercises

2 Scientific Pitch Notation (Young, 1939) 74

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS that she could do while practicing. Throughout her time of study with me, I re-emphasized these exercises with her.

Jane’s lessening of vocal intensity was also linked to her lack of ability for accurate tuning, and she had limited knowledge for shaping sounds for maximum resonance (Carlsson &

Sundberg, 1992; Henrich, Smith, & Wolfe, 2011; Rua Ventura, Freitas, Ramos, & Tavares,

2013). Vocal resonance can be described as the process in which phonation is improved in timbre and intensity by the use of the air-filled cavities in the human body (McKinney, 1994).

While I realized this issue during the first lesson, engaging in dialogue during her lessons confirmed this diagnosis to Jane. She has a history of tuning issues which were linked to her struggles with self-confidence, and this caused her to be tentative and fragile while discussing this important aspect of singing. However, after establishing trust, I was able to guide her into positive self-listening and awareness of the sensations that produced a more optimum sound.

This guidance utilized a Socratic Method of singing, listening, self-feedback, and positive reinforcement of her ability to sing even if the tone quality was not what she or I wanted as a finished product (Allsup & Baxter, 2004; Elder & Paul, 1998; Paul & Elder, 2007). Examples of

Socratic open-ended questions included:

• What were you doing with your soft palate?

• How did that adjustment feel as you worked through your lower passagio?

• How did that feel as you maintained a crescendo through that measure?

Additionally, because I believe that it is necessary to be a facilitator of learning rather than just another authoritative voice, I was very careful to listen to Jane’s responses and to validate her experience in the learning process even if we needed to adjust the technical aspects

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS of singing (Henry, 2009; Milbrandt, Felts, Richards, & Abghari, 2004; Patterson & Schriemer,

2012). Jane described it as follows:

…being able to trust my teacher/coach to pay attention to the whole person is what made

it possible for me to learn and improve so quickly … But you don’t just tell me to do

things. One friend of mine related that her voice teacher said, “You have nasal quality

there—fix it” without telling her what to do. That kind of thing is incredibly frustrating,

and when you have deep-seated confidence issues like I do, it’s more damaging than it is

helpful. I kept feeling like I was getting better by accident, and had no control over my

own progress. Now I have this sense that I can actually learn to sing well, that there are

things I can learn to do and to feel and to change when I want different kinds of tone or

voicings or styles of singing.

Some of Jane’s tuning difficulties were rooted in her high levels of body tension that interfered severely with her ability to relax the larynx and to be aware of the flexibility of the soft palate. In addition, her shoulder tension inhibited a relaxed support of breath suspension

(Alexander, 1983; Coffin, 1989; Kooijman et al., 2005; McCarther, 2014; Pettersen &

Westgaard, 2004; Sundberg, 1977). To achieve my goals of external positive feedback, I consistently gave reinforcement on each vocal exercise. During the nine months of this study, I used a three-tone and a five-tone scalar pattern starting either on F3 or A3, moving up the octaves, and ending on a top note of A5. For consistency, I utilized an “ah” or an “oo” vowel and was holistic in my approach. This approach was to ensure that she breathed in a stress-free manner, kept the larynx in a relaxed state, and adjusted the soft palate on each note (as needed). I found that if I isolated just one of these three goals, then she would neglect the other two in the process of working.

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

As Jane improved, we were able to move past one-note evaluations to longer and more complex scalar patterns. When asked what was comfortable while working through the exercises, she said:

Singing the patterns, except when I was getting stuff wrong. (I know you don’t say that,

and I’m learning not to, but it still feels like a correction for wrongness rather than a

course correction, which is really more of a refinement.) Singing the patterns and finding

the soft, easy, relaxed voice that is so powerful and has so much flexibility—I’ve never

felt like I had that before.

She was learning to self-evaluate her physical sensations and to trust the memory of the sensations versus self-hearing, which did not always provide a good feedback of her actual tone quality.

The decline of vocal range ended up not being an important issue to Jane. As her body learned to relax into healthy support and her larynx was remaining in a low, comfortable position, she indicated that her vocal range had returned and even surpassed its former length.

After regaining her range, the concern was to adjust her timbre.3

In addition to Jane’s musical background, she has many years of experience in professional and community theatre. She has performed multiple roles and was concerned about the timbre of her speaking and singing voice. Prior to her re-starting her vocal studies, she was disturbed about the deepening of her voice and the raspy quality that she was experiencing. Jane noted that her voice had further deepened and raspiness had appeared during her menopausal and post-menopausal time, and she was not sure how to respond to these new vocal qualities.

3 Timbre may be defined as the quality that differentiates between musical sounds. Timbre may be referred to as tone color as well. 77

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As her sessions continued, I realized that I would not classify Jane as a mezzo-soprano, but rather a lyric contralto. This analysis is based on (1) her range (she can sing E2-A5) and (2) where the passagio passages lie in her voice. Further, she does not have the flexibility of the coloratura contralto or the weight for the dramatic contralto (Coffin, 1960; McKinney, 2005;

Rushmore, 1971; Vennard, 1967). When I shared that assessment, she exhibited an immediate relaxation of her body. Being a contralto made more sense to her than being a mezzo-soprano. I suggested that she begin to listen to other contraltos on recordings and to note the timbre differences. As she began to modify her vocal identity, there was a shift from feeling frustrated at not being able to sing high notes to accepting and liking her low notes. This process was ongoing during her lessons and became a regular part of the dialogue.

Working with Jane’s timbre entailed the same careful, note-by-note evaluation that our working with vocal intensity concerns required. Initially, she had emotional barriers with changing color in her vocalizations. She said, “I have a great eye for color...but it never connected with sounds. I don’t know what ‘purple’ sounds like. I never had the nerve to explain this to my other teachers, so I secretly used my own imagery. Since I didn’t really understand what they were going for, I can’t really say that I knew what I was doing either.”

Because colors didn’t work for Jane, I asked her “what would work?” We developed mental imagery that involved fabric and food textures that could help her improve her sonic palette. The Socratic Method of teaching instruction was employed during this part of her lesson series while she was experimenting with vocal colors. Some of those questions included the following:

• What were you imaging as you sang through that passage?

• Was that a silk or velvet feeling?

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• Does the image of silk have a different sensation in where you place your soft palate?

• Does the thought of hot fudge sauce change where you place your resonance?

Reinforcement of healthy sounds that were also beautiful was an important aspect of positive feedback. Jane’s personal commitment to this process indicated that she was taking ownership through her own creative process of engaged learning (Custodero, 2002; Folkestad,

2006; Henry, 2009). She stated, “It’s part of the real work, though—you can’t do technique in a vacuum, as if the person you are and the life you’ve lived doesn’t affect HOW you do things.”

Working with timbre provided a deeper complexity to the vocalization patterns that we were using. For this portion of her study, Jane would sing three-note patterns starting at F3-A3 and moving up the scales until she demonstrated discomfort. At the point of discomfort, I had her stop singing and describe her internal processes of laryngeal placement, soft palate and tongue placement and an analysis of her breathing technique. “Since we’ve been able to talk about it more—and that’s partly because I’m comfortable challenging you—we have been able to find imagery that works for me.” By allowing Jane to verbalize her physiological sensations, she was given ownership of her singing that allowed self-regulation in the development of healthy placement (Custodero, 2002; Mainka et al., 2015).

I had her sing the three-note patterns while visualizing hot fudge or green tweed (or similar images). These mental images allowed her some freedom to play/tweak with her timbre as she had the control of which mental images to use. This exercise proved negative initially as we worked through the higher passagio passages. There were moments of stress which resulted in body tension that raised the larynx and lowered the soft palate. Therefore, we returned to the note-by-note process so that the layers of technical artistry could be reinforced. It was important to maintain healthy support and proper soft palate placement during experimentation of timbre,

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS all the while reinforcing that she was in control of her sensations of singing. This positive self- reinforcement continued her commitment to self-efficacy and my assessment that there was significant progress in her abilities (Custodero, 2004). She said, “I think having a teacher who listens to me when I talk and not just when I sing makes a huge impact on my progress as a singer and, maybe more importantly, on my interest in singing.”

By her sixth lesson, we were able to take the improvements generated during the basic three-tone and five-tone vocalization exercises and apply them to actual solos that she sang in church. Jane reported that her vocal fatigue was not as great as long as she maintained relaxed breath support, and her larynx and soft palate were in correct placement for the optimal amount of resonance and timbre (Malde, 2009; Muckey, 1915; Ondráčková, 1961; Witherspoon, 1980):

I think being able to trust my teacher/coach to pay attention to the whole person is what

made it possible for me to learn and improve so quickly. You were able to make it okay

when I had emotional moments, as if that were part of the teaching/learning/training

process and not an intrusion in it. And if I was having a hard day, we could go ahead and

work with my fatigue or whatever, and I never felt punished for it. It was like you were

teaching ME and not an idealized version of me that I was supposed to be trying to

become.

While she was aware that menopause has changed her body and her voice, she has stated that her work to regain her stamina and support has opened up positive ways to explore a new awareness of herself as a speaking and singing artist.

Jane has improved both in technique and self-awareness of her voice. Her goals have remained the same: maintaining vocal health and suppleness. Additionally, she is continuing weekly voice lessons so that she can improve her technique and expand her artistic expression.

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

Her experiments with her singing timbre have also had an impact on her acting roles, providing her with positive reinforcement as an artist and her realization that aging is not a barrier for expression. Jane explained:

The progress I’ve made is just a start; I know it will all go away if I don’t keep working

with a competent and interactive teacher who “gets” my life and my interests and my

thought process—and the fact that I am not a “sing every day at the piano” kind of

person. I do a lot of my “practicing” in the car, since I commute a lot, and it’s been great

that you recognize that as legitimate time spent thinking about and practicing breathing

and vocalizing and listening to myself.

It was significant to me that teacher and student became partners in created meaning

(Dehler & Welsh, 1997). As Freer (2006) states:

…there are two players in this scene and it is the relationship between the student and

teacher that most determines the experience of each. I am an unabashed proponent of

attempts to optimize the quality of experience for students. However, the needs of the

instructor seem to be missing from this discussion … the instructor's experiences, both in

the past and in the present, do have bearing upon the student experience of the present.

(p. 226)

Freer’s point is well taken; it is only in recognizing the importance of the teacher-student relationship upon each other that the relationship can itself become an effective learning tool.

Hence, it was important to me to recognize my own contribution to this learning partnership.

This atmosphere of partnership was facilitated in several ways. An environment conducive to learning was created by the establishment of trust. Trust was developed by listening to Jane’s verbalized frustrations and emotional conflicts in an atmosphere of acceptance and

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS respect for her as an individual. While I guided the dialogue, we both diagnosed her learning needs. There were mutually agreed upon lesson plans. We both chose music to meet goals: (a) I prepared a set of exercises (the scalar patterns) with which Jane was familiar; (b) I chose songs to work on specific vocal techniques; and (c) Jane chose songs she wanted to sing as solos in church. We jointly evaluated her learning outcomes and reassessed new goals (Holmes &

Abington-Cooper, 2000; Ozuah, 2016).

Conclusion and Suggestions for Future Research

There is ample room for research in the use of constructivist methodologies within applied music studios, for more studies of post-menopausal singers (professional and amateur), and for studies of teacher/learner biases of ageism in music learning. Further, it would be interesting to compare preference of teaching/learning styles between mature male and female voice students.

The data referenced in this article is a single case, teacher-student interaction series, reported as an example of a teaching technique (Socratic Method), the vocal technique exercises utilized during these lessons from the perspective of the instructor/researcher, and the interview responses from the student/participant. The technical exercises are commonly used in applied voice studios and are easily replicated by any trained singer or teacher of singing. The Socratic approach of engagement between teacher and student can be replicated under the following circumstances:

• The teacher is committed to a constructivist, andragogic teaching approach.

• The mature student is willing to engage in self-reflective learning.

• Time and energy are devoted to establishing a mutual trust between teacher and student.

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

• Time and energy are focused on identifying experiences, reflecting on the meaning of

these experiences, and working from the understanding of the experiences toward change

and growth.

Due to the subjective nature of the relationship of each pairing (studio teacher and student), each combination will be unique as to experiences, techniques, progress, and results. Therefore, aggregating many such similar cases could elucidate many useful strategies in working with adult vocal students. It may also produce a wide variety of interpretations

Working with Jane has reinforced my own self-efficacy in working with individuals who are older than the traditional undergraduate student or graduate student. It was a delight to observe the warm reception of the use of the Socratic Method and Jane’s consequent embrace of ownership of her learning process. Additionally, I have a marked sense of satisfaction in the re- building of Jane’s confidence to sing as she has realized that bodily change does not mean lack of creative expression or opportunities for personal growth.

Adams-Johnson A VOICE TEACHER’S REFLECTIONS

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Appendix 1

Coding Categories

Self-efficacy:

• Self-doubt (Jane’s voice) o “I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.” o “My voice is too nasal to be pretty.” o “No matter how hard I work, it will never make a difference.” • Emotional fragility (Susan’s observations) o Jane’s tears of frustration or tears of surprise when she got something right. o Extreme body tension when working through a passage that required flexibility and range extensions. o Extreme body tension when singing high notes. • Positive Self-efficacy (Jane’s voice) o “The high notes sound different inside my head and that is a good thing.” o “I feel more comfortable in my voice now that I know I am a contralto instead of a mezzo.” • Emotional Stability (Susan’s observations) o Relaxation of Jane’s body when starting she accepted that she was a contralto. o Fewer tears when working on range extensions. o More willingness to try new music and scalar passages. o Jane’s verbalization that she could accept the frustration of working through the process of learning new physical sensations.

Physical responses (Susan’s observations): • Tension o Facial and larynx: jaw tension, furrowed brows, high larynx. o Shoulders: raising shoulders high on breath inhalation, uneven shoulders during singing. o Ribs-hyper: expansion of ribs that would not allow breath suspension during the inhalation/exhalation cycle. o Gluteus muscles/lower back: lack of engagement initially and then hyper- engagement during the learning process • Relaxation

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o Facial and jaw: improvement in the jaw tension as Jane began to engage the soft-palate and lowered the larynx. o Shoulders: improvement as Jane practiced breathing with a low shoulder posture. o Ribs: awareness of the need to not hyper-extend the intercostals began to allow for more natural breath suspension during the inhalation/exhalation cycle. o Gluteus muscles/lower back: relaxation was more apparent when Jane began to utilize these muscles during the inhalation/exhalation cycle.

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Appendix 2

Interview Questions

Demographics and social/artistic history:

• What is your age? • Can you describe your general health? • Do you identify as a post-menopausal female? • What is your educational history? • What is your involvement in the fine arts community? • Why do you wish to study voice?

How does this type of methodology help you with learning vocal technique?

Can you describe your response to this approach?

• What was valuable? • What was not valuable? • What was comfortable? • What was not comfortable?

Have other voice teachers used this methodology with you?

• If so, can you describe your response to their use of this methodology? • If they didn’t use this type of methodology, can you describe their methodologies and your responses to them?

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Author Bio: Susan Adams-Johnson is a leading expert in fine arts student recruitment, having earned her Ph.D. in Fine Arts and Adult Education Administration from the University of

Oklahoma in 2015. She is an accomplished vocal performer and teacher; her Master of Music is in Vocal Performance/Opera. She has performed and taught voice for nearly 30 years; she actively conducts research in arts, higher education administration, and information processing.

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