The Singing Doctor

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The Singing Doctor:

Reconsidering the Terminal Degree in Voice Performance

D.M.A. Document

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Musical

Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University

Mark Leslie Wilkinson, M.Mus.

Graduate Program in Music

The Ohio State University

2020

Document Committee:

Dr. Scott McCoy, Advisor

Prof. Edward Bak

Dr. Christin Ray

Prof. Loretta Robinson

Mark Leslie Wilkinson

2020

Abstract

The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree has been the terminal degree in music performance, composition, and conducting in North America since the early 1950s.

Originally met with criticism, some of which continues to this day, the DMA continues to serve as the gateway for applied music-makers that wish to join the academy. This document investigates and echoes these criticisms surrounding the necessity and design of the DMA in Voice Performance, while submitting new criticisms based in curriculum theory, learning science (pedagogy), and educational psychology. A comparative look at

DMA in Voice Performance programs at 57 American universities and conservatories provides context and inspiration for a much-needed consensus on the desired outcomes of this terminal degree in singing. This document responds to this need by proposing a new, revised, and ideal course of study that encourages the singing community to reconsider the limitless possibilities that exist for artist-teachers in the pursuit of a DMA. In so doing, it serves as a mindful guide that institutions may use to tailor their doctoral programs to their strengths, while following best practices that uplift, validate, and ensure the existence of such a degree.

Dedicated to

My parents, Joy and Alan, and my sister, Clare

My biological and chosen families

My friends who never judge

My colleagues who inspire

All those who choose kindness over hatred, and love over fear

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Acknowledgements

Thank you, first and foremost, to my advisor, Dr. Scott McCoy, for taking me under your wing when I needed a home – you gave me the greatest gift of all, which was to trust that I was always on the right path. I owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Robin Rice for inspiring the journey to Columbus in the first place. I would like to thank Professor

Edward Bak for the laughter, the tidbits, and for reminding me that I had something to offer. Thank you to Dr. Christin Ray for being my sounding board, for challenging me, and for being endlessly generous with your knowledge. I am grateful to Professor Loretta

Robinson and Dr. Kristina Caswell-MacMullen for your insight, support, and service to me personally and professionally. I also think fondly of Torin (the reason I know how to sing), Jen, Sandra, Laurence, Daniel, Len, Jolaine, Beth, Deen, Waltraud, and Suzie. All of your voices sing in this document.

The Singing Health Specialization at The Ohio State University is a unique and extraordinary experience for any voice pedagogue, serving as inspiration for this very document. To my mentors, Michelle Toth and Dr. Laura Matrka, I will never forget you – you welcomed me and taught me more than I could have ever imagined. Thank you, also, to Jennifer Thompson, Dr. Youkyung Bae, Dr. Arick Forrest, Dr. Brad deSilva, and Dr.

Brandon Kim for being part of this irreplaceable education in vocal health.

I am lucky to have an irreplaceable support system in my family, chosen families, and friends. Thank you to my parents and sister for a lifetime of laughter, intellect, kindness, above-average dinnertime conversation, and love. Thank you to Jan, James,

Puncle Jim, Róisín, Pete, Nadia, Caroline, Ben, Marcia, Ian, Candace, Jess, Eddie-Ed,

Flo, Brittany, Susanna, and Jen for making every experience better. Thank you, also, to my fellow graduate voice majors at Ohio State for your thoughts and opinions on this topic, in addition to your love and support throughout our time together.

Finally, thank you to all of my past and future teachers, mentors, and colleagues.

Sharing the stage, studio, and classroom with you will always be my greatest inspiration.

I promise to pay your kindness forward.

Vita

1987...... b. September 16 – Kingston, Ontario, Canada

2009...... B.Mus. Voice, Université d’Ottawa

2011...... Diploma, Franz-Schubert-Institut

2012...... M.Mus. Voice, University of Alberta

2012-2014 ...... Instructor of Acting and Speech, Ottawa

School of Speech and Drama / Ottawa

Theatre School

2017-2020 ...... Distinguished University Fellow / Graduate

Teaching Associate in Voice, Lyric Diction,

and Choirs, The Ohio State University

Fields of Study

Major Field: Music

Specialization: Singing Health

Table of Contents

Abstract ...... ii

Dedication ...... iii

Acknowledgements ...... iv

Vita ...... vi

List of Tables ...... viii

Chapter One: Introduction ...... 1

Chapter Two: A Brief History of the DMA ...... 8

Chapter Three: The Current DMA in Voice Performance ...... 14

Chapter Four: The New Curriculum – DMA in Voice ...... 47

References ...... 81

Appendix A: Glossary of Scientific and Pedagogical Terms ...... 98

Appendix B: Sample DMA in Voice Admissions Web Pages ...... 111

Appendix C: Sample DMA in Voice Handbook ...... 114

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List of Tables

Table 1. Summary of Current DMA Programs in Voice Performance/Pedagogy ...... 15

Table 2. Comparison of Graduate Degrees in Voice at Ohio State ...... 24

Table 3. Ohio State Master’s Degree and Author’s Master’s Degree ...... 25

Table 4. Summary of Current Diagnostic Examination Requirements ...... 27

Table 5. New DMA in Voice Curriculum by Area of Competence ...... 51

Table 6. Area of Competence: Applied Music ...... 54

Table 7. Area of Competence: Instructional Technique & Design ...... 56

Table 8. Area of Competence: Voice Science ...... 58

Table 9. Area of Competence: Materials of Music ...... 61

Table 10. Area of Competence: Foreign Language Diction & Acquisition ...... 65

Table 11. Area of Competence: General Skills ...... 68

Table 12. Area of Competence: Written & Oral Examinations ...... 69

Table 13. Area of Competence: Final Project ...... 72

Table 14. New DMA in Voice Curriculum by Semester ...... 73

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Chapter One: Introduction

Background

The Singing Health Specialization (SHS) at The Ohio State University (Ohio

State) is a program of which most have never heard, yet whose existence inspires wonder as to why more programs like it do not exist in the academy. After a brief, initial response of surprise, upon further review the everyday person sees value in its design, its implementation, and the need for it in the field of vocal health. Ohio State designates the

SHS a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization, as it is a collaboration between the

School of Music, the Department of Speech and Hearing Science, and the College of

Medicine–Department of Otolaryngology. Open to both singing majors and speech- language pathology (SLP) majors, students receive cross-departmental training in laryngeal anatomy and physiology, voice pedagogy and literature, voice disorders, laryngoscopy, and repertoire-specific considerations for the singing voice, all while observing almost one-hundred hours of clinical laryngology, surgical laryngology, and clinical voice therapy. The SHS becomes a model for doctoral curricula in voice and motivates an investigation into the expectations of the modern singing teacher possessing a terminal degree.

This investigation finds its genesis in two major points of interest: the purpose of doctoral curriculum in the fine and performing arts; and, the expectations for what doctoral candidates in voice learn beyond the master’s degree, warranting such a terminal degree in the first place. This document looks into the terminal degree for vocal musicians, the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Voice Performance, and argues that such a degree without the inclusion of curricular options similar to those of the SHS does not warrant the conferral of the title of Doctor, particularly when the express purpose for most who pursue the DMA is to teach at the university level. Furthermore, due to these teaching qualifications that the DMA provides, such a degree must provide training in how to teach and, at minimum, a basic understanding of educational psychology, curriculum design, and instructional techniques. If the purpose of this degree is, indeed, to teach, then our expectations warrant revision, clarity, and unity in their organization and delivery.

Purpose

Be they the director of a school orchestra, a member of a community choir, the neighbourhood church pastor, or the average person concerned with hoarseness, individuals entrust the singing teacher with their voices every day. In response, this document seeks to ensure that those singing teachers who achieve the title of Doctor through completion of a DMA are adequately equipped to understand, address, and teach all aspects of the larynx, its healthy use, and the myriad subjects that make up the field of voice performance. This document, in turn, does not seek to debate the existence or relevance of the DMA degree itself. It chooses, instead, to embrace the DMA by strengthening it and ensuring that it remains a worthy terminal degree through a curricular design that includes relevant courses, necessary training in teaching and science, and proper preparation for a career as a voice specialist. Readers will discover that criticism of this degree often surrounds a lack of uniformity, the very issue that this document proposes to remedy in the field of voice, hoping to inspire similar harmony in all fields that offer this terminal degree.

Author’s Note

This search for harmony highlights my belief that educational experiences should be positive and enriching, limited only by time, available resources, and a reasonable work-life balance for our candidates. What we teach our vocal musicians must matter, can be better, and deserves more attention. Infinite possibilities lie in the DMA degree and I intend to inspire readers of this document as much as I know an improved doctorate in voice will inspire its pursuers. I look forward to the day when this document becomes obsolete, because it will have served its true purpose. The cultures in both the academy and the music school need to change fundamentally to accept this proposed curriculum in the first place. If they then no longer need this once-progressive document, the state of education will be moving in a beautiful direction.

My own, recent experience with education colours this document at every turn.

My writing is innately “meta” because I have observed and critiqued the DMA whilst pursuing one myself and because I have observed and critiqued The Ohio State

University whilst being a student at that very institution. The unexpected (and forever welcome) presence of Dr. Cynthia Burack in my academic journey reminded me of an inherent challenge in a critique of one’s own degree and institution: loyalty. More importantly, one must think about the consequences of disloyalty. In Exit, Voice, and

Loyalty (1970), Albert O. Hirschman outlines our ability as consumers to express ourselves either by leaving (exit) or speaking up (voice). If we are unhappy with a product, we can exercise our power by choosing to exit and go with another company’s product or by choosing to voice our concerns to our current provider in hopes that the

4 product will improve. I have struggled with the push and pull of ‘exit’ and ‘voice’ throughout my doctoral studies, whether or not I had originally thought of my experience as being one that required loyalty.

As you, the reader, will soon find out, I found myself with many reasons to exit

Ohio State throughout my three years here. Anyone who has gone to grad school (or even knows someone who has) knows that the experience usually presents dozens of reasons to leave, no matter the institution. Any references to my own institution fully take into account the fact that there are pros and cons to staying in or leaving any DMA program.

In my case, I stayed. In staying, this document has unwittingly turned into the expression of my choosing voice over exit. In my case, voice is not necessarily an expression of loyalty and exit would not necessarily have been an expression of disloyalty. Life presents challenges anywhere we go; I made the decision to learn from my experiences in a DMA program and use my own journey to push the field of singer education forward, rather than simply and without evidence dissent. This does not preclude strong, bold language toward unacceptable processes and unreasonable expectations, nor does it mean, on the other hand, that I should get my way. I bring a lived journey to this document, which serves only to strengthen my argument that the numbers and learning theories support. You will find both inspiration from my time at Ohio State, such as the

SHS program that inspired this document in the first place, and frustration from it, such as the challenges of already possessing a master’s degree when starting a DMA. I think of two important concepts when presenting both sides of this coin: 1) critique vs. criticism, and 2) the critical thinking that universities are there to teach us. By choosing a

5 thoughtful, balanced critique by way of the very skill my degrees hoped to teach me, I am choosing voice over exit. In another “meta” moment, it turns out that singing is not our only avenue for expressing our voices.

I invite you, dear reader, to trust the positive and constructive tone with which I humbly offer this critique of the DMA in Voice Performance in the United States. I hope to be of service in improving this terminal degree so that future students can focus on using their voices to sing. With everything we know and all the tools at our fingertips, we have no reason not to nurture this degree and the lives/careers of those who earn it. We are educators; we can do this, and we can do it with joy.

Procedure

To propose a future for the DMA in Voice Performance is to know its origins and its actual form. Chapter Two presents a brief history of the degree, including its inception in the 1950s and the ensuing discourse, both initially and more recently, between members of the musical community. Chapter Three details the current state of the DMA in Voice Performance (occasionally called Voice Performance and Pedagogy) and provides both praise for and criticism against its present format. It provides an analytical comparison of DMA curricula at 57 American universities and conservatories in order to assess common strengths and shortcomings. Above all, this document highlights an inconsistency in expected learning outcomes surrounding pedagogical techniques and voice science. These findings inspire Chapter Four, which proposes a revised DMA curriculum (in addition to a new name: the DMA in Voice), the areas of competence it intends to teach, and its core courses and a rationale for the design of each one.

Additionally, several courses highlight certain terms that make up part of the glossary provided in Appendix A. This glossary summarizes key scientific and pedagogical vocabularies that any doctoral voice major should possess in support of the mandatory addition of SHS-like content to the DMA in Voice. Appendix B addresses a common issue of transparency among the 57 schools by suggesting the minimum amount of information that should appear on an institution’s website. Appendix C is the presentation of a complete doctoral program in voice, in the style of a graduate handbook, that is the centrepiece of this document. In that latter two appendices, “UV” is an imaginary institution that arbitrarily stands for University of the Voice.

Chapter Two: A Brief History of the DMA

The DMA find its roots in the Doctor of Music (D.M.) degree that the National

Association of Schools of Music (NASM) believed, until November 1951, solely to be an honorary degree. The Graduate Commission Chairman, Dr. Howard Hanson, reported at the 27th Annual Meeting in November 1951 that the Commission had voted to rescind the restriction of the degree of D.M. to honorary recipients only (NASM, 1952a). To provide context to the Ph.D. in Music, which 28 institutions had granted 223 times since 1933

(NASM, 1952a), he stated:

Since it does not seem that, practically, the Ph.D. is serving the needs of music,

the Graduate Commission feels that a terminal, professional doctorate in music to

follow the B.M. and M.M. degrees is desirable and recommends the establishment

of such a degree (p. 18).

Dr. Hanson clarified that “no member school may initiate a curriculum leading to the

Doctor of Music degree without the prior approval of the Graduate Commission” (p. 19).

With this report at the November 1951 Annual Meeting, the DMA, although not yet called by that name, was soon to be born.

Two months after the NASM Bulletin No. 34 published Dr. Hanson’s report on the Graduate Commission’s decision, Dr. Hanson followed up on the subject in the

8 forward to the NASM Bulletin No. 35. He spoke both of the Ph.D.’s suitability only to the field of musicology and the reality that British universities had been granting the D.M. for years (NASM, 1952b). Having never restricted the name of the degree, the NASM

Bulletin No. 37 reported that the Eastman School of Music, headed by Dr. Hanson, of the

University of Rochester proposed the name Doctor of Musical Arts for the first time

(NASM, 1953; Taubman, 1953). The Commission had previously approved the D.M. to be offered by the University of Southern California, Florida State University, and Indiana

University (NASM, 1953). Dr. Hanson and the Graduate Commission’s belief in this new terminal doctorate led to an emergence of the terminal doctorate across the United States.

Dr. Hanson shared the rapid growth of D.M. and DMA offerings between 1952 and 1954 by summarizing at the 30th Annual NASM Meeting in December 1954 that eight institutions were offering this new terminal degree: Boston University, the Eastman

School of Music, Florida State University, Indiana University, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois, the University of Michigan, and the University of Southern

California (NASM, 1955). Although there was consensus that NASM schools were to offer the DMA instead of the usually honorary D.M. (Neumeyer, 1954), Florida State,

Indiana, and Northwestern were using the title of D.M. for their terminal degree, while the rest had adopted the now standard title of DMA (Glidden, 1982; Neumeyer, 1954).

This rapid growth encountered criticism, concern, and public debate.

Glidden (1982) provides an excellent summary of the first 30 years of the DMA in the United States, particularly surrounding the quarrel in The New York Times between Dr. Hanson and Dr. Paul Henry Lang, professor of musicology at Columbia

University. After the publication of Howard Taubman’s New York Times synopsis of the new Doctor of Musical Arts at the Eastman School of Music, on October 25, 1953, Dr.

Lang wasted no time in dissenting. His letter to the editor on November 1, 1953 has memorable quotes that merit reading:

The university is not the place for the training of performers—it is a contradiction

in terms. We have excellent conservatories which, as you again correctly observe,

do not concern themselves with doctorates; they produce accomplished musicians,

and a fine musician does not require a degree.

Now we are to have doctors of playing or singing. I can very well see what

this will mean; an earnest violinist who spends all his time on improving his art

and consequently won’t have the time to seek “a doctorate,” will be left behind by

some ersatz fiddler who, by obtaining a questionable degree, will be acceptable to

some august college in preference to the more accomplished artist. When the

conservatories feel the pinch of competition thus created for their graduates, they

too will establish a degree factory and turn out doctors of piccolo playing or duo

pianism (Lang, 1953a, p. X9).

Dr. Lang continues to question the legitimacy of the DMA in soundbites too numerous to quote fully, but his dissent represents dialogue that colleagues continue would continue to echo for decades. Dr. Hanson responded with a letter to the editor only one week later on

November 8, 1953 in which he refutes the idea that the PhD is the only doctorate of any value with 31 professional doctorates in existence in numerous schools such as education and engineering. He asks Dr. Lang a pointed question:

Finally, Doctor Lang attempts to clinch the argument by asking why the practical

musician needs a degree. This is a very good question. May I in turn ask why a

professor needs a degree in musicology? Can he not prove his scholarship without

the academic stamp of approval? If he cannot—and apparently, he cannot—he has

answered his own question (Hanson, 1953, p. X7).

Here, Dr. Hanson reveals a previously mentioned, fundamental intention behind this very document. Degrees do not descend from nature or any scientific law – humans first designed them and continue to do so. To question one of them is to question all of them; society could choose any number of ways to assess qualifications. Except in the case of applied trades, hiring committees of all kinds use university degrees as the basis for this assessment. Postsecondary teaching demands the completion of a doctoral degree. As such, this document does not question the need for the DMA degree but, instead, improves upon it.

Dr. Lang responded again on November 22, 1953. In this letter, he makes no attempt to deny his favouritism toward the PhD. His tone softens but remains entertainingly defiant, insisting that performance should remain in the music school and out of the liberal arts college (Lang, 1953b). Dr. Hanson did not respond further in the

New York Times, ceasing what evidence shows would have been an unending, futile argument. One can surmise that perhaps Dr. Hanson did not need to debate the inevitability of this degree, considering the rapid growth of the DMA offerings at institutions that was to come in the following three decades.

The public debate did not end in the 1950s. Joel R. Stegall, then Dean of the

School of Music at Ithaca College, published “The Nonsense of a Doctorate for Artist-

Teachers” in the March 1981 edition of the Music Educators Journal. He criticizes the standardization of the doctorate as the main qualification for performers, as it is in most other fields, suggesting that faculty selection committees cannot quantify music through a common degree program, given the range of journeys musicians take to perfect their craft. He clarifies that he does not think the artist so unintelligent as not to be capable of doctoral studies but, instead, asserts that such a degree is unnecessary to pass music on to the next generation (Stegall, 1981). In response, Robert Freeman, then Director of the

Eastman School of Music, published “Rebuttal: The No-Nonsense DMA Degree” in the

October 1981 of the same magazine. He agrees that a common qualification is not necessary but does not believe this negates its existence. He submits that “those who teach music in an American university should be as articulate about their field as are any others in the university community” (Stegall, 1981, pg. 55). Readers should be aware of

Freeman’s bias as the director of the very music school that introduced the term DMA almost thirty years earlier. Both perspectives in this debate remain relevant today, both in general discourse and in the development of this document.

At the time of Glidden’s 1981 historical summary of the DMA at the 57th NASM

Annual Meeting, 37 member institutions offered the D.M. or DMA degrees (Glidden,

1982). Fittingly, at this same Annual Meeting, two colleagues provided updated perspectives on the DMA degree, one from a conservatory perspective and one from a university perspective. Leroy Johnston of the Boston Conservatory of Music presented

12 concerns shared by many of his colleagues about the relevance of the degree to a conservatory, in addition to the lack of consistency in both admission and degree requirements (Johnston, 1982). James Moeser of the University of Kansas posed ten questions surrounding varying academic standards, the measurement of faculty’s ability to teach doctoral students, an unpredictable number of recitals, and breadth of repertoire requirements, among others (Moeser, 1982). Both gentlemen’s questions, opinions, and findings find themselves echoed in more detail in both Chapter Three and Chapter Four of this document.

Chapter Three: The Current DMA in Voice Performance

At the time of completion of this document in April 2020, I have been able to compile 57 American universities and conservatories that offer the DMA degree, 44 of which are NASM-accredited and 13 of which are not. Analysis of strengths, weaknesses, and notable discrepancies in current DMA options allows for a better-reasoned design of future DMA options. Table 1 below provides a detailed comparison of key curricular features, not only to show commonalities and differences, but also to highlight inconsistencies in program offerings, even with the existence of NASM guidelines. The table legend explains that these numbers and descriptors represent the minimum standards that each school sets for diagnostic examinations, the number of credit hours and recitals, and the final document. While various options do exist at many institutions, the singing profession benefits from an honest look at the basic standard created for the

DMA degree, especially in cases where this baseline presents a terminal degree with a severe lack of education in the human voice. Blank fields in the table indicate that they are not applicable to that institution. Readers will continue to refer back to Table 1 throughout this chapter as it outlines detailed statistics surrounding each column; however, the table requires little explanation to reveal the extensive lack of uniformity in the current DMA in Voice Performance.

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Institution (NASM member) 1 Degree Degree Title Pedagogy Option Entry Degree Diagnostic Exams Credits Theory History Teaching Skills Voice Science Recitals Final Document Arizona State U. DMA No B H,T,E,D 60 15 0 0 3 Yes Ball State U. D.A. No B H,T 60-70 15 17 0 3 Yes Boston U. DMA No H,T 48 15 0 0 3/5 O Catholic U. of America DMA Yes M H,T 62-72 9-12 1 1 4 No College-Conservatory of Music DMA No B H,T 60-69 9 0 0 3 Yes Eastman School of Music DMA No B H,T 60 21 0 0 3 Yes Florida State U. D.M. No M 64 6 2 0 3-4 O Hartt School of Music DMA No M H,E 49-61 15 0 0 3 Yes Indiana U. D.M. No M H,T,K,D 60 12 0 3 3 Yes James Madison U. DMA Yes M H,T,E 60-72 12 9 3 4 Yes Louisiana State U. DMA No M H,T 60 12 0 0 3 O Michigan State U. DMA No M T,E 42 12 0 0 4 O Ohio State U., The DMA Yes M H,T 50 3 0 3 4 Yes Temple U. DMA No M H,T,V,W 55 3 1 1 4 Yes Texas Christian U. DMA Yes M T,K 60 ~15 10 0 3 Yes Texas Tech U. DMA No M H,T,D, L 45 9 3 0 4 Yes U. of Alabama DMA Yes M H,T,D,W 48 18 3 0 3 Yes U. of Arizona DMA No M H,T,D 70 6 0 0 4 Yes U. of Colorado, Boulder DMA Yes M H,T 30-42 6-18 3 3 4 Yes U. of Florida DMA No H,T 90 21 3 0 3 Yes U. of Georgia DMA No M 50 12 0 0 3 Yes U. of Houston DMA No M H,T 60 6 3 0 3-4 O U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign DMA No M H,T,E 64 14 0 0 2-4 O U. of Iowa DMA No B H,T 39 6 3 3 4 Yes U. of Kansas DMA No H,T 61 12 0 0 3-4 O U. of Maryland, College Park DMA Yes M T 43-55 6 6 0 3-5 O U. of Memphis DMA Yes M H,T 45 6 0 0 3 Yes U. of Miami DMA Yes M T 60 6 2.5 1.5 3-4 Yes U. of Michigan DMA No M T,K,D 52-68 15 4 0 3 No U. of Minnesota DMA No H,T,E 89 12 0 0 5 Yes U. of Missouri-Kansas City DMA No 48 18 1 1 4 O U. of Nebraska-Lincoln DMA Yes* B T,E 54-63 12 6 3 4 Yes U. of Nevada-Las Vegas DMA Yes M H,T,E 60 15 1 0 4 Yes U. of North Carolina-Greensboro DMA No B H,T 60 6 3 0 3 Yes U. of North Texas DMA Yes B H,T 60 12 0 0 3 O U. of Northern Colorado D.A. Yes H,T,E,V 67-71 15 4-10 1 2 Yes U. of Oklahoma DMA No M K,D,V 58 17 0 0 3 Yes U. of Oregon DMA No B H,T,E 81 6 6 0 3 O U. of South Carolina DMA No M H,T 48 19 2 0 4 Yes U. of Southern Mississippi DMA No M H,T 60-84 18 0 0 3 Yes U. of Texas at Austin DMA Yes H,T 53-56 12 0 0 4 O U. of Utah DMA Yes M H,T,D 59-62 14 3 0 4 Yes U. of Wisconsin-Madison DMA No M 51 9 2 0 3-4 Yes West Virginia U. DMA Yes M T,E 60 18 0 0 2 Yes Table 1. Summary of Current DMA Programs in Voice Performance.

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Institution (Non-NASM) 1 Degree Degree Title Pedagogy Option Entry Degree Diagnostic Exams Credits Theory History Teaching Skills Voice Science Recitals Final Document Cleveland Institute of Music DMA No M T,E,K,L 60 24 0 0 3 O Juilliard School DMA No M E,K 61 20 0 0 4 Yes Manhattan School of Music DMA No M H,T 60-61 21 3 0 3 Yes New England Conservatory DMA No M H,T 60 12 0 0 3 Yes Northwestern U. DMA No M 54 9 0 0 4 O Peabody Institute DMA No M H,T,E 62 16 0 0 3-6 O Shenandoah Conservatory DMA Yes M 54 11 3 0 3 Yes Shepherd School of Music DMA No M H,T 88-92 18 6 0 4 Yes Stony Brook U. DMA No 6 6 0 5 Yes U. of California, Los Angeles DMA No 98 12 4 0 3 Yes U. of Southern California DMA No M T,E,W,C 65 12 2 0 4 No U. of Washington DMA No B E,D 60 15 0 0 3 Yes Yale School of Music DMA No M H,T,E,K,L 72 16 0 0 3 Yes

1DMA: Doctor of Musical Arts; D.M.: Doctor of Music; D.A.: Doctor of Arts 2Indicates a recognized certificate or major in vocology or vocal health 3B: Bachelor’s; M: Master’s 4H: History; T: Theory; E: Ear-Training; K: Keyboard; D: Diction; V: Voice; W: Writing; L: Language; C: Conducting 5Required post-master’s credit hours 6Number, not credit hours 7O: Yes, with options available; *Only available as a PhD Table 1 (continued). Summary of Current DMA Programs in Voice Performance.

Chapter Two of this document details the history of doctoral programs in voice, beginning with the title of ‘DMA’ that had evolved from the D.M. degree in 1951, and

Table 1 begins the same way. 53 of 57 institutions (93%) continue to confer the degree of

DMA. Of the four institutions using other titles (7%), Florida State and Indiana continue to use D.M. as they have since the early 1950s, and Ball State and Northern Colorado use the title of D.A., or Doctor of Arts. These data show a consensus among most universities and conservatories in the use of DMA. As one of the early proponents of the D.M. degree, Northwestern only changed its doctorate to the DMA in 2013 (Northwestern,

2020b). The remaining four institutions not using the title of DMA would strengthen the legitimacy of doctoral studies in applied music by embracing the overwhelming

16 consensus among their colleagues. Anecdotal conversations with family, friends, non- music colleagues, and the general public indicate that few people have heard of doctorates other than the Ph.D., let alone the existence of an applied doctorate for performers. As such, unity of delivery of the DMA would only increase the visibility, weight, and acceptability of this sometimes-controversial degree.

Voice Pedagogy: The Confusion

University and conservatory music programs attempt, whenever possible, to offer both undergraduate and graduate students a one- to two-semester sequence in ‘voice pedagogy’ as part of their curriculum, a sequence that is more or less mandatory depending on the institution. Another important factor in this typical sequence depends on the institution: what ‘pedagogy’ means. Colleagues, both singers and teachers alike, have assumed for decades that a pedagogue is someone with extensive experience in the health and science of the human voice, in addition to extensive knowledge of singing techniques over the centuries. This inspires curiosity as to what someone with a graduate voice pedagogy degree has learned. Did their studies focus on the teaching of singing or laryngeal anatomy? Did they spend time with SLPs and surgeons? Do they know anything about educational psychology? Even the undergraduate course in voice pedagogy varies heavily from institution to institution in its focus on science or teaching or both. This document asserts that the time for clarity has come.

Pedagogy requires differentiation from curriculum itself (Persaud, 2019; Pratt,

1994), as they are not synonymous. Consider David Pratt’s (1994) explanation:

Actual teaching and learning is [sic] not curriculum, for curriculum refers to plans

for instructional acts, not the acts of instruction themselves. Curriculum is

analogous to the set of blueprints from which a house is constructed. A

curriculum can be viewed as a blueprint for instruction (p. 5).

In this light, Pratt has unwittingly clarified the purpose of this document itself. I cannot predict availability of resources and personnel in a given academic year, nor the general

18 requirements of the graduate school in light of the culture at a particular school. This document argues for a better plan for the DMA such that its curricular structure seeks to educate the DMA candidate properly, as consistently as possible.

Table 1 distinguishes between ‘teaching skills’ and ‘voice science’ so as to lessen the abovementioned confusion surrounding the term ‘voice pedagogy’ when looking more deeply into the course offerings and credit requirements. It also establishes which institutions offer an optional designation in vocal pedagogy or vocology (voice science) as part of their DMA degrees, showing that some institutions are on the right track in substantiating the terminal degree in voice. As such, readers may note that several of these programs with pedagogy/vocology options, based on the data shown, appear to offer few courses in teaching skills and voice science. This is because Table 1 is an investigation into the minimum requirements each institution has created in order to complete its DMA. Most institutions with a pedagogy/vocology option still offer a DMA in Voice Performance that relies heavily on lessons, recitals, and theoretical courses for completion. This document continues to assert that the new DMA in Voice should always include performance, academics, teaching, and science. 54 of the 57 schools, at a rate of

95%, offer a DMA in Voice Performance without any pedagogy/vocology designation.

Of the three that do, James Madison offers the DMA in Voice Performance, Pedagogy, and Literature, and is the most ideal baseline DMA of the entire sample. It requires nine credits of teaching skills and three of voice science. The Singing Health program adds further courses in speech, neuroscience, and acoustics, but it remains optional (James

Madison, 2020a). CU Boulder offers the DMA in Voice Performance and Pedagogy,

19 even requiring a major-field examination in pedagogy with suggested study resources that indicate equal weight between teaching and science (CU Boulder, 2020b). It takes the often-seen approach of providing a customizable curriculum for each student, so the requirements in teaching skills and voice science are based on need. Finally, Texas

Christian appears to have a mandatory cognate in pedagogy, with all ten credits serving teaching skills and none serving voice science (Texas Christian, 2020a). These three examples preview the future of the DMA, as do the 13 other schools that offer optional designations in pedagogy/vocology options. This shows that there is an interest in the singing community to understand the full scope of the human voice in our graduate voice programs. In support of this, the new curriculum in Chapter Four places equal weight on teaching skills and voice science, makes them mandatory, and asks all institutions to consider the untapped possibilities of this degree as inspiration to join in improving how we educate our next artist-teachers of voice.

A Matter of Degree and Experience

NASM (2020) suggests that the undergraduate degree be sufficient for entry into a

DMA of at least three years in length. The current study surveyed all 57 institutions for their minimum admissions requirements. The overwhelming consensus among 41 of 57 schools (72%) is to require or strongly prefer a Master of Music (MMus) for doctoral study. Seven schools specifically denote the Bachelor of Music (BMus) as the minimum requirement. The nine remaining schools provide unclear information based on a process that many schools (even those with clear directives) follow surrounding post-BMus versus post-MMus expectations.

I spent countless hours mining through PDF files of degree requirements, often in the form of degree plans, worksheets, or checklists, depending on the institution. What has become noticeable is a common process in which the master’s degree is integral to, if not inseparable from the DMA. An institution will tie its own MMus degree of approximately 30 credits to its own DMA or provide a student 30 indiscriminate credits from their previous institution’s MMus. This is why 60 post-MMus credits are the most popular choice amongst institutions for their DMAs, since they see the DMA as a total of

90 post-BMus credits minus the 30 MMus credits the candidate will most likely have already acquired. Such a process is problematic and reduces the quality of and possibilities for the DMA degree in its own right. A typical academic year at the undergraduate level consists of 30 credits and leads many schools to interpret the NASM standard of a three-year DMA as equalling 90 credits. However, a typical 30-credit master’s degree is two years long, which reminds us that graduate work does not follow

21 the 15-credits-per-semester process of an undergraduate degree so strictly, usually due to the time needed for teaching duties, research, and performances. The master’s degree is also rarely 30 credits, as both NASM and institutions set this as a minimum requirement that most schools surpass, as do motivated students. This terminal degree requires uncoupling from previous degrees such that it sees past undergraduate and master’s studies as prerequisites rather than Part 1 and Part 2, respectively, of the same sequence.

The DMA is not a continuation of an MMus in Performance, just as a Doctor of

Physical Therapy (DPT) degree is not a continuation of a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in

Health Sciences or Kinesiology. The DPT mandates prerequisite courses (see page 27), and several BSc programs include these prerequisites; this does not mean that the DPT is an exaggerated version of the physical education or biology degree a student chose to pursue. It is, instead, an in-depth look at the rehabilitation of the musculoskeletal system.

The singing community similarly allows applicants to complete master’s degrees in voice from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds such as the BMus, the BA, and even the

Associate or Licentiate Diploma from Commonwealth-based music conservatories. This does not mean that an MMus is an exaggerated BMus or BA; it is its own degree with prerequisites that several undergraduate degrees can cover. With MMus and MFA degrees in Performance and MA degrees in Pedagogy, the DMA finds its prerequisite competencies in a variety of sources, too. This document argues in favour of the standalone nature of the DMA degree such that it must offer more to students than an enhanced master’s degree in singing. It will also speak to post-master’s degree options better suited to the candidate interested in performance study only.

A DMA curriculum with an entrenched master’s degree also risks not providing a student with a doctoral-level education that distinguishes itself from the student’s own master’s degree. Graduate courses in vocal pedagogy, diction, repertoire, and even music bibliography become combined sections that apply to both the master’s and DMA degrees. This results in too many courses relying on all post-baccalaureate voice majors for minimum attendance purposes. Graduate and doctoral study are not synonymous. I assume that few DMA voice students have any disrespect for their master’s-level colleagues; however, doctoral studies become underwhelming when all courses are at the

MMus level when one already holds this degree. Institutions must reconsider the unsound process of granting 30 credits of work from a student’s master’s degree and then requiring so many master’s-level courses for the DMA degree. The clearest demonstration of this unsound process is from my own chosen doctoral program at Ohio

State, a criticism that speaks to the basic DMA curriculum irrespective of the optional

SHS program this document praises.

Ohio State is an example of a DMA that is based on and is a continuation of its master’s degree. Table 2 compares the required courses in the MMus and DMA degrees in Voice Performance to show how similar the fundamental expectations are. Credit hours are in parentheses. Readers will find a transposed reduction of salient details for the sake of clarity (Ohio State, 2020a, 2020b):

MMus in Voice Performance DMA in Voice Performance Major Area Major Area Music 7802.21 Applied Study (12) Music 8902.21 Applied Study (12) Music 7852.02 Performance Literature (4) OR Music 7852.02 Performance Literature (6) Music 5652/5655 Song Literature (4) Music 7805 Recital (2) Music 7905 Preliminary Recital (2) Music 8905 Recitals (6) Music 8999 DMA Document (4)

Supportive Studies Supportive Studies Music 6786 Music Bibliography (3) Music 6786 Music Bibliography (3) Music 6812 Graduate Diction & Coaching (2) Music 6812 Graduate Diction & Coaching (2) Music 7715 Singing Mechanism (3) Music 7715 Singing Mechanism (3) Music 6710 Intro to Opera Techniques (2) Music 6710 Intro to Opera Techniques (3) Ensemble Participation (4) Ensemble Participation (4-6)

Electives (10-15)

Assumed Master’s Degree (30)

Total Credits: 32 Total Credits: 80 Table 2. Comparison of Graduate Degrees in Voice at Ohio State.

At first glance, the DMA properly requires applied study and recital performances mostly at the 8000 level, the doctoral level of courses at Ohio State, as well as electives tailored to the individual student. A closer look reveals that most of the performance literature courses and the entirety of the supportive courses are identical in both degrees.

This is inevitable when institutions design the DMA to fulfill post-baccalaureate requirements and apply courses to both master’s and doctoral degrees, and it leads to repeated courses and redundancy for those who completed master’s degrees elsewhere.

Some DMA students choose to pursue both master’s and doctoral degrees at Ohio State, and it would never expect those students to retake all of the repeated supportive courses mentioned earlier. This renders the DMA a very underserved and underwhelming degree

24 when so much of it is, in fact, at the master’s level. The worst offender is Music 6710

Introduction to Operatic Techniques, a basic stagecraft course that undergraduates as young as sophomores take. Relying on master’s-level courses is problematic but relying on undergraduate-level courses is unacceptable, particularly for students coming with master’s degrees from other schools.

Readers may wonder how a 30-credit master’s degree arbitrarily figures into the

DMA curriculum when so many of the courses repeat. This is the very confusion to which previous sections eluded and future sections will elude. Incoming doctoral students discover an added challenge when similar courses they completed at their previous institutions would bring about redundancy. I present my own situation in Table 3 as an example when comparing my master’s degree to that of Ohio State:

MMus (Ohio State) MMus (University of Alberta) Major Area Major Area Music 7802.21 Applied Study (12) Music 621/625 Applied Music (9) Music 7852.02 Performance Literature (4) OR Music 409/410 Vocal Literature (6) Music 5652/5655 Song Literature (4) Music 7805 Recital (2) THES 903 Recital (0)

Supportive Studies Supportive Studies Music 6786 Music Bibliography (3) Music 505 Music Bibliography (3) Music 6812 Graduate Diction & Coaching (2) Music 321/322 Diction for Singers (6) Music 7715 Singing Mechanism (3) Music 435/436 Vocal Pedagogy (6) Music 6710 Intro to Opera Techniques (2) Music 646 Opera Workshop (3) Ensemble Participation (4) Vocal/Instrumental Chamber Ensemble (3) Recital Choir (0) Choral Techniques Ensemble (0)

Total Credits: 32 Total Credits: 36 Table 3. Ohio State Master’s Degree Compared to Author’s Master’s Degree.

In almost all cases, my master’s degree matches and more often exceeds the expectations at Ohio State. This proves completion of a comparably superior master’s degree, but this is lost in the 30 master’s credits each student automatically receives when those 30 credits do not apply to specific courses in the DMA curriculum. Ohio State does not prioritize doctoral-specific resources in its program, so I have struggled to find appropriately challenging School of Music courses since going through the frowned-upon procedure of waiving credit requirements that would have been redundant. The SHS program has proven enticing enough to complete the degree, even to the point of inspiring this very document. If schools would prioritize voice pedagogy and vocology in a standalone DMA program, this would solve many of the problems surrounding the inclusion of doctoral-level courses. This would also appeal to the quality of education that doctoral students should expect from institutions that demand such a high-quality audition and educational background for admission.

There exists both a written and unwritten rule that DMA applicants find success when they are mid-career professionals. Schools write the rule explicitly in their expectations for a professional-level audition and extensive performance CV. Schools apply the rule more subtly by vetting applicants for their maturity level, oral and written communication skills, and professionalism. This document asks vocal arts programs in the academy to match these expectations to the quality of their educational offerings and their application assessment processes.

Further Redundancy

The incoming doctoral student in voice shares a common fear with all of their colleagues: the diagnostic examination. Some take these exams at the time of their auditions as part of the admissions process; others take them post-admission when the institution seeks to place these students in the proper graduate courses. The subjects of these exams, listed in Table 1 and Table 4, range from general to singing-specific, with theory/analysis and history/literature being most popular. 49 of 57 DMA programs require examinations prior to the first day of classes. The details merit viewing:

No. of Examinations No. of Institutions Percentage Five or more subject areas 1 of 57 2% Four subject areas 8 of 57 14% Three subject areas 10 of 57 18% Two subject areas 28 of 57 49% One subject area 2 of 57 4% None 8 of 57 14% Total requiring one exam at minimum 49 of 57 86%

Examination Subject No. of Institutions Percentage Theory/Analysis 45 of 49 92% History/Literature 37 of 49 76% Both of History and Theory 36 of 49 73% Ear-Training 17 of 49 35% Diction 9 of 49 18% Keyboard 7 of 49 14% Voice 3 of 49 6% Writing 3 of 49 6% Language 3 of 49 6% Conducting 1 of 49 2% Table 4. Summary of Current Diagnostic Examination Requirements.

Table 4 demonstrates the first area of significant inconsistency in the current delivery of the DMA across the United States; however, trends do emerge at first glance.

Half of schools require exams in two subjects and a large majority of them (82%) requires exams in two or more subjects, revealing that most applicants should be prepared for a minimum of two exams when applying for this degree. In total, 49 of 57 schools

(86%) require some form of diagnostic examination, showing a clear trend towards this testing process.

Of the 49 institutions with at least one exam prior to the start of classes, 45 of them (92%) prioritize theory/analysis and 37 of them (75%) prioritize history/literature.

36 of the 37 institutions (97%) that test history also test theory; Table 1 provides a helpful visual to demonstrate that the “H,T” (history, theory) combination is easily the most popular combination of exams that these schools administer. 36 schools requiring both of these subjects make up more than a two-thirds majority (73%) of the 49 schools requiring any exam, even making up more than a simple majority (63%) of the 57 total schools researched. Only the Hartt School tests history in combination with another subject, whereas Cleveland, Michigan State, Texas Christian, Maryland, Miami, Nebraska,

Southern California, and West Virginia test theory on its own or in combination with other subjects. The data reveal that academic institutions still place heavy emphasis on theoretical subjects and the proceeding sections of this chapter will discuss the implications on credit-hour prioritization in the DMA because of this.

The remaining subjects do not approach making up a simple majority of exam subjects administered, with the third-most popular subject being aural skills at 17 of 49

28 institutions (35%). The numbers dwindle even further, with diction at 18%, keyboard at

14%, and voice (indicating relevant literature to singing, not to be confused with an audition), writing, and language at 6%. Southern California is the lone school that looks into an applicant’s conducting skills.

Whether institutions give these diagnostic examinations during audition week or prior to the first week of school, their admissions procedures require a minimum of an undergraduate degree in music (although usually a master’s degree) and the submission of transcripts. These transcripts proving completion of a previous degree or previous degrees indicate a certain number of courses in music history, theory, aural skills, voice courses, and diction/language courses, among others. The NASM standards for undergraduate training in music go far to ensure a solid foundation in musical skills, both theoretical and applied (NASM, 2020). This begs the question, then, as to why DMA institutions, at a rate of 86%, are demanding both transcripts and examinations as proof of competence in musical subjects, particularly when they cannot find unanimous consensus on which areas to re-test. This is not only a redundant process, but it is also an inconsistent one. The singing community can look to colleagues in an allied health field for an admissions process that reduces this redundancy.

There exists another non-PhD, three-year clinical doctorate in the field of physiotherapy (PT), mentioned earlier in this chapter: the DPT. This applied degree is the entry-level qualification for the aspiring physiotherapist to practise PT in the United

States. American medical and health science schools that deliver the DPT require applicants to have [usually] two semesters of science prerequisites in biology, general

29 chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, mathematics, and statistics, as well as in psychology and writing. The submission of transcripts is sufficient to show adherence to these requirements, the only limit being an issue of time if the individual completed these prerequisites outside of a given time frame (American Physical Therapy Association,

2020). Schools do not require entering DPT students to sit exams in each of those subjects to re-prove their competence; instead, schools simply want to see that students will be capable of applying the basic sciences to their work in PT whenever necessary.

Although this degree is not terminal and, therefore, does not require a master’s degree, its admissions process offers lessons in the proper evaluation of prerequisites. American music schools should consequently consider building in musical prerequisites to the singer’s curriculum so that candidates may demonstrate and improve their applied use of theoretical subjects in their everyday work as performers and teachers.

Prioritizing admissions requirements over redundant examinations ameliorates a process with a flawed evaluation that, as mentioned earlier, inspires more fear than it does confidence in an applicant. This process also contradicts the evidence in learning science surrounding evaluation and memory. In the example of the music history diagnostic examination, each institution has a unique test, for one cannot capture multiple centuries of music history in a two-hour sitting. A test of an individual’s ability to recall any given moment from the musical canon that a school chooses to bring up does not properly evaluate that individual’s standing as a candidate for the DMA, particularly since they are applying as performers/teachers and not as musicologists. These exams also serve as a summative assessment of learning with no knowledge of the applicant’s

30 past development through formative assessments in music history. Summative assessment comes out of formative assessment (Pratt, 1994) and there is no one summative assessment for the entirety of music history when different programs highlight different historical events, composers, and repertoire. Camborne and Turbill explain that “trying to impose a measurement-based view of assessment on a whole- language philosophy is a little like trying to fit a nut onto a bolt that has a different thread; it can only be done with force and even then the fit is dysfunctional” (1990, p.

339). Applicants come with unique experiences and offerings that contribute to the mosaic of the student body each year. This unsubstantiated diagnostic examination process does not take into account the relevance of every detail of music history (or theory or others) to a musician’s own career and is, sadly, neither formative nor summative.

To test, quite haphazardly, our future DMA students on music history and theory is to assume they have had ample opportunity to spend enough time on those subjects in order to master them. Do we ask PhD in Musicology applicants to perform an audition or test them on pedagogical and scientific facets of their primary instrument? Of course not.

We do our students a disservice to expect that their retention of music history and theory over two years of their undergraduate degree serve as a marker of their preparedness for graduate study. DMA applicants find this even more challenging, given the amount of time in between their undergraduate and DMA studies. Memory requires consistent repetition and associative cues (James, 1899), and the performer has been rather busy with their instrument. William James continues to summarize this concept perfectly:

…if our ability to recollect a thing be so largely a matter of its associations with

other things which thus becomes it cues, an important pedagogic consequence

follows. There can be no improvement of the general or elementary faculty of

memory: there can only be improvement of our memory for special systems of

associated things; and this latter improvement is due to the way in which the

things in question are woven into association with each other in the mind.

Intricately or profoundly woven, they are held; disconnected, they tend to drop

out just in proportion as the native brain retentiveness is poor. And no amount of

training, drilling, repeating, and reciting employed upon the matter of one system

of objects, the history-system, for example, will in the least be retained. That

system must be separately worked into the mind by itself,—a chemical fact which

is thought about in connection with the other chemical facts, tending then to stay,

but otherwise easily dropping out (1899).

His offering applies to the aforementioned challenge of teaching music history and theory at the undergraduate level, a subject to which I will speak at a later date, but for the time being, we can continue to improve how we integrate it into graduate study for performers.

We know that strong memory requires strong association. Ask an applicant about their favourite repertoire and composer; then, ask them why. You may find that asking them about their passion shows that they know more about musical contexts than you thought. The association, in this case, is with someone or something directly related to their course of study that the student enjoys deeply. Music history is an opportunity to enhance and deepen a musician’s understanding of their instrument, without having to

32 discourage them from honing their craft. Review courses waste valuable time attempting to legitimize the need for an artist-teacher to recall, rather robotically, every detail of the

Lutheran church, for example. The individual could spend that time finding links between their own repertoire and the moments in history that influenced it, rather than desperately filling their brain with out-of-context information. James (1899) speaks to us again:

Cramming seeks to stamp things in by intense application immediately before the

ordeal. But a thing thus learned can form but few associations. On the other hand,

the same thing recurring on different days, in different contexts, read, recited on,

referred to again and again, related to other things and reviewed, gets well-

wrought [sic] into the mental structure. This is the reason why you should enforce

on your pupils habits of continuous application. There is no moral turpitude in

cramming. It would be the best, because the most economical, mode of study if it

led to the results desired. But it does not, and your older pupils can readily be

made to see the reason why.

Repertoire study, the development of vocal pedagogy, opera contextualization, and others will naturally refresh or develop a student’s understanding of the larger canon of music.

Students increase, consequently, their access to associative cues in their own area of specialization, elevating their chances of retaining information without this need to cram.

This process is also more enjoyable and, yes, as this document reiterates numerous times, students can and should enjoy the experience of learning.

The fear inherent to a diagnostic examination is not the only thing that hinders its ability to assess students properly. Its trivia-like nature bases its findings on the student’s

33 regurgitation of a certain number of facts; however, in its current state, it has no way of knowing the profundity of the student’s capacity to apply that knowledge. Marton and

Säljö (1976) differentiate between “surface-level or deep-level processing” (p. 4). In the field of music, a student may correctly indicate that Haydn greatly influenced the string quartet and sonata form, but this does not guarantee that they know why this is important.

This is similar to the distinction between preordinate and nonpreordinate assessment – the former focuses on predetermined objectives the student should learn, and the latter finds interest in the intangibles of how the student is developing their intellect and as a person

(Pratt, 1994). The North American obsession with grades and exam success causes students to approach education strategically rather than holistically (Crooks, 1988). Our subscription to this memorize-and-regurgitate model risks improperly preparing our students for real-world scenarios when they find themselves incapable of recalling sufficient details of their own profession in order to practice it successfully. We are also testing the enjoyment of school out of our students.

These discussions have an unintended effect on recruitment for modern-day schools of music. Potential students look for a positive experience in the DMA school they end up choosing, and institutions reveal their identities in the way they assess future and current students. Pratt (1994) believes that humanity is the first criterion a test must meet in order to be worthwhile: “Is a test, examination, measure, or performance criterion humane? Does it help the learners to thrive and grow as persons? Does it develop learners as social beings? Does it avoid causing unnecessary anxiety, pain, humiliation, or self- doubt?” (p. 112). If an institution establishes very early that it seeks to see applicants at

34 their best, they encourage those applicants to feel they have something to share and their confidence to trust their knowledge increases (Cozolino, 2013). A DMA has the potential to be equally uplifting and challenging, and institutions must consider the recruitment and retention benefits in choosing to see this terminal degree as a rewarding journey.

Chapter Four proposes a DMA curriculum that reinforces musical subjects like history, among others, by making them second nature to the voice major’s journey and avoiding fear-based testing and redundancy. The new curriculum does not do away with testing altogether; assessment is a key tool in evaluating a student’s development. This document asks the music school administrator to reconsider the value, purpose, and design of examinations. Frederiksen (1984) clarifies that “an important task for educators and psychologists is to develop instruments that will better reflect the whole domain of educational goals and to find ways to use them in improving the educational process” (p.

202). When education inspires excitement over fear and prioritizes relevance over insignificant trivia, both schools and their students gain.

Transparency of Information

In compiling the data shown in Table 1, the current study has made an unexpected discovery beyond the scope of this document: institutions lack transparency in the presentation of their admissions expectations, degree requirements, and course offerings.

Prospective students visit music school websites to find detailed information in these three areas, in addition to voice faculty listings, in order to make educated choices about where they might wish to study. Multiple pages and information hidden in hundred-page handbooks do not adequately synthesize the key information for interested students. This lack of clarity also presents an issue for recruitment and, eventually, stresses internal resources. Hundreds of anecdotal conversations with colleagues throughout a career reveal that applicants desire easy access to information similar to that in Table 1. Dozens of these colleagues who are already pursuing the DMA degree admit they would have considered another institution had this information been available. When a student and a music school find alignment, all parties benefit. Students whose backgrounds and interests match up with a program require less advising, find more excitement in course offerings, and thrive as singers and human beings when they participate in a mutually compatible educational experience. Institutions would do well to reconsider their presentation of salient details on their websites, particularly when recruiting to the internet generation that expects such details to be readily available. Appendix B presents examples of succinct yet complete model web pages.

Credit Hours

Another inconsistency in the delivery of the DMA is the number of post-master’s credit hours required. The minimum range is significant, with 30 at CU Boulder being the lowest and 98 at UCLA being the highest. In the case of schools that offer a variable requirement, this document considers the average of each of those school’s requirements

(i.e. Ball State: 60 + 70 ÷ 2 = 65) when calculating the total average among all schools.

Readers should note that the number of institutions will be 56 for these purposes, rather than 57, as Stony Brook University offers a customizable degree program with no specified minimum credit number (Stony Brook, 2020a). Of the 56 schools that specify, the average and median credit-hour requirements are 60. The most common requirement is also 60, with 14 of 56 institutions (25%) choosing this number. 30 of 56 institutions

(55%) are between 55 and 65 credits, placing them within five credits, plus or minus, of the common 60 credits. Almost half of the schools (48%) choose a credit number ranging from 60-69, and 11 of them (20%) choose a number between 50-59. When considering the total gross range of 30 to 98 credits, a trend of 68% of schools falling within 50-69 credits provides hope for consensus in the future and establishes the 18 schools above or below that number as outliers. Chapter Four will outline a 65-credit curriculum, following the trend already in place. It falls on the high end of the popular 55-65 range, signifying the need for a solid training in all aspects of the human voice, while rejecting the need for non-research-intensive doctoral studies to cause undue burden to students or last more than three years. This mention of research leads into the next investigation of the weight placed on theoretical subjects compared to applied topics in voice.

An Applied Subject

The specific number of credit hours a music school chooses to allot to their DMA is not a hard science, depending on available resources and local expectations, and pales in comparison to the division of credit hours amongst subject areas of more or less importance to the singing teacher. Future graduates find inspiration in a more rigorous course load when the subjects intrigue and excite, and they can find equal inspiration in a lighter course load when each class demonstrates an efficiency of purpose in strengthening their edification. The current DMA presents a weakness in its prioritization of theoretical subjects and misses an opportunity to embrace the myriad of subjects the art of singing entails.

Table 1 quickly reveals one of the few areas of consensus among music schools that happens to be an unfortunate one: they mandate numerous courses in music theory and history (T/H), while mandating few to none in the study of how the voice works and how to teach others to use it (with some exceptions). Credit hours in T/H average a rounded 13, with the median being 12. Cleveland requires the highest number of these credits at 24 and both Ohio State and Temple require the lowest number of these at three each. Cleveland and South Carolina demand the highest ratio, 24 out of 60 total credits and 19 out of 48 total credits, respectively, a staggering 40%. Temple also presents the lowest ratio with its three T/H credits making up only 5.5% of its 55 total DMA credits.

The average ratio of T/H credits to total DMA credits among all institutions surveyed is

13 out of 61, or 21%. This contrasts the number of required credits in teaching skills and voice science.

This document continues to assert that a teaching qualification like the DMA must include courses in pedagogy and vocology. Currently, the average music school in the

United States designates two out of 61 credits to teaching skills and not even one (0.4) out of 61 credits to voice science, 3% and 0.7%, respectively. This necessitates a brief investigation into what I believe is a misinterpretation of NASM guidelines. The 2019-

2020 NASM Handbook correctly states that “the artist diploma may be more appropriate than the doctoral degree for the student seeking total concentration in performance or composition at the post-master’s level” (p. 137). This seems to distinguish between performance-only diplomas and a degree like the DMA that balances performance and scholarship. It goes on to require in Section C2:

As appropriate to the area of specialization: a) a knowledge of and ability to apply

the techniques of music theory sufficient to perform advanced analysis; and b) a

knowledge and understanding of representative literature, historical periods and

their significance, and musics of various cultures (p. 137).

These statements provide insight into the disproportionate weight placed on theory and history in the DMA in Voice Performance, with institutions justifiably seeking to ensure the proper balance of performance and scholarship mentioned earlier. What is curious is that Section C2 mentions a third option of “c) an understanding of and ability to guide music teaching and learning” (p. 137). This should be the focus in the education of the singing teacher, especially when one considers the “appropriate to the area of specialization” statement, yet institutions favour the first two statements regarding theory and history. It is reasonable for music schools to guarantee the rigour associated with

39 terminal/doctoral degrees. Schools approach this rigour problematically, however, by limiting the possibilities of what scholarship entails. The misinterpretation of NASM guidelines occurs when we assume that theoretical/historical rigour and courses in the major area of study are mutually exclusive.

In the previous Section C1 of the NASM (2020) Handbook, the more mandatory qualifications for all areas of specialization include intellectual curiosity, skill in one’s area/instrument, bibliography knowledge, research aptitude, and communication proficiency. The doctorate in voice has the opportunity to include and assess these important abilities in singing-related courses, even doing so in a way that highlights the area-specific skill of “music teaching and learning” as a form of scholarship without abandoning theory and history altogether. Vocal repertoire courses provide ample occasion to review and apply analysis to songs, all while reminding doctoral students of the historical context of those songs. Voice pedagogy has a storied history of evolving theories, treatises, and opinions throughout the decades, revealing cultural contexts that influenced its changes. Voice science is a challenging, often-daunting task for the voice major that only adds difficulty to a doctorate in voice. Requiring a specific number of arbitrary academic courses does not guarantee mastery of one’s craft, or even of theory and history themselves. NASM guidelines continue to reiterate this point.

Let us consider the NASM approach to doctoral studies in pedagogy and performance. Section D4f of the Handbook says of pedagogy programs:

The doctoral degree program in pedagogy emphasizes the preparation of music

teachers and researchers who conduct inquiries and develop methodologies and

repertoires for music study. Programs normally include comparative

methodologies, research in music and music education, performance, and

educational evaluation. Additional studies are recommended in such areas as

psychology, sociology, aesthetics, and music history (p. 139).

Section D4g(1) of the Handbook says of performance programs:

The doctoral degree program in performance emphasizes presentation in a

specific performing medium. Performance competence is at the highest

professional level with historical and theoretical knowledge supportive of the

development of individualized interpretations. Competencies also include a broad

knowledge of repertory and literature. Additional studies in pedagogy are

recommended (pg. 139).

Finally, returning to Section D4f, the Handbook offers a key linking phrase: “Programs with dual objectives in performance and pedagogy must require demonstration of a high level of professional competency in performance as a requirement for graduation” (p.

139). The above statements illuminate that theory and history do not make up 21% of recommended content; these subjects remain supportive of their primary instrument.

What the reader finds is consistent use of such keywords as performance, pedagogy, education, interpretation, and methodologies. Institutions, then, must reassess why theory and history make up 21% of mandated course content, while teaching skills and voice science make up only 3% and 0.4% of mandated course content, respectively. A reconsideration of the terminal degree in voice does not have to go against NASM guidelines; in fact, those very guidelines already support what this document offers.

Recitals and Final Document

The last two features of Table 1 are recital and dissertation expectations at each school. Here, they have found consistency, if not unanimity. Required recitals range from two to six; it is no surprise that the average requirement is 3.6 recitals, with a median of three. Readers should note that, due to flexibility in the expectations at nine schools, these calculations have a small margin of error. At schools where numbers are fixed, 25 of them (45%) require three recitals and 18 of them (32%) require four. Boston, Florida

State, Houston, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Miami, Peabody, and Wisconsin provide options based on coursework and document expectations, although, with the exception of

Peabody, their options all land somewhere between three and four recitals. Schools commonly allow for opera roles, a concerto competition-winning performance, or professional engagements to replace one or more of the mandated recitals.

The most consistent feature of the current DMA in Voice Performance is the final document. 54 of 57 institutions (95%) require a final project. 19 of these 54 schools offer options for this requirement. The variations affect the document length based on the number and types of recitals or the amount of coursework chosen. In some cases, the inclusion of a lecture-recital reduces the length or the document as it becomes the shorter paper that accompanies the recital. In other cases, additional recitals and coursework change the type of document that the student produces. The current study cannot within its scope synthesize the specific document requirements at the 54 institutions that require it; however, they all agree that the process is less intensive than a standard PhD dissertation and generally ask for 50-100 pages worth of material.

Removing Barriers

Voice science is an emerging field that studies the relationships between the diverse subjects encompassed in voice performance. These include anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, physics and acoustics, psychology, mental health, neuroscience, learning science, pedagogy, mathematics, nutrition, numerous medical disciplines, speech- language pathology, acting/theatre, language and linguistics, and sociology, among others. It now works alongside vocal pedagogy, a decades-old discipline that has explored the teaching of and vocal techniques behind singing. With all of these disciplines found in a single song, this document argues that the study of singing is one of the most complete educations an individual can receive when teachers/administrators embrace the holistic nature of that education. If the singing community joyfully accepts this, the terminal degree in voice has no limits as to what it can teach its future voice teachers. The degree removes barriers in doctoral education by demonstrating that voice science is theory, that theory is performance, and that performance is voice science. No longer will institutions miss out on exciting and empowering connections between academics and performance. Singing, as a whole, becomes enough. It becomes worthy of the place it deserves in the catalogue of postsecondary disciplines.

Before moving into the proposed new curriculum for the DMA, the analogy in allied health provides inspiration one final time. The Massachusetts General Hospital

(MGH) Institute of Health Professions offers a top-ranked DPT program for hopeful physiotherapists. One of its hallmarks is its “cross-curricular threads” (MGH, 2020). This innovative technique establishes that it is easier, for example, to learn about the function

43 and pathologies associated with the lumbo-pelvic region if one approaches the area holistically. Students will remember the anatomical parts of the area if students immediately know their purpose and physiology. The MGH Institute, therefore, has one major, thorough course on the region. The new DMA curriculum proposes courses that remove the silos from education to embrace the study of singing as holistically as the subject itself. Chapter Four chooses to outline expectations for learning based on achieving certain competencies that are crucial to the career of a professor of singing.

Individual courses remain important (one cannot complete a doctoral education in a single course); however, their design and implementation draw legitimacy from their relationship to one another in how they contribute to the student’s edification.

A Concluding Analogy

The SHS at Ohio State is a collaboration between three departments (music, speech and hearing science, and otolaryngology) and brings up the allied health analogy mentioned throughout this chapter. In the fields of exercise science and rehabilitation, three departments rely on one another in the enhancement and repair of human movement: exercise physiology, physiotherapy, and orthopaedic surgery. The physiotherapist and the orthopaedic surgeon look to the personal trainer or kinesiologist as the front line in the guidance of human movement and exercise, from the amateur gym-goer to the professional athlete. Individuals hope to avoid surgery or physiotherapy at all costs by working with educated fitness specialists. The personal trainer’s lack of diagnostic and surgical qualifications does not mean they should receive an inadequate education in anatomy/physiology, movement, nutrition, and the theoretical basics of joint, muscle, and tissue damage/repair. By mastering these concepts, even conceptually, they understand how to coach their clients to lift, run, eat, or move in such a way that those clients will not become injured or ill in the first place. They become, in turn, a preventative part of the health care system.

The introduction to this document suggests that the well-trained singing teacher becomes an equally important preventative measure in the care of the human voice. In this analogy, the exercise physiologist becomes the singing teacher, the physiotherapist becomes the SLP, and the orthopaedic surgeon becomes the ENT. The ENT and SLP are crucial to the repair and rehabilitation, respectively, of the voice, but our DMA curricula have the opportunity to see the singing teacher serve a more crucial role in the

45 preventative care of the voice, such that professional voice users avoid a trip to the SLP or ENT whenever possible. The singing teacher who achieves the DMA must understand intermediate to advanced concepts of anatomy/physiology, speech, sound production, teaching, voice therapy, and laryngology. They, then, become the first line of defence for the human voice.

Chapter Four: The New Curriculum – DMA in Voice

Psychology is a science, and teaching is an art; and sciences never generate arts directly out of themselves. An intermediary inventive mind must make the application, by using its

originality. –William James, 1899

Previous discussions, particularly surrounding strengths and flaws in current curricular offerings in the standard DMA in Voice Performance, necessitate the presentation of a more ideal course of study for the terminal degree in voice. Yet another inspiration from William James, shared by Anita Woolfolk Hoy (2013), lights the way for this new curriculum. The coming-together of art and science in designing educational programs stimulates how we balance the art and science of singing and the way we teach it. The following chapter serves as a template from which individual institutions may draw to highlight the strengths of their faculty members, areas of research, and available resources.

I have touched on the idea of assessment in Chapter Three and it remains relevant throughout Chapter Four. Assessment does not only apply to what we know as a traditional test. Faculty search committees evaluate candidates based on their educational background, teaching experience, performance skills, and research/creative output. Both

47 pursuing a DMA and evaluating those with the degree balances two forms of assessment: norm-referenced and criterion-referenced. Norm-referenced assessment is comparative amongst a group of people to consider how an individual fared in relation to others; criterion-referenced assessment is specific to the individual and how they fared in relation to a pre-determined set of expectations (Pratt, 1994; Woolfolk Hoy, 2013). Table 1 in

Chapter Three compares the 57 institutions and reveals current trends in the DMA, allowing future students to make a norm-referenced assessment of their ideal school. It also hints at the extent to which each institution meets certain criteria in teaching skills, voice science, theoretical subjects, etc. It is this criterion-referenced approach that informs the new curriculum here in Chapter Four and that I have developed more deeply in order to build a new set of standards for the DMA.

An individual pursuing a doctorate in voice must demonstrate the acquisition of skills and knowledge bases that warrant such a degree. Woolfolk Hoy (2013) says it best:

To decide who should be allowed to drive a car, it is important to determine just

what standard of performance works for selecting safe drivers. It does not matter

how your test results compare to the results of others. If your performance on the

test was in the top 10%, but you consistently ran through red lights, you would

not be a good candidate for receiving and licence, even though your score was

high (p. 550).

She presents an effective example in that a driving test is considered quite standard and we assume that standardized tests, such as the MCAT or LSAT, would be all about norm- referenced assessment so as to see the medical or law schools to which we may be

48 accepted, respectively. While all of these tests do provide comparative statistics for administrators, the MCAT results still provide a breakdown of achievement in each subject. A high total score does not preclude doing very poorly on Critical Analysis and

Reasoning Skills, for example. This analogy applies to the pursuit of a DMA in that an individual may have received the degree from a prestigious institution, but with such a lack of standard for curricular components (as seen in Table 1), are we certain this individual knows anything about vocal fold physiology? Chapter Four remedies this by submitting the areas of competence relevant to the DMA, allowing the profession to better understand not only the degree itself, but also what it means to receive one.

These areas of competence provide structure and logic to the skills that future professors of voice should possess, while course descriptions and their rationales illuminate the need for the subjects chosen under each area of competence. The allotment of credit hours and the recommended numbers of semesters for different courses indicate an approximate percentage of weight, based on the given subject. Chapter Four stops at providing detailed syllabi and overly specific course content. As mentioned earlier, institutions will have strengths and areas of focus and I seek not to remove the unique flavour of an individual DMA program – it is often that very flavour that draws students to it. Finally, it goes without saying that no suggested curriculum outline in higher education can be seen as the law of the land; this is, rather, a guide for best practices in relevant course offerings, curriculum design, and sound pedagogy, demonstrating the very concepts the DMA should seek to impart to its pursuers.

A New Name

Chapter Three highlights concerns surrounding the term ‘voice pedagogy’ and its many interpretations among singers and teachers, in addition to arguing that the terminal degree in voice should ensure equal aptitude in voice teaching, voice science, and voice performance. Due to the balance of these three major areas, thus justifying the existence of the degree, it is reasonable to rename the degree the DMA in Voice. The use of DMA signifies that the holder’s terminal degree is primarily in the singing voice, distinguishing it from voice-related specialties that use PhD (speech), MD (laryngology), and MFA

(acting). A colleague who holds the PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences will, surely, have their area of expertise and be able to teach specialty areas; this comes through in their coursework and past and future research projects. Potential DMA students will, similarly, find their unique offerings to the profession based on their elective work and repertoire specializations; this does not necessitate numerous degree names. Current uses of DMA in Voice Performance, Voice Performance and Pedagogy, or Voice Pedagogy become unnecessary and find unity under this simplified name of DMA in Voice.

Outline – Areas of Competence

To create a curriculum is to guarantee a set of reasonable standards on which any student or candidate can be assessed to ensure sufficient achievement of necessary competencies to warrant the completion of a course or the attainment of a qualification.

Strengthening the standards of the DMA in Voice sees that recipients receive a robust, quantifiable education in the human voice. Institutions maintain their individual strengths, but harmony in basic expectations lessens confusion and unites the profession in the delivery of this near-necessary qualification for professors of singing:

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters Applied Music Applied Voice 4 Recitals 3 Ensemble Participation 2 Instructional Educational Psychology 1 Technique & Design Teaching Pedagogy 1 Voice Pedagogy 1 Voice Science Doctoral Voice Science 1 Voice Disorders 1 Voice Therapy 1 Clinical Laryngology 1 Surgical Laryngology 1 Materials of Music Doctoral Comprehensive Repertoire 1 Doctoral Voice Repertoire 1 Electives 3 Foreign Language Italian Language & Diction 1 Acquisition & Diction French Language & Diction 1 German Language & Diction 1 General Skills Music and Life 4 Written & Oral Piano and Ear Training Exams 1 Examinations Qualifying Exams 1 Final Project DMA Document 3 DMA Defence 1 Table 5. New DMA in Voice Curriculum by Area of Competence.

Table 5 acknowledges the subjects encompassed in the study of the singing voice and organizes them into a logical sequence worthy of a terminal degree in voice. The balance of the three major areas of performance, teaching, and science find support in music courses, language and diction courses, qualifying examinations, and a final project and defence. These supportive courses ensure the academic rigour necessary for the granting of a doctorate while recognizing the more applied, clinical-like nature of the

DMA. Proceeding paragraphs provide detailed descriptions of and justifications for the design and organization of courses in each area of competence.

Course Descriptions and Glossary

With the proposed new curriculum in place, course descriptions provide context for the content covered in each offering. These one-sentence to one-paragraph descriptions serve as models for two possible scenarios: 1) the opening section of a course syllabus, or 2) the short summary attached to a course number in an academic catalog. I have created course numbers thoughtfully to mimic such a catalog and designate an approximate level of graduate study, but these numbers are, ultimately, arbitrary. Since this document asserts that both teaching pedagogy and voice science should be mandatory in the DMA in Voice, readers will find a list of key terms attached to certain courses. These terms will correspond to the glossary in Appendix A, which acts as a reference for any DMA candidate. The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) of

Canada inspired the idea for this glossary of relevant terminology. Its course workbooks in music history encourage students to build a musical vocabulary (RCM, 2010), and this document hopes to do the same for singing teachers. I have provided a completed glossary in Appendix A as an example of its imagined use. A future publication based on this document will provide readers with a blank glossary so that they may define each term in their own way. Both candidates and supervisors can use the glossary as a resource for self-study or testing and as a lifelong reference of vocabulary relevant to the anatomy and function of the human voice. Students will use it for their studies and future careers, while educators may use this as a tool in administering oral or written examinations in the fields of voice pedagogy and vocology.

Applied Music

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters Applied Music Applied Voice 4 Recitals 3 Ensemble Participation 2 Course Descriptions Music 820/821: Applied Voice – Doctoral (2 cr., repeatable) One weekly, one-hour voice lesson with a faculty member. One weekly, half-hour coaching with a staff collaborative pianist.

Music 822: Preliminary Recital (2 cr.) Solo recital of 50 to 75 minutes of music, presented in the student’s first year, serving as a preliminary examination of the student’s progress.

Music 823: Pre-Candidacy Recital (2 cr.) Solo or chamber recital for students in the DMA in Voice, usually between 60 and 90 minutes in length. The preliminary recital must be successfully presented prior to registration.

Music 824: Post-Candidacy Recital (2 cr.) Solo, chamber, or lecture-recital for ABD candidates in Voice, usually between 60 and 90 minutes in length, that the candidate prepares on their own, without guidance from their supervisor. Candidates often draw from their DMA Document in creating this recital.

Sample Ensemble – Music 830: Chamber Choir (1 cr., repeatable) Participation in the advanced, auditioned chamber choir. This 30- to 35-person ensemble sings repertoire from the Renaissance to the present day.

Sample Ensemble – Music 835: Opera Studio Role (1 cr., repeatable) Participation in the University Opera Studio spring semester production of a staged, costumed opera with orchestral accompaniment. Priority to graduate students. Table 6. Area of Competence: Applied Music.

Table 6 supports that artist-teachers pursuing the DMA in Voice must remain dedicated to their own performance craft, maintaining healthy voices and singing careers to inform them of current trends in the profession and to model to their students what it takes to sing well. Current DMA programs demand a professional-level audition and provide the opportunity for continued development through work with a singing teacher

54 and vocal coach, and the new curriculum makes little change to this trend. It proposes a pre-candidacy sequence of four semesters of lessons and two semesters of ensembles, as well as two pre-candidacy recitals and one post-candidacy recital. The third recital asks the candidate to prepare a performance without guidance from their supervisor, evaluating the autonomy of the candidate and their ability to collaborate with a pianist to present the highest quality of recital possible. Ensemble participation allows each person to choose the choral, operatic, or other ensembles that suit their interests or enrich any areas of weakness as collaborative musicians.

Instructional Technique & Design

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters Instructional Educational Psychology 1 Technique & Design Teaching Pedagogy 1 Voice Pedagogy 1 Course Descriptions Music Education 840: Educational Psychology (3 cr.) Study of learning theories related to cognition, human development, psycho-social behaviours, and classicism.

Music Education 841: Teaching Pedagogy (3 cr.) Application of learning theories in Music Education 840 to teaching methods and curriculum development in classroom and studio settings.

Music Education 842: Voice Pedagogy (3 cr.) Study of the history of singing technique and voice teaching, highlighting major figures and formalized techniques. Application of theories learned in Music Education 840 and 841 to the student’s own voice teaching. Observations of lessons given by voice faculty. Table 7. Area of Competence: Instructional Technique & Design.

Successful doctoral candidates in any field spend their careers teaching and mentoring young adults, particularly undergraduate and graduate students between the ages of 18 and 25. Unfortunately, postsecondary institutions have widely varying teaching standards for their faculty members. The infamous ‘publish or perish’ model at universities demands a high output of research and creative scholarship from faculty, at the expense of teaching. University graduates universally recall numerous professors who even appeared to dislike teaching altogether while begrudgingly fulfilling their mandated classroom responsibilities that took them away from their research. Institutions have a responsibility to acknowledge that students make up the majority of a university’s population and that they are there to learn. This area of competence does this by requiring successful DMA candidates to understand the principles of educational psychology,

56 teaching pedagogy, and singing techniques throughout the ages. The theories and applications of learning science do not stop at the university level.

Early, elementary, and secondary teaching strategies have long dominated the field of education. In the United States, K-12 teacher certifications remain crucial to an aspiring music educator. In Canada, a two-year post-baccalaureate Bachelor of Education

(B.Ed.) requires teacher candidates to specify between their intention to teach elementary or secondary education, with the latter requiring not only an undergraduate major in music but a minor or second major in another subject. There is no such universal qualification for university teaching. This gives one pause when one considers that an 18- year-old undergraduate student does not miraculously discover the key to life and learning over the summer between Grade 12 and first-year university. Human beings continue to develop neurologically, socially, and personally throughout the lifespan; as such, there is no argument to suggest that learning science is no longer a part of how we teach university-level students simply because they are over the age of 18. This does not even take into account the challenges associated with teaching the use of the human voice, an invisible instrument made up of involuntary muscles and housed in individuals with unique learning processes, thoughts, and reactions to the creation of sound. I will present future research detailing learning science as it relates to the emerging professional singer. For the purposes of this document, the new curriculum for the DMA in Voice submits three courses in the study of education as the requirement for vocal pedagogues to grasp, at minimum, an intermediate understanding of how to teach.

Voice Science

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters Voice Science Doctoral Voice Science 1 Voice Disorders 1 Voice Therapy 1 Clinical Laryngology 1 Surgical Laryngology 1 Course Descriptions Speech 850: Doctoral Voice Science (2 cr.) Neuroanatomy and physiology associated with speech and singing; introduction to issues of cleft palate, as well as articulation and resonance; advanced acoustical science relating to the voice.

Speech 851: Voice Disorders (2 cr.) Pathophysiology of the singing mechanism relating to disorders associated with the vocal folds. Emphasis placed on voice therapy techniques used by speech-language pathologists that are transferrable to the care of the singing voice. This course will briefly touch on respiratory and swallowing disorders. Students will become familiar with the practice of laryngoscopy.

Otolaryngology 870: Voice Therapy (2 cr.) Observations of patients receiving speech and voice therapy from a registered speech-language pathologist in a recognized clinical setting.

Otolaryngology 871: Clinical Laryngology (2 cr.) Observations of patients being seen in the office of a licenced otolaryngologist with specialty training in laryngology. Students will grasp a basic understanding of an office visit, video laryngoscopy assessment of voice and swallowing concerns, the feeding process during a swallowing evaluation, and the overall diagnostic process. Includes a weekly, one-hour lecture in laryngological issues to ensure a basic understanding of cases not seen during observations.

Otolaryngology 872: Surgical Laryngology (2 cr.) Observations of patients undergoing upper respiratory tract surgeries by a licenced otolaryngologist with specialty training in laryngology. Table 8. Area of Competence: Voice Science.

Subject areas throughout the academy believe that theoretical courses present the foundational concepts for applied study in one’s field. Future dietitians study the basic sciences, future conductors study music theory and history, future journalists study literature and writing, and future film actors study the practice of Shakespeare. Courses

58 covered in Voice Science follow this pattern in that they are theoretical to the doctoral voice major since this individual will most likely not be diagnosing disorders or performing surgeries. As argued previously, however, the singing teacher with a terminal degree should understand the practical concepts of speech neuroanatomy, acoustical science, resonance and voice disorders, voice therapy, and basic laryngology. These courses do not expect this non-scientist to apply to medical school; instead, their two- credit design provides a burden-free introduction to the intermediate to advanced sciences behind vocal production. Administrators should choose evaluation methods carefully, preferably following a pass/fail system, particularly in the observation courses, so as not to assess students unfairly when they most likely do not have the prerequisites to master these subjects. Pratt (1994) reminds us that, “In selecting appropriate approaches to assessment, a wide variety of possibilities should be considered, taking into account the criteria of humanity, validity, reliability, efficiency, and frequency” (p. 101). This document balances the importance of these courses with the reality that DMA students are not qualified SLPs or physicians.

Courses in laryngology and, in particular, surgical laryngology present a challenge to institutions that do not have medical schools or a robust team of otolaryngologists in the region. This course sequence offers the ideal DMA degree with the acknowledgement that accessibility remains imperfect. So far, 29 institutions (51%) have an accredited otolaryngology residency program on the same campus as their music school. Five have such a program on an affiliated campus – for example, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (music school) has the University of Nebraska-Omaha (ENT

59 residency). 12 institutions are located in the same city as or a neighbouring city within approximately 30 miles of at least one residency program – for example, Arizona State

University (music school) could pursue a collaboration with the Mayo Clinic (ENT residency) in Phoenix. The 11 remaining institutions (19%) are within one to two hours of a residency program; these schools would have the greatest difficulty in pursuing collaborations at external sites. Depending on their commitment to this part of the suggested curriculum, choosing two days per semester dedicated as clinical and surgical days, in combination with ridesharing, could allow students to experience the laryngological process even briefly. Willing colleagues could come to the students on their home campus for a series of guest-lectures and case studies. Most importantly, this aspect of the curriculum does not have to limit the student experience or look the same at all institutions.

Materials of Music

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters Materials of Music Doctoral Comprehensive Repertoire 1 Doctoral Voice Repertoire 1 Electives 3 Course Descriptions Music Literature 840: Doctoral Comprehensive Repertoire (3 cr.) Overview of major repertoire within the classical canon that would normally appear on a doctoral comprehensive exam. This seminar gathers DMA students from all majors to fill in gaps in students’ previous knowledge of the musical canon.

Music Literature 841: Doctoral Voice Repertoire (3 cr.) Building on the previously mentioned course, this course seeks to round out students’ knowledge of major repertoire for the voice. Restricted to voice and choral conducting majors, this serves to mimic the scope of a doctoral comprehensive exam in voice repertoire. The second half of the semester emphasizes stage repertoire from the musical theatre and jazz realms.

Sample Elective – Music Literature 843: Clara Wieck and Robert Schumann (3 cr.) Doctoral seminar in the legacy of Clara Wieck and Robert Schumann on the musical canon, their importance to each other’s lives, and their impact on the performance and composition of music during their time and to this day.

Sample Elective – Theatre 542: Acting (2 cr.) Advanced acting techniques, applicable to both the lyric and concert stages. Students will find freedom and comfort in the interpretation of spoken text in both solo and group settings. Texts will come from plays, monologue collections, and a variety of sources of interest to the individual students in the class. Table 9. Area of Competence: Materials of Music.

The DMA is still a music degree and requires a thorough knowledge and understanding of repertory, historical and harmonic contexts, cultural developments related to performance, and the connective tissue between all instruments and areas of study in music. This document rejects isolating, heavy-handed comprehensive examinations in the same way it rejects diagnostic examinations/review courses since they prioritize anxiety, disconnection, and an outdated memorize-and-regurgitate approach to learning. Cozolino (2013) explains why:

Our experiences of anxiety and fear are the conscious emotional aspects of the

brain’s ongoing appraisal of threat. At its most adaptive, anxiety encourages us to

not step off a curb without looking both ways and check to see if we signed our

tax forms before sealing the envelope. At its least adaptive, anxiety inhibits

learning, halts exploration, and keeps us from taking appropriate risks. Anxiety

can be triggered by countless conscious or unconscious cues and has the power to

shape our behaviours, thoughts, and feelings (p. 74).

At a moment in time when human beings push for more compassion surrounding mental health and its effects on learning, Cozolino’s research is the right place to start. Educators and administrators must explain why endless and endlessly stressful examinations remain relevant to the way our brains learn. Music majors memorized composers’ birth and death dates, their symphonic catalogues, and every detail of their song cycles because they could only find this information in the library. Technology had not yet rewired their brains to access information as quickly as they do today, and the world looked different.

This social world in which we now find ourselves requires an understanding of the social aspects of learning. If students are learning differently, the academy must teach differently. Teaching is but the establishment of a relationship to draw out learning from that trusted connection (Pierson, 2013), and this is as true for adults as it is for children. A human connection inspires; intellectual posturing deters.

Earlier discussions concluded that pedagogy in postsecondary education deserves as much inspection as it does in K-12 education. This area of competence’s rejection of socially and emotionally detached examinations lays the foundation for the delivery of

62 most of this new curriculum. University professors will discover continued resistance if they cling to an industrial model of education that does not meet the needs of today’s students. 100 years ago, schools produced factory workers. The recess bell at school was the break bell at the scrapyard. Education encouraged emotional disconnection by design.

Today, students of all ages, even the introverted ones, are seeking relationships that foster growth. Cozolino (2013) reminds educators of another key concept:

Our conception of classroom learning is usually distinct from our ideas about

survival-based behaviour. Thus, we tend to miss the fact that the neuroanatomy

and neurochemistry of learning and memory are interwoven with the primitive

survival circuitry dedicated to arousal, stress, and fear. This is why thinking and

feeling are so intertwined, why plasticity turns off during high levels of anxiety,

and why stressed brains are resistant to new learning. Thus, there is no cognition

without emotion, and it is impossible to separate the internal experience of the

learner from the material being learned (pp. 73-74).

When one begins to look, one discovers that there is proof that feelings do matter, particularly to an individual’s ability to learn. While a full investigation into this subject is beyond the scope of this document and will occur at another time, it is my greatest inspiration for a redesign of postsecondary education.

Table 9 encourages seminar-based courses that celebrate the possibilities for learning when they invite all students to participate. There exists an aging but commonplace phrase in music known as the “needle-drop” technique, referring to a professor’s threat to drop the needle anywhere on a record and have students identify the

63 composer and the movement of the symphony. Replacing the fear of the comprehensive exam and its dreaded needle-drop with the encouragement of a collaborative overview of the musical canon elevates learning to a new level. It acknowledges its participants. It welcomes their input.

Readers will notice that the new DMA in Voice does include some examinations.

I made a conscious choice to present a middle-ground approach to this terminal degree in singing such that it does not abandon all current practices and expectations in doctoral studies. Any hope for change begins with a spark, big or small, and this document intends to be that catalyst. See page 61 for more details.

Foreign Language Acquisition & Diction

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters Foreign Language Italian Language & Diction 1 Acquisition & Diction French Language & Diction 1 German Language & Diction 1 Course Descriptions Italian 840: Italian Language & Diction (2 cr.) Acquisition of advanced skills in Italian language and lyric diction. The focus of this course will be on verbal communication of both Italian texts and song lyrics, with periodic grammar review. IPA transcriptions will be student-driven and minimally led by the instructor. The language of instruction will be Italian.

French 840: French Language & Diction (2 cr.) Acquisition of advanced skills in French language and lyric diction. The focus of this course will be on verbal communication of both French texts and song lyrics, with periodic grammar review. IPA transcriptions will be student-driven and minimally led by the instructor. The language of instruction will be French.

German 840: German Language & Diction (2 cr.) Acquisition of advanced skills in German language and lyric diction. The focus of this course will be on verbal communication of both German texts and song lyrics, with periodic grammar review. IPA transcriptions will be student-driven and minimally led by the instructor. The language of instruction will be German. Table 10. Area of Competence: Foreign Language Diction & Acquisition.

Lyric diction courses have long been a part of postsecondary voice curricula at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. At anglophone institutions, these courses emphasize the three major foreign singing languages of Italian, French, and German.

Students learn to transcribe these three languages (and English) into the international phonetic alphabet (IPA) as a tool for mastering a basic, sung pronunciation of languages they often do not speak fluently. This new curriculum embraces the importance of foreign language pronunciation while expecting a deeper, more complete acquisition of the

65 languages themselves. Table 10 highlights the three-semester sequence that asks doctoral programs in voice to reassess its approach to teaching and examining languages.

There is no better way to learn how to pronounce a foreign language than to study it. Traditionally, undergraduate students learn foreign lyric pronunciation without grasping a language itself. This, in and of itself, is problematic and will open up further discussion and criticism at another time. For the purposes of this document, however, I assume that anglophone doctoral students should have extensive experience singing in the three major foreign singing languages since the time of their undergraduate and graduate diction studies. These seminar classes solidify their mastery of Italian, French, and German by no longer separating pronunciation from language acquisition. The instructor ensures only the relevant language is used at all times, asking the students to pronounce basic literary texts while identifying basic parts of grammar. This is not to ignore a student’s continued understanding of lyric pronunciation rules but, instead, to enhance it.

The IPA is a necessary tool for the transcription of languages by any musician, particularly in languages (outside of the major three) that few Anglophones will have the time to learn fluently during their studies, as well as an unspoken language like Latin.

That being said, concertgoers do not seek to hear IPA-transcribed German from their soloists; they seek to hear idiomatic, heartfelt German that tells a story. At the doctoral level, programs should strive to offer language studies that ease the process of learning new repertoire when a singer recognizes language structure and familiar vocabulary.

They should offer linguistics instruction that not only teaches how singers form different

66 sounds, but that also strengthens the candidate’s voice science knowledge through the anatomy of speech. They should create singers confident enough in the basics of the three major languages to succeed in a European audition, freeing singers from their reliance on the IPA and opening them up to the practical and artistic opportunities that language- learning provides.

Diction studies are also an opportunity to make more efficient use of doctoral students’ time, by enriching their education and avoiding another unnecessary examination that does not, ultimately, guarantee proficiency. Doctoral programs commonly ask their students to show proficiency in the three major singing languages by translating texts in each one with the aid of a dictionary. This leads students to seek out independent studies or undergraduate courses in a given language, both of which are inefficient and troublesome in graduate school. Independent studies lack engagement with multiple individuals speaking the language and undergraduate courses focus primarily on repetitive verb conjugation. These suggested gather doctoral students to benefit from mutual support and each other’s unique linguistic backgrounds, taking full advantage of the social nature of learning languages.

General Skills

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters General Skills Music and Life 4 Course Description Music 801: Music and Life (0 cr., repeatable) A discussion-based course emphasizing the development of an individual as a human being as much as a musician. Throughout the four-semester, two-year sequence, various topics are discussed, including, but not limited to: identity, personal well-being, mental health, psychology, nutrition, physical fitness, business basics, professionalism, achieving tenure in the academy, and life practices/philosophies. Required of all doctoral majors, regardless of instrument or focus, this unifying course is taken by all graduate music students (divided into multiple sections) on Monday mornings at 9:00am to start each week on equal footing as colleagues. Students develop a sense of self and support those around them in doing the same. Table 11. Area of Competence: General Skills.

Readers will notice the omission of a research course in the new curriculum. It is fair to expect that incoming doctoral students be already capable of writing well and have research training, aligned with the aforementioned argument (Chapter Three) that DMA students be mid-career professionals in age and experience. Any deficiencies in writing will reveal themselves in writing-based elective classes and can be addressed as they come up. Instead, this new curriculum invites doctoral students to a DMA-specific series of Music and Life courses, tailored to the needs of advanced, older students pursuing this now proper terminal degree. By the fourth semester, as students begin looking ahead to applications for teaching positions, discussions emphasize administration in higher education, tenure-track job applications, and interview processes. Students have the opportunity to present on a topic of expertise in this class to continue developing their teaching/lecturing skills.

Written & Oral Examinations

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters Written & Oral Piano and Ear-Training Examination 1 Examinations Qualifying Examinations 1 Course Descriptions Music 880: Piano and Ear-Training Examinations (0 cr.) Demonstration of piano skills sufficient to the basic accompaniment of students in an applied music lesson. Skills include basic transposition, I-IV-V-I chord progressions in all major and minor keys, and sight-reading basic songs. Students will also demonstrate aural skills sufficient to the teaching of musicians from the undergraduate to graduate levels. Emphasis is placed on tonal harmony.

Music 881: Qualifying Examinations (0 cr.) Four weeks of written examinations in the student’s major area of concentration, culminating in an oral defence. Each member of the student’s four-person DMA committee provides one question, totalling four questions. The student should have completed the majority of their coursework prior to registering for and beginning these exams. Upon successful completion of these exams, the student is admitted as Candidate for the DMA degree with an ABD designation. Table 12. Area of Competence: Written & Oral Examinations.

Earlier sections asserted that fear-based learning, particularly through exhaustive examinations, is no longer defensible and does not align itself with the human experience. That said, a new doctoral curriculum must change at a pace that will allow current practices to welcome that change incrementally and effectively. Qualifying examinations at the end of coursework, therefore, remain. I envision these exams as a more personalized, supportive experience than the unnecessarily complicated comprehensive examinations that test one’s knowledge of the entire canon of western art music. As previously argued, the new curriculum inserts the canon into several of its courses and chooses, instead, to allow the DMA committee to challenge and uplift the future candidate in their areas of expertise or known weakness. Details of these exams follow momentarily.

First and foremost, however, is a brief investigation as to why examinations must change. Typical exams at all levels of education codify the shame of being wrong. When students make mistakes, those mistakes haunt them eternally on their transcripts. A moment in time is forever a part of an individual’s profile. Is there no value in being wrong? Does being temporarily “wrong” mean an individual learned nothing? In a world- famous TED Talk, Sir Ken Robinson (2006) uses a child’s charming mistake in a nativity play (‘frankincense’ turned into “Frank sent this.”) to remind us that:

…kids will take a chance. If they don’t know, they’ll have a go. Am I right?

They’re not frightened of being wrong. I don’t mean to say that being wrong is

the same thing as being creative. What we do know is, if you’re not prepared to be

wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original... And by the time they get to

be adults, most kids have lost that capacity. They have become frightened of

being wrong. And we run our companies like this. We stigmatize mistakes. And

we’re now running national education systems where mistakes are the worst thing

you can make. And the result is that we are educating people out of their creative

capacities (5:22).

Robinson has also reminded readers of the importance of pedagogy in adult education.

University students have decades-old learning habits that last well into their graduate schoolwork. Their learning deserves attention, too.

With all of this in mind, the new curriculum submits qualifying examinations that speak to the student’s individual needs. Four questions, one from each committee member, over four weeks allows the student to research and respond to inquiries into

70 both broad and specific topics in singing, general music, teaching skills, voice science, and other career-related subjects. Those closest to the candidate know best how to tailor the exam to the student’s background, chosen electives, and future goals in a way that avoids unnecessary or irrelevant subject matter. This includes the piano/aural examination, which exists to enhance the student’s eventual ability to support their own students’ voice lessons. The supervisor will not always have doctoral voice majors that could play solo concerti with professional orchestras, allowing the supervisor to create an exam that properly assesses a student’s relative progress in piano throughout the two years of coursework. While the examination is informal, piano-playing is not optional for the aspiring singing teacher.

Final Project

Area of Competence Relevant Courses Semesters Final Project DMA Document 3 DMA Defence 1 Course Descriptions Music 882: DMA Document (3 cr., repeatable) A scholarly, applied document that contributes to the field of performance, pedagogy, conducting, or composition. Smaller in scope than a PhD dissertation, this document serves as the culmination of the three recitals and is often the subject of the final recital, sometimes in the form of a lecture-recital.

Music 883: DMA Defence (0 cr.) Oral defence of the submitted DMA Document to the candidate’s DMA committee. Table 13. Area of Competence: Final Project.

This document acknowledges, in spite of all other assertions surrounding voice pedagogy and vocology, that the DMA is still a terminal degree that must assess a candidate’s intermediate to advanced research competence to remain a doctoral degree at the university level. The new curriculum does not stray from current trends, expecting a written document and a corresponding oral defence. The DMA committee will determine the document length, most likely landing somewhere between 75 to 125 pages. The enhanced, applied coursework that this curriculum presents substantiates this reduced scope as compared to the PhD dissertation. Students not only demonstrate their own writing and research skills, their experience with a DMA document will provide perspective when they supervise the documents of their future graduate voice majors.

Outline – Semester Plan

The new curriculum envisions a candidate’s ability to complete the degree in three years. NASM (2020) suggests a minimum of three post-baccalaureate years, but this document has already submitted that a master’s degree and professional experience are the new minimum to warrant a three-year doctorate. The semester plan below in Table 14 ensures a pedagogically-sound sequence of courses with a logical flow. Courses build on the previous semester and prepare students for the following one.

Semester 1 (Year 1) 13 Semester 2 (Year 1) 12 Applied Voice 2 Applied Voice 2 Music and Life 0 Music and Life 0 Doctoral Comprehensive Repertoire 3 Doctoral Voice Repertoire 3 Educational Psychology 3 Voice Disorders 2 Doctoral Voice Science 2 French Language & Diction 2 Italian Language & Diction 2 Ensemble 1 Ensemble 1 Preliminary Recital 2 Summer Session 1 6 Voice Therapy 2 Clinical Laryngology 2 Surgical Laryngology 2 Semester 3 (Year 2) 13 Semester 4 (Year 2) 10 Applied Voice 2 Applied Voice 2 Music and Life 0 Music and Life 0 Teaching Pedagogy 3 Voice Pedagogy 3 German Language & Diction 2 Elective 3 Elective 3 Pre-Candidacy Recital 2 Elective 3 Piano and Ear-Training Examination 0 Qualifying Examinations 0 Summer Session 2 3 DMA Document 3 Semester 5 (Year 3) 5 Semester 6 (Year 3) 3 DMA Document 3 DMA Document 3 Post-Candidacy Recital 2 DMA Defence 0 Table 14. New DMA in Voice Curriculum by Semester.

Semester 1 welcomes the student to the program through introductory courses, with appropriate levels of review, that lay the foundation for the DMA. A mid-career professional may not have had regular voice lessons for some time, and Applied Voice with their new supervisor provides immediate, helpful feedback on the possibilities for their voice. Music and Life and Doctoral Comprehensive Repertoire foster community by involving all doctoral students, regardless of instrument – both draw on the variety of experiences of all students and establish the power of social, cooperative learning.

Students inspire each other’s wellness in Music and Life and each other’s musical curiosity in Doctoral Comprehensive Repertoire, a most positive beginning to their journey as professional colleagues. Educational Psychology, which could serve the entire graduate community, provides the groundwork for the student’s understanding of their own learning process and their eventual teaching process as educators. Doctoral Voice

Science dives more deeply into advanced anatomy, physiology, and acoustical science, while serving as a review of laryngeal anatomy for Voice Disorders later on. Italian

Language & Diction appears first to honour that Italian was most likely the student’s first foreign singing language (readers may remember those 24 Italian songs and arias).

Italian’s seven vowels, accessible grammar, and familiar pronunciation make for a not- so-intimidating introduction to the proposed sequence of language courses. Ensemble participation solidifies the collaborative spirit of the student’s first semester of the DMA.

Semester 2 sees the continuation of Applied Voice and Music and Life and allows the student to deepen their knowledge of their specific artform through Doctoral Voice

Repertoire after the general repertoire course from the previous semester. Voice

Disorders prepares students for the upcoming medical observation courses by introducing them to the very conditions that ENTs and SLPs see in their clinics and can require voice therapy and surgical repair. The placement of French Language & Diction in this semester allows the professor to show the similarities between it and its fellow Romance language from the previous semester. This renders French, easily the most challenging language to American anglophones, more accessible. Coursework this semester lightens as the student prepares their preliminary recital. As they continue to sing in an ensemble and take voice lessons, schools should consider the physical and mental health of their students by allowing room for safe pacing. Programs have the responsibility to portray the commitment to vocal health that they are teaching to their graduate students. Doctoral programs should present a challenge, of course, but not one that ignores the realities of a tissue-based instrument and the human that houses it.

Summer Session 1 offers the student a dedicated period in late spring/early summer to spend at the clinic and the hospital completing their medical observations.

Past semesters ensure they have the anatomical and physiological vocabulary to summarize competently what they witness. This document imagines a schedule of blocks similar to a mini-fellowship in speech pathology or laryngology, such as:

Monday: Case rounds, Clinic (AM); Surgery (PM)

Tuesday: Surgery (AM); Paediatric surgery (PM)

Wednesday: Grand rounds, Clinic (AM); Voice therapy (PM)

Thursday: Voice therapy (AM); Laryngology lecture, Clinic (PM)

Friday: Surgery (AM); Research (PM)

This example highlights opportunities that most voice clinics and their surgeons/therapists offer to observers, with the understanding that the DMA student may not have to attend all blocks. Mandatory blocks would include rounds, lecture, and research, with the student’s supervisor and attending surgeon agreeing on the number of observations required in clinic and surgery. The keen student will observe as many hours as they are able to manage, if not the full offering.

Semester 3 begins the second year of the student’s DMA, providing them the opportunity to gain independence in course selection and in their voices as an artist, teacher, and scholar. Applied Voice and Music and Life are familiar to the student’s schedule. Teaching Pedagogy applies the theories from Educational Psychology last year after time to process and experience much of the spectrum of speech and medical approaches to the voice. German Language & Diction completes the sequence of language courses, strategically leaving the most grammatically complicated out of the most schedule-intense first year and the most research-intense third year. The student chooses two electives with the support of their supervisor in order to fill deficiencies in their previous training or to explore subject areas that inspire curiosity. This leads the student into their final semester of pre-candidacy work.

Semester 4 is the least demanding course load of the pre-candidacy experience so as to make room for necessary examinations. Applied Voice and Music and Life ground the student, while Voice Pedagogy takes all previous courses in teaching skills and voice science and synthesizes them into a joyful semester of discovering one’s own voice as a teacher of singing. It emphasizes the application of the student’s teaching toolbox to the

76 human voice and is the flagship class of the DMA in Voice. The Pre-Candidacy Recital is the second juried performance through which the committee evaluates the student’s progress and eligibility to sit examinations. The supervisor administers the Piano and

Ear-Training Examination informally at some point in the semester, preferably in advance of the recital. After successful completion of these two requirements, the student begins the Qualifying Examinations as the culmination of their academic and artistic work. The oral defence of these exams welcomes the student into candidacy and sees them enter into the final stage of their degree.

Summer Session 2 and Semesters 5 and 6 focus on the Post-Candidacy Recital and DMA Document. The candidate has a full 12-month period to focus on these crucial works. This semester plan recognizes that candidates often relate their final performance to their document, so the placement of the recital in Semester 5 is arbitrary and flexible.

Some universities allow for the occasional post-candidacy course with the supervisor’s permission; an individual should consider their progress and availability when taking courses while writing their document. The suggested schedule allows for a year dedicated to final projects. Unsurprisingly, these projects conclude with the DMA Defence in the candidate’s final semester. With hard work, thoughtful organization, supportive mentors, and self-care, any motivated musician can complete the DMA in Voice with this proposed sequence of courses.

Future Discussions

The creation of this new terminal degree invites discussion about the undergraduate and master’s degrees that lead up to it. Having established that MMus and

DMA programs require differentiation, an important next step will be the creation of the ideal curriculum for the MMus in Voice, as well as any changes that this brings about to the BMus in Voice. Working backwards from the DMA provides a valuable end goal for which institutions may plan their preceding degrees to better prepare DMA applicants and eventual teachers. I am preparing a contribution to this discussion with a step-by-step guide to curriculum planning for voice programs at all levels of postsecondary education.

Readers who have completed DMA degrees at some of the institutions analyzed in Chapter Three may find the assessment to be simplistic due to the focus on minimum requirements. When considering the full spectrum of options available, I acknowledge that individuals can tailor several current DMA programs to meet most of the requirements this document believes to be mandatory. It is this issue of mandated expectations that shaped the parameters for Chapter Three; quality doctoral degrees must not be optional. In fairness, however, the next step is a more detailed look at the optimal curriculum each institution can provide if a student takes all of the ideal electives and cognates in voice pedagogy or vocology available. Lessons from these program outlines will inspire improvement to the guidelines presented in this document when I develop it into the abovementioned publication in curriculum design for postsecondary voice degrees.

Another set of colleagues takes care of the vocal health of our undergraduate and graduate voice majors: choral conductors. How we educate our choral conductors has a direct impact on the health of our future singers; sometimes, our conducting peers spend more contact hours mentoring voice majors than professors of singing. This necessitates an assessment of choral conducting programs and the emphasis they place on understanding how the healthy voice works. Not only will this inspire a publication that suggests ways in which those programs can incorporate more voice courses, but it may also lead to a sister document that suggests a complete redesign of the DMA in Choral

Conducting in a manner similar to this current document.

This-voice specific document intends to inspire musical colleagues of all disciplines and instruments to reconsider the general quality of the DMA degree.

Numerous assertions throughout this document will apply to challenges that music professors face; this is not arbitrary. Diagnostic examinations, review courses, and theory/history requirements, for example, cause issues across the music school. Readers may also connect with Appendices B and C in their desire to strengthen recruitment and dispel confusion, respectively. It is also time to re-evaluate, pun intended, grading systems at all postsecondary institutions. No matter the issue, I invite a full reassessment of all DMA programs based on common threads relevant to all musicians.

This document began with the genesis of the DMA degree through NASM. There are currently 13 DMA-granting institutions that no longer seek accreditation from

NASM, and anecdotal conversations with colleagues reveal that this number could grow.

Colleagues should continue a civilized dialogue surrounding the relevance of NASM and

79 how its standards help or hinder musical education. As mentioned in Chapter Two, degrees are man-made and so is NASM. We must ensure that both our degrees and our profession’s self-appointed regulator remain defensible and productive. NASM conducts reviews of its member institutions, so let us make sure someone is reviewing NASM

(even if the review finds that all is well). This very document is man-made. As mentioned at the outset, it does not intend to absolve itself of criticism, feedback, possible revision, and total modification. To the contrary, I hope that reactions to this document will spark the very changes that postsecondary education desperately needs.

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Appendix A: Glossary of Scientific and Pedagogical Terms

Abduction

Movement of a body part away from the midline or away from another body part; vocal fold (VF) abduction refers to the opening of the VFs

Adduction

Movement of a body part toward the midline or toward another body part; vocal fold adduction refers to the closing of the VFs

Anatomy

Study of the names, structure, and organization of body parts in living organisms

Anterior commissure of thyroid cartilage

Point of origin of the VFs (thyroarytenoids) at the base of the epiglottis

Aphagia

Inability or refusal to swallow

Aphasia

Inability to comprehend or produce language

Aphonia

Inability to produce sound

Appoggio

From the Italian appoggiare, meaning “to lean” - refers to the leaning of the voice into the body during a sung exhalation; commonly known as ‘support’ for the sound

Articulation

Use of tongue, teeth, lips, and soft palate to form language; movement of these articulators also changes size and shape of vocal tract, affecting vocal resonance

Aryepiglottic fold(s)

Mucous membrane connecting the summits of the arytenoids to the lateral borders of the epiglottis

Arytenoid cartilage(s)

Pyramid-like cartilages at the back of the larynx to which the VFs attach; they abduct upon inhalation and adduct upon vocalization

Aspiration

Unintentional entry of foreign matter into the lungs

Bel canto

From the Italian for “beautiful singing” - a fundamental vocal technique from early 19th- century Italian operas now associated with classical singing

Bolus

A small mass of chewed food associated with swallowing evaluations

Cartilage

Strong, nonvascular connective tissue found throughout the body and in the major structures of the larynx, except for the hyoid bone; three types: hyaline, elastic, fibrous

Chiaroscuro

Resonance-balancing technique, borrowed from visual art, that emphasizes both the light and dark qualities of the voice to find maximum vocal production with minimal effort

Confidential voice

Therapy technique for voice users with excess strain in which they use a breathy tone to encourage airflow and reduce laryngeal muscular effort

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Cricoid cartilage

A hyaline ring-shaped cartilage at the base of the larynx that sits on top of the trachea

Cricothyroid muscle

Intrinsic laryngeal muscle that tilts the thyroid forward to tense and lengthen the VFs; major muscle of pitch control; innervated by the external superior laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve

Cyst

An abnormal sac of clustered cells (liquid, gaseous, or others) signified by a membrane that differs from the nearby healthy tissue

Diaphragm

Unpaired, dome-like muscle separating the lungs from the viscera; primary muscle of inhalation

Dysarthria

Motor-speech disorder characterized by slurred, slow, or breathy phonation; caused by speech muscles that are weak or damaged, normally neurological in nature

Dysphagia

Swallowing disorder associated with pain or difficulty in swallowing

Epiglottis

Leaf-like cartilage at the base of the tongue that inverts during swallowing to protect the trachea from aspiration

Esophagus

Muscular tube through which foods and liquids travel from the throat to the stomach

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Exhalatory muscles

Internal intercostals, rectus abdominus, internal/external obliques, transverse abdominus, quadratus lumborum

Fach

From the German for “compartment” and “subject” - refers to the classification of voice types (pl: Fächer)

FEES

Functional endoscopic evaluation of swallowing

Glottic

Adjective referring to an event or phenomenon at the level of the vocal folds

Glottis

The space between the open vocal folds

Glossoepiglottic fold(s)

Mucous membranes passing between the tongue and epiglottis

Hirano body-cover theory

Myoelastic theory of VF vibration in which Minoru Hirano divided the VFs into major sections: the body (vocalis muscle), transition (intermediate and deep layers of lamina propria), and cover (superficial layers of lamina propria, epithelium)

Hyoid bone

Only laryngeal bone, found at the base of the tongue and the top of the larynx; supports numerous muscles of the neck and tongue

Hyperfunction

Excessive activity in or overuse of the physiological function of a bodily structure

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Hypofunction

Insufficient activity in or underuse of the physiological function of a bodily structure

Inhalatory muscles

Diaphragm, external intercostals (primary); scalenes, sternocleidomastoid (accessory)

Interarytenoid muscle

An unpaired, intrinsic laryngeal muscle with oblique and transverse fibres running between the arytenoids, serving to fully close the vocal folds posteriorly

Intercostal muscle(s)

Short internal and external muscles between each rib

Laryngectomy

Removal, either in full or in part, of the larynx from the throat

Laryngoscopy

Endoscopic visual evaluation of the larynx with a flexible or rigid scope

Larynx

Organ consisting of cartilages, muscles, and vocal folds, found between the trachea and oral cavity, that regulates an animal’s voice/sounds, swallowing, and breathing

Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle(s)

Intrinsic laryngeal muscles that adduct the anterior 3/5ths of the VFs

Lip trill

Vocal warm-up and therapy technique performed by vibrating the lips

Manual circumlaryngeal technique(s)

Laryngeal massage to reduce muscular tension in hyperfunctional voice users

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Maximum phonation time

Clinical measurement of the longest period a voice user can sustain a sound (in seconds)

Maximum phonational frequency range

Clinical measurement of a voice user’s highest and lowest sustained pitches (in Hz)

Muscle-tension dysphonia

A voice disorder caused by a hyper- or hypofunctional imbalance in muscular coordination of the larynx

Muscle-tension dysphonia (primary)

MTD of psychogenic origins where no physiologic abnormality/pathology is present

Muscle-tension dysphonia (secondary)

MTD caused by overcompensating for a pre-existing physiologic abnormality/pathology

Nasal turbinate(s)

Long, narrow, curved bones in the nasal passage covered in mucous membrane that warm and filter air before it enters the lungs

Nasopharynx

Superior section of pharynx (throat) connecting the soft palate to the nose, also housing the openings into the ears

Nodule

Small, irregular, benign, typically unilateral growth/mass on a VF, akin to a callous

Oblique abdominis muscle(s)

Second-deepest layer of abdominal muscles that aid in exhalation, with external (more superficial) and internal (deeper) sections running diagonally and perpendicularly

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Oropharynx

Middle section of pharynx (throat) between the soft palate and hyoid bone

Papilloma

Small, benign epithelial tumour

Paradoxical vocal fold dysfunction

A disorder of the movement of the VFs during respiration, usually causing unwanted adduction of the VFs

Pathology

Study of the nature and cause of disease

Pedagogy

Method and practice of teaching

Pharynx

Membranous passage behind the nose and mouth connecting them to the esophagus, also called the throat

Phonation

Production of sound via VF vibration

Physiology

Study of the mechanisms and function of parts in living organisms

Polyp

Small, irregular, benign growth/mass on a VF, akin to a blister; can be pedunculated, sessile; typically larger than a nodule

Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle(s)

Intrinsic laryngeal muscles that abduct the VFs

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Rectus abdominis muscle(s)

Most superficial layer of anterior abdominal muscles, divided into eight sections or

“bellies” that create the “eight-pack” associated with weightlifting.

Recurrent laryngeal nerve

Left and right recurrent branches of the vagus nerve, most associated with controlling all intrinsic laryngeal muscles except for the cricothyroid

Reinke’s edema

Also known as polypoid corditis, a swelling of the Reinke’s space due to chronic vocal trauma from misuse or abuse

Reinke’s space

Superficial layer of the lamina propria of the VF between the vocal ligament and the mucosal (epithelial) cover

Resonance

General: the strengthening or perpetuation of a vibration due to contact with a surface; voice: a qualitative term associated with tone colour, ring, and richness

Resonant voice therapy

Rehabilitative technique that emphasizes sensations in the front of the oral cavity and in the midface, often grounded in such voiced consonants as /m/ and /n/

Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises

Straw phonation, lax vox, lip trills, humming, bilabial occlusion - exercises that narrow the vocal tract to increase the relationship between vibration and resonance, leading to more balanced use of laryngeal musculature

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Signal-to-noise ratio

A measure to compare desired sound to disturbance/interference

Sinus

A hollow cavity in the body, most commonly associated with the cavities in facial bones

Squillo

The unique, resonant “ring” associated with opera singers

Straw phonation

Voice therapy technique in which sound is vocalized into a straw (see “semi-occluded vocal tract exercises”)

Subglottic

Adjective referring to an event or phenomenon below the level of the vocal folds

Superior laryngeal nerve

External and internal laryngeal branches of the vagus nerve that innervates the cricothyroid muscle

Supraglottic

Adjective referring to an event or phenomenon above the level of the vocal folds

Thyroarytenoid muscle(s)

Major muscles of the true VFs

Thyrohyoid membrane

Fibrous sheet of tissue connecting the thyroid cartilage to the hyoid bone; vital during the elevation of the larynx during swallowing

Thyroid cartilage

Largest, most anterior laryngeal cartilage, known for the “Adam’s apple” notch

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Thyroid gland

Endocrine gland sitting on the thyroid that secretes hormones necessary to human development, metabolism, and many bodily functions

Thyroidectomy

Surgical removal of part or all of the thyroid gland

Tonsil

Immunocompetent lymphoid tissue that catches pathogens before being ingested; four types: palatine/faucial, adenoidal, lingual, tubal

Tonsillectomy

Surgical removal of the palatine/faucial tonsils and sometimes the adenoids

Trachea

Cartilaginous human “windpipe” connecting the lungs to the larynx

Transverse abdominis muscle

Deepest layer of anterior abdominal muscles

Vagus nerve

Cranial nerve 10

Vallecula (epiglottic)

Anatomical channel between the epiglottis and tongue

Ventricle (laryngeal)

The pockets of space between the true and false vocal folds on lateral sides of the pharynx

Ventricular (vestibular) folds

Also known as the false folds, mucous membranes above the true vocal folds; they are unnecessary to healthy phonation and are often active in hyperfunctional voice use

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Vestibule (laryngeal)

Entire space above the vocal folds to the base of the tongue; its closure/protection is crucial to successful swallowing

Vocal abuse

Normal voice use done to excess

Vocal fold(s)

Preferred alternative to vocal “cords” to identify the thyroarytenoids

Vocal fry

Rough, crackly voice production void of any true vibration/phonation

Vocal ligament(s)

Intermediate and deep layers of the lamina propria of the VFs that do not fully develop until puberty and aid with glottal closure when stretched

Vocal misuse

Abnormal voice use

Vocalis muscle(s)

Medial edges of the thyroarytenoids

Voice disorder

Disturbance to the closure, symmetry, or vibration of the VFs

Voice pedagogy

The study of the teaching of singing

Voice science

The study of the subjects associated with vocal production

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Voice therapy

Rehabilitation of the voice

Voice therapy (direct)

Rehabilitation of the voice by retraining the use of the mechanisms associated with vocal production

Voice therapy (indirect)

Rehabilitation of the voice through behavioural and environmental modifications

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Appendix B: Sample DMA in Voice Admissions Web Pages

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UV School of MUSIC

About Admissions Current Students People Contact

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Voice DMA in Voice

The DMA in Voice is the terminal degree for professional artist-teachers Length: of singing seeking the highest level of advancement in performance, 3 years / 65 credits teaching, and scholarship in voice science. Highlights include: Prerequisite: • Extensive course offerings in anatomy & physiology, teaching Master’s degree skills, language & linguistics, and musicianship; Audition: • Rewarding collaborations with the School of Medicine and the Yes Department of Speech & Hearing Science; and, • An unparalleled curricular plan, generous stipends, and ample Funding: performance, teaching, and clinical opportunities Yes For a list of faculty members and a detailed program handbook, please visit the Voice Area.

Curriculum Highlights

General Skills MUS 801 Music and Life (4) 0 Applied Music MUS 820-821 Applied Voice 8 MUS 822-824 Preliminary Recital / Pre-Candidacy Recital / Post-Candidacy Recital 6 MUS 83X Ensemble Participation (2) 2 Instructional Technique & Design MUSED 840-842 Educational Psychology / Teaching Pedagogy / Voice Pedagogy 9 Voice Science SPH 850-851 Doctoral Voice Science / Voice Disorders 4 OTO 870-872 Voice Therapy / Clinical Laryngology / Surgical Laryngology 6 Materials of Music MUSL 840-841 Doctoral Comprehensive Repertoire / Doctoral Voice Repertoire 6 Electives (3) 9 Foreign Language Acquisition & Diction ITA/FRA/GER 840 Italian / French / German: Language & Diction 6 Qualifying Examinations / Piano & Aural Examinations 0 DMA Document / DMA Defence 9 Total: 65

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UV School of MUSIC

About Admissions Current Students People Contact

DMA in Voice Application & Admission Requirements DMA in Voice

Thank you for your interest in the DMA in Voice at the UV School of Length: 3 years / 65 credits Music! Our supportive, collaborative program invites all interested candidates to apply. Below you will find the minimum application and Prerequisite: admission requirements. Master’s degree

Audition: 1) Completed online application form. Yes

2) Letter of intent and CV. Funding: Yes 3) All previous postsecondary transcripts.

4) Completion of a master’s degree, such as: • The M.Mus. or M.F.A. in Voice Performance; or, • The M.Mus. or M.A. in Voice Pedagogy. *4a) With the proper background (see Number 5), the following exceptions are considered: • The M.Mus. in Choral Conducting; • The M.Mus. or M.F.A. in Musical Theatre; or, • The M.Sc. or M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology.

5) Previous graduate-level coursework that included: • Applied voice lessons, a recital, lyric diction, repertoire/literature study, acting (or opera roles), ensemble participation, and research/bibliography training.

6) Successful in-person interview and audition. Audition requirements: • Four contrasting pieces • One oratorio aria, one opera aria, one art song, and one musical theatre selection • Minimum of three languages represented

For a list of faculty members, a detailed program handbook, and detailed audition information, please visit the Voice Area page.

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Appendix C: Sample DMA in Voice Handbook

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UV School of MUSIC

DMA in Voice Handbook

2020-21

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UV Office of School of Graduate Affairs MUSIC

1 August 2020

Dear doctoral voice majors,

Welcome to a new academic year at the UV School of Music! We hope our returning students will join us in greeting all incoming graduate students, both in voice and across the School.

This handbook provides detailed information pertaining to all requirements and expectations toward completion of the DMA in Voice. Students should keep this document bookmarked and maintain regular dialogue with their supervisors and the Graduate Advisor.

To prospective students perusing this for detailed program information: we look forward to answering any questions you may have and, hopefully, seeing you during audition week in January.

We wish you continued success in your pursuits. Here’s to healthy, beautiful singing!

Sincerely,

Chair of Graduate Affairs in Music

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Section 1. Admissions Requirements

1.1. Master’s Degree

The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Voice requires, at minimum, the completion of one of the following graduate degrees in a singing-related discipline: • The Master of Music (MMus) / Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Voice Performance; or, • The MMus / Master of Arts (MA) in Voice Pedagogy.

Exceptions include: • The MMus in Choral Conducting with an extensive background in singing and the required coursework in Section 1.2.; • The MMus / MFA in Musical Theatre with a demonstrated crossover ability into operatic singing and most of the required coursework in Section 1.2; or, • The Master of Science (MSc) or MA in Speech-Language Pathology with an extensive background in singing and the attainment of at least one degree/diploma in music, such as the Bachelor of Music (BMus) or the Associate/Licentiate Diploma from a Commonwealth-based music conservatory.

1.2. Previous Coursework and Experience

The applicant’s master’s degree should have included, at minimum: • Two semesters of private voice lessons and musical coachings; • The presentation of a graduate-level recital; • Two semesters in lyric diction in the four major operatic languages; • Two semesters of voice repertoire/literature study; • One semester of acting training or two operatic roles; • One semester of ensemble or chamber music participation; • One semester of introductory laryngeal anatomy and voice science; and, • One semester of research and bibliography training.

Additionally, successful applicants demonstrate the intellectual capacity, academic skills, and personal qualities necessary to complete doctoral-level coursework and examinations. These include writing proficiency, critical thinking, humility, professionalism, and respect.

The School of Music (SoM) expects DMA students to have participated in solo engagements with orchestras, choral societies, opera houses, or chamber music ensembles throughout their career. Doctoral voice majors contribute greatly to the quality of performances at the SoM and are encouraged to continuing pursuing singing opportunities both locally and worldwide.

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Section 2. Procedural Policies

2.1. Objectives

The DMA in Voice is intended for the professional artist-teacher of voice seeking a terminal degree in order to become a professor of singing. The program provides a high level of opportunity for advancement in performance, teaching, and voice science. These three areas find equal balance in course offerings that emphasize the holistic nature of the human voice and the holistic education of the voice pedagogue.

The professional singing teacher will encounter students and clients requiring some form of vocal rehabilitation at varying rates of severity. The singing teacher’s lack of diagnostic qualifications and tendency to work with apparently healthy individuals do not preclude their serving as the first line of defence against possible vocal pathologies in their students. Regular voice users look to singing teachers as experts in the care and maintenance of the larynx, often before thinking of a speech-language pathologist (SLP) or an otolaryngologist (ENT). Be they the director of a school orchestra, a member of a community choir, the neighbourhood church pastor, or the average person concerned with hoarseness, individuals entrust the singing teacher with their voices every day. In response, the DMA in Voice seeks to ensure that those singing teachers who achieve the title of Doctor are adequately equipped to understand, address, and teach all aspects of the larynx, its healthy use, and the myriad subjects that make up the field of voice performance.

All of the above is in tandem with the desire to provide the highest level of training in professional performance practices to develop the DMA student’s own singing career. Doctoral voice majors contribute greatly to the quality of performances at the SoM and are encouraged to continuing pursuing singing opportunities both locally and worldwide.

2.2. Residency Requirements

The minimum residency requirement on the UV campus is two years. After discussion with their supervisors, students may elect to spend their post-candidacy year elsewhere. We recommend students spend this final year on campus for continued access to important resources and so as to maintain their contributions to the SoM community. At the same time, we encourage those who can balance the writing of their DMA Document with an external teaching or apprentice artist position to do so.

2.3. Time Limits

Students must complete all program requirements within eight years of matriculation. In rare, exceptional cases, students can complete the DMA in two academic years; however, this is not recommended as it requires an extremely charged schedule. The average completion time is three to four years.

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2.4. Timeline

This outlines the typical sequence of courses and examinations to complete the DMA in Voice in three years/eight sessions (six semesters and two summer sessions).

Semester 1: × Consult SoM and Graduate School Handbooks Courses: ITA 840, MUS 801, prior to start of semester to become familiar with MUS 820, MUS 83X, MUSED policies, deadlines, and graduate options. 840, MUSL 840, SPH 850 × Schedule appointment with supervisor. × Schedule appointment with Graduate Advisor. × Begin coursework.

Semester 2: × Continue coursework. Courses: FRA 840, MUS 801, × Schedule preliminary recital. MUS 820, MUS 822, MUS 83X, × Establish DMA Committee before first recital. MUSL 841, SPH 851 × Meet with DMA Committee after recital.

Summer 1: × Obtain necessary hospital privileges for clinical Courses: OTO 870, 871, 872 and surgical observations × Update vaccinations (if required)

Semester 3: × Continue coursework. Courses: GER 840, MUS 801, × Ensure 90% of coursework will be complete by MUS 821, MUSED 841, two end of Semester 4. electives at minimum

Semester 4: × Plan to complete majority of coursework. Courses: MUS 801, MUS 821, × Schedule pre-candidacy recital. MUS 823, MUSED 842, MUS × Schedule qualifying examinations with supervisor 880, MUS 881, one elective at and DMA Committee. minimum × Prepare DMA Document proposal.

Summer 2: × Begin DMA Document research. Course: MUS 882

Semester 5: × Continue research and begin writing DMA Courses: MUS 824, MUS 882 Document. × Schedule post-candidacy recital.

Semester 6: × Apply to graduate. Courses: MUS 882, MUS 883 × Plan to complete DMA Document. × Schedule final oral examination.

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Section 3. Course Requirements

3.1. Overview

General Skills 0 MUS 801 Music and Life (4) 0

Applied Music 16 MUS 820 Applied Voice (2) 4 MUS 821 Applied Voice (2) 4 MUS 822 Preliminary Recital 2 MUS 823 Pre-Candidacy Recital 2 MUS 824 Post-Candidacy Recital 2 MUS 83X Ensemble Participation 2

Instructional Technique & Design 9 MUSED 840 Educational Psychology 3 MUSED 841 Teaching Pedagogy 3 MUSED 842 Voice Pedagogy 3

Voice Science 10 SPH 850 Doctoral Voice Science 2 SPH 851 Voice Disorders 2 OTO 870 Voice Therapy 2 OTO 871 Clinical Laryngology 2 OTO 872 Surgical Laryngology 2

Materials of Music 15 MUSL 840 Doctoral Comprehensive Repertoire 3 MUSL 841 Doctoral Voice Repertoire 3 Electives 9

Foreign Language Acquisition & Diction 6 ITA 840 Italian Language & Diction 2 FRA 840 French Language & Diction 2 GER 840 German Language & Diction 2

Qualifying and Piano & Ear-Training Examinations 0

DMA Document and DMA Defence 9

Total 65

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3.2. Semester Sequence

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3.2. Sample Completed Checklist

UV Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Voice Checklist School of MUSIC

Student Information Committee Name & ID: Mark Wilkinson (1234567a) Supervisor: Dr. Scott Mozart UV E-mail: [email protected] Music Member: Prof. Edward Bach Start Date: August 2017 Music Member: Prof. Loretta Rossini Last Possible End Date: August 2025 External Member: Dr. Christin Ravel

General Skills 0 Materials of Music and Electives 15 MUS 801 Autumn 2017 0 MUSL 840 Autumn 2017 3 MUS 801 Spring 2018 0 MUSL 841 Spring 2018 3 MUS 801 Autumn 2018 0 MUSL 843 Autumn 2018 3 MUS 801 Spring 2019 0 MUSL 847 Autumn 2018 3 Applied Music 16 THEA 542 Spring 2019 3 MUS 820 Autumn 2017 2 MED 846 Autumn 2018 2 MUS 820 Spring 2018 2 SPH 849 Spring 2019 2 MUS 821 Autumn 2018 2 MUS 821 Spring 2019 2 Foreign Language Acquisition & Diction 6 MUS 822 Spring 2018 2 ITA 840 Autumn 2017 2 MUS 823 Spring 2019 2 FRA 840 Spring 2018 2 MUS 824 Autumn 2019 2 GER 840 Autumn 2018 2 MUS 831 Autumn 2017 1 Written & Oral Examinations 0 MUS 833 Spring 2018 1 MUS 880 Spring 2019 0 Instructional Technique & Design 9 MUS 881 Spring 2019 0 MUSED 840 Autumn 2017 3 Final Project 9 MUSED 841 Autumn 2018 3 MUS 882 Summer 2019 3 MUSED 842 Spring 2019 3 MUS 882 Autumn 2019 3 Voice Science 10 MUS 882 Spring 2020 3 SPH 850 Autumn 2017 2 MUS 883 Spring 2020 0 SPH 851 Spring 2018 2 Minimum Credits: 65 OTO 870 Summer 2018 2 Total Credits: 69 OTO 871 Summer 2018 2 Final GPA: 4.0 OTO 872 Summer 2018 2 Graduation Date: 05/2020

Approval Supervisor: External Member: Music Member: Graduate Chair: Music Member: Graduate School:

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Section 4. Academic Policies

4.1. Grades

DMA students must maintain open communication with their supervisors about their academic progress. The SoM expects all professors to cultivate honest, respectful dialogue about grades with all students, particularly in cases of courses for which the student would not normally be qualified. For example, most M.Sc. Speech-Language Pathology programs would not accept voice majors with undergraduate degrees in music without the requisite training in linguistics and anatomy. The SoM and the Department of Speech and Hearing Science cannot evaluate voice majors in SPH 851 Voice Disorders with the same rigour as they would SLP majors. The DMA in Voice at VU believes in exposing future singing professors to voice science and medicine but stops at expecting them to be qualified SLPs or surgeons, respectively. As such, UV provides both traditional letter-grade (A-F) and pass/fail (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory) systems.

For courses with prefixes that begin with MUS:

94-100 A+ 4.0 87-93 A 4.0 80-86 A- 3.7 75-79 B+ 3.3 70-74 B 3.0 60-69 C 2.0 50-59 D 1.0 <50 F 0

For courses outside of music and independent studies:

94-100 87-93 S 80-86 75-79 70-74 60-69 U 50-59 <50

As per Graduate School requirements, DMA students must maintain a 75% (B+) average throughout their program. It encourages this level of achievement in pass/fail courses in order to receive a satisfactory grade. The university takes responsibility for its admissions/acceptance process, curriculum design, and course delivery such that all students should easily maintain the minimum GPA to be successful. This results in more specificity of achievement in the A and B grade ranges to highlight areas of strength rather than penalize areas of competence.

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4.2. Committee Requirements

The DMA Committee requires four faculty members, to be chosen prior to scheduling the preliminary recital. The four members must represent: • The supervisor; • The major area of study; • A music area outside of voice; and, • A department/school outside of music.

Students should consider, in consultation with their supervisors, their areas of performance and research interest when choosing a committee. It is the responsibility of students to select and contact their desired committee members after discussion with their supervisors. Students must informally update all committee members of their progress at the end of each semester, making use of the DMA Checklist in Section 3.2, which each committee member will ultimately sign at the end of the student’s program.

4.3. Recitals

Recitals are the touchstone through which the SoM, the supervisor, and the committee asses a student’s individual progress as both artist and scholar. The first two recitals occur at the end of the first and second year of the program, respectively, as a means of determining if the student will continue on to next steps.

Each recital must be accompanied by scholarly program notes that the student submits one week prior to the recital. The student initially prepares these notes in the form of an essay with proper citation and reference practices (APA, Chicago, or MLA). Once approved, the student adds the notes to their recital program and removes the in-text citations, as is standard practice. The committee will receive both the program and the more formal essay at the time of the recital.

Preliminary Recital

This 50- to 75-minute solo recital is to be presented before the end of the student’s first year in the program. It is the first opportunity for the DMA Committee to determine if the student will enter the second year of the program. There are no minimum or maximum numbers of languages and the student may select a wide variety of repertoire or focus on the presentation of a single song cycle, a particular time period, or a composer’s complete works.

Pre-Candidacy Recital

Before the end of their second year and prior to beginning qualifying examinations, the student will present a 60- to 90-minute solo or chamber recital. The student may only schedule their qualifying exams after they have scheduled this second recital.

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Post-Candidacy Recital

This 60- to 90-minute solo, chamber, or lecture-recital is the culmination of the candidate’s own development as a singing artist. The candidate prepares this recital on their own, without guidance from their supervisor, in order to demonstrate their capacity their autonomy in preparing a professional-level recital. Candidates often relate this recital to their document research.

All committee members, including the external department representative, must be present at each of the student’s recitals. Should a conflict arise, any absent committee member must receive a recording or attest to having seen the recital virtually via livestream or YouTube. The committee must unanimously approve the recital in order for the student to move forward.

4.4. Qualifying Examinations

After completion of the pre-candidacy recital, the student will immediately enter into the qualifying examination process. Over a period of four weeks, each committee member will pose one question to the student. The student will have one week to answer each question before receiving the next one. The supervisor always asks the first question and the remaining questions can be given in any order.

DMA Committees are expected to ask questions that support each student’s areas of strength, recent growth, or indicated need. Subjects have included, but are not limited to singing, general music, teaching skills, voice science, and career-related subjects. The four papers that the student submits should focus on content and clarity of argument over perfection. Depending on the depth of each question, answers tend to range from ten to 40 pages. Proper citation and general academic integrity are strictly enforced.

At some point during Semester 4, the supervisor will administer an informal piano and ear- training examination in their studio. The student will demonstrate: • Tonic-predominant-dominant-tonic chord progressions in all major and minor keys; • Basic transposition; • A prepared solo piano piece at their current skill level; • The ability to sight-read three to five basic art songs; • Aural recall; • Sight-singing; and, • The design and purpose of vocal technique exercises they use in their voice teaching.

The supervisor will initiate a conversation with the student near the beginning of the program to understand the student’s previous experience with piano. Depending on this previous experience, the supervisor will suggest a plan of action for the student to be able to do well on the piano exam in Semester 4.

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4.5. Final Document

While the DMA and other non-PhD doctorates place less emphasis on research, the attainment of a doctorate continues to require the completion of a scholarly, contributive document. Smaller in scope than a PhD dissertation, this applied document in performance, pedagogy, or voice science is typically between 75 and 125 pages.

The DMA Document should fill a void in the field of singing and contribute to its development by pushing it forward. Typically a more applied, pedagogical, or technical document, candidates are encouraged to show creativity and challenge long-held norms that warrant reconsideration. Synthesizing historical or repertoire developments is acceptable; however, we advise candidates to consider the length and quality of their output and its impact on their careers.

Document Proposal

In a typical three-year sequence, the candidate begins research on their document during Summer 2 after passing their qualifying examinations. In this case, the candidate must present a DMA Document Proposal to their committee no later than August 15 so as to be prepared to use Semesters 5 and 6 to write the document itself. No matter when the candidate begins their research, they must submit this proposal by the 15th day of the last month of their first semester of candidacy. Below is an example of formatting and content expectations for the proposal.

MUS 882 DMA Document Professors McCoy, Bak, Ray, and Robinson

Document Proposal – Issues in Vocal Health for the Choral Musician

August 15, 2019 Submitted by Mark Wilkinson

INTRODUCTION:

A “blend” of circumstances: the choral rehearsal and performance settings, in tandem with the demands of the choral repertoire, present the choral musician with unique vocal challenges.

How do the standard expectations for choral sound and rehearsal/performance practices possibly contribute to issues of breath, phonation, resonance, and articulation in the choral musician?

POINT:

Standard practices demand the choral musician to: hold their own music for prolonged periods of time; achieve well-intentioned but misguided postural alignment while standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time; inhale based on a gestural cue in which the conductor’s arms move upwards; sacrifice individuality in order to “blend” with those around them; enunciate consonants with laboured clarity; and, consequently, sing with a tone quality that can possibly lead to clavicular breathing, a high larynx, under-adducted phonation, source-filter confusion, and articulator tension with subsequent mouth resonance and tongue/jaw hyperactivity.

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SUBPOINTS:

a) Holding one’s own music for prolonged periods of time: • Overactivation and/or imbalance of external laryngeal muscles (i.e. sternocleidomastoid, omohyoid, and sternohyoid) and shoulder/scapular muscles (i.e. trapezius, rhomboid, and deltoid) on dominant side • Hyperextension/flexion of cervical spine as chin “reaches” for folder or conductor • Tilted head and subsequent imbalance of larynx

b) Achieving near-military posture while sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time: • Associations with term ‘posture’ lead to excess rigidity and stiffness in bodily structure • Hyperextension of back and exaggerated lift of chest/shoulders create lack of freedom of movement in diaphragm, sternum, and ribs for inhalation • Sitting for several hours does not promote bodily energy required to produce healthy singing • Standing in close quarters for several hours during performances leads to locked knees, further reduction in breath elasticity, and subsequent reliance on laryngeal musculature for phonation

c) Inhaling based on a gestural cue in which the conductor’s arms move upwards: • Singer’s breath follows suit by living high in chest • As does high larynx • Typically produces audible mouth breath, drying vocal folds over time

d) Sacrificing individuality in order to “blend” with the ensemble: • Universal preference for vibrato-less, white sound creates held larynx • Insufficient instruction as to how to maintain individual sound while still listening to each other • Lack of attention paid to “instrumentation” of voicing depending on repertoire chosen, i.e. choosing fuller voices for Brahms and Mahler vs. lighter voices for Handel and Mozart • Breathy or hyper-functional phonation • Excess mouth resonance from source-filter confusion

e) Enunciating consonants with laboured clarity: • Emphasis on crisp diction creates unnecessary jaw and tongue tension • Furthering exacerbating issue of jaw and tongue as initiators of sound • Quick, high breaths

SOURCES:

*As much as possible, students should provide a list of probable sources that confirmed the viability of this topic. This list need not be exhaustive as research continues to evolve while writing. Sources should be divided into primary and secondary sources.

Document Formatting

Candidates should refer to the Graduate School’s full formatting requirements here. Some highlights for getting started are: • Double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font; • Citation/reference style (APA, MLA, Chicago) does not matter, but the candidate must be consistent throughout; • Minimum one-inch margins throughout (typically larger on the left side for binding); and, • Properly designed title and introductory pages, table of contents, etc. (see Grad School).

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4.6. Final Examination

At least two weeks before the final submission deadline for DMA Documents, the candidate will meet with their DMA Committee to undertake a final oral examination of the final document. Often referred to as a defence, this in-person meeting lasts two hours and allows the committee the opportunity to provide feedback, ask questions, and better understand the candidate’s process in creating their document.

The candidate may begin the examination with a presentation/background on their topic, method, line of reasoning, and design. This should last no longer than 30 minutes. The exam is open to the public, but only committee members may ask questions of the candidate. Upon conclusion of the exam, the candidate will leave the room to allow the committee to deliberate. The committee must unanimously agree to approve the defence; typically, they invite the candidate to return and reveal their decision within minutes.

On the rare occasion that the student does not pass this final examination, they may apply for a second attempt through the Graduate School’s online forms.

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