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Applications of Somatic Education Principles to Voice Pedagogy

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Running head: SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY APPLICATIONS OF SOMATIC EDUCATION PRINCIPLES TO VOICE PEDAGOGY By ALISON J. MINGLE A dissertation submitted to the Mason Gross School of the Arts Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts Graduate Program in Music Written under the direction of Dr. Stephanie Cronenberg And approved by ______________________________ Dr. Stephanie Cronenberg ______________________________ Dr. William Berz ______________________________ Professor Judith Nicosia ______________________________ Dr. Kathy Price New Brunswick, New Jersey May, 2018 SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Applications of Somatic Education Principles to Voice Pedagogy By ALISON J. MINGLE Dissertation Director: Dr. Stephanie Cronenberg Students of voice are trained in complex processes of coordinated movements, many of which occur internally. Somatic education techniques may promote complementary skills, such as the ability to integrate the mind and body, to move with ease and efficiency, and to intervene with awareness and volition against interfering habits. After examining three related approaches to somatic education, a multiple case study was conducted on three professional voice teachers, each of whom is also certified in the somatic education disciplines of the Alexander Technique, the Feldenkrais Method, or Hanna Somatic Education. Each teacher was interviewed three times, and observed teaching four voice lessons. One voice student at each site was interviewed as well. A comparison and analysis of interview and observation data from these contexts may illuminate the ways in which somatic education principles can be applied to the teaching of voice. ii SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY For Nana Barbara. iii SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to express her appreciation for her advisor, Dr. Stephanie Cronenberg, for all her assistance, patience, and support. She would also like to thank the other members of the committee: Dr. William Berz for encouraging her to pursue this topic, Professor Judith Nicosia for helping her find her voice, and Dr. Kathy Price, whose comprehensive voice pedagogy instruction broadened the author’s horizons, leading her to pursue research in the field. iv SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I: INTRODUCTION 1 Principles and Techniques of Somatic Education 3 Somatic Education Principles 4 Sensitivity and awareness improve with practice. 4 Learning is physical, emotional, and mental. 5 Habits are changeable. 5 Students can be taught to self-improve. 6 Somatic Education Techniques 7 Origins of the Alexander Technique. 7 Origins of the Feldenkrais Method. 7 Origins of Hanna Somatic Education. 8 Applications of Somatic Education Principles 9 Juli’s Jaw Tension: An Invented Voice-teaching Scenario 10 A possible Alexander Technique approach. 10 A possible Feldenkrais Method approach. 11 A possible Hanna Somatic Education approach. 13 Somatic Education Techniques and Habits of Singing 15 Rationale 16 My Somatic Education 19 Statement of the Problem 20 Purpose of the Study and Research Question 20 Key Terms and Definitions 21 Alexander Technique Key Terms 21 Feldenkrais Method Key Terms 22 Hanna Somatic Education Key Terms 22 v SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY Sensory-motor Key Terms 23 Delimitations 23 Context 24 Therapeutic and Dance-Based Somatic Disciplines 24 Established Somatic Voice Approaches 25 Eastern Mind-Body Disciplines 25 Chapter II: LITERATURE REVIEW 27 The Development of Somatic Education 27 Mind–body Dualism 27 Social norms. 28 Technology and adaptation. 28 Cultural ideals. 29 Somatic Practices Emerge 29 Branches of Somatics. 30 Somatic education or therapy? 31 The Influence of Related Fields 33 Neuroscience. 33 Psychology. 36 Endocrinology. 36 Biofeedback. 37 The “How” of Somatic Education 39 How We Perceive Ourselves 40 Awareness and agency. 43 The interconnectedness of sensing and moving. 44 How We Use Ourselves 48 Learning and unlearning. 50 vi SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY Habits. 52 Habit correction. 52 Habit inhibition. 53 Habitual tension. 54 Habituated stress reflexes. 54 How We Improve Ourselves [With Help From a Somatic Educator] 56 Feeling wrong. 57 Process focus. 58 Comparing modalities. 59 Alexander Technique modalities. 60 Feldenkrais Method modalities. 61 Hanna Somatic Education modalities. 63 Learning how to learn. 65 Research In Somatic Education 66 Research from the Somatic Viewpoint 67 Comparing Quantities of Research in Three Somatic Education Disciplines 68 Experimental Studies 69 Experimental research on Alexander Technique and musicians. 69 Experimental research on Feldenkrais Method. 70 Experimental research on Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais Method. 71 Somatic education and music performance anxiety (MPA). 72 Considerations for future experimental research in somatic education. 73 Descriptive Research in Somatic Education 74 Teaching cases. 74 Research case studies. 76 Suggestions for Research in Somatic Education Principles and Voice Pedagogy 78 vii SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY Chapter III: METHODS 82 Introduction 82 Theoretical Background 82 The Somatic Viewpoint 83 Overall Approach 85 Site and Participant Selection 85 Participant Selection 85 Participant and Context Description 86 Alexander Technique case. 86 Feldenkrais Method case. 87 Hanna Somatic Education case. 87 Data Collection 87 Trustworthiness 90 Triangulation 90 Thick Description 91 Member Checking 92 Reflexive Journal 92 Clarification of Bias 93 Confidentiality 94 Data Storage 94 Labels and Pseudonyms 95 Analysis 95 Chapter IV: WITHIN-CASE FINDINGS 98 Alexander Technique: Victoria’s Practice 98 Use, Voice, and the Primary Control 101 Singing sets up good use. 102 viii SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY Coaching on use, not sound. 103 The Means-whereby: Guiding orders, Cues, and Movement 104 Verbally cued “means-whereby.” 104 Gestural cues of the “means-whereby.” 106 End-gaining 108 Feldenkrais Method: Mary’s Practice 111 Connecting to “The Part of You That Knows” 114 Connecting nervous systems. 114 Substituted effort. 115 Feeling knowledge. 116 Creating Conditions for Receptivity 118 Supported positioning. 120 Listening to a sound from far away. 120 Finding the stability in letting go. 121 Imagination 123 Imagination as a step of the process. 124 Imagination as a habit-detector. 126 Imagination as a substitute for doing. 127 Hanna Somatic Education: Caitlyn’s Practice 128 Awareness of the Internal Movements of Singing 131 Finding the onset. 133 Connecting tone to support. 134 Enabling the open throat. 135 Sensing the “lean and stretch.” 135 Understanding Existing Patterns 136 Habituated stress patterns. 137 ix SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY Sensory Motor Amnesia. 137 Pandiculation. 138 Unintentional movement. 139 Finding Words 140 Reframing students’ language. 141 Describing her own experience. 142 Helping students find their words. 143 Building Layers of a Pattern 144 Conclusion 146 Chapter V: CROSS-CASE FINDINGS 148 Targeted Sensing 150 Allowing 151 “Allowing” Instructions 152 Indirect Control 153 Accepting Intangibility 154 Observing Nonjudgmentally 156 Experiencing Somatically 160 Experimenting in Safety 165 Sensing Differences 172 Slowing and Pausing 179 Setting a Slower Pace 179 Pausing to Process 181 Self-Monitoring 185 Manual Self-Monitoring 186 External Props 189 Conclusion 190 x SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY Chapter VI: DISCUSSION 192 Four General Principles of Somatic Education 192 Juli’s Jaw Tension Revisited 196 Victoria. 196 Mary. 199 Caitlyn. 202 Takeaways from Juli’s Jaw Tension. 205 Applications of Somatic Education Principles for Voice Pedagogy 208 Applications of Principle 1: Teaching Voice from the Somatic Viewpoint 210 Applications of Principle 2: Considering the Soma and its Integrated Facets 215 Applications of Principle 3: Creating a Safe Studio Space for Exploring the Voice 221 Applications of Principle 4: Giving Students Somatic Tools for Practice 225 Limitations 236 Implications for the Field 239 Answering the Research Question 239 Implications of Somatic Education Principles for Voice Pedagogy 242 The Question of Certification 245 Recommendations for Future Research 247 Conclusion 251 References 253 APPENDIX A: Glossary 263 APPENDIX B: Student Flexible Interview Protocol 264 APPENDIX C: Voice Lesson Observation Protocol 265 APPENDIX D: Teacher Flexible Interview Protocol 266 APPENDIX E: Teacher Interview Consent Form with Audio/Visual Recording 267 APPENDIX F: Student Observation Consent Form with Audio/Visual Recording 269 xi SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY APPENDIX G: Student Interview Consent Form with Audio/Visual Recording 271 APPENDIX H: Introductory Email to Teachers 273 APPENDIX I: Introductory Email to Students 274 APPENDIX J: IRB Approval Letter 275 APPENDIX K: IRB Amendment Approval Letter 276 xii SOMATIC EDUCATION AND VOICE PEDAGOGY LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Student Characteristics at Site AT 100 Table 2 Student Characteristics at Site FM 113 Table 3 Mary’s Approach to Students’ Challenges 119 Table 4 Student Characteristics at Site HSE 130 Table 5 Connecting HSE Jaw Exercise to Singing Space 133 Table 6 Caitlyn’s Multi-layered Approach 145 Table 7 Cross-case Themes 149 Table 8 Manual Self-monitoring 187 Table 9 Principles of Somatic Education and Related Cross-Case Themes 194 Table 10 Applications of somatic education principles
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