From: "DIANE M. CLARK (MUSIC DEPARTMENT)"
Subject: Re: "Suzuki singing lesson"
To: vocalist
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Susi wrote:

>>Do any listers have experience and tips on teaching singing to adults in
groups.
Assume that the ultimate aim is to be able to sing solos.

How many people can be in a group for it to be viable?
Would all the members of the group land up singing the same songs?
Would the group need to consist of only one gender or voice type?
How long before one needs to start individual lessons?
Would the approach be any different if one "knew" that the eventual career
would be one of an opera chorister?

+++

Anyone who has taught class voice has had this experience. The number must be
kept small in order to give individual attention. My classes have generally
met two hours a week with 10 students. That way everyone gets to sing and be
worked with once a week. Everyone sings his own songs, chosen by the student
with my approval. Mixed men and women, and different voice types. Many
students would take 3 semesters of voice class and then go on to private study.
Others wanted private study after one semester. Some, of course, never went
on to private study. I teach people to sing, not to have a specific career.
The beginning level is not the place to worry about careers.

The most important thing is to involve every member of the class while you are
working with each individual student. This keeps their interest and helps
them learn. When a student sings, the class offers comments and suggestions
before I then coach the student on ways to improve. After a while, I have the
students coach each other, with me following up. I love teaching voice class
and have found it to work very well. It should work fine as an introductory
vehicle in a university, if it is well taught. It is a great place to get
students motivated for further study.

|\ Dr. Diane M. Clark, Assoc. Prof./Chair of Music Dept., Rhodes College
| 2000 N. Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112, 901-843-3782, dclark-at-rhodes.edu
() http://gray.music.rhodes.edu/musichtmls/faculty/dclark.html