This weekly one-hour private lesson is designed to enhance your ability to use your singing voice in the healthiest manner possible, to advance your communication and performance skills, to develop your knowledge of vocal pedagogy, and to expand your knowledge of vocal literature.   Attendance is also mandatory at the monthly seminar and studio class. Prerequisite for Level 4 Voice is 2291 and a passing barrier jury.

• Kimball, Carol (2005). Song: A Guide to Art Song Style and Literature. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard.
• Dictionary Linguee app.
• Regular access to a computer (other than a phone or tablet) with reliable internet access.
• Regular access to a piano or electric piano.
• Voice recorder (i.e., the app on your smartphone) for recording rehearsals.
• A journal or other notebook for exploring, researching, taking notes.
• A Highlighter(s), pencil, water for every class or rehearsal.
• Printed repertoire, in a 3-ring binder.
• Clothes you can move in appropriately for rehearsals.
• I encourage you to buy published printed scores of the operas, shows, or art songs in which you have significant scenes/solos. Go to classicalvocalrep.com or call them.

The goals of applied voice lessons are to develop your ability to sing with a healthy technique and artistic expression. I will be your guide in this process, which will involve the study and practice of body awareness, breath management, tone production and resonance, textual and musical interpretation, and dramatic presentation. To accomplish this, we will cover many related skills, including the following:

• How to practice effectively
• How to listen more efficiently
• Work on foreign languages
• Historical style and performance practices
• Stage presence
• Transferring and career planning

At the conclusion of the fourth semester of applied voice, the student will be able to:

• Voice students at this level will need to successfully demonstrate a continuation and refinement of skills learned in the previous semesters. Students should demonstrate the ability to crescendo and decrescendo and to create an arched musical phrase within the parameters of the assigned vocal literature. The student must demonstrate a successful understanding of syllabic hierarchy in assigned songs. Students are expected to be able to successfully exhibit a continued balancing of muscles in their breathing, a continued strengthening of vocal technique in songs with higher tessituras, and facility in pitches that lie at the extremes of their vocal range. The student will be assigned song literature to support these objectives.
• Students must successfully demonstrate stylistic differentiations in song literature from the Baroque, Classical and German Romantic literature. Song literature from the Baroque, Classical, German Romantic and American 20th century periods could contain literature by Handel, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, Faure, Debussy and 20th century American composers.
• Representative repertoire might include; Lydia, Claire de Lune, Loveliest of Trees, I’ll Sail upon a Dog Star, Una Donna Quindici Anni, Bel Piacere.
• In addition to classical repertoire, Music Therapy, Theatre and MBPT students will also be performing theatre/popular songs. These songs will be chosen under the discretion of the teacher if he/she feels the student is prepared to learn other vocal genres.
• All students must perform a memorized barrier jury at the end of the semester.

The General Education Competencies utilized in this course are as follows:

• Communication Skills. Students will develop, interpret, and express ideas through written, oral, visual, and sung communication that is adapted to purpose, structure, audience, and medium. They will do this through in-class exercises and performances, and reading and written assignments.
• Critical Thinking. Students will gather, analyze, synthesize, evaluate and apply information for the purposes of innovation, inquiry, and creative thinking and performance. They will do this through in-class exercises, performances, and reading and written assignments.
• Personal Responsibility. Students will identify and apply ethical principles and practices to decision-making by connecting choices, actions and consequences. They will do this through in-class exercises, performances, and reading and written assignments.
• Teamwork. Students will consider different points of view to work collaboratively and effectively in pursuit of a shared purposed or goal. They will do this through in-class exercises, performances, and reading and written assignments.

Grading is extremely transparent, and I put considerable effort into timeliness. Current grade are always available via the Blackboard gradebook. Grade breakdown is as follows:

Attendance. You will earn credit for attendance and participation if you arrive on time and prepared for all classes. If you must miss a class due to illness or travel, please contact me BEFORE the class to request an excused absence. Three unexcused absences will result in the lowering of your grade by one full letter grade. After 3 total absences, excused or unexcused, you may be asked to withdraw from the course.

Makeup Lessons. I will not give makeup lessons to students that miss their lessons. I will give makeup lessons for my absences.

Tardy. Three tardies equal one absence. Being more than ten minutes late to class will result in an absence. Absence points will be taken away from your Weekly Lesson Progress Grade.

Communication. Emails and texts are answered daily during working hours, meaning 9am-5pm. If your communication comes in after this time you will receive a response the next day.

Deadlines in my course are firm. I give you a course calendar at the beginning of the term that includes all deadlines for the course. Should a deadline change, I will inform you in writing and in person. Here are some rules of thumb to go by:

• I forgot to complete an assignment. Can I make it up? Written assignments are accepted up to 1 week ho late, with a grade penalty. Projects, Group Projects and Presentations will not be accepted late. Please be very aware of your partners in group projects.
• I missed an activity that we completed during class. Can I make it up? No, there is no way to make up an in-class activity.
• I missed a quiz, can I make it up? No, quizzes and tests are not accepted late.

Dropping/Withdrawing. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate all withdrawals in this course. The instructor may withdraw students for excessive absences (4) but makes no commitment to do this for the student. You may withdraw, or drop from a 16-week course with a grade of W any time on or before the end of the 12th week in the fall or spring 16-week session. Shorter semesters have prorated drop dates. If you drop a course before its census date, or official reporting date, the course is deleted from your enrollment, does not earn any grade, and does not appear on your transcript. If you drop a course after the census date, a grade will be included on your transcript. Reporting dates vary, so you are strongly encouraged to consult your instructor, the course syllabus, or the Austin Community College website for the drop and withdrawal dates for your course. If your first college enrollment occurred in the fall of 2001 or later, you may not drop more than 6 courses during your cumulative enrollment at any Texas public college or university.

Last day to withdraw from spring courses: April 22, 2024.

For more information on the withdrawal process you can check this page: https://catalog.austincc.edu/support-services-and-student-progress/student-progress/droppingwithdrawing-from-courses/

Incomplete Grade. If a student is unable to complete the course at the end of the semester due to an emergency or other unanticipated circumstance, I will consider awarding an incomplete grade for the semester. A new completion date will be given to the student, but it may not be later than the final withdrawal date in the subsequent semester. When the student completes the required work by the deadline, I will submit a form to change the student’s grade from an incomplete to the earned grade. If an incomplete is not resolved by the deadline, the grade will automatically convert to an F.

Health & Safety Protocols. Operational areas of ACC campuses and centers are fully open and accessible through all public entrances. While health & safety protocols are no longer mandatory, the college encourages its staff, faculty, and students to be mindful of the well-being of all individuals on campus. If you feel, sick, feverish, or unwell, DO NOT come to campus.

Some important things to remember for singing:

• Singing can be very dangerous for the emission of extra particles. If you have not done so, ACC encourages all students, faculty, and staff to get vaccinated. COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available through-out the community. Visit www.vaccines.gov/ to find a vaccine location near you.
• If you are experience COVID-19-related symptoms, please get a test as soon as possible before returning to an ACC facility. Testing is now widely available.
• Because of the ever-changing situation, please go to ACC’s COVID website at https://www.austincc.edu/coronavirus?ref=audiencemenu for the latest updates and guidance.