Voice Curriculum
(updated Oct. 2007)
Following are some guidelines and suggestions for the training of the voice in a systematic and structured manner. All study material, repertoire choices, and any other decisions regarding course of study are made solely at the discretion of the teacher. Each student will require an individualized course of study, based on basic talent, physical and emotional maturity, musical skills, and interest and commitment. This course of study may or may not strictly follow the set forth curriculum guidelines and sample repertoire.
Special Note: Voice lessons are focused on acquiring vocal technical and artistic skills. Sight reading is a critical musical skill for any singer, and the ECMS faculty would like to strongly encourage its pursuit. While sight reading is usually a naturally occurring part of any voice study, aural skills courses are strongly recommended in addition to voice lessons. Basic piano skills are also highly useful to any singer and studies of this instrument should also be considered in conjunction with voice lessons.
The sampling of suggested vocal repertoire included in this curriculum consists primarily of classical repertoire. The voice faculty recognizes that many students may have interests in vocal repertoire outside of the broad classical genre and some appropriate representative music theater pieces are included in the list. However, the faculty would like to emphasize the importance of the development of a basic technique most commonly associated with classical singing as a critical building block for the healthy pursuit of a variety of vocal musical styles.
Level III
High school freshman or equivalent
Methods
Appropriate vocalizes as assigned by individual teachers
Technique
Develop basic understanding of appropriate posture, breath control and support, and tonal placement. Explore and identify vocal instrument.
Skills
Develop fundamental musical skills, including sight singing. Develop good practice habits, begin language exploration.
Evaluation
Mid-year written student/teacher evaluation, end of school year jury (H.S. students only).
Sample Repertoire:
All through the night (Welsh Folk Song)
The Virgin’s Slumber Song (Reger)
Long Time Ago (arr. Copland)
The Lass from the Low Country (Niles)
Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes (Old English)
Caro mio ben (Giordano)
Sebben crudele (Caldara)
Castle on a Cloud from Les Miserables (Schonberg)
When the Children are Asleep from Carousel (Rogers/Hammerstein)
Level IV
High school sophomore or equivalent
Methods
Appropriate vocalizes as assigned by individual teachers, with optional study of printed vocalizes.
Technique
In addition to work begun in Level 3, work on range development, vowel formation
Skills
Continue developing language and sight singing skills, work on stage presence, and continue to develop good practice habits. Listen to recordings of respected classical singers and instrumentalists as a study aid to developing musical phrasing.
Evaluation
Mid-year written student/teacher evaluation, end of school year jury (H.S. students only). Performance possibilities of various kinds (school recitals, studio recitals) may be offered to students who appear ready, are interested, and will benefit from such experience.
Sample Repertoire:
When Love is Kind (Old English)
O Rest in the Lord from Elijah (Mendelssohn)
Were you there? (Spiritual)
Nymphs and Shepherds (Purcell)
Here Amid the Shady Wood (Handel)
Heidenröslein (Schubert)
Die Lotosblume (Schumann)
O cessate di piagarmi (A. Scarlatti)
Nel cor piu non mi sento (Paisiello)
How could I ever know from Secret Garden (Simon/Norman)
He is an Englishman from H.M.S. Pinafore (Gilbert/Sullivan)
Level V
High school junior or equivalent
Methods
Continued and more extensive use of appropriate vocalizes as assigned by individual teachers, with optional study of printed vocalizes.
Technique
In addition to work begun in Level 3 and 4, work on increasing flexibility and expressive singing.
Skills
Continue improving sight reading skills. Set performance goals. Learn to recognize technical and musical problems as an aid to more effective practicing.
Evaluation
Mid-year written student/teacher evaluation, end of school year jury (H.S. students only). Performance possibilities of various kinds (school recitals, studio recitals, competitions) may be offered to students who appear ready, are interested, and will benefit from such experience.
Sample Repertoire:
Still wie die Nacht (Böhm)
Du bist wie ein Blume (Schumann)
Strike the Viol (Purcell)
An die Musik (Schubert)
Der Nussbaum (Schumann)
The Vagabond (Vaughan Williams)
Vaga luna che inargenti (Bellini)
Wie Melodien zieht es mir (Brahms)
When I Have Sung My Songs (Charles)
Beau soir (Debussy)
Vergin tutto amor (Durante)
Panis Angelicus (Franck)
Se tu m’ami (Pergolesi)
Alma del core (Caldara)
Silver (Duke)
Loveliest of Trees (Duke)
If I loved You from Carousel (Rogers/Hammerstein)
Santa Fe from Newsies (Feldman/Menken)
Level VI
High school senior or equivalent
Methods
Continued and more extensive use of appropriate vocalizes of increasing technical difficulty as assigned by individual teachers, with optional study of printed vocalizes.
Technique
Continued perfecting of work started in Levels 3, 4 and 5.
Skills
Develop ability to recognize musical and technical problems. Understand the basic principles of technique. Fine-tune ability to fully integrate technical and emotive elements in a performance. Continue to actively practice sight reading. Fine tune basic comfort in singing in 4 to 5 languages.
Evaluation
Mid-year written student/teacher evaluation, end of school year jury (H.S. students only). Performance possibilities of various kinds (school recitals, studio recitals, competitions, senior recital) may be offered to students who appear ready, are interested, and will benefit from such experience.
Sample Repertoire:
Ombra mai fu from Serse (Handel)
Mein gläubiges Herze from Cantata 68 (Bach)
With Verdure Clad from Creation (Haydn)
Alleluja from Exultate Jubilate (Mozart)
Botschaft (Brahms)
Les Berceaux (Fauré)
L’invitation au voyage (Duparc)
Sure on this Shining Night (Barber)
Nina (Pergolesi)
Poor Wandering One from Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert/Sullivan)
Verborgenheit (Wolf)
Il mio bel foco (Marcello)
Widmung (Schumann)
Is She Not Passing Fair? (Elgar)
Voi che sapete from Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart)
Abendempfindung (Mozart)
Care selve from Atalanta (Handel)
A Change in Me from Beauty and the Beast (Menkin/Rice)
Close Every Door from Joseph and the Technicolored Dreamcoat (Rice/Lloyd Weber)
Last updated: October 22, 2007