This expanded edition includes a new introduction by John Nix as well as a new appendix offering case studies and practical insights from teachers about how Barbara Doscher has impacted their voice instruction. An understanding of how the singing voice functions should be a prerequisite for all those who wish to teach singing. And fundamental to any safe and efficient teaching method is the recognition that the singing voice is a functional unit. Consequently, this second edition, like the first, describes the anatomy and physiology of breathing and phonation and examines the acoustical laws necessary for an understanding of resonation. It is designed primarily as a textbook for college vocal pedagogy courses. The book includes detailed illustrations and an expansion of the appendix on vocal misuse and abuse, including data on subglottic air pressure/air flow ratios, the phonatory mode known as belting, and the aging voice, especially as it is affected by hormonal changes in the body. It also feature an extensive bibliography.

This expanded edition includes a new introduction by John Nix as well as a new appendix offering case studies and practical insights from teachers about how Barbara Doscher has impacted their voice instruction. An understanding of how the singing voice functions should be a prerequisite for all those who wish to teach singing. And fundamental to any safe and efficient teaching method is the recognition that the singing voice is a functional unit. Consequently, this second edition, like the first, describes the anatomy and physiology of breathing and phonation and examines the acoustical laws necessary for an understanding of resonation. It is designed primarily as a textbook for college vocal pedagogy courses. The book includes detailed illustrations and an expansion of the appendix on vocal misuse and abuse, including data on subglottic air pressure/air flow ratios, the phonatory mode known as belting, and the aging voice, especially as it is affected by hormonal changes in the body. It also feature an extensive bibliography.

The repertoire files of the late Dr. Barbara Doscher, in which she noted her tips, observations on each particular piece, and notes on how to best teach it, comprise a unique trove of wisdom unmatched by any other source. Laboriously transcribed and annotated by John Nix, one of Doscher's students, the notes are presented here as a companion volume to her best-selling text, The Functional Unity of the Singing Voice. Entries are divided by broad category (art song, arias, folk songs, oratorio, musicals, etc.) and are arranged by song title. Each entry includes author, poet or librettist, key(s) available, ranges (for each key), tessitura, difficulty level, voice types, comments, a summary of the text, and notes as to genre, language, and editions available. Five comprehensive indexes facilitate searching. As a guide to selecting vocal repertoire, this book's practical and sometimes colorful comments on each song or aria will assist the vocal instructor in matching the student's ability and range to the appropriate piece. This distillation of Barbara Doscher's many years of experience in the teaching studio is a necessary addition to any vocal instructor's collection, as well as a valuable resource for the individual singer.

Singing has been a characteristic behaviour of humanity across several millennia. Chorus America (2009) estimated that 42.6 million adults and children regularly sing in one of 270,000 choruses in the US, representing more than 1:5 households. Similarly, recent European-based data suggest that more than 37 million adults take part in group singing. The Oxford Handbook of Singing is a landmark text on this topic. It is a comprehensive resource for anyone who wishes to know more about the pluralistic nature of singing. In part, the narrative adopts a lifespan approach, pre-cradle to senescence, to illustrate that singing is a commonplace behaviour which is an essential characteristic of our humanity. In the overall design of the Handbook, the chapter contents have been clustered into eight main sections, embracing fifty-three chapters by seventy-two authors, drawn from across the world, with each chapter illustrating and illuminating a particular aspect of singing. Offering a multi-disciplinary perspective embracing the arts and humanities, physical, social and clinical sciences, the book will be valuable for a broad audience within those fields.

Singing has been a characteristic behaviour of humanity across several millennia. Chorus America (2009) estimated that 42.6 million adults and children regularly sing in one of 270,000 choruses in the US, representing more than 1:5 households. Similarly, recent European-based data suggest that more than 37 million adults take part in group singing. The Oxford Handbook of Singing is a landmark text on this topic. It is a comprehensive resource for anyone who wishes to know more about the pluralistic nature of singing. In part, the narrative adopts a lifespan approach, pre-cradle to senescence, to illustrate that singing is a commonplace behaviour which is an essential characteristic of our humanity. In the overall design of the Handbook, the chapter contents have been clustered into eight main sections, embracing fifty-three chapters by seventy-two authors, drawn from across the world, with each chapter illustrating and illuminating a particular aspect of singing. Offering a multi-disciplinary perspective embracing the arts and humanities, physical, social and clinical sciences, the book will be valuable for a broad audience within those fields.