The principles of vocal training methodology for prospective music art teachers in higher teacher training institutions

Abstract

The article under consideration reveals the specifics of training methodology implementation in the corresponding teaching conditions; it also covers the issue of arrangement and content of prospective Music Art teacher’s vocal training in higher teacher training institutions. The appropriateness of implementing several science and pedagogical principles in vocal training process was justified, such as: the principle of scientific character; the one of consciousness; the personification one; the one of integrating artistic and technical components; the one of methodological focus of learning. Taking the necessity of upgrading the teaching/learning process quality, as well as seeking new forms and techniques of transferring the training information and practical experience to the students into consideration, there appears an issue of perfecting prospective Music Art teacher’s professional, i.e. vocal skills. The principles of student’s vocal training methodology under the conditions of obtaining professional education in higher teacher training institutions require reconsidering; thus, our goal to attain is justifying the principles of effective vocal training methodology for prospective Music Art teachers within their learning process. The key characteristics of Music Art teacher’s prospective professional activity presuppose the specifics of his/her vocal skills implementation, shaping the core professional competences (vocal inhale training; obtaining singing phonation facilities; proficient elocution and articulation; the grasp of music voice-leading and phrasing methods; intonation clarity, etc.). The prospective Music Art teacher is to acquire up-to-date knowledge and techniques of shaping a child’s singing voice and protecting it. The expert’s vocal training presupposes solving the issues within vocal pedagogy, singing teaching theory and methodology domain. The difficulty of the solution predetermines the need for updating the principles of vocal training methodology for prospective experts in higher institutions. The principle of scientific character in student’s vocal training presupposes scientific knowledge implementation in various sciences’ domain (Anatomy, Physiology, Psychology, Art Study) for the efficient work of their vocal apparatus. The principle of scientific character also reflects the focus of student’s vocal and theoretical skills, as well as deepening the knowledge of the essence of vocal phenomena, in order to perfect their own vocal and performance skills and to implement them in their further work with young learners. The principle of consciousness reflects the students’ determination to work actively and autonomously; to solve learning issues; to achieve their personal success; to implement independent monitoring of their development and training results. This principle includes motivation, the student’s conscious attitude to the learning process, activeness and personal will-power; the prospective experts’ intention to attain top results in their vocal training. Awareness of every student’s uniqueness in terms of their artistic and performance skills and individual abilities causes following the personification principle of learning. Implementation of this principle is predetermined by the distinctness of physiological, anatomic, psychological and special musical development of each vocal training individual. This explains the necessity of diversifying the teaching methodology for each learner. Thus, the principle involves considering individual features of the student’s personal development; singing practice characteristics; intellectual, psychic emotional specifics that influence their learning process and its effectiveness accumulatively; focuses on seeking variable and modifiable constituents of its management and pedagogical impact methodology for their vocal training. The effectiveness of prospective Music Art teacher’s vocal training depends on following the principle of integrating artistic and technical components in the teaching process. This principle, which is specific for Music teaching, is targeted at attaining the top level of performance artistry in terms of revealing artistic expression of music compositions to the audience via technical skills grasp of vocal performance facilities. The principle under consideration reflects the consistency of artistic and figurative, technical and performance components of voice production. Vocal activity is constantly being under control of the singer’s tuneful ear, as well as of psychic conscious and even subconscious intuitive processes. Furthermore, expressiveness, emotionality and artistic persuasiveness of phonation depend directly on the grasp of sound production technical methods. The principle of methodological focus of learning acquires specific significance for the Music Art teacher’s further professional practice; the learners’ vocal training presupposes obtaining the methodologies of shaping their singing voice and various-aged pupils’ voices. Thus, the student’s vocal training is chiefly aimed at shaping the practical singing skills, as well as at the grasp of teaching methodology for perfecting the young learners’ voice apparatus.