The Effectiveness of Individual/ Small-Group Singing Activities on Kindergartners' Use of Singing Voice and Developmental Music Aptitude

Abstract

The following were investigated in this study: the effect of individual/small-group singing activities used within the traditional large-group setting on kindergartners' use of singing voice and developmental music aptitude; the strength of relationship between tonal aptitude and use of singing voice; the length of time over which instruction is needed to provide significant results. Songs, activities, and games were the same for both the control and treatment groups; however, instruction for the treatment group involved small-group and individual participation in the singing activities. Results showed that the treatment did have an effect on the children's development of use of singing voice, that an entire year of instruction was needed for the treatment to be effective, and that a very small relationship seems to exist between use of singing voice and developmental tonal aptitude.

Task-Based Variability in Children’s Singing Accuracy

“…Melodic patterns using three or more notes have also been used exclusively to inform singing accuracy performance (Cooper, 1995;Phillips & Aitchison, 1997;1999;Phillips, Aitchison, & Nompula, 2002;Rutkowski, 1990;Rutkowski, 1996) or as a part of a larger assessment (Flowers & Dunn-Sousa, 1990;Guerrini, 2006;Welch et al, 1997). To measure singing voice development, a separate construct from singing accuracy that primarily includes vocal features like voice range, researchers have used one-measure song fragments (Levinowitz et al, 1998;Rutkowski, 1983;Rutkowski, 1990;Rutkowski, 1996;Rutkowski & Miller, 2003).…”

“…Rutkowski (1990) described range ability in terms of development, from a student with no use of the singing voice to a student with full use of an expanded range: 1) Does not sing but chants text, 2) Sustains tones with sensitivity to pitch, usually A2 to C3, 3) Wavers between speaking/singing, usually up to F3, 4) Has initial singing range, D3 to A3, and 5) Has full singing range, beyond register lift near B-flat-3 and beyond. Rutkowski (1996) then added levels between these five intervals to describe more specifically the developing singing voice. Wolf (2005) reported that test items that are low in range are easier than test items that are high in range, which corroborates Rutkowski's suggestion that range develops upwards.…”

“…To measure singing voice development, a separate construct from singing accuracy that primarily includes vocal features like voice range, researchers have used one-measure song fragments (Levinowitz et al, 1998;Rutkowski, 1983;Rutkowski, 1990;Rutkowski, 1996;Rutkowski & Miller, 2003).…”

“…For example, the first level of the Singing Voice Development Measure (Rutkowski, 1996) states that a student "...does not sing but chants song text." Another scale for singing accuracy describes the first level the same way, a focus on text rather than melody (Welch, Sergeant, & White, 1995).…”

“…This kind of instruction and assessment could be tailored to the changing needs of groupings of students (Van Zee, 1984) following an understanding that singing accuracy may develop out of an awareness of pitch contour followed by pitch matching (Welch et al 1997) in singers who are developing use of the singing voice (Rutkowski, 1996).…”