Vocal Methods Curricular Requirements Raw Data

Objective: United States (US) music educator certification requirements vary by locality and institutional accreditation. Voice pedagogy training conferred through the vocal methods curricular requirement has not received significant assessment. This study assesses the content and requirements needed to fulfill the vocal methods curriculum in undergraduate music education degree programs.

Design: Published course catalogs provide a public contract and record of curriculum requirements and content for college programs. Catalogs from 627 institutions offering undergraduate music education programs were gathered from the College Music Society Directory of Music Faculties.

Methods: The course number, credit hours, description, and title for all Vocal Methods, Vocal Pedagogy, or equivalent classes were collected. Degree tracks (instrumental, vocal, general, etc.) requiring these courses were also noted. Data was compared with the broader credentialing requirements of accrediting bodies and state governments.

Results: Thirty-one states offered music educator certification for K–12 (or equivalent) music in 2024, while almost every institution separated majors into distinct course tracks based on instrument. Singing tracks are delineated as “choral” or “vocal.” The amount of vocal methods training in music education curricula is approximately one credit hour. Courses offered to instrumental music education majors typically blend class voice and personal vocal technique.

Conclusions: Vocal methods requirements tend to be fulfilled through class voice courses focused on performance development rather than teaching pedagogy. Advocacy for robust vocal pedagogy training in music education programs may be warranted given the culturally significant, identity-defining, and injurable, organic, nature of the human voice.

研究目标：美国（US）的音乐教育认证要求因地区和机构认证而异。通过声乐方法课程要求的声乐教学法培训尚未得到显著评估。本研究旨在评估完成本科音乐教育学位课程中的声乐方法课程所需的内容和要求。研究设计：公开的课程目录为大学课程的要求和内容提供了公开的合同和记录。从学院音乐学会音乐系目录中收集了627所提供本科音乐教育课程的机构的目录。研究方法：收集了所有声乐方法、声乐教学法或相当课程的课程编号、学分小时、描述和标题。同时，也记录了要求这些课程的专业方向（如乐器、声乐、通用等）。数据与认证机构和州政府的更广泛的认证要求进行了比较。研究结果：2024年，31个州提供了K-12（或相当）音乐教育者的认证，而几乎每个机构都根据乐器将专业分为不同的课程轨道。声乐轨道被划分为“合唱”或“声乐”。音乐教育课程中声乐方法培训的学时约为1个学分。为乐器音乐教育专业提供的课程通常融合了课堂声乐和个人声乐技巧。研究结论：声乐方法的要求往往通过专注于表演发展的课堂声乐课程来完成，而非教学教学法。鉴于人类声音的文化意义、身份定义性和易受伤害的有机本质，音乐教育项目中强大的声乐教学法培训的倡导可能是合理的。