Vocal Pedagogy and the Feldenkrais Method

Abstract

This chapter explores how a vocal pedagogy based on the development of kinaesthetic awareness and movement can enhance the learning experience of vocal students. It will examine how an approach to vocal pedagogy based on the Feldenkrais Method can lead to learning that is more deeply understood in a physi- cal or embodied sense. In doing this, it will look at how the method is taught and how it can form a vital part of an integrated educational approach. It will also attempt to clarify the thinking behind the method and to see how it may offer insights into questions currently being asked about motor learning and its implications for vocal teaching and learning. The chapter will consider how this method may be a useful tool in support of the many different styles of vocal teaching that currently exist, from the most intuitive and traditional to the most scientifi cally informed. This may be due to the sensory specifi c nature of the learning undertaken and the context in which it can be understood. The Feldenkrais Method can be used to link traditional and scientifi c vocal pedagogical approaches to the sensory experiences of singers learning their craft. A basic question the Feldenkrais Method poses is: ‘How do I bring my intentions into action’? This question is essential in understanding the perspective that the method provides, and also goes a long way towards answering a question posed by Harding ( 2007 ), which asks about how we make the link between vocal technical concepts and physical coordination. Or, more specifi cally, can we help vocal students to place instructions received in the vocal studio into a sensory context that is meaningful for them?.