Evaluating the vocal characteristics of elementary school students: Basic assessment tools and methodology

Abstract

Singing is a very common activity among people and especially children. It is of particular importance in young ages, as it has been suggested to promote the children's social integration. While singing is a key component of elementary music classes, proper vocal training of young individuals has not been implemented into the current Greek elementary school curriculum. In addition, oftentimes music teachers are not trained to provide proper vocal instruction to young individuals. This work is part of the ASMA research project, which focuses on the social and aesthetic importance of student vocal training and the development of interactive applications supporting its instruction in elementary schools. The main hypothesis is that new technologies informing modern teaching methodologies can support proper vocal practice, by offering teachers individualized feedback on each student's needs. Within this framework, this paper discusses the development of a set of tools assisting music teachers build individualized vocal profiles for each student based on simple vocal acoustic measurements.