Students will demonstrate their understanding of vocal techniques with breath and muscle by participating in group activities.
Hook:
Before students enter the classroom have a table set up in the middle of the room and ask for two different volunteers to come up and instruct them that they are going to have an arm wrestle with one another. Allow a couple of students to come up to arm wrestle and then hold a discussion asking how this applies to singing.
Step 1: Instruction/Practice:
Bring them all around the piano and explain that we are going to be working on the difference between head voice and chest voice/adding muscle or breath to your singing. Have the students place their hands on their sternums and turn to someone and tell them their favorite musical and why. Instruct them to focus on the vibrations that they feel. Explain that singing is just like speaking and when using predominately chest voice you should be able to feel those vibrations. Go up the scale on holding five notes and have them practice feeling chest voice. Ask students what they think the difference between the two are? The difference is that chest voice you feel in your chest or throat and head voice you feel in your head.
Step 2: Discussion/Practice:
Ask students if they know one of differences between how your body changes between the two? Discuss with students how adding more “muscle” or “breath” changes the sounds of your singing. Hold out your arms having the right side of your body represent muscle and the left represent breath, demonstrate to the students switching between muscle and breath and have them try. Discuss with them the differences they are feeling. Have students try the five note exercise where the first two notes have more muscle, then the middle note is balanced and the last two notes are breathy. Discuss with students how this feels and did they feel the control?
Step 3: Partner Practice/Assessment:
Give the students the rest of the class period to practice their song. Explain that next period we will be performing in groups for each other and then the next class period will be a preview and then a final performance. They will be grading on if they have tried to implement the techniques we have learned especially from the feedback from preview. During this work time walk around and individually work with each group on their song.
