Derived from the Greek word soma, meaning body, somatics is a field of movement methodologies designed to promote a greater sense of physical self-awareness through kinesthetic learning. Gaga Movement Language and Bartenieff Fundamentals, two methodologies based on somatic principles, offer unique processes to develop an individual’s movement vocabulary. By synthesizing Gaga Movement Language and Bartenieff Fundamentals with vocal pedagogy and vocal repertoire, singers can develop a kinesthetic awareness of their vocal technique that informs their artistic expression, movement vocabulary, and performance ability.

This paper presents a model for a Voice Somatics Integration Lab (VSI Lab), geared toward voice performance majors and designed to bridge the gap between Gaga Movement Language, Bartenieff Fundamentals, and vocal pedagogy. The course will culminate in a performance of a song or aria that students have selected, staged, and choreographed in accordance with the lab curriculum, along with a brief three-to-five-minute presentation detailing their choreographic process. Complete with a detailed syllabus and lesson plans, the course will use movement philosophies and techniques to guide each student in developing their pieces. Ultimately, the VSI Lab will assist singers in more effectively blending the physical demands of staging and choreography with their singing technique and artistry.

ABSTRACT

Emilie Mayer (1812-1883) was a prolific composer whose musical works, which encompassed eight symphonies, four overtures, an opera, dozens of sonatas, eight string quartets, solo piano works, and nearly 130 songs for solo voice or vocal quartet, were performed in the foremost concert halls in Berlin and across Germany. She studied with lauded teachers: Carl Loewe (1796-1869), Adolph Bernhard Marx (1795-1866), and Wilhelm Wieprecht (1802-1872). Her talent was applauded by audiences and critics wrote favorably, despite their reservations about women composers. However, even with this unusual pedigree, Mayer’s works nearly disappeared from concert stages after her death. How did this happen? This study aims to answer this question and will delve into Emilie Mayer’s life and works in context with the prejudices against female composers at the time, in order to determine how those biases have shaped the classical canon. Included is an in-depth stylistic analysis of Mayer’s surviving seven Lieder, along-side comparisons to similar works of other composers. In addition, appendices present Mayer’s remaining Lieder in a new, modernized edition, with selected songs transposed for better accessibility for lower voices. Relative lack of female representation in modern-day concert halls and music history books correlates to previous misconceptions of female composers. Studying the works of Emilie Mayer will support her addition to the classical repertoire, help correct the male-gendered canon that persists, and help modern female composers realize their history is not confined to a footnote.

Since its inception, the American Broadway industry has flourished and grown to include numerous vocal styles and techniques. The early twenty-first century has seen a rapid increase in demand for collegiate courses and instructors pertaining to music theater. It has therefore become necessary for voice instructors to be equally comfortable teaching both music theater and classical techniques such as bel canto. This document serves as a resource for instructors seeking more information on defining and teaching vocal styles in music theater including legit, mix, and belt. The first two chapters address the following three questions: 1) What is bel canto and how does the technique function? 2) What is music theater as a vocal style and how do colloquial terms such as legit, mix and belt function within music theater? 3) Are the technical ideas behind bel canto and music theater really that different? The third chapter offers a curriculum for a semester-long course (a hybrid between a song literature class and a performance-based seminar) called Singing Music Theater Styles: From Hammerstein to Hamilton. This course shows the rich development tracing techniques of bel canto through techniques used in contemporary music theater. This document concludes with an annotated bibliography of major sources useful to both the instructors wishing to teach this course and the performers looking to expand their knowledge of singing music theater.