Practicing Vocal Music Efficiently and Effectively: Applying "Deliberate Practice" to a New Piece of Music

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-USASCII text omitted.) AS A YOUNG MUSICIAN, I had no idea how to practice new pieces efficiently, in terms of time spent, and effectively, in terms of embedding correct vocal habits. I'm slightly ashamed to admit that when I finally began to employ strategies that decreased learning time and increased successful performance, I was in graduate school. Nor am I alone, as I have discovered from numerous conversations with colleagues about their own instrumental and vocal education. It would be interesting to discover how many music teachers include structured practice strategies when assigning a new piece of music. Moreover, since we teachers don't go home with our students and observe their practice, we're generally in the dark about how they spend their practice time. But, as my colleagues will also attest, it is obvious in our teaching studios when a singer has not been using practice time efficiently or effectively. As a matter of fact, some research projects have indeed put a "fly on the wall" of the practice room, whether in the presence of an actual person1 or as recording equipment.2 Since most music teachers are unlikely to undertake such a project themselves, however, it is essential that we at least provide guidance in the studio to aid students in their home practice. There is now a significant body of research demonstrating the importance of deliberate practice in music skill improvement.3 Deliberate practice is the application of intentional strategies during a practice session with the goal of improving musical elements, whether note and rhythm accuracy, increased tempo, phrasing, tone quality, or other. (Similar terms in the literature implying application of such strategies are structured or organized practice.) Studies have shown a correlation between the application of deliberate practice strategies and improvement.4 None of this is likely a surprise to anyone reading this article. Yet each musician appears to reinvent the wheel, discovering often only after years of distinctly undeliberate practice that there are quicker and more effective ways to learn music. Not that individual exploration is a bad thing; curiosity, inventiveness, and an attitude of "let's try this out" are all commendable. Unfortunately, however, many instrumentalists and singers arrive at the collegiate level without having developed practice strategies at all, whether learned from a teacher or self-developed. Many years ago, when hearing me practice the piano, my father would say that I was "practicing my mistakes." I, too, when my children were younger, heard them practicing mistakes-stumbling through a difficult passage, then going back and stumbling through it again. They had no strategies for correcting their mistakes or (novel idea!) avoiding mistakes from the start. They would begin most practice sessions at the beginning of the piece and play through to the end, repeating a number of times until the end of the practice session. Eventually, one can learn music in this fashion, but it's an inefficient use of time, can lead to embedded errors, and impedes effective assimilation of the music in a technically solid fashion.5 Moreover, not understanding how to practice results in a lack of attention to the musical aspects, including phrasing, dynamics, and articulation. Three decades of teaching voice has made it clear to me that many students-regardless of age, education, or innate vocal or musical aptitude-need assistance in learning how to practice music efficiently and effectively. For years, I've provided my students with a variety of practice techniques, which I have organized here into a structured, yet flexible approach. The combination of structure and flexibility is the key to effective practice. Structure helps the singer focus on crucial fundamental elements, while flexibility provides choices, thereby eliminating rote practice. Most of us have had the experience during a practice session of "going through the motions" without paying due attention to how we've been practicing. …