Wolfgang, Adolescent Belt

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ADOLESCENT FEMALE MUSICAL THEATER BELT PEDAGOGY:

PREPARATION, APPROACHES, AND EXPERIENCES OF OHIO MUSIC


EDUCATORS

A dissertation submitted to the


College of the Arts of Kent State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

by

Nancy Andersen Wolfgang

May 2015
ii
ABSTRACT

WOLFGANG, NANCY A., Ph.D., May, 2015 KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

ADOLESCENT FEMALE MUSICAL THEATER BELT PEDAGOGY:

PREPARATION, APPROACHES, AND EXPERIENCES OF OHIO MUSIC

EDUCATORS (pages 251)

Undergraduate music education programs traditionally do not address the vocal

requirements of belting, a high-intensity form of vocal production commonly associated

with musical theatre. Belting is characterized by a loud sound, a slightly elevated

laryngeal position, and a fat, flat tongue. In-service music educators are often called

upon to prepare adolescent female vocalists for roles that require belting in high school

musicals. Studies (Davey, 2010; Williams, 2003) have shown that 80% of high schools

produce a musical at least every other year. The purpose of this study is to examine the

opinions, knowledge, and undergraduate training of vocal music educators regarding the

use of belt by adolescent female singers. Vocal music educators who are members of the

Ohio Music Education Association were identified through nonprobability sampling, and

self-selected to participate in the survey (n=176). Data were collected through Qualtrics

and analyzed using SPSS. Independent t-tests were utilized to determine statistical

significance (p<.05) between the three sections of the survey and within section two of

the survey. Optional written responses provided additional data. Results showed that

although no subjects received formal training in the use of belt as part of their

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undergraduate education, some still reported feeling confident in their ability to instruct

students in the use of belt. Subjects with personal experience using belt were more

comfortable using this technique with their own students. Written responses indicated a

need for more information and undergraduate and in-service training in the use of belt.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ……………….…………………………………………….….v

LIST OF TABLES ……………………………..………………………………………vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ……………………………………………………………viii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………...............………2
Purpose and Need for Study…………………………………………….…..…......9
Research Questions…………………………………………………...………….17
Definition of Terms………………………………………………...…………….18
Scope and Limitations of the Study…………………………………………...…23
Summary……………...………………………………………………………….24

CHAPTER II: LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………...……….. 27


Introduction……………………………………………………..…………....…. 27
Belting and the Adolescent Singer………...……………………………….…… 28
Specific Studies on Musical Theater and High School…………...…………...... 33
Pre-service and In-service Teacher Training…………...……………………..... 39
Summary………………………………………………...…………….…..…..... 46

CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY………………………………………………...…... 50


Introduction………………………………………………………..……………. 50
Survey Development……………………………………………………………. 53
Participants……………………………………………………………...………. 58
Pilot Study…………….………………………………………………………… 59
Procedures….…………………………………………………………………… 71
Analysis Procedures ………………………………………………… ………….72
Summary………………………………………………………………………... 73

CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS………………………….………76


Introduction………………………………………………………………...…… 76
Section One-Demographic Information……………………..………………….. 77
Section Two-Opinions and Knowledge of Belt………………………...………. 88
Section Three-Demographics Related to Undergraduate Training…… .…..…. 100
Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. ………………………………………….111
Selected Questions…………………………………………………………….. 123
T-Tests Within Section Two……………………………………………………132
Summary………………………………………………………………………. 136

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CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION………………………………………………….……..141
Introduction……………………………………………………………………. 141
Findings for Research Question Number One………………………………… 144
Findings for Research Question Number Two………………………………... 151
Recommendations for Further Study………………………………………….. 159
Conclusions……………………………………………………………………. 161

APPENDIX A: Informed Consent and Request for Participation Letter…………….. 165


APPENDIX B: Survey on the Use of Belt by Female Adolescents……………..…… 168
APPENDIX C: IRB Approval……………………………………………………....... 180
APPENDIX D: Electronic Survey Completion Reminder Notice……………………. 182
APPENDIX E: Changes to Section Two after Pilot Study…………………………… 184
APPENDIX F: Description of Question Layout ………………………………...…….187
APPENDIX G: Written Responses for Section One…………..………………...…… 191
APPENDIX H: Written Responses for Section Two………...……………………….. 204
APPENDIX I: Written Responses for Section Three……………………..…..……… 219
APPENDIX J: Frequency Tables for All Sections…………………...………………. 229

REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………….……..…245

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LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

1. Correlations Between Responses in Section Two……………………………….62


2. Correlation Matrix for Exploratory Factor Analysis………………………….…65
3. Communalities ………………………………………………………………..…68
4. Total Variance Explained ……………………………………………………….69
5. Component Matrix for the First Six Factors…………………………………… .70
6. Survey Questions Section One………………………………………………….. 78
7. Survey Questions Section Two…………………………………………………. 90
8. Survey Questions Section Three……………………………...………………...102
9. Belt Items by Gender……………………………………..…………………….112
10. Independent T-test for Equality of Means by Gender…….………………..…....13
11. Frequency Table for Question 50 by Gender……………….…………………..114
12. Belt Items by Educational Level………………………………………………. 116
13. Independent T-test for Equality of Means by Educational Level…...………… 117
14. Frequency Table for Question 50 by Educational Level……………………… 117
15. Frequency Table for Question 52 by Educational Level……………………… 118
16. One-Way ANOVA for Years of Experience………………………………….. 119
17. Tukey Results for Question 50 by Years of Experience ……………..………...122
18. Frequency Table for Question 50 by Years of Experience……………………. 122
19. Independent T-test for Question 9……...……………………………………... 123
20. Independent T-test for Question 27…………………...………………………. 125
21. Independent T-test for Question 74………………………...…………………. 126
22. Independent T-test for Question 78…………...………………………………. 127
23. Independent T-test for Question 94………...…………………………………. 129
24. Independent T-test for Question 106…………...……………………………... 130
25. Independent T-test for Question 110………………………………...………... 131
26. Independent T-test for Question 40………..…...……………………………... 133
27. Independent T-test for Question 42………….………………………………... 134

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to Dr. Patricia Grutzmacher for hours of reading and editing and for not
letting me quit.

Thank you to Dr. Patti Peters for the endless running of numbers.

Thank you to all committee members for your meticulous examination of this work.

Many thanks to my parents, LeGrand and Mary Anne Andersen, for giving the gift of
music and a love of learning

And thank you to my sweet men, Kevin and little Daniel, for whom this project cost the
most.

viii
2

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

“There is not a great deal of material that deals with the teaching of musical theater to

high school students specifically“ (Tucker, 2010, p. 84).

During the last century, the American musical grew in popularity throughout the

United States in professional, community and educational settings. Researchers (Seidel,

1991; Waack, 1983; Peluso, 1971; Nocks, 1970; Burnau, 1966) have reported that

through the last half of the twentieth century the number of high schools presenting

musicals steadily increased. As the musical moved into the high schools, it brought with

it unusual challenges, including the use of a technique of projecting the voice which

differed from the traditional bel canto style commonly associated with classical vocal

production.

Early forms of entertainment on the American stage included operetta, vaudeville,

and burlesque acts that commonly utilized the classical vocal style, usually featuring a

soprano and a tenor in the leading romantic roles (Patinkin, 2008; Kislan, 1980). But as

early as the mid-1930s, female roles were expanding from the typical soprano ingénue to

character roles (Kantor & Maslon, 2004). Often these roles demanded a more robust, less

refined vocal sound to match the needs of the script and the character. The term belting

came to be associated with this style of vocal production. The first recorded use of the

word belt as a verb, meaning to hit or attack, occurred in the 17th century. The term,

meaning to hit or knock out, was adopted during the 1930s by the sport of boxing. By the
3

1950s, the term, meaning to knock out the audience with a great performance, migrated

to the American stage, (Lighter, 1994; Ruhl, 1986)

The vocal music industry has yet to adopt a common pedagogical definition of

belt. This word means different things to different people, and the belt sound can have

differing qualities that one person might call belt, another twang, and still another nasal

(LeBorgne, 2001; Sullivan, 1989; Lebon, 1986). This lack of a common definition

causes problems in communication regarding the use of the belt voice. Furthermore,

there are several different Broadway vocal styles, not just belt, some of which more

closely resemble classical training than belt (Pickle, 1997). This style is commonly

referred to as legit, which is short for legitimate, meaning the singer uses elements of the

musical theater style but does it with a classical voice production similar to what is used

in operetta.

Miles & Hollien (1990) based their definition of belt on four perceptual

judgments of sound: loud, heavy phonation, little-to-no vibrato, and a high degree of

nasality. Bevan (1989) also reported that belt was perceived as loud and requiring more

vocal effort. Estill (1988) taught that belting is created, in part, by a nasal placement and

described it as loud and brassy, or sounding like yelling. Popeil (1999) also described

belting as speech-like or yell-like. Other examples of words used to describe the belt

sound include chest, pop, and mixed singing (LeBorgne, 2001). Tucker (2009) used

three definitions for vocal styles used in musical theater: legit as in the style of nineteenth

century operetta; mix as a melding of the chest and head registers; belt-mix, a type of belt

in which the larynx is held in a lower position resulting in less tension. Sullivan (1989)
4

described many different types of belt, including the use of terms such as split-belt,

twang, or nasal. This lack of agreement on terminology makes it difficult for teachers to

find common ground for discussion, let alone impart clear understanding to their

students.

Regardless of the style being sung, all vocal production should function under this

premise: respiration feeds phonation which then feeds resonance, all of which are

colored and supported by artistry and alignment (LeBorgne, 2011). Tucker (2009)

agreed, stating that good vocal training utilizes proper posture and alignment, good breath

support, and lack of extra tension in the body. In terms of vocal beauty, Ekholm et al.

(1998) presented the following thirteen characteristics: appropriate vibrato,

resonance/ring, color/warmth, clarity/focus, intensity, dynamic range, efficient breath

management, evenness of registration, flexibility, freedom throughout the vocal range,

intonation accuracy, legato line, and diction. “The more proficient a singer is at

producing these acoustic events, the more beautiful the voice is perceived” (Ekholm et al,

1998, p. 158). A second look at these parameters indicates they are not vocal-style

specific; they could be describing classical production, musical theater production, and

even pop/rock production. Based on the information cited in this study, the following

parameters will be used to define belt: the vocal tract is in a shorter and wider

configuration with a slightly raised larynx; the corners of the mouth are retracted, or

slightly pulled wide and back towards the ears, as if smiling, which helps shape a bright,

loud sound. The safe production of belt requires concentrated core muscular support and

high amounts of energy (LoVetri, 2003; Popeil, 1999; Estill, 1988; Boardman, 1987).
5

According to Ruhl (1986), belting was introduced to the mainstream as early as

the turn of the twentieth century by African-American blues vocalists. Shaw (1982)

placed the development of belting in the early 1950s with the rise of pop/rock music.

However, in the musical theater genre, many scholars consider Ethel Merman to be the

first modern Broadway belter. She was not a formally trained singer and had a very

unconventional, bright, and extremely loud voice that composers loved. Gershwin,

Berlin, and Porter all enjoyed writing roles for her because her unique vocal abilities

allowed them to write female character roles (Patinkin, 2008; Kantor & Maslon, 2004).

By the late 1940s, the plots of musicals expanded to include two female roles, one

soprano and one belter. The soprano often remained the love interest while the belter

served as the quirky sidekick or worldly-wise counterpart as manifested in musicals from

“Anything Goes” to “Oklahoma” to “Guys and Dolls” (Kantor & Maslon, 2004).

By the early 1970s the form had developed to include using belters to sing the

leading female role. One of the ways this was accomplished was that songs were written

in lower keys to allow for a full voice belt to be utilized. However, by the late 1990s,

composers writing for female belters were expanding the vocal range to include pitches

traditionally sung by sopranos. This resulted in the development of a sound commonly

referred to as high belt or mix-belt, in which the singer carries the belt quality much

higher.

In women, belt can be produced in two ways. Each of these methods is

dependent on the balance among the cartilages and muscles housed in the throat and

surrounding the vocal folds. These muscles and cartilages are in a constant state of
6

change when the vocal folds are active. It is the balance of these muscles and cartilages

at any given point in time that determines, in part, what pitch is being produced and the

quality of the sound (McKinney, 1994). When the muscles and cartilages known as the

thyroarytenoids are predominately in use, the resulting sound is heavier in timbre. This is

referred to as a heavy mechanism. When the muscles and cartilages known as the

cricoarytenoids are predominately in use, the resulting sound is lighter in timbre. This is

referred to as a light mechanism (LeBorgne, 2011; McKinney, 1994; Estill, 1988).

Therefore, one style of belting is when a heavy mechanism is carried as high as

possible, usually topping out at C51. It employs very limited use of the light mechanism.

The other style is created when a mix of the heavy and light mechanism occurs in the

mid-range, usually beginning around F#4. Allowing a gradual mixing from the heavy

mechanism to the light mechanism allows the belt quality to be carried higher, sometimes

even as high as A5. This method of production is often called the mix-belt. Few studies,

if any, define the difference among vocal production methods within the genre of belt. It

is also difficult for the adolescent to produce either style due to the immature vocal

mechanism and the limitations of the developing voice (Tucker, 2009). Therefore, for the

purposes of this study, no differentiation will be made between the heavy belt and the

1
One of the common ways to identify a specific pitch is to place it on the piano
keyboard. The piano has 88 keys. Starting at the bottom of the piano and ascending the
keyboard gives each specific pitch a designation based on the name of the note and
number of octaves from the lowest key. An octave is an eight-note pattern that repeats
over and over. When starting from the bottom of the keyboard, any note in that first
octave would be designated as 1. For example, A1, B1, C1, etc. The pitch referred to as
middle C is located in the middle of the keyboard and is designated as C4. The pitches
referred to in this paper are all above C4, which places them predominately in the female
range.
7

mix belt; both qualities will be referred to as belt. This study does not refer to or address

the style of screlting, or the pop/rock sound on the musical theater stage.

The study and teaching of the western classical sound, known as bel canto, has

been taught since the 17th century, and since that time has been considered the correct

method of vocal production (LeBorgne, 2001; Schutte & Miller, 1993). Production of the

belt sound has long been suspect by teachers of classical voice (LeBorgne, 2011, 2001;

Noone, 2008; Pickle, 1997; Sullivan, 1989; Bevan, 1989). This is, in part, because the

term belting has often been used synonymously as an unhealthy use of the vocal

mechanism. However, much of the criticism of belt production is based on personal

dislike of the auditory and acoustic properties rather than authenticated study of how the

sound is produced (Ragsdale, 2004, Bevan, 1989). It only has been in the last several

decades that the use of the belt voice has gained validation through scientific study

(LeBorgne, 2011, 2001; Noone, 2008; Melton, 2007; LoVetri, 2003; Schutte & Miller,

1993; Miles & Hollien, 1990; Sullivan, 1989; Lebon, 1986, Lawrence, 1979). Research

has shown that the belt sound is produced in a different manner than the classical sound

and can be produced in a healthy manner (Melton, 2007; Ragsdale, 2004; LoVetri, 2003;

LeBorgne, 2001; Sullivan, 1989; Lebon, 1986).

In 1990, Miles and Hollien presented an essay on belting. Although they

admitted that their findings were based solely on their observations and were not based

on empirical study, it was a good example of how the misconceptions of belt are

perpetuated. Their observations were mostly presented from a negative perspective.

Miles and Hollien presented the idea that belting was an extension of the chest voice into
8

higher registers than normally seen, resulting in the voice working in higher frequencies.

It was further suggested that the belt would break or crack at C5 due to the inability of the

larynx to remain in a raised and tilted position at that pitch.

While there is truth in both of those statements, the article also had a large section

about the detrimental effects of belting, including an unsubstantiated claim that nodules

and permanent damage would occur to the vocal folds if singing in the belt style.

Eventually researchers presented information that the incident of vocal pathologies in

belters and classical singers is approximately the same (LeBorgne, 2011), but it was this

kind of opinionated reporting that often resulted in the perception that the use of belt

would be detrimental to a singer.

Miles and Hollien further stated that the ability to belt is an inborn characteristic

reserved for extraordinary voices. In other words, it cannot be taught. Silver (1985) had

presented this same opinion five years earlier stating that belters are born, not trained.

However, as understanding of belt pedagogy progressed, other researchers presented

information that healthy belting can, in fact, be taught (Sabella-Mills, 2010; Tucker,

2009; Hall, 2007; LoVetri & Weekly, 2003; LeBorgne, 2001; Edwin, 1998; Schutte &

Miller, 1993; Estill, 1988; Boardman, 1987; Lebon, 1986).

With the popularity of musical theater in high school and the various vocal styles

that can be used, it is imperative that music educators are trained in, and aware of,

healthy belt production. The adolescent voice is already vulnerable due to the immaturity

and instability of the changing vocal mechanism (Tucker, 2009). The adolescent singer

usually has limited vocal training as well. When the adolescent singer tries to imitate
9

mature voices without being adequately trained, an environment for the possible

development of vocal pathologies can be created. Music educators need to be aware of

the abilities and limitations of the adolescent singer in order to provide the best guidance

regarding correct vocal use.

Use of amplification can be one of the ways of providing protection for singers.

Musical theater performers usually have an expectation of amplification. Some classical

enthusiasts consider this as a signal of vocal inferiority (Pickle, 1997). Opera singers are

trained to sing over an orchestra by utilizing the ring of the voice along with placement

(LeBorgne, 2001). However, for the musical theater singer, amplification allows the

singer to be heard over electronic instruments (Jamison, 1996). Musical theater singers

are also expected to sing up to 8 shows a week, as opposed to the 2 or 3 of an opera

singer. Use of amplification is a protection device, allowing the singer to work not as

hard. In addition, since story telling is the focus of musical theater singing, use of

amplification allows the singer to use a wider range of vocal coloration, pitch range, and

dynamics. Use of amplification should not be considered a compromise of musical

integrity (Noone, 2008; Pickle, 1997). LeBorgne (2001) and White (1978) both

advocated that amplification should be used even at the high school level. This, in turn,

calls attention for the need of the high school to afford and correctly use good quality

amplification.

Purpose and Need for Study

The purpose of this exploratory study is to examine opinions, knowledge, and

training of high school music educators regarding the use of belt by adolescent females.
10

In-service high school music educators were asked to complete an online survey that

examined their undergraduate and in-service training and preparation to teach belt, and

knowledge and personal opinions regarding the use of belt. The objective is to identify

what training high school music educators receive as part of their undergraduate studies

to teach musical theater vocal production and their respective personal knowledge and

opinions of belt vocal production. The choice to use an exploratory study was based on

the lack of research on this specific topic. Exploratory studies are often used when a

topic is being examined for the first time. Using this kind of a study initially collects

large amounts of information on a particular topic. Exploratory studies often fail in terms

of generating data that is statistically significant (p<.05) due to the nature of collecting

large amounts of information, but the information that is gathered can then be examined

and refined to inform further research. Exploratory research can help to define what

questions should be asked and what specific focus a strand of research should take (Jupp,

2006).

High school choral music, band, drama, or language arts educators may be given

the assignment of directing the school musical whether or not they have the training or

knowledge to do so (Davey, 2010; Tucker, 2009). Of the studies that do exist, none of

them specifically discussed the use of the belt voice. Davey (2010) reported:

Aside from Williams’ dissertation (2003) on the wide ranging duties

of the music educator in working in musical theatre, recent writings

on musical theatre in education are limited to a small number of studies

on musical theater and related topics, articles in professional journals,


11

books on musical theatre history, and “how-to” books on the practical

aspects of production (p. 5).

Limited research has been done specifically focusing on belt and its effects on the

adolescent voice. Smith-Vaughn (2007) conducted a study that examined the effect of

different singing styles on the developing adolescent voice. The researcher looked at

three different vocal styles: choral, gospel, and musical theater. The researcher used a

stroboscope (a tool for examining the vocal folds in which a small camera is threaded

through the nasal passages so that it is placed in position to photograph the movement of

the vocal folds) to measure tension and found that laryngeal imaging showed that musical

theater produced the most tension in the young singer, followed by gospel, and then

choral. However, in an auditory evaluation, evaluators found no difference among the

three styles. Smith-Vaughn argued that the adolescents who are most at risk for

developing pathologies are those who have little or no vocal training and compensate

with poor vocal technique. The researcher noted that very often the difficulty for the

young singer attempting to sing a Broadway score is the tessitura, or the common pitch

range within a piece of music. Smith-Vaughn further reported that fatigue is a common

pathology of the young singer. This can be due to over-singing, lack of amplification, or

lack of knowledge on how to protect the vocal mechanism. Smith-Vaughn concluded the

study by calling for more research on the adolescent voice and the need to ensure healthy

singing in students.

Waller (2007) developed a profile of the adolescent singer and speaker. In the

study, he noted that one of the concerns of middle and high school choral educators is the
12

use of incorrect or unhealthy technique by the student and the increasing demands of a

mature repertoire. Waller noted that in adolescence, major physical changes occur

including, but not limited to, lengthening and thickening of the vocal folds, the stiffening

of cartilage, and the location of the vocal process moving from being located by the first

and third vertebrae to between the sixth and the seventh. Incomplete glottal closure, or

the inability of the vocal folds to correctly come together along the full length of the

folds, is common among young female singers, which can be a problem as research has

shown that the glottis remains closed longer when belting. It may be that the physical

inability to fully close the glottis manifests as tension, because the body is being forced to

do something it physically cannot do.

Andrews (1997) examined children who use high speech or singing patterns.

Andrews noted that some of these children have the opportunity to study with vocal

professionals who can help them navigate the demands of vocal use at a young age.

Other children, however, do not have the appropriate training to meet vocal demands that

can lead to them being more susceptible to developing vocal pathologies. Of greatest

concern is the child who develops patterns of excessive vocal use to meet a specific need,

such as a heavy mechanism belt, and then adopts this as the normal mode of voice use.

This might especially be true for the adolescent singer trying to compensate for vocal

deficiencies experienced as the voice mutates toward a more mature production.

Jamison (1996) examined what expectations should be made of the adolescent

singer, and discussed the difficulties that might be present in the young singer, including

fatigue, inadequacy of technique, musical demands, length of rehearsal time, incorrect


13

vocal technique, and unrealistic expectations from adults. Jamison also noted that

incorrect repertoire was a common cause of difficulties for the young singer. For

example, classical repertoire is assigned by range and timbre, allowing for a close match

between the demands of the song and the ability of the singer, whereas musical theater

repertoire is often set in the key best suited to the original Broadway artist.

As early as 1978, White had already addressed these issues noting that fatigue is

the most common problem for the young singer. He also called for special attention to be

given in selecting a musical that is appropriate for young singers. White suggested that

casting be made by vocal ability and not physical type. He also called for the use of

amplification and a rehearsal schedule that addressed reducing fatigue. White cautioned

the profession to select age appropriate material. Unfortunately for the young singer,

musical theater roles are usually written for vocally mature professional singers and may

be beyond the physical and developmental abilities of young singers.

While many voice professionals would balk at requiring their young singers to

perform a Verdi or Wagner opera role, young singers are often asked to take on musical

theater roles beyond their current abilities (Sabella-Miles, 2010). Both styles of singing

have specific requirements that require mature, trained voices to successfully accomplish

the requirements of the music. Awareness of the challenges facing the adolescent singer

can aid the voice professional in helping the singer develop and utilize a healthy

production. However, the adult in charge of the musical often has limited, if any, training

in teaching voice or in dealing specifically with belt vocal production (Davey, 2010;

Williams, 2003; Lovetri & Weekly, 2003; Binnema, 1996; Sample, 1964).
14

This misperception has been further exacerbated by the television show Glee that

portrays mature twenty-something singers, many with Broadway credits, as high school

students. The plot revolves around a group of students who have incredible voices and

who gravitate to the school’s show choir. While not even a class in the curriculum, the

show choir presents weekly major production numbers complete with costumes,

choreography, live musicians, and professional-level singing. Several researchers

(Bishop, 1994; Howard, 1990; Weiss, 1978) note that students are not professional

performers and that the goal of the high school production should be a balanced

combination of education and artistry. Glee portrays an unrealistic example of the

abilities of high school performers (Olsen, 2011). The adolescent voice can be at a

variety of developmental levels, most of which are not strong enough to handle the

requirements of the musical theater repertoire. Those voices that mature early are the

exception, not the rule.

Davey (2010) engaged in a study that looked at the attitudes, preparation, and

responsibilities of the secondary music education teacher in producing the high school

musical. Davey found that 35% of the respondents to his survey reported that their own

interest in musical theater originated from their own experience in high school. Of those

same respondents, 65% reported receiving no training in undergraduate studies in

teaching others in musical theater vocal production. Curiously, 61% of those same

respondents reported feeling competent in working with singers of the musical theater

genre. Most music educators reported little to no preparation for the musical theater

experience, claiming to get most of it through active participation in the activity. While
15

Davey’s study yielded much additional useful data, it focused on multiple topics of

producing a high school musical. It did not specifically address training and attitudes of

music educators toward the use of belt.

Williams (2003) engaged in a study that examined the proficiency of music

educators in dealing with non-musical aspects of the high school musical. In a survey of

pre-service teachers, respondents reported they did not feel prepared by undergraduate or

graduate courses to take on the role of producer, director, or set designer. While these

findings may inform additional areas of study for the pre-service teacher, Williams’ study

did not address any of the musical aspects of the high school musical, including either the

use of belt or the needs of the adolescent singer.

LoVetri and Weekly’s (2003) study addressed the preparation of teachers to teach

more contemporary vocal styles. However, their study focused specifically on college-

level and private studio voice teachers and did not include secondary music educators.

LoVetri and Weekly stated the need for teachers that were specifically trained in the

contemporary styles, noting that even if a student recognized the need for specialized

vocal training, it was difficult to find.

Howard (1990) presented a study in which she developed a form for high schools

to use to identify performance problems when selecting a musical. The form provided

structure for overall evaluation ranging from number of roles to difficulty of

orchestration. It indirectly addressed the needs of the adolescent singer by encouraging

examination of tessitura. What it did not define were the needs of the adolescent singer

or the methods that can be utilized to teach the singer appropriate vocal technique.
16

Tucker (2009) presented narrative research focused on teaching musical theater

voice to the high school student. While the information was valid, Tucker did not discuss

how to teach musical theater voice. Instead, Tucker focused on how the sound differed

from classical production and specifically how it manifests in the adolescent voice.

Several studies have documented that music educators often do not have training

in the area of belt vocal production (Davey, 2010; Tucker, 2009; Phillips, 2004;

Williams, 2003; Van Houten, 1996; Hobgood, 1991; Robinson & Poole, 1990; Burnau,

1970; Sample, 1964). What has not been examined is what the high school music

educator specifically knows about how belt is produced. Therefore, students seeking to

study in the belt style often have to look to a private teacher for training, as even

collegiate programs tend to focus on classical training (LoVetri & Weekly, 2003).

However, there is no licensing procedure currently in place for private voice teachers.

This lack of quality control can sometimes leave students at the mercy of non-

professionals that may or may not have the training and understanding to teach belt in a

healthy manner (LoVetri, 2011; Schutte & Miller, 1993).

Any misuse of the voice can result in vocal pathologies that can require simple

corrective techniques up to vocal fold surgery to correct (Miles & Hollien, 1990; Lebon,

1986). However, Estill (1998) and Thurman and Klitze (1994) believe that belting can be

performed safely even in young singers as long as they are trained correctly. It is not the

belt style that causes damage; it is the incorrect production of belt that has the potential to

cause damage. This point holds true for any style of vocal production (LeBorgne, 2011;

Tucker, 2009; LoVetri, 2003; Lawrence, 1979). Therefore, it becomes imperative that if
17

a high school is going to allow a student to use belt vocal production that, first, the

educator is able to identify that belt is being used, and, second, there must be someone

trained and knowledgeable in the use of belt available to assist the student.

In summary, while there are studies that examine various aspects of the high

school musical, there are few that address the needs of the adolescent singer, and none

that specifically address the preparation of music educators to teach belt to the adolescent

singer. Additionally, there are no studies that specifically address the knowledge and

opinions held by music educators regarding the use of belt by adolescent singers.

Therefore, this study will be exploratory in an attempt to find ways of addressing the

topic and identifying avenues of research.

Research Questions

This study examines the knowledge and opinions of high school music educators

regarding the vocal style known as belt. In addition, the study will identify if, and to

what level or depth, the subjects received undergraduate or in-service training in teaching

and using belt. Through the use of an online survey, the following questions will guide

the research:

1. What are the opinions and knowledge of high school music educators

regarding the use of belt by female (ages 13-19) adolescent singers?

2. What education or experiences do high school music educators have to

prepare them to instruct female adolescents in the correct production of belt?


18

Definition of Terms

This glossary provides definitions of words used in this study. Some of words

may be unfamiliar to the reader so the definitions are presented in one of two forms. One

form is a simple definition of the vocabulary term. The other is a definition based more

on physical function such as a description of the process represented by the word.

Adolescent

For the purposes of this paper, adolescent will refer to female students grades 9-

12. Depending on each student’s birthday, these students could be between ages 13-19.

Bel canto

An Italian form of singing that flourished from the 17th to 19th centuries. It

requires a clear and consistent tone, long phrases, evenly sustained notes, the ability to

sing at different volumes, and good enunciation (Grove’s, 1995). It requires a low

larynx, long vocal tract, a throat free of unnecessary tension, especially at the top of the

throat, and heavily relies on the breath. It is still upheld as the classical tradition today

(LeBorgne, 2001; Schutte & Miller, 1993).

Belt

Although not formally adopted by the vocal community, belt is often described as

a form of vocal production that utilizes high emotion, lower tessitura, a raised larynx,

thick vocal folds, a bright, loud sound, and requires tremendous energy to produce

(Tucker, 2009; LeBorgne, 2001; Boardman, 1987). In an effort to ascertain what the

subjects in this study knew without providing any additional information, belt was
19

defined to the survey subjects as the Broadway sound in its broadest sense or a sound that

is not classical or bel canto in nature.

Chest Voice

Chest voice refers to the lowest registration of the female voice. It extends from

an individual’s lowest note to E4/F4 (see footnote on page 5). It is not belt (Balog, 2005;

Bevan, 1989) and has its own characteristics that include a rich, warm tone and uses

many overtones. If the chest voice is carried past E4/F4, the sound becomes thin as the

larynx begins to rise and the vocal folds begin to elongate (Tucker, 2009; Bevan, 1989).

Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM)

A term coined by LoVetri &Weekly (2003) that encompasses all contemporary

vocal styles such as belt, gospel, pop/rock, jazz, country, etc.

Glottal Closure

The glottis is the open space between the vocal folds. It is open during normal

breathing, but is pulled to a slit formation during phonation. The research on glottal

closure suggests that the glottis is closed for longer periods when belting than when

utilizing bel canto style singing creating more subglottal pressure (Estill, 1988; Lebon,

1986; McKinney, 1994).

Golden Age

An era in musical theater that began with Oklahoma! in 1943 and ended with

Fiddler on the Roof in 1964.


20

Heavy Mechanism

A term used to describe both the auditory perception and physical construction of

a sound. It refers to a brighter, fuller sound in which the thyroarytenoids are

predominately in use. When the thyroartenoid muscle is engaged, the vocal folds are

pulled into a state of tension, which in turn pulls the arytenoids forward which in part

determines the pitch of the sound (McKinney, 1994).

High Belt

A style of belting which is utilized an octave higher than heavy mechanism belt

usually beginning around C5. It is a head voice placement that employs pharyngeal

resonance, a wide and puffy tongue, and a forward lip posture (Sabella-Mills, 2010).

High School Music Educator

This term refers to both vocal and instrumental teachers teaching in a 9-12 high

school program. Some states grant a K-12 music teaching license so a teacher who

considers her/himself primarily an instrumentalist may be assigned to teach vocal music

classes.

Light Mechanism

A term used to describe both the auditory perception and physical construction of

a sound. It refers to a lighter, higher sound in which the cricoarytenoids are

predominately in use. The cricoarytenoids resist the forward pull of the arytenoid by the

vocalis muscle and also abduct the vocal folds by pulling the arytenoids out to each side

(McKinney, 1994).
21

Mix-Belt

An alternative to a full voice belt that moves the placement of the tone more into

the front of the face, resulting in a bright, forward sound. This placement allows the

larynx to sit in a lower position than with belt, allowing for smoother transitions between

registers. The soft palate is held in a high position in order to lessen the possibility of

nasality (Tucker, 2009).

Nasal Placement

The sound that occurs when the velopharyngeal port is left open causing the

resonance to occur in the nasal cavity resulting in a nasal or twangy sound (O’Connor,

2015).

Open Throat

“A complex process that is both a pedagogic instruction and a perceived sensation

or action that results in a specific sound quality . . . which is perceived as resonant, round,

free, pure, rich and warm (p. 430)” and lacking in tension (Mitchell & Kenny, 2008).

However, there is disagreement as to exactly what this term is describing. Miller (1996)

refrains from defining the term, preferring to simply state the commonalities among

definitions as a sense of openness but a lack of distortion in the sound.

Registration

This term has long been used by the voice world to describe the shift that occurs

as the voice modulates. These areas have traditionally been designated as the chest,

middle or mix, and head voice. Vennard (1967) described it as “an adjustment of the

larynx which produces tones of a particular quality for particular demands of range,
22

dynamics, etc.” (p. 248). Current research is moving away from that definition, as it

tends to create an image that at a particular pitch, the voice makes an abrupt adjustment

and resets to a new formation. Instead, researchers are moving toward the concept of

vocal tract reactance that refers to the continuous reshaping of the vocal tract during use

(Titze, 2010).

Resonance

“The process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre

and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside

air” (McKinney, 1994, p. 27). Resonance is therefore in part determined by an

individual’s physical make-up including physical size, shape of the head and mouth,

available open spaces in the nasal passages and sinuses, etc.

Stroboscopy

The practice of using a strobe to make cyclically moving objects to appear to be

in slow motion. It is used to examine vocal fold movement, usually by inserting a

rhinolaryngoscope through the nose so that it is placed in position to photograph the

movement of the vocal folds.

Tessitura

A term used to refer to where the average position of the notes in a piece of music

lies in relationship to the instrument for which it is written (Grove’s, 1995).

Timbre

An English adoption of a French term meaning an expression for the quality of a

sound, often referred to as tone-color. For example, a timbre could be light or heavy.
23

Vocal tract

This term describes the physical parts used for vocal production. It extends from

the lips to the vocal folds and includes the following: lips, teeth, oral cavity, hard palate,

soft palate, lower jaw, trachea, epiglottis, glottis, and vocal folds (McKinney, 1994).

Vocalis muscle

The vocalis muscle comprises the front two-thirds of the length of each vocal

fold. When contracted, it pulls the arytenoids forward, shortening the vocal folds, and

thus creating a specific pitch (McKinney, 1994).

Scope and limitations of the study

Research (Davey, 2010; Tucker, 2009; Williams, 2003) has shown that

undergraduate programs do not offer adequate training in preparing music educators for

producing musicals at the high school level. However, none of these studies has focused

specifically on examining the preparation of music educators to teach belt pedagogy and

the needs of the female adolescent singer. This study will assess how well prepared

music educators are to address vocal production issues in the high school musical. The

study will identify the depth and breadth of training music educators receive specific to

the belt voice as part of their undergraduate training. It will also examine what

knowledge and opinions music educators have regarding the use of belt. Results will be

analyzed as a way of providing suggestions for changes to undergraduate programs and

avenues for further research.

This study was limited to in-service teachers in music education and does not

include other educators who may also work with singers in preparation for high school
24

musical productions. Participants were high school vocal music educators who were

members of the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA). They were asked to

complete an e-mail survey that was administered via Qualtrics. No differentiation was

made between school district settings. However, since only vocal music educators from

one state were surveyed, the results may represent geographic tendencies that might not

be found in other areas of the United States. Association members self-select for

membership in this professional organization, so not all music educators in the state of

Ohio received the same opportunity to participate. Association members also had the

choice not to participate in the survey, so results were limited to those members who self-

selected to participate.

Summary

Studies (Davey, 2010; Williams, 2003) have shown that 80% of high schools

produce a musical at least every other year. The responsibility for producing the musical

often falls to the vocal music educators whether or not they have the training or

knowledge to provide correct technique to young singers. The purpose of this study was

to examine the knowledge, opinions, and training of high school music educators

regarding the use of belt vocal production by adolescent females. While there are studies

that examine different production aspects of the high school musical, there is limited

research on the extent of knowledge and training held by educators regarding their

understanding of belt and how belt might affect the female adolescent singer. The study

was guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the opinions and

knowledge of high school music educators regarding the use of belt by female (ages 13-
25

19) adolescent singers? (2) What education or experiences do high school music

educators have to prepare them to instruct female adolescents in the correct production of

belt?

This chapter provided a definition of the term belt through its historical

development in musical theater. This was followed by a description of how belt is

produced and an introduction of the possible vocal difficulties in the use of belt by the

female adolescent singer. A brief discussion of the negative perceptions of belt was

included as an introduction to some of the perceived issues regarding belt. Several

studies (Smith-Vaughn, 2007; Waller, 2007; Andrews, 1997; Jamison, 1996; White,

1978) were presented that examined some aspect of musicals and the adolescent female

performer. Most of those studies looked at the use of extreme speech or singing of any

type. None of them focused specifically on the use of belt and the adolescent female.

Studies that examined the role of the high school music educator and the musical

were presented. Davey’s (2010) study examined the requirements for the high school

music educator in producing the musical. Tucker’s (2009) study presented a narrative on

how musical theater vocal production differs from classical vocal production. However,

Tucker did not offer information regarding the training of belt. Williams’ (2003) study

examined the non-musical aspects of producing the musical. LoVetri and Weekly (2003)

looked at the preparation of collegiate and private voice teachers to teach belt and

contemporary vocal styles. In 1990, Howard developed a form to help educators select a

musical, but the form examined all aspects of the music, not just vocal production. A

definition of terms was presented. A discussion of the scope and limitations of the study
26

was presented. Those limitations included the inclusion of educators in only one state

and the issue of self-selection for participation.

Chapter two consists of a review of literature. The first section examines the

issues regarding the definition of belt. Several studies are discussed that examine the use

of belt by adolescent singers. The third section specifically examines the training that

music educators receive in the area of musical theater production. Studies regarding

assessment scales and lists of age appropriate shows are presented. Finally, studies that

call for the need for music educators to receive training in the various areas of a musical

are discussed.

Chapter three introduces the methodology that was used for data collection.

Detailed descriptions of question formatting are given. Studies that informed the

development of this survey are discussed. The process of selecting the sample is

explained. Detailed information regarding a pilot study is presented. Procedures for

survey distribution are given. In-service music educators were asked to complete a

survey online via Qualtrics. Participants were sent a letter of introduction and then the

survey. They were given four weeks to complete the survey. Data was collected

digitally via the Qualtrics site and then downloaded into SPSS for analysis.

Chapter four contains analysis of the data, including the use of T-tests and a one-

way ANOVA. Chapter five contains a discussion of the data and implications for future

studies. That is followed by recommendations for implementation of the findings.


27

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Introduction

Classical vocal pedagogy dates back to the Italian singing masters of the early 17th

century. This style is referred to as bel canto. It has been legitimized for the last four

hundred years in opera and art song and is therefore considered high-art singing (Noone,

2008). As detailed in chapter one, the use of belt allowed roles to be written for musical

theater performers that went beyond the typical casting of a soprano as the female lead.

However, the related literature shows that many classical singers and teachers of the

classical style feel that belting is basically yelling with the chest voice past normal

frequency limits without any attention to the needs of register changes (Lebon, 1986;

Ruhl, 1986; Schmidt, 1984; Reid, 1983; Rosewall, 1980; Bradley, 1979; Miller, 1977;

Howell, 1978; Rogers, 1969). In addition to their concerns of vocal heath, many classical

teachers simply dislike the brightness of the musical theater sound (Noone, 2008). The

judgment of vocal correctness is made on the perception of the sound instead of the

production of the sound. In an article written for the Journal of Singing, Edwin (2002)

addressed this issue noting that what is considered beautiful singing is still judged by

classical standards. He called for teachers of singing to coach singers in healthy and

efficient singing based on artistic and technical demands, regardless of style.

The main difference between the classical sound and the musical theater sound is

intent. Classical training and performance focus on the beauty of the sound. Everything

else, including story telling, is subordinate to the beauty of the music. In musical theater,
28

the importance is on story telling, which may not always match the bel canto definition of

beautiful singing. In a book that examined the relationship of singer as actor, Kayes

(2000) noted:

Classical singers are trained to sing beautifully. Their instrument

must be so well honed that, even when they are portraying angry or

sad, the sound is still in the larger context of beautiful singing . . .

Actors are working in a very different environment. Our musical

theater writers are not writing classical music, so it doesn’t make

sense to sing this music classically . . .You need not always sound

beautiful if you are singing musical theatre, and that doesn’t mean

you will be hurting your voice either (Kayes, 2000, p. xi).

Due to the emphasis on text, the belt singer may not be able to engage the vocal

practices such as vowel shape and open throat techniques used by classical singers to

enhance the beauty of the sound. If the belt voice is perceived as too trained, it cannot

serve the intended function (Schutte & Miller, 1993). LeBorgne (2001) explained that

although all people essentially have the same anatomy, singers are able to alter the sound

through manipulation of the larynx and configuration of the vocal tract. LeBorgne

further commented that the definition of vocal beauty has changed through time and is

often defined by the type of music being performed.

Belting and the Adolescent Singer

As stated in chapter one, one of the difficulties in dealing with belt is the lack of

an industry wide adopted common definition or pedagogical practice. Ragsdale (2004)


29

studied this issue and reported that the interest in belting comes with misconceptions and

conflicting beliefs, in part due to a lack of consensus regarding how belt is defined and

produced. To examine the issues, Ragsdale conducted personal interviews with teachers

of classical voice (n=3), teachers of non-classical voice (n=9), and successful mature

musical theater singers (n=3). Each subject was asked the same set of questions, but also

had the opportunity to elaborate due to the nature of the live interview. The responses

were then analyzed and examined for misconceptions or perceived disagreements.

Ragsdale found that the subjects often had differing opinions on definitions of belt and

how belt is produced, but, in general, there was more agreement than disagreement. This

confusion is part of the difficulty when attempting to discuss belt. A lack of consistent

terminology makes it difficult to engage in a discussion of belt.

Although LeBorgne’s (2001) dissertation did not focus specifically on the high

school experience, it warrants examination here as a definitive study on belt. LeBorgne’s

study examined two aspects of the belt voice: perceptual and objective. The perceptual

part focused on defining aspects of what makes a belt voice aesthetically pleasing. The

objective part engaged a comparison of the elite or professional belter with the average

belter. LeBorgne’s study was large, examining 16 research questions. The study used 20

(N=20) female subjects that sang primarily in the belt style. The subjects were all

enrolled in a musical theater performance course of study at several major universities,

and they had all actively been studying belt for at least a year.

LeBorgne first made an audio recording of all the singers singing several musical

theater selections that utilized belt. These recordings were then rated by three judges on
30

seven perceptual parameters. Out of the original 20 subjects, four (n=4) were identified

as elite belters and four as average belters. Those eight singers were then analyzed using

videostroboscopy and spectoral analysis. Videostroboscopy allows a recording to be

made of the vocal folds in action through the insertion of a rhinolaryngoscope that is

threaded through the nasal passages. Spectoral analysis creates visual images of different

aspects of a voice that is displayed in graph form on a computer. The subjects were also

measured for nasality and aerodynamic measures such as airflow and glottal closure. The

results showed that on most of the measures, there was a significant (p >.05) difference in

vocal production between the elite and average belters. However, LeBorgne found that

many of the findings were vowel specific and also subject specific. In other words, the

same singer would both display and not display certain defined characteristics based on

which vowel was being produced. This would suggest that belting can be trained and that

there is an identifiable measure of a belt done well.

Of greatest contribution is the discussion section. In this section, LeBorgne took

the quantifiable findings from the results section and used them to define perceptual

characteristics of the belt as a method of developing a definition for belt. LeBorgne

discussed the elements of loudness, intensity, vibrato, use of the Singer’s Ring, timbre,

focus, clarity, nasality, and registration as elements that define belt. LeBorgne was then

able to present the qualities of belt to which teachers and students should subscribe. The

implications for study suggested that if teachers and students can agree on the definition

of how belt is produced, it would provide a common language for further research and aid

in the development of a methodology for the teaching of belt.


31

Lebon (1986) wrote a dissertation that focused on the development of female

vocalist belt technique. Lebon used 15 (N=15) female vocalists between the ages of 15-

26. The vocal training of the subjects ranged from little formal training to more than four

years. Six (n=6) of the subjects had received only classical voice training, while five

(n=5) others had extensive experience performing in musicals. The subjects were not

randomly selected, but Lebon felt that they were diverse enough in experience to provide

valid results in the study. Each subject viewed four videotapes that demonstrated the

pedagogy of proper belting and then attempted to sing in the belt style. The study found

that a change was perceived in a subject’s sound beyond what would have happened by

chance. Lebon concluded that belting can be taught, but it takes time. Lebon further

noted that mental understanding often comes before the physical ability is manifested.

Tucker wrote a treatise in 2009 in completion of a DMA that focused on the use

of musical theater repertoire as a pedagogical tool in adolescent singers. Tucker

specifically focused on middle school and high school singers and noted that outside of a

choir, the musical is often the only other performance venue available to the high school

singer. Since choir has it roots in classical vocal tradition, singers are often left to

navigate the requirements of musical theater style on their own. In the first chapter,

Tucker offered a brief definition of belting as a bright sound produced with thick vocal

folds, and a raised larynx, utilizing a lower tessitura and high emotion. The next chapter

compared what she called the Broadway sound to classical vocal production. The third

chapter focused on selecting musical theater repertoire, with one section specifically

devoted to making selections based on ability of the performers. In a brief summary,


32

Tucker called for additional study in both the production of the musical theater sound and

the use of that sound by adolescent singers. Tucker specifically noted that teachers

needed to know how to correctly instruct their students in how to produce the musical

theater sound.

Although Tucker did not present options for addressing the problem, Tucker was

very aware of the issues of musical theater and the young singer. Tucker noted that an

inexperienced singer will try to push the belt too high, so the vocal folds are not able to

correctly elongate and thin. Young and inexperienced singers are already vulnerable due

to immaturity of the mechanism and the changes occurring in the unstable and fragile

adolescent voice. Tucker noted, “In an adolescent voice with limited vocal training and

endurance, the risk of misuse is high (in any vocal style)” (p. 21). Tucker also noted that

little research has been done in this area and that what research that has been done often

examines adult singers. Although Tucker did not specifically address how to train the

young voice, Tucker felt that the benefits of singing musical theater repertoire by young

singers outweighs the negative.

Smith-Vaughn (2007) conducted a study that compared the effects of different

singing styles--choral, gospel, and musical theater--on the developing adolescent voice.

Smith-Vaughn examined 20 (n=20) adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 and

utilized three different measurement tools. The first was an audio recording, the second

was an EGG with sensors placed on the outside of the neck to measure muscular neck

tension, and the third was stroboscopy using a rhinolaryngoscope. The subjects filled out

a questionnaire before participating in the study and analysis of the responses found that
33

most of the students self-reported engaging in behaviors that were detrimental to their

voices, such as overuse or lack of sleep.

Smith-Vaughn found that 100% of the subjects sang in the classical style with

little tension. For the gospel style, 73.7% sang with little tension and 57.9% sang the

musical theater style with little tension. The remaining 42.1% sang with varying degrees

of tension in the vocal ligature and vocal folds. However, in the areas of vocal fold edge

integrity, vertical level of vocal fold approximation, glottal closure, phase closure, phase

symmetry, mucosal wave, and amplitude, all vocal styles measured equally. An auditory

analysis of the subjects yielded no perceptual differences between styles (p>.05).

However, inter-rater reliability was poor because only two judges were used. The

findings showed that the adolescents who are most at risk for developing pathologies are

those who have little or no vocal training and then compensate using poor vocal

technique. Fatigue due to over-singing, singing too loud, lack of amplification, or lack of

knowledge on how to protect the mechanism manifested as the most common pathology

in young singers.

Specific Studies on Musical Theater and High School

As noted above, there are few studies that address the effect of belt production on

the young voice. While most studies of the adolescent voice agree that the voice is in a

fragile and transitional state, little attention is given to how different styles of singing

may affect the young voice. This may be due in part to the fact that research on the use

of belt in adults is still limited and is sometimes ambiguous. There is a fairly large body

of articles on the belt and on the female adolescent singer that are found in professional
34

journals such as Teaching Music, Music Educator’s Journal, Journal of Singing, and

Journal of Voice. While these are not research studies, they are often written by teachers

with years of experience and provide insight and understanding into these issues. The

studies presented here are those that deal directly with the high school musical, the

educators in charge of the musical, or the effect of the Broadway sound on the adolescent

voice.

Williams (2003) engaged in a study that examined the responsibilities and

preparation of secondary music educators in teaching musical theater. The study focused

on the non-musical aspects of a musical. Williams conducted a survey of high schools in

Ohio. Subjects (N=250) were randomly chosen from 714 high schools in the 2001-2002

school year. Of those chosen, 96 (n=96) responded to the survey. Williams employed a

mix of quantitative and qualitative research methods. The survey examined six major

topics, including listing titles of theater training courses taken as a pre-service teacher,

preparedness to work on a high school musical as a result of undergraduate courses,

theater training courses taken outside of the educational system, and skills learned on the

job.

Williams found that 84.6% of the schools surveyed performed a musical at least

once every other year. Of the schools surveyed, 63.3% performed a musical every year,

and most music teachers were involved in some capacity. The majority of the work in

vocal direction (80.2%) was assigned to the music teachers. In addition, the music

teachers also performed the non-musical aspects of musical theater production. This

included the areas of producing (51%), set design (30.2%), lighting design (40.7%),
35

costume design (40.6%), prop construction (38.5%), choreography (12.5%), and direction

(51%). In fact, Williams found that music educators assumed directing responsibilities

42% of the time compared to drama teachers at 36% of the time.

Of vocal-only teachers, 65.7% agreed that undergraduate course work prepared

them to serve as vocal directors. However, only 22.4% of instrumental-only teachers

agreed that undergraduate course work prepared them to work on the musical. Teachers

who had a general music education degree reported undergraduate preparation at only

7.8%. Of those surveyed, the most common undergraduate courses listed were theater

history, vocal direction, instrumental direction, or personally being a part of their

university musical production as either a member of the cast, crew, or orchestra.

Respondents who received training from personal experiences outside of the educational

scope listed their experiences in community theater as their primary source.

While the study did not ask the music educators to identify their main instrument

of study in undergraduate courses, Williams implied that vocal music education majors

will probably be faced with directing some aspect of the high school musical and that all

music educators, especially vocal, should devote some electives to theater classes in

preparation for this responsibility. Furthermore, Williams called for undergraduate

programs to specifically provide training to deal with the musical genre in their methods

classes.

Davey’s (2010) study of Arizona music educators looked at the attitudes,

preparation, and responsibilities of the secondary music education teacher to select

musical theater vocal and instrumental music. Davey used quantitative methods
36

employing a research-constructed survey to collect data related to the topic. The survey

included 39 questions and was modeled after William’s (2003) survey. The questions

utilized Likert-scale response and open-ended questions. It also collected demographic

information. After pre-testing, the survey was sent to 417 (N=417) Arizona secondary

music educators. A total of 225 (n=225) responses were analyzed.

Davey found that 46.2% of schools that responded produce a musical every year

and 35.7% of schools produce a musical every other year. Davey also found that vocal

direction usually falls to the choral teacher (29.8%) while the orchestra usually is under

the direction of the instrumental teacher (36%). The musical director (31.1%) for the

production might be either. Furthermore, Davey reported that among all faculty members

involved in producing the musical, music educators reported that the drama teacher was

the most involved at 95.5% of the time.

Davey also examined where teachers received their training in musical theater

education. Only 16.3% reported taking musical theatre/drama methods as an

undergraduate. Only 24.8% agreed that they had received undergraduate training for the

musical theater voice, with 65% responding that they received no training in teaching

musical theater voice.

In summary, Davey pointed out that with 80% of Arizona schools reporting

producing a musical at least every other year, it is imperative that music educators

receive proper training at the pre-service level. Davey further suggested that music

education students should take undergraduate courses in dance and theater in preparation

for facilitating the high school musical. In addition, Davey noted there is almost no
37

literature available on how the musical affects the adolescent voice, nor are there any

studies available on the high school pit musician.

Knowledge of the available repertoire is another possible stumbling block. Music

educators might inadvertently select shows that will have a large box office appeal

without always considering the vocal requirements of the production. In an article

published in Music Educators Journal, White (1978) addressed the possibility of vocal

abuse that might occur for high school students participating in a musical. White stated

that musicals should be selected based on the needs and abilities of the adolescent voice.

If the music educator is not aware of these needs or of the possible repertoire options

available, it can result in long hours and frustration for all involved or vocal damage to

young voices.

Tiboris’ (1980) dissertation focused on developing a performance difficulty

assessment scale for musical theater vocal literature. Tiboris interviewed 3 university-

level voice professors and 3 graduate students. Over the course of several meetings, they

discussed the different descriptors (such as rhythm or vocal line) that make a song

difficult to sing. The group narrowed the list down to 10 items. This list was then

employed to analyze specific songs from both musical theater repertoire and classical

repertoire. Although Tiboris presented hundreds of pages of analysis, it is unclear as to

why the assessment scale was not made available for use.

Several researchers (Davey, 2010; Howard, 1990; Lee, 1983) put forth lists of

shows they deem most appropriate for the young musical theater performer. In a

dissertation that suggested methods to address performance problems in high school


38

musicals, Howard (1990) created a form for high schools to use to identify possible areas

of difficulty when selecting a musical. Howard developed the form that was then

evaluated by members of the Pennsylvania Music Education Association. Following

corrections and approvals, Howard selected 7 high schools within a 100-mile radius of

York, Pennsylvania, that were currently engaged in a musical to complete the form.

Howard also collected data from interviews. Howard developed this form in response to

the problem that musicals are usually intended for mature adult performers, rather than

adolescents.

Howard felt the form would aid educators in selecting appropriate material and

cautioned that careful attention must be paid to the abilities and limitations of student

performers. Howard further encouraged music educators to carefully analyze the musical

structure and complete an harmonic analysis, areas that she felt are frequently

overlooked. Howard completed the analysis of the following shows: Carousel; Hello,

Dolly!; Man of La Mancha;, Oklahoma!; Once Upon a Mattress; South Pacific; and West

Side Story. It should be noted that Howard did not specifically suggest these musicals as

appropriate, but used those shows as examples of utilizing the form.

In an article published in the Music Educators Journal, Lee (1983) presented this

list as appropriate material for the high school setting: Brigadoon; Camelot; Carousel;

Fiddler on the Roof; Finninan’s Rainbow; The Music Man; My Fair Lady; Oklahoma!;

The Sound of Music; and South Pacific. Both Howard’s and Lee’s lists are comprised of

musicals identified with the Golden Age of musicals when an accepted mode of vocal

production was still the use of legitimate placement as opposed to belting or the
39

contemporary commercial music sound.

Davey’s (2010) survey required music educators to list the shows they found most

successful. Of the 96 shows listed by survey respondents, the most frequently listed, in

order of popularity, were: Grease; Bye, Bye, Birdie; Guys & Dolls; You’re a Good Man,

Charlie Brown; Into the Woods; Oklahoma!; Fiddler on the Roof; Little Shop of Horrors;

Beauty and the Beast; Footloose; Once Upon a Mattress; Pirates of Penzance; Seussical;

and The Music Man. The shows on this list are either from the Golden Age or call for an

adolescent or character sound and could be performed without the use of heavy

mechanism belt, allowing for either the natural adolescent voice or a more legitimate

approach to vocal production.

Pre-service and in-service Teacher Training

As early as 1989, Saldana was calling for research about students of all ages and

the effects of their theatrical experiences. Studies by Seidel (1991), Waack (1983),

Peluso (1971), Nocks (1970), and Burnau (1966) presented findings showing a steady

increase in the number of high schools in the United States presenting musicals

throughout the last half of the twentieth century. A study by Williams (2003) found that

up to 85% of high schools in Ohio were producing musicals at least every other year.

Davey (2010) found similar numbers among secondary schools in Arizona with 80% of

schools reporting they produced musicals. With such high numbers of musicals being

produced, it is surprising that “there is not a great deal of material that deals with the

teaching of musical theater to high school students specifically” (Tucker, 2009, p. 84).

While some studies discussed here do examine the effects of the musicals on students,
40

there are no studies that look at what high school students are being taught about belt and

musical theater performance, and who is teaching them.

There is also a lack of research examining the preparation of music educators who

facilitate the high school musical (Davey, 2010). Neither the 1974, 2002, or 2013

recommendations of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) included

training in musical theater vocal pedagogy as part of the pre-service course work for

music education majors. The requirements are only that the music educator be trained

and accomplished in one major area of performance. In addition, the requirement for a

vocal performance major is just for vocal pedagogy course work, but it does not specify

style. Even the NASM requirements for musical theater majors call for “vocal

production and technique sufficient to present complete roles in full production” (p. 158),

but do not specify a particular vocal style. In a book written in 1950, Ballet addressed the

lack of technical theater training for high school theater teachers, often resulting in both

directors and students reaching beyond their abilities. Forty-three years later, Williams

(2003) still was addressing the same problem and reported that pre-service teachers did

not feel prepared by undergraduate courses to take on the various responsibilities of a

musical.

In 2003, LoVetri and Weekly presented a study in the Journal of Singing that

examined the preparation of teachers to teach contemporary styles that include everything

except classical, focusing on what LoVetri calls Contemporary Commercial Music

(CCM). At the time it was published, LoVetri and Weekly had located 31 schools of

music and 40 schools of theater at the collegiate level in the United States and Canada
41

that were offering Bachelor’s degrees in musical theater with one school offering a

Master’s degree in musical theater. However, none of them offered courses or degrees in

CCM. Vocal training was either in the classical style pedagogy or vocal music education.

LoVetri and Weekly developed a four-part questionnaire that contained 21

questions covering CCM in the categories of performance experience, teaching

experience, knowledge of voice science and medicine, and musical theater teaching,

including a section on terminology. The questionnaire was distributed at various

National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) events over a 16-month period. At

the end of that time, 139 surveys had been returned. The majority of respondents were

from colleges and universities followed by private teachers with their own studios. Most

of the respondents were females whose average age was 48. The average age for males

was 53.

The respondents self-reported feeling comfortable with voice science and

medicine, including vocal health and clinical work. Most of the respondents indicated

that they had personal performance experience in some type of CCM. Slightly over 100

respondents listed musical theater followed by vocal jazz. Ninety-one percent (91%) of

the 139 respondents reported teaching primarily musical theater style. However, only

45% of those teaching musical theater had any training in teaching CCM and only 21%

had received their training in undergraduate or graduate level studies. The way the

survey was designed meant that only one hour of a master class or seminar was

considered trained. The remaining respondents learned on their own through attendance

at workshops or seminars. Only 20% of those teaching musical theater also had
42

experience as a professional performer in that style. Conversely, 19% of those teaching

the musical theater style had neither training nor personal performance experience. Of

the faculty teaching musical theater at the university level, 34% had no experience or

university level training in teaching musical theater. LoVetri and Weekly suggested that

a possible follow up research topic might include asking those teaching CCM at the

university level what training they had specifically received and by whom, how long, and

under what philosophy. As LoVetri and Weekly noted, the current demand for teachers

in CCM, and specifically the musical theater style, is much higher than those actually

trained to teach in that style.

The responsibilities of the vocal director can often fall to the choral director.

However, the choral director may not have the skills or training necessary to coach the

adolescent musical theater singer (Davey, 2010). The goals of the choral sound are not

always in alignment with the needs of the solo voice. The goal of training the musical

theater singer is often to develop the unique sound of that singer. A choral music director

who has been assigned to work with the musical may not have the training to recognize

or accept the difference between the two goals.

In his book, Directing the Choral Music Program, Phillips (2004) addressed the

need for pre-service choral directors to be given basic training in musical theater before

working on their first production:

Music educators are not professional entertainers, even though much of

the public may think of them that way. In the profession of choral music

education, the correct focus is on education. Therefore, even the


43

Broadway musical becomes a vehicle for imparting knowledge, improving

skills, and developing a love for music (p. 210).

Phillips devoted an entire chapter to discussing the musical. Within that chapter, he

devoted much time to the educational and developmental benefits of musical theater.

Davey (2010) supported these findings, stating that most music educators had no training

in musical theater, and called for:

musical theater topics (to) be integrated into the choral, drama, and

instrumental methods class syllabus. Not only are musical theater

music-teaching methods needed but non-musical leadership tasks

are often required of the music educator, and should at least be introduced

to future secondary music educators (p. 172).

The studies that do examine the impact of the musical on students tend to focus

on the emotional and social effects of participating in the school musical. In an article

written for Teaching Education, Ogden, DeLuca and Searle (2010) found the following

aspects to be the most important outcomes of participating in a musical: immediateness

and difficulty of experience, autonomy or responsibility for personal investment,

relationships or a sense of belonging, how the experience affected other aspects of their

lives, such as vitality or energy and enthusiasm and joy.

Watkins’ (2005) study looked at how participation in the high school musical

affected participants. Watkins used mixed methods to examine 12 case studies.

Interviews were recorded and responses were coded for common themes. Watkins found

that for the high school student, the social acceptance function was more important than
44

the performance function for students participating in musicals. Watkins felt that musical

theater repertoire was very appropriate for high school students. While opera or operetta

might be beyond their abilities, musical theater remained within their physical abilities to

perform safely. This statement might hold true if all musicals were of one vocal style,

range, and character and were written for specifically for the adolescent voice. While

there are notable exceptions, such as Jason Robert Brown’s 13, Charles Strouse’s Bye,

Bye, Birdie and Annie, most musicals are written for mature adults with mature voices

(Sabella-Milles, 2011).

Watkins (2005) reported similar findings stating that music educators should

recognize the need for method courses in mounting a musical theater production. He

suggested that in addition to choral and instrumental teachers, general music teachers also

needed courses in musical theater and dramatic direction. Williams (2003) agreed,

suggesting “music teachers would benefit from training in directing musicals prior to

assuming responsibility for these responsibilities. All too frequently, the alternative is the

frustration of learning on the job by trail and error” (p. 127). In an article written for The

School Musician, Burnau (1970) also suggested that music education students enroll in

dance and drama classes, because the requirement is often that the music educator be

responsible for all facets of the musical, whether trained for it or not.

Davey’s (2010) study presented the following statistics: of those educators who

responded to her survey, only 16% reported taking a musical theater or drama methods

class in college, while only 25% reported receiving training of any kind in musical

theater as an undergraduate. Eighteen percent reported taking workshops or attending


45

conference sessions for training, and a few (5.6%) reported reading a book on the subject.

The highest level of experience (53.1%) was from personal experience as a pit

instrumental player, followed by (40%) personal experience as an actor or singer, and

35% reporting having no training at all, but learn-as-you-go as the main training method.

In an open-ended question regarding what music educators perceived they needed in

terms of training, the four most popular answers were (1) courses in how to produce a

musical, (2) awareness of and strategies for dealing with the non-musical aspects of

musicals, (3) assistance in knowing how to select a show, and (4) vocal pedagogy courses

in musical theater.

As described in their article, Ogden, DeLuca, and Searle (2010) created an

undergraduate course in which pre-service teachers were used as the work force to put on

a musical. The authentic experience better prepared teachers for their first real-world

experience. One participant noted “it seemed like something that I could actually do; I

could actually use this and do it in high school with students” (p. 378).

In addition to issues of training and preparation, there are other, non-musical

issues that affect music educators. Davey (2010) found that 66% of respondents to her

survey reported the musical was an extra curricular activity with 96.5% receiving little or

no compensation for their time. Binnema’s (1996) master’s thesis addressed similar

issues, stating that “if performing in secondary musicals is without a doubt a valid

educational opportunity, then musicals should not only be clearly identified as such in

both the drama and music curriculum guides, but in-school hours should be allotted for

the rehearsal” (p. 98).


46

In a study that surveyed high school teachers in British Columbia, Robinson and

Poole (1990) also concluded that if the benefits of school musicals are many, then

musical theatre should be included in the curriculum. Davey (2010) agreed, stating,

“musical theater work can be added to the coursework for choral, drama, and

instrumental classes in secondary schools for a semester, with potentially positive results

for both teachers and students in high schools. This scheduling leads to less after-school

hours being required” (p. 178). Many schools often have to depend on large amounts of

community support to successfully produce the musical. Very often, these supporters are

expected to work on a volunteer basis as well (Davey, 2010).

Over 30 years earlier, Tiboris (1980) had already stated, “the preparation of music

graduates in musical theater production techniques, however, is lacking” (p. 17). Lebon

(2004) agreed, calling for university programs to hire vocal pedagogues who have

professional experience in belting as well as the ability to teach it. Lebon pointed out a

university or college would never hire a classical teacher who had not extensively studied

the classical voice, including a working knowledge of foreign language, yet they

commonly utilize teachers who have never belted to teach belting. This lack of properly

educated professionals often results in students having to seek training outside the

academic setting.

Summary

This chapter introduced detailed discussion of the belt voice. A brief comparison

between classical and belt vocal production was made to provide a common language for

discussion. Since classical vocal production is more readily accepted and understood,
47

comparing the styles allows for understanding of belt production within a context of

familiarity.

The first topics addressed in the chapter were attempts at defining belt and

musical theater repertoire and the adolescent singer. Ragsdale (2004) interviewed

experts, both teachers and performers, and found a lack of consensus in both the

definition of and the terminology regarding belt. Although Ragsdale noted that there was

more agreement than disagreement, there were still differences.

LeBorgne (2011) undertook a large study that examined two aspects of belting,

perception and objective measures of belting. LeBorgne was able to identify specific

factors that defined a belt voice as pleasing. LeBorgne further suggested that belt can be

taught and that even among expert belters, certain aspects of the belt are specific to

individual voices. The second half of the study detailed the physical process of belting in

an effort to establish a methodology for the teaching of belt.

Lebon (1986) engaged in a study that examined if belting could be taught. Lebon

took auditory measurements of singers belting and then had those same subjects watch

videotaped lessons on how to produce belt. Evidence was presented that showed a

measureable change was perceived in the subjects that viewed the tapes in how they

produced belt.

Tucker (2009) presented a treatise that addressed using musical theater literature

as a pedagogical tool for the training of young singers. Although Tucker did not

specifically address how to train belt, Tucker did detail some of the issues that confront

young singers. Tucker concluded that the positive outcomes of using musical theater
48

literature to train young singers outweigh the negative.

Smith-Vaughn (2007) examined tension levels in adolescent singers for choral,

gospel and musical theater styles of singing. Stroboscopy showed differences in tension

levels, but there were no perceptive auditory differences. Smith-Vaughn also discussed

the risks for young singers in developing a vocal pathology.

Studies that specifically looked at the musical at the high school level were

examined. Williams (2003) examined the non-musical aspects of musical theater and

found that music teachers also had to work in areas of producing, set design, lighting

design, costume design, prop construction, choreography, and stage direction. Williams

found different levels of training in musical theater and ultimately called for vocal music

educators to receive training in musical theater as part of their undergraduate programs.

Davey (2010) built a study based on Williams’ study that looked at attitudes,

preparation, and responsibility of secondary music education teachers in producing a

musical. Davey also found that there was limited to no training and further suggested

that music education teachers should also take dance and theater classes as part of their

undergraduate training.

Howard (1990) developed a form to assist music educators in selecting age and

ability appropriate musicals for the high school performers and produced a list of

possibilities. Davey (2010) and Lee (1983) also presented lists of appropriate shows.

Tiboris (1980) developed a difficulty assessment scale for musical theater vocal

repertoire. While Tiboris presented hundreds of pages of examples of the analysis, it is

unclear why the scale was not made available or is not currently utilized. It was noted
49

that the National Association of Schools of Music does not mention the need for training

in musical theater pedagogy.

LoVetri and Weekly (2003) examined the preparation of teachers to teach CCM.

Over the course of 16 months, they surveyed voice teachers who were members of

National Association of Teachers of Singing. They found that few teachers had formal

training in teaching belt, but most teachers felt comfortable teaching belt. They

concluded by expressing the need for teachers to be specifically trained in CCM.

This chapter ends with a look at the role of the choral director as vocal director for

musicals. Phillips (2004) addressed the need for choral directors to have training in

musical theater. Watkins’ (2005) study examined the emotional and social impact of

participating in a musical. There are no studies that specifically examine the preparation

of high school music educators to deal with belt vocal production in the adolescent

singer. Davey (2010) and Tiboris (1980) both stated that if the musical is considered a

valid experience for the high school student, then educators should receive training and

support to insure student success.


50

CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

Introduction

In the previous chapter, issues regarding the definition and use of belt were

discussed. Vocal pathologies were examined within the context of misuse of the voice.

The use of amplification as a method of vocal preservation was also discussed. The

literature review concluded with a look at studies that specifically examined musicals at

the high school level. Those specific studies were examined and used to inform the

methodology of this study. The collection of data regarding knowledge and opinions and

specific training in the use of belt is what made this survey different from previous

surveys.

A survey was developed comprised of 114 questions sorted into three sections.

Section One served to collect demographic information including the subject’s in-service

teaching assignments. Content was written that examined how much classroom

experience music educators had and what courses they taught at their specific high

school. Section Two examined knowledge and opinions of high school music educators

regarding the use of musical theater belt as a style and the use of belt by female (ages 13-

19) adolescent singers. Section Three collected information regarding the subject’s

undergraduate course work such as private voice lessons or vocal pedagogy and training

in the use of belt.

Each section consisted of a five point Likert-scale or simple yes/no responses.

Use of the Likert-scale was used to give respondents options for more selective and
51

nuanced approaches beyond a simple yes/no format. The five options were; strongly

agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, strongly disagree. Respondents were

required to choose a response before being allowed to proceed to the next question.

Forced response was used to elicit an answer even when the subject might be unsure or

unwilling to choose an answer. This was done in an effort to gather as much data as

possible without questions being left unanswered. Each of these questions was followed

by an open-ended question that allowed free written response by the subject. Subjects

were not forced to provide a written response.

Numbers were assigned to the survey items within the limitations of Qualtrics.

Each item, including the letter of introduction and all instructions, was assigned an item

number. As a result, when discussing questions, it sometimes appears that question

numbers were skipped. For example, the letter of introduction was assigned question

number one, so the actual survey did not start until question number two. Question

number 39 is located at the beginning of Section Two and gives the instructions for

completing Section Two, so the questions appear to jump from 38 to 40.

There were also several places in the survey where skip logic was employed.

Skip logic is a method of allowing the subject to skip sections of the survey. For

example, if a subject responded no to a particular question, the survey would

automatically skip the next five questions that were all related to the first question. If a

subject answered yes to the question, the survey would proceed in a logical fashion. The

layout of the survey is presented in Appendix F. Skip logic is included.


52

Section One contained 19 questions; 18 of those questions also provided the

opportunity for written response. (Refer to item numbers 2-38 in Appendix B).

Questions in this section collected demographic information such as number of years

teaching and courses offered at the respondent’s specific high school. Answers were

either selected from preset categories or answered in yes/no format.

Section Two contained 16 questions, each with the opportunity for written

response. (Refer to item numbers 40-72 in Appendix B). This section examined

knowledge and opinions regarding use of the belt voice. These questions ranged from

how belt is produced to the safety of using the belt voice. Questions 40, 42, 63, 65, and

67 were designed to measure opinions and questions 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 69

and 71 were designed to measure knowledge. The responses were based on a five-point

Likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. For coding purposes, strongly

agree=1, agree=2, neither=3, disagree=4, and strongly disagree=5. When the data

analysis was started, it was determined that due to some categories showing a small n, the

results might be more reliable if the categories were collapsed into larger sections. The

new recoding grouped had three options; strongly agree/agree, neither, and strongly

disagree/disagree together.

Section Three contained 20 questions, each with the opportunity for written

response. (Refer to item numbers 74-114 in Appendix B). This section collected

demographic information regarding the respondent’s personal undergraduate experience.

The questions focused on personal training and experiences the subject may have had in

their undergraduate setting as well as curriculum content received from non-classroom


53

sources such as workshops or readings. There was a final open-ended question that

allowed the respondent to write any comments s/he wanted to include regarding the

topics addressed in the study. The opportunity for written comments provided a wealth

of rich, detailed information that provided additional insight.

Survey Development

The development of this survey was informed by several sources that addressed

research design and planning (Davey, 2010; Fowler, 2009; Dillman, 2007; LoVetri and

Weekly, 2003; Williams, 2003; Howard, 1990). Fowler (2009) specifically addressed

survey research methods in his book on applied social research, focusing on sampling and

question design. Of specific use to this study was the information on nonresponse and

nonprobability samples. Fowler discussed the bias associated with nonresponse. In the

case of nonresponse, it is not known if the answers of the respondents differ from the

potential answers of those who did not respond. This is often a problem with mail

surveys. A nonprobability sample does not involve random selecting, so the findings

may not represent the whole population or explain why a subject would self-select not to

participate. Fowler expressed the importance of constructing initial contact letters as a

way to encourage a response from the subject. The initial contact letter (Appendix A)

was constructed using Fowler’s suggestions. The letter first explained the purpose of the

study, requested volunteer participation in the study, stated that confidentiality would be

maintained, explained that there was no risk to the participants, and offered the results of

the study to the participants.


54

In the discussion on question construction, Fowler presented poor question

formats and then discussed what the problems specifically were and then how to fix

them. Fowler cautioned including more than one concept in the same question and the

use of poorly defined terms. These examples were particularly helpful in showing how to

write a good question and served as a reference when the questions for this survey were

developed. Questions for this survey were examined to make sure that only one piece of

information was requested for in each question. The issue of using specific terms was

addressed through discussions with music educator experts (see section titled Pilot

Study). Since the same term can have different meanings to different people, care was

taken to select terms that would be most familiar to participants. In addition, questions

were designed to be as brief, but specific, as possible to provide clarity of what was being

asked.

Dillman’s (2007) book on using mail and the internet to conduct surveys

provided specific steps for distributing a survey online. Dillman addressed the

move from telephone and mail surveys to Internet and cellular phones as the main

data collection method. This publication was especially helpful in establishing

the timeline for the distribution of this survey. Dillman suggested a four-week

window with three follow-ups was the best time frame for an online survey,

which was the model adopted for this survey. Dillman also noted that most

people who respond to a survey will do so within the first few days of receiving it

and reported that surveys that lie unanswered after a week are unlikely to be

returned.
55

While mail surveys can be costly and time consuming, instant communication

with the survey population via e-mail can significantly speed up the data collection

process. It also allows for easy reminders to complete the survey to be made quickly in

an effort to increase the number of respondents. Online survey programs such as Survey

Monkey and Qualtrics allow data to be transferred directly into statistical programs

without having to code by hand. This also increases the speed of the process. Internet

surveys also allow for anonymity, as the researcher never personally meets or sees the

participant. Upon logging into the survey, subjects receive an identification number

rather than being identified by name or email address. Qualtrics is the online survey tool

selected for use by Kent State University. The decision to use on online survey was

made to decrease the time it would take to get the survey to the participants and then

receive a response. Using an online survey also provided an easy way to send reminder

requests to complete the survey (Appendix D).

There were three studies that used surveys as the data collection methods that

were similar in size and content that served as models in building this study. Davey’s

(2010) study used two data collection instruments. The first was Howard’s (1990)

Production Planning Form that Howard built to assist high school music educators in

choosing appropriate material for production. The second was a survey developed by

Davey that examined various aspects of the high school musical. Davey’s survey had 39

questions, with many questions taking different forms. Some were Likert-type questions

and others provided a list of options from which the respondent could select. Other

questions also allowed multiple responses to the same question. There were also several
56

open-ended questions that allowed the respondent to freely comment.

Williams’ (2003) study utilized a survey to gather data in order to examine the

role of the music educator in the non-musical aspects of producing a musical. Williams’

survey was administered via paper and pencil. The first section of the survey was used to

collect demographic information utilizing a four-point Likert-type scale. The survey had

a limited number of questions (16), but each question required multiple responses. The

final question was an open-ended question. Although Williams’ survey was carefully

examined, it did not serve as a model but rather informed the decision to make each

question of this survey as simple and clear as possible by not requesting multiple

responses, but rather requesting only one response to each question.

LoVetri and Weekly (2003) also used a survey to gather data on their study of

Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM). The survey instrument was a four-part

questionnaire containing 21 questions; many that were multi-part and open ended. Their

survey was sorted into four sections and included a final optional section on

demographics. The survey also ended with a section for general comments. LoVetri and

Weekly gathered their information over a 16-month period with most of the surveys

being distributed at two NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing)

international conferences.

Several of the questions in this study are similar to the LoVetri and Weekly

survey, but the questions are close-ended with ordered answer choices instead of open-

ended. Dillman (2007) proposed that closed-ended questions are most appropriate when

questioning attitudes and beliefs about a specific issue. Dillman further stated that open-
57

ended questions are most appropriate when the researcher cannot always anticipate how

subjects might respond to a question. Since the survey employed close-ended questions

with ordered answer choices, providing the opportunity for free response allowed for

subjects to give suggestions, clarify positions, vent frustrations, or state strong opinions.

The use of open-ended questions can also uncover the most salient aspects of a topic that

were perhaps not addressed in the survey. Jackson (2009) further supported the validity

of using both types of questions, stating:

Open-ended questions allow for a greater variety of responses from

participants but are difficult to analyze statistically because the data must

be coded or reduced in some manner. Closed-ended questions are easy to

analyze statistically, but they seriously limit the responses that

participants can give. Many researchers prefer to use a Likert-type

scale because it’s very easy to analyze statistically (page 68).

When completing a qualitative study, a method of coding open-ended

question must be developed. The items are examined, common themes identified,

and then all responses are coded into the defined themes. Several researchers

usually complete this coding in order to establish inter-coder reliability. Since

this study was not qualitative, the responses to the open-ended questions were

transcribed in full and simply sorted into categories (see Appendix G-I). These

comments were then available for examination and added depth and clarity to the

closed-ended responses.

This study was submitted to and approved by the Kent State University
58

Institutional Review Board (IRB) (see Appendix C). It posed no risk to

participants, and no monetary compensation was provided.

Participants

The participants in this study were choral music educators who were members of

the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) in the state of Ohio. NAfME is

a network of professional music educators with membership available to middle school

students through music professionals. The Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA)

is the state affiliate of NAfME. It was founded in 1924 and is the third largest group of

affiliates of NAfME. Members of OMEA serve 1.8 million students in the state of Ohio.

The population of this study was limited to choral music educators as representative of

educators that would have both an undergraduate degree in teaching music and would

have received some sort of vocal music training as part of that degree. The population

was limited to OMEA members both as a convenience sample and as a representation of

the larger population of music educators. Membership in OMEA is not mandatory, so

music educators elect to become members and self-identify their area of specialty, e.g.

choral, instrumental, general, etc. E-mail addresses for participants were accessed

through the OMEA online directory and those who had identified themselves as choral

music educators were selected. The list was examined and those educators who had

either participated in the pilot study or were collegiate-level educators were excluded. In

the state of Ohio, the teaching license for music educators is a K-12 license. Some

teachers may teach in diverse areas or at multiple levels. Subjects were given the

opportunity to specifically identify what they were teaching and even if not currently
59

teaching at the high school level, they may have had experience teaching at that level.

For clarity, from this point forward, subjects will be defined as members of OMEA.

This study used a nonprobability, convenience sampling method. As explained

above, the convenience sampling was accessing members of an existing group.

However, nonprobability sampling may not include each element represented in the

population at large. Since the membership list was used to establish the population, those

contacted had the right to refuse to participate either through not responding to the email

invitation at all, or by selecting the option not to participate. In other words, it is an

unknown factor to the researcher as to why subjects self-select not to participate, and,

therefore, a nonprobability sample may not represent each element of the population at

large.

The survey was distributed using the online survey service Qualtrics to 965

(N=965) OMEA members. Of those contacted, 48 of the emails were identified by

Qualtrics as being either incorrect or no longer in use for a total of 917 (N=917) subjects

receiving the email inviting them to participate in the survey. Five (n=5) subjects elected

not to participate by selecting the “I do not wish to participate” option at the end of the

introductory letter (survey question one). A total of 193 (n=193) subjects started the

survey. Of those, 17 (n=17) did not complete the survey past the first question for a total

of 176 (n=176) completed surveys.

Pilot Study

It was determined that this research was exploratory in nature and was primarily

concerned with discovery and with generating directions for further research. As
60

previously mentioned, exploratory studies are used to generate large amounts of data,

which are narrowed down and used to demonstrate direction for future research. Since

the topic of the use of belt by the adolescent female, and pre-service teacher training and

preparation to teach belt had not been examined before in this way and since this was an

original survey tool, it was deemed appropriate that prior to public administration, a pilot

study needed to be run to establish validity and reliability of the survey questions.

Before releasing the pilot study to test subjects, multiple in-person conversations

regarding the survey questions were held with three experienced music educators from

Kent State University. The three represented a total of over 60 years of public school

choral teaching experience. All were active members of OMEA. Two of the experts

were graduate assistants. Both had experience working with high school and middle

school choirs for 10 or more years in public schools. They also had experience as private

voice teachers and were working with the university choirs as part of graduate

assignments at Kent State University. The other was a college professor with more than

25 years experience in public school working extensively with high school choirs as well

as jazz vocal groups.

Those discussions helped to establish content validity, as these experts were able

to ask for clarification or specificity regarding the survey questions especially for the

questions in Section Two. The questions in Section Two required exact wording to

specifically define what was being asked. Conversations regarding those questions

allowed the experts to ask variations of “Do you mean this or that?” This resulted in

some questions being reworded or eliminated as the experts responded to what they
61

thought was being asked. These conversations also helped to establish the need for the

opportunity for written response as the experts often wanted to qualify the yes or no

answer that the survey required. The experts expressed concern that requiring only a

“yes/no” choice when answering questions was too limiting. This was especially true

when attempting to identify the difference between opinion and knowledge. As a result

of these conversations, questions in Section Two were expanded from simple “yes/no”

choices to levels of agree/disagree. Several terms and questions were also changed or

clarified as a result of these discussions in order to be as specific as possible.

In order to establish reliability of the survey tool, a pilot study was administered

to 185 (N=185) music educators representative of the larger sample that would receive

the survey. The survey was sent to subjects via Qualtrics. There were 29 (n=29)

responses for a total of 15% response rate with α=.448. The data was examined using the

Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Section Two contains the questions that examined knowledge and opinions about

belting. Since these questions were specifically constructed for this study, correlations

among the items were run to determine how strongly each question was related to the

others. This was done to identify any questions in the survey that needed to be

consolidated or omitted. The correlations are presented in Table One.


62

Table One

Correlations Between Responses in Section Two (these are the original item numbers)

Item 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57

41 1.000 0.396 0.028 0.252 0.147 -0.108 0.192 0.266 -0.065

43 1.000 0.133 .522 -0.107 -0.007 0.348 0.128 -0.202

45 1.000 0.138 -.724 .860 .372 0.237 -0.160

47 1.000 -0.146 0.138 -0.200 0.321 0.111

49 1.000 -.651 -0.280 -0.225 -0.125

51 1.000 -.492 0.202 -0.015

53 1.000 -0.118 -0.157

55 1.000 -0.157

57 1.000
63

Correlations Between Responses in Section Two, continued

Item 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75

41 -0.117 0.079 .395 0.055 -0.341 0.236 .396 0.090 -0.227

43 0.244 0.275 0.235 0.200 -0.168 0.122 0.160 0.014 0.219

45 0.277 0.029 0.096 .521 -0.353 0.029 -0.052 -.756 .527

47 0.096 0.264 0.132 0.234 -0.155 0.313 0.270 0.032 0.062

49 -0.218 -0.067 -0.100 -.566 0.283 0.134 0.269 .811 -.586

51 0.156 0.043 0.113 .485 -.372 0.197 0.139 -.762 .565

53 0.132 .384 0.152 0.330 -.374 0.146 .456 -.443 .417

55 0.157 -0.125 0.239 0.262 -0.279 0.283 -0.026 -0.084 0.170

57 -.371 0.065 0.109 0.076 -0.212 -0.097 0.089 -0.042 -0.165

59 1.000 0.086 -0.262 0.297 0.015 -0.285 0.095 -0.189 .608

61 1.000 0.216 -0.036 -0.002 0.144 0.260 -0.092 0.111

63 1.000 0.173 -0.349 0.246 0.002 -0.087 0.087

65 1.000 -.583 -0.093 0.021 -.579 .547

67 1.000 0.072 -0.198 0.294 -0.149

69 1.000 .609 -0.005 -0.334

71 1.000 0.048 -0.134

73 1.000 -.604

75 1.000
64

Correlation analysis was used to examine the strength of the relationships to

determine if the items were similar enough in content to either discard or combine one or

more of them; the higher the correlation, the stronger the relationship between two

variables. The findings were sorted into four categories, split by the size of the

coefficient. These categories were >.6, .3-.6, .1-.3, <.1.

The first category examined the items with a correlation of r=>.6. There were

nine correlations that fell in this category. The second category looked at correlations

with a score of r=.3-.599. There were 29 responses that fell in this category. Changes to

items in the first category affected changes to some of the items in the second category.

The third category examined correlations with a spread of r=.1-.299. There were 76

responses that fell in this category. These questions were left as originally written due to

low correlations. Responses that were r=<.1 were not included for examination because

they lacked statistical significance. There were 36 responses that fell in this category.

An exploratory factor analysis was used to identify relationships among items that

are part of concepts. The findings were examined to allow similar variables to be omitted

resulting in a smaller number of variables in a data set. The correlation matrix for the

factor analysis is shown in Table Two.


65

Table Two

Correlation Matrix for Exploratory Factor Analysis (these are the original item numbers)

Correlation 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 57

41 1.000 .396 .028 .252 .147 -.108 .192 .266 -.065

43 .396 1.000 .133 .522 -.107 -.007 .348 .128 -.202

45 .028 .133 1.000 .138 -.724 .860 .372 .237 -.160

47 .252 .522 .138 1.000 -.146 .138 -.020 .321 .111

49 .147 -.107 -.724 -.146 1.000 -.651 -.280 -.225 -.125

51 -.108 -.007 .860 .138 -.651 1.000 .492 .202 -.015

53 .192 .348 .372 -.020 -.280 .492 1.000 -.118 -.157

55 .266 .128 .237 .321 -.225 .202 -.118 1.000 -.157

57 -.065 -.202 -.160 .111 -.125 -.015 -.157 -.157 1.000

59 -.117 .244 .277 .096 -.218 .156 .132 .157 -.371

61 .079 .275 -.029 .264 -.067 .043 .384 -.125 -.065

63 .395 .235 .096 .132 -.100 .113 .152 .239 .109

65 .055 .200 .521 .234 -.566 .485 .330 .262 .076

67 -.341 -.168 -.353 -.155 .283 -.372 -.374 -.279 -.212

69 .236 .122 .020 .313 .134 .197 .146 .283 -.097

71 .396 .160 -.052 .270 .269 .139 .456 -.026 -.089

73 .090 .014 -.756 .032 .881 -.762 -.443 -.084 -.042

75 -.227 .219 .527 .062 -.586 .565 .417 .170 -.165


66

Correlation Matrix for Exploratory Factor Analysis, continued

Correlation 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75

41 -.117 .079 .395 .055 -.341 .236 .396 .090 -.227

43 .244 .275 .235 .200 -.168 .122 .160 .014 .219

45 .277 -.029 .096 .521 -.353 .029 -.052 -.756 .527

47 .096 .264 .132 .234 -.155 .313 .270 .032 .062

49 -.218 -.067 -.100 -.566 .283 .134 .269 .811 -.586

51 .156 .043 .113 .485 -.372 .197 .139 -.762 .565

53 .132 .384 .152 .330 -.374 .146 .456 -.443 .417

55 .157 -.125 .239 .262 -.279 .283 -.026 -.084 .170

57 -.371 -.065 .109 .076 -.212 -.097 -.089 -.042 -.165

59 1.000 .086 -.262 .297 .015 -.285 -.095 -.189 .608

61 .086 1.000 .216 -.036 -.002 .144 .260 -.092 .111

63 -.262 .216 1.000 .173 -.349 .246 .002 -.087 -.087

65 .297 -.036 .173 1.000 -.583 -.093 .021 -.579 .547

67 .015 -.002 -.349 -.583 1.000 .072 -.198 .294 -.149

69 -.285 .144 .246 -.093 .072 1.000 .609 -.005 -.334

71 -.095 .260 .002 .021 -.198 .609 1.000 .048 -.134

73 -.189 -.092 -.087 -.579 .294 -.005 .048 1.000 -.604

75 .608 .111 -.087 .547 -.149 -.334 -.134 -.604 1.000


67

Part of the exploratory principal components analysis is to identify

communalities. The closer the communality is to 1.0, the more the question shares with

the other items. Conversely, the smaller the communality, the more unique the item is

from the others. These numbers are presented in Table Three.


68

Table Three

Communalities (these are the original item numbers)

Initial Extraction

41 1.000 .723

43 1.000 .733

45 1.000 .808

47 1.000 .825

49 1.000 .831

51 1.000 .894

53 1.000 .871

55 1.000 .773

57 1.000 .757

59 1.000 .766

61 1.000 .681

63 1.000 .503

65 1.000 .674

67 1.000 .769

69 1.000 .903

71 1.000 .759

73 1.000 .850

75 1.000 .819
69

The factor analysis extracted 18 eigenvalues, which are based on the shared

variance of the items. Eigenvalues calculate characteristic values and are a combination

of the original items. Any eigenvalue above one is generally considered useable. Based

on this cut off point, the first six components were selected for analysis as shown in

Table Four.

Table Four

Total Variance Explained

Initial Eigenvalues

Component Total % of Variance Cumulative %

1 5.009 27.830 27.830

2 2.944 16.353 44.183

3 1.868 10.375 54.559

4 1.626 9.032 63.90

5 1.354 7.525 71.115

6 1.139 6.326 77.441

These six components were identified as: Factor 1, healthiness of belt; Factor 2,

knowledge of belt production; Factor 3, appropriate adolescent vocal styles; Factor 4,

how belt is produced; Factor 5 and Factor 6 both dealt with the definition of belt and had

three of five items in common. Results are shown in Table 5.


70

Table Five

Component Matrix for the First Six Factors (these are the original item numbers)

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6

41 .061 .717 -.058 .230 -.100 -.372

43 .298 .497 .442 .330 -.285 .110

45 .851 -.117 -.080 -.048 .247 .036

47 .251 .519 .118 .383 .041 .574

49 -.807 .278 .191 -.049 .010 -.252

51 .838 -.053 -.159 -.288 .278 .059

53 .584 .300 .238 -.509 -.260 -.239

55 .315 .253 -.116 .598 .485 -.057

57 -.071 .037 -.665 -.029 -.395 .389

59 .391 -.281 .662 .297 .009 -.084

61 .158 .361 .362 -.295 -.374 .409

63 .199 .493 -.384 .157 -.216 -.039

65 .759 -.016 -.146 .210 -.149 -.103

67 -.528 -.300 .392 -.145 .305 .365

69 .009 .675 -.076 -.270 .572 .204

71 .062 .700 .171 -.449 .147 -.115

73 -.835 .223 .170 .259 -.058 -.058

75 .747 -.357 .345 .068 -.098 .015


71

Based on a correlation of r=.860, questions 45 (“Even if produced in a healthy

manner, belting causes vocal nodules in adolescent female singers”) and 51 (“Even when

done correctly, belting causes hoarseness and weak laryngeal muscles”) were combined

and rewritten to form a new question (“Belting causes damage to the vocal mechanism”).

This was done because the high correlation suggested the questions were basically

seeking the same information. After questions 45 and 51 were rewritten, question 65 (“If

an adolescent female singer has physically completed the voice change, there is no

danger to the singing mechanism if correctly singing in the belt style”) was eliminated

because it was basically addressing the same question of healthy singing. Question 63

(“If an adolescent female singer has physically completed the voice change, there is no

danger to the singing mechanism when correctly singing in the bel canto style”), which

was originally a companion to question 65, was rewritten to match the format of question

75. This resulted in Section Two having a final total of 16 questions (Appendix E). The

final items were regrouped to accommodate questions of similar content.

Procedures

The survey in its final form (see Appendix B) was distributed using Qualtrics to

the OMEA members who had self-identified as choral music educators. Emails were

accessed through member databases. All names from the list were input into the

Qualtrics program. The list was then crosschecked to remove any names of those

teaching at the collegiate level or those who had participated in the pilot study.

The survey was sent to 965 (N=965) participants. All were given four weeks to

respond. Three follow-up notices were sent to encourage participation (Dillman, 2007).
72

Thus, at the 10-day mark, the 20-day mark, and the 22-day mark, participants who had

not yet completed the survey received a reminder email (see Appendix D). A total of 176

(n=176) subjects responded. This is a response rate of 17%. The reasons for the low

response rate were unclear. However, Dillman (2007) noted that email or written surveys

commonly have low response rates. The survey responses were collected from Qualtrics.

The data was then downloaded into an Excel worksheet and from there loaded into the

Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis.

Analysis Procedures

Each of the three sections was examined independently of the other two. This

was done to gain knowledge regarding the general characteristics of the sample.

Frequency tables were used to obtain basic information about the three sections. Then

findings were examined to determine how the items in Section One and Section Three

influenced knowledge and opinion regarding belt (Section Two). Items in Section One

and Three that affected items in Section Two were further examined. Independent T-tests

were used to examine differences between two groups. An ANOVA was also used to

examine the survey item Years of Experience, which employed three groups.

Independent T-tests were also run to determine differences between the items within

Section Two. This analysis was performed to determine if there was a difference

between the responses that measured questions regarding knowledge and questions

regarding opinions. The level of significance used was (α<.05) for all tests.

Private statistical consultants were used in developing and analyzing this survey.

This included Statistical Consulting located at Kent State University. These consultants
73

were used as a resource to the researcher in determining what statistical tests to perform

and how to interpret the data.

Summary

Chapter three described development of the survey, participant selection, protocol

for design of the study, identified the research instrument, explained the choice and

application of validity and reliability measures, explained procedures for distribution, and

presented a plan for data analysis. Details were given regarding the physical layout of the

survey identifying the number of sections, what those sections addressed, and the total

number of items.

Section One posed 19 questions used to collect demographic information such as

educational level, number of years teaching, and what courses were offered at the

subject’s specific location. Each question with the exception of one offered the

opportunity for written response. Section Two contained 16 questions focusing on

knowledge and opinions regarding the use of the belt voice. A Likert-scale was used to

collect information ranging from how belt is produced to the safety of using belt. Each

question offered the opportunity for written response. Section Three had 20 questions

that focused on demographic information regarding the subject’s personal undergraduate

training and experiences. Each question but one offered the opportunity for written

response. The survey concluded with an open-ended question to provide opportunity for

the respondent to comment on the survey or on specific topics that the respondent wished

to address.

That was followed by a discussion of studies regarding the use of surveys as the
74

data collection method as well as previous surveys specific to the field of musical theater

that served as a model for this study. These studies served to define type of survey,

length of time given to subjects to respond, question construction, and other items that

informed the development of this survey.

The selection of participants and sampling procedures were explained. The

population to whom the survey would be administered was identified, with the procedure

of administering the survey online explained. Before distribution of the survey, a pilot

study was employed. The rationale and plan for development and pilot testing of the

survey was explained. Procedures for establishing validity and reliability were identified.

Validity for the survey was established through advisement of respected field experts and

responses to the pilot study. Pilot study participants had the opportunity to both answer

the survey questions and also comment on each question. Those comments were

analyzed for content and clarity of the survey questions. The pilot study had 29 (n=29)

respondents.

A description of the statistics used to develop the survey questions was presented.

Section Two items were written to measure knowledge and opinions regarding the use of

belt. A correlation matrix was used to identify if any of the questions were measuring

similar topics. A factor analysis was run to identify the common elements of each

variable. Eighteen principle components were identified, and the first six were

determined to be statistically significant using principal component analysis. Based on

the findings of the statistical test, an explanation was given regarding changes to the

survey questions.
75

The procedure for the administration of the survey and the collection of data was

described. The analysis plan for the collected data was introduced. Independent T-tests

were used to examine differences between two groups. An ANOVA was also used to

examine the survey item Years of Experience, which employed three groups. The use of

statistical consultants in the collection and analysis of the data was noted.
76

CHAPTER 4

DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS

Introduction

This chapter includes the analyses and statistical findings of the responses to the

survey questions. Each of the three sections of the survey is addressed separately using

descriptive statistics. That is followed by a presentation of the inferential statistics used

to analyze specific relationships existing between and among sections.

Participants were Ohio Music Education Association members who had identified

themselves as vocal music educators. Nine hundred seventeen (N=965) subjects received

the initial email inviting them to participate in the survey. Five (n=5) subjects elected not

to participate by selecting the “I do not wish to participate” option at the end of the

introductory letter (question 1). A total of 193 (n=193) subjects started the survey. Of

those, 17 (n=17) did not complete the survey past the first question for a total of 176

(n=176) completed surveys.

Descriptive statistics are presented in the form of Frequency Tables (Appendix J).

These tables allow for a closer look at differences between groups on the questions that

were found to be statistically significant (p<.05). Independent sample T-tests were used

to assess differences in the means between gender and educational level for each of the

items in Section Two. An ANOVA was used to assess differences in the means between

years of experience and the items in Section Two. The significance level was (α<.05) for

all tests. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to measure the internal consistency of the items in

Section Two. The alpha index for items in Section Two was α=.15. It was expected that
77

with a larger sample size this number would increase from the alpha calculated for the

pilot study (α=.448). It was unclear as to why this number was so low. Although low

reliability can negate a study, in this case, a study of the written answers to the Likert-

scale questions provides some clarification, a foundation, and direction for improving the

survey questions for future research.

Section One-Demographic Information

Section One collected demographic information from each subject within the

context of teaching. There were 37 questions presented in this section; 19 requiring a

closed-ended response and 18 opportunities for comments or clarifications of the

preceding question. The first three questions collected demographic information. The

next eight questions collected information regarding the subject’s teaching assignments

and responsibilities. The following six questions asked about the subject’s involvement

in musical theater at her/his respective teaching position. The final two questions asked

about the use of sound reinforcement at the subject’s respective teaching position. It was

possible for the subject to give a written response to each question. There were a total of

253 written responses for Section One that are located in Appendix G. Frequency Tables

for Section One are presented in Appendix J. Table Six presents the question numbers,

possible responses, and number of responses for Section One.


78

Table 6

Survey Questions Section One

Question Question Descriptors Number Number of


Number of Written
Responses Responses
2 How many years have you 1-5 years 33 19
been teaching music in a 6-10 years 37
public or private high 11-15 years 27
school? 16-20 years 31
21-25 years 12
26-30 years 20
30+ years 16
Total 176
4 What is your highest Bachelors 58 16
completed educational Masters 114
degree? PhD/DMA 4
Total 176
6 Are you: Female 125 No option
Male 51 for written
Total 176 response
7 Do you teach choir in Yes 134 16
grades 9-12? No 42
Total 176

9 Do you teach show choir Yes 63 20


in grades 9-12? No 113
Total 176
11 Do you teach jazz choir in Yes 27 16
grades 9-12? No 149
Total 176`
13 Do you teach gospel choir Yes 13 8
in grades 9-12? No 163
Total 176
15 Do you consider vocal Yes 145 15
music your major area of No 31
teaching? Total 176
79

Question Question Descriptors Number Number of


Number of Written
Responses Responses
17 Do you consider Yes 24 11
instrumental music your No 152
major area of teaching? Missing 17
Total 176
19 Do you consider general Yes 38 16
music your major area of No 138
teaching? Total 176
21 Do you teach voice Yes 69 18
lessons in a private or No 107
high school setting? Total 176
23 Does your high school Yes 152 6
produce musicals? No 24
Total 176
25 Are you or have you ever Yes 132 4
been involved in your No 19
high school musical in any Skip Logic 24
capacity? Missing 1
Total 176
27 Are you or have you ever Yes 97 8
been responsible for No 28
selecting the musical for Skip Logic 45
your high school? Missing 6
Total 176
29 Do you provide vocal Yes 107 9
musical direction for your No 18
high school musical? Skip Logic 45
Missing 6
Total 176
31 Have you served as the Yes 63 6
stage director for your No 62
high school musical? Skip Logic 45
Missing 6
Total 176
33 Have you ever conducted Yes 84 8
the pit orchestra for your No 41
high school musical? Skip Logic 45
Missing 6
Total 176
80

Question Question Descriptors Number Number of


Number of Written
Responses Responses
35 If your high school does a Yes 120 12
musical, does your school No 5
use sound reinforcement Skip Logic 45
for the singers? Missing 6
Total 176
37 If yes, does each singer Yes 61 44
have an individual No 63
dedicated microphone? Skip Logic 45
Missing 6
Total 176

Questions two, four and six with their respective written responses collected

demographic information on the subjects. This information provided an overall picture

of the experience of the subject. Question two asked, “How many years have you been

teaching music in a public or private high school?” There were seven categories to select

from. Since several of the groups had a small n, the seven categories were collapsed into

three categories to create larger numbers for statistical analysis: 1-10 years (n=70), 11-20

years (n=58), and 21-30+ years (n=48). Using these numbers, 39.8% of subjects had

been teaching for 10 years or less, 32.9% of subjects had been teaching for 11-20 years,

and 27.3% of subjects had been teaching for 20+ years. Looking at percentages, the

distribution of participants was fairly even with the largest percentage within the first 10

years of teaching. This was about 7% more than those in the category of 11-20 years,

and about 13% more than those in the 20+ years category. Thus, the subjects represented

a cross-section of years of experience. The most common answer for number of years

teaching was 6-10. There were 19 written responses. Responses varied from specifying

the exact number of years to a specific job description.


81

Question four asked, “What is your highest completed educational degree?”

Since the Doctorate category had a small n (n=4), the three categories were collapsed into

two: Bachelor’s degrees (n=58) and graduate degrees (n=118). Using these numbers,

33% of the subjects had their Bachelor’s degrees and 67.1% had graduate degrees. These

numbers show that the number of subjects with graduate degrees were slightly more than

twice as many as those with Bachelor’s degrees. The most common answer was Master’s

degrees (64.8%). There were 16 written responses. Responses varied between

describing where the respondent specifically was in her/his studies to identifying a

specific degree.

Question six asked, “Are you female/male?” There were 125 female (71%) and

51 male (29%) subjects. There was no option for a written comment with this question.

Question seven asked, “Do you teach choir in grades 9-12?” A little over

seventy-six percent (76.1%) of subjects responded yes. This question was included

because choral music utilizes a more classical vocal production than other more

contemporary styles. Also, as noted previously, the Ohio music education license is K-

12, so music educators may find themselves teaching a variety of music courses.

Therefore, subjects may define themselves to OMEA as a vocal music educator, but also

be teaching band or general music. There were 16 written responses. Responses either

explained a “no” response such as, “I’m retired now,” or described current

responsibilities if the position wasn’t specifically high school choir such as “8-12 choir.”

Questions 9, 11, and 13 with their respective written responses collected

information regarding what specific curriculum each subject taught beyond traditional
82

choir. These types of choirs often employ more contemporary vocal styles and were

included to determine if subjects were providing students with the opportunities to sing in

other styles beyond traditional choral production. Question nine asked, “Do you teach

show choir in grades 9-12?” A little over thirty-five percent (35.8%) of subjects

responded yes. This question was included because show choirs often perform music that

requires the use of belt, such as Broadway or popular music. This would provide the

music educator exposure to the use of or opportunity to teach belt. There were 20 written

responses. They were sorted in three categories. The first category was clarification of

what the subject taught such as, “In previous years, yes.” The second category was

clarification regarding curricular choices available or not available at the subject’s school,

such as, “No show choir in our school.” The third category introduced curricular choices

that were not offered as part of the survey. Three of the four answers reported a

contemporary a cappella group and one reported a contemporary all-female pop group.

These findings would suggest that styles other than traditional choral singing are being

offered at the high school level and may employ belt vocal technique.

Question 11 asked, “Do you teach jazz choir in grades 9-12?” A little over fifteen

percent (15.3%) of the subjects responded yes. This question was included because vocal

jazz production can utilize belt production as well as other non-classical methods of vocal

production. This would provide the educator exposure to the use of non-classical vocal

production, as vocal styles of pop and jazz are closer to belt vocal production than

classical. There were 16 written responses. They were sorted into three categories. The

first category clarified a no response, but described that vocal jazz repertoire was taught
83

as part of other choirs. One respondent clarified that jazz choir was not offered at the

subject’s school. The third category introduced curriculum offerings that differed from

the options given in the survey. Those four answers reported contemporary a cappella

pop groups. Once again, these findings would suggest that styles other than traditional

choral singing are being offered at the high school level and may employ belt vocal

technique.

Question 13 asked, “Do you teach gospel choir in grades 9-12?” A little over

seven percent (7.4%) of subjects responded yes. This question was included because

gospel vocal production often uses heavy mechanism belt. For example, one of the

written responses stated, “I learned how to belt in church.” There were eight written

responses. The responses were sorted into two categories. The first category clarified a

no response, but described that gospel music was included in the styles taught as part of

other choirs. One respondent stated that gospel choir was not offered at her/his school.

Questions 15, 17, 19 and 21 with their respective written responses were designed

to collection information on how subjects musically identified themselves. Since the

Ohio music license is K-12, a music educator who self-identifies as a vocalist might

actually be teaching instrumental courses. Thus, these questions did not ask what they

were teaching, but rather how the subjects identified themselves. Question 15 asked, “Do

you consider vocal music your major area of teaching?” A little over eighty-two percent

(82.4%) of subjects responded yes. This might indicate whether or not the subject

considers her/himself primarily a vocal instructor. Those who identified themselves as

choral music education for this survey may be teaching this area, but originally were
84

instrumentalists, not vocal majors. There were 15 written responses. The responses

either clarified the exact teaching responsibilities that included vocal or specified a

different major area of teaching. There were several subjects that identified themselves

as teaching only choir, while others specified teaching both choir and band, or choir and

general music. It is also interesting that although 82 % of subjects report voice as their

major area of teaching, only 72% of subjects reported taking a vocal pedagogy class.

Question 17 asked, “Do you consider instrumental music your major area of

teaching?” A little over thirteen percent (13.6%) of subjects responded yes. This

question was provided as an alternative selection if the answer to question 15 was no. As

explained above, this could indicate that the subject was a vocal education major, but

currently has the assignment of teaching band or orchestra. There were 11 written

responses. The responses either clarified the exact teaching responsibilities that included

instrumental or specified a different major area of teaching. Some of these responses

state that the subject was a vocal person who was teaching instrumental music. Other

comments clarified that the subject felt comfortable teaching both.

Question 19 asked, “Do you consider general music to be your major area of

teaching?” A little over twenty-one percent (21.6%) of subjects responded yes. This

question was provided as an alternative selection if the answer to question 15 was no.

Answering yes to this question might indicate limited exposure to vocal pedagogy at the

undergraduate level. There were 16 written responses. They were sorted into two

categories. The first category was clarification of what the subject was teaching that

often included general music as well as other subjects. The second category introduced
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curriculum offerings that were not included in the survey such as music theory or piano.

Based on the written responses for questions 15, 17, and 19, it appears that there is a

cross section of subjects teaching in just one area as well as those teaching in two or more

areas.

Question 21 asked, “Do you teach voice lessons in a private or high school

setting?” A little over thirty-nine percent (39.2%) of subjects responded yes. This

question was included as a possible indication of experience in working with the

individual voice as opposed to a choral setting. There were 18 written responses. They

were sorted into three categories. The first category was clarification about why a subject

was not currently teaching private voice. All 11 responses stated that lack of time was

the predominant reason for not teaching private lessons. The second category clarified

that private lessons were being given in the high school setting only in preparation for

solo and ensemble. The third category specified private lessons in the areas of flute and

piano.

Questions 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33 with their respective written responses

gathered information regarding the subjects’ involvement with the musical in their

respective teaching positions. Options were given for identifying how the subject was

involved. Question 23 asked, “Does your high school produce musicals?” A little over

eighty-six percent (86.4%) of subjects responded yes. This finding is similar to those of

Davey (2010) who reported 80% of high schools producing musicals and Williams

(2003) who reported 85% of high schools producing musicals, so the number of musicals

produced at the high school level has remained consistent for at least 12 years. If the
86

subject responded no to this question, the survey skipped to question 39. There were six

written responses. All responses were placed into one category that clarified either the

yes or no answer. Two of these answers stated that the music educators were also

involved with the musical at the feeder middle school.

Question 25 asked, “Are you or have you ever been involved in your high school

musical in any capacity?” A little over eighty-seven percent (87.4%) of subjects

responded yes. There were four written responses that clarified in what capacity the

subject was involved. Three of these responses clarified that the subject is also the

director of the musical. This would suggest that the music educator also would need

training in stage direction and script analysis.

Question 27 asked, “Are you or have you ever been responsible for selecting the

musical for your high school?” A little over seventy-seven percent (77.6%) of subjects

responded yes. There were eight written responses clarifying a yes response, detailing to

what degree the subject was involved. Five of these responses suggested that the subject

worked with others in selecting a musical, but did not define who the other collaborators

were.

Question 29 asked, “Do you provide vocal direction for your high school’s

musical?” A little over eighty-five percent (85.6%) of subjects responded yes. There

were nine written responses clarifying a yes response, detailing to what degree the subject

was involved. Some subjects reported being the vocal director or having done it in the

past, while others stated that they also direct and choreograph.

Question 31 asked, “Have you served as the stage director for your high school
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musical?” A little over fifty percent (50.4%) of subjects responded yes. There were six

written responses clarifying a yes response, detailing to what degree the subject was

involved. Two subjects stated that they only handle the music while several others

reported having stage directed at least once before. This would suggest other educators

are involved in producing the musical. It also raises the question regarding the training of

the music educator in acting and stage direction.

Question 33 asked, “Have you ever conducted the pit orchestra for your high

school musical?” A little over sixty-seven percent (67.2%) of subjects responded yes.

There were eight written responses. Six of the responses clarified a yes response. The

other two clarified that no pit orchestra was used at the subject’s school. It would be

interesting to compare results if the same question were asked of a population of

predominantly instrumental educators.

Question 35 and 37 with their respective written responses focused on the use of

sound reinforcement. Sound reinforcement in musical theater is a common practice at the

professional level. These questions were asked to determine how much, if any, sound

reinforcement was being used at the high school level. Question 35 asked, “If your high

school does a musical, does your school use sound reinforcement for the singers?”

Ninety-six percent (96%) of subjects responded yes. This question was included as a

possible indication regarding understanding the need for amplification as discussed in

chapter two. The ability to be heard over large orchestras or electric instruments as well

as performing up to eight times a week often depends on amplification to provide vocal

safety for the singer. Answering yes to this question might indicate an understanding of
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this need. There were 12 written responses. The responses either clarified a yes or no

answer or specified that only principle performers were provided microphones.

Question 37 asked, “If yes, does each singer have an individual dedicated

microphone?” A little over forty-nine percent (49.2%) of subjects responded yes. If the

subject responded no to question 35, the survey would skip to question 39. There were

45 written responses, the highest number of written responses in Section One. Four of

the responses clarified a yes or no answer. The remaining 40 responses clarified that only

principle performers received microphones.

Section Two-Opinions and Knowledge of Belt

Survey Section Two included questions regarding how the use of belt is perceived

and produced. These questions were developed from issues presented in the literature

review. These questions were designed to identify subjects’ opinions or knowledge

regarding the use of belt. Questions 40, 42, 63, 65, and 67 were designed to measure

opinions regarding belt. Questions 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 69, and 71 were

designed to measure knowledge of belt. There were 32 questions in this section, 16

requiring a closed-ended response and 16 providing opportunities for comments or

clarifications of the preceding question. The subject was asked to read a statement and

select a response from a five-point Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly

disagree. It was possible for the subject to give a written response to each question.

There were a total of 305 written responses given for Section Two. All written responses

were sorted as clarification of the written response unless otherwise noted and are found

in Appendix H. Frequency Tables for Section Two are presented in Appendix J. Due to
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several categories with a small number of responses, the five categories were collapsed

into three: strongly agree/agree, neither, disagree/strongly disagree. This would allow for

stronger statistical analysis and was done for every question in Section Two. Table

Seven presents the question numbers, possible responses, and number of responses for

Section Two.
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Table 7

Survey Questions Section Two

Question Question Descriptors Number of Number of Responses


Number Responses Written collapsed
Responses into Three
Categories
40 I know what St. Agree 69 2 143
is meant by Agree 74
the term Neither 9 9
“belt”. Disagree 3
St. Disagree 11 14
Missing 10
Total 176
42 I am St. Agree 15 4 73
confident in Agree 58
my ability to Neither 42 42
instruct Disagree 38
students in St. Disagree 14 52
singing in Missing 9
the belt style. Total 176
44 Belting is the St. Agree 2 14 26
same as Agree 24
chest voice. Neither 37 37
Disagree 94
St. Disagree 9 103
Missing 10
Total 176
46 Belting is St. Agree 27 27 99
more Agree 72
strenuous on Neither 41 41
the voice Disagree 23
than classical St. Disagree 3 26
singing. Missing 10
Total 176
48 Belting St. Agree 11 46 49
causes Agree 38
damage to Neither 69 69
the vocal Disagree 41
mechanism. St. Disagree 6 47
Missing 11
Total 176
91

Question Question Descriptors Number of Number of Responses


Number Responses Written collapsed
Responses into Three
Categories
50 Belting and St. Agree 2 9 5
classical Agree 3
styles cannot Neither 8 8
be sung by Disagree 84
the same St. Disagree 70 154
person. Missing 9
Total 176
52 Belting is St. Agree 3 12 60
created in Agree 57
part by Neither 55 55
pushing the Disagree 48
sound into a St. Disagree 4 52
nasal Missing 9
placement. Total 176
54 Belt can be St. Agree 8 9 85
any dynamic Agree 77
from soft to Neither 37 37
loud. Disagree 43
St. Disagree 1 44
Missing 10
Total 176
56 Belt is a St. Agree 2 4 16
classification Agree 14
of the female Neither 21 21
voice just Disagree 83
like mezzo St. Disagree 47 130
or soprano. Missing 9
Total 176
58 Belting can St. Agree 0 6 1
not be Agree 1
taught; it is Neither 12 12
only a Disagree 107
natural St. Disagree 47 154
individual Missing 9
phenomenon. Total 176
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Question Question Descriptors Number of Number of Responses


Number Responses Written collapsed
Responses into Three
Categories
60 Belt St. Agree 10 23 71
produces Agree 61
more tension Neither 38 38
in the Disagree 51
muscles in St. Disagree 7 58
the throat Missing 9
than classical Total 176
singing.
63 It is vocally St. Agree 0 33 18
appropriate Agree 18
for an Neither 44 44
adolescent Disagree 66
female singer St. Disagree 39 105
to perform Missing 9
major opera Total 176
roles.
65 It is vocally St. Agree 2 38 44
appropriate Agree 42
for Neither 65 65
adolescent Disagree 39
female St. Disagree 19 55
singers to Missing 9
perform Total 176
major
musical
theater roles
utilizing belt
vocal
production.
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Question Question Descriptors Number of Number of Responses


Number Responses Written collapsed
Responses into Three
Categories
67 It is vocally St. Agree 29 16 131
appropriate Agree 102
for Neither 28 28
adolescent Disagree 7
female St. Disagree 1 8
singers to Missing 9
perform Total 176
major
musical
theater roles
utilizing non-
belt vocal
production.
69 It is vocally St. Agree 38 22 123
safe for the Agree 85
adolescent Neither 40 40
female to Disagree 4
sing in the St. Disagree 0 4
bel canto Missing 9
style. Total 176
71 It is vocally St. Agree 2 40 63
safe for the Agree 61
adolescent Neither 61 61
female to Disagree 33
sing in the St. Disagree 10 43
belt style. Missing 9
Total 176

Questions 40 and 42 with their respective written responses were opinion

questions designed to elicit responses regarding the subjects’ own perceptions regarding

belt. Question 40 presented the statement “I know what is meant by the term belt.” A

little over eighty-six percent (86.2%) of respondents strongly agree/agree with the

statement. This number was higher than expected given the difficulty in defining belt as
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presented in chapter two. However, a definition of belt was given at the beginning of the

survey. (For the purposes of this survey, the term “musical theater belt” or “belt” is used

in its broadest sense to mean the Broadway sound or production of a sound that is not

classical or bel canto in nature.) If the respondent used the proffered definition, the

response could actually be stating the subject agreed with the definition that was

presented, not that they know for themselves. However, since this question was designed

to be an opinion question, the subjects could be answering that they know based on their

own definition. There was also no way of knowing if that definition was positive or

negative toward belting. There were two written responses. Both responses stated that

the respondents’ understanding of belt was based on conversations with others and not

due to actual training or education in the use to belt.

Question 42 presented the statement “I am confident in my ability to instruct

students in singing in the belt style.” A little over forty-three percent (43.7%) of subjects

strongly agree/agree with the statement. This finding is of interest when only 9.2% of

subjects reported having studied in the belt style (question 82). Since this question is

opinion based, there is not a way to directly measure where the confidence comes from.

It would be of interest to have subjects describe why they feel confident. There were

eight written responses. They were sorted into two categories. The first category had

four statements that varied from a statement of feeling secure in the ability to teach belt to

a request for more training on how to teach belt. The second category contained four

comments or opinions that expressed negativity towards belting. These four statements

all specifically stated that belting was harmful to the singer and would never be taught by
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that subject.

Questions 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, and 60 with their respective written

responses were designed to measure the subjects’ knowledge of belt. The questions were

developed from issues discussed in the literature review. Question 44 presented the

statement “Belting is the same as chest voice.” Sixty-two percent (62%) of subjects

disagree/strongly disagree with the statement. There were 14 written responses. The

subjects provided different definitions of how belt and chest voice are or are not related.

These findings support the contention that there are different understandings of how belt

is produced.

Question 46 presented the statement “Belting is more strenuous on the voice than

classical singing.” A little over fifty-nine percent (59.7%) of subjects strongly

agree/agree with the statement. There were 27 written responses. Most of the responses

were qualifying statements regarding the conditions under which belt could safely be

produced. The remaining responses were statements such as “I don’t know” or “It

depends.” These answers suggest that this question may have been difficult to answer or

that the subjects did not know.

Question 48 presented the statement “Belting causes damage to the vocal

mechanism.” A little over twenty-eight percent (28.4%) of subjects strongly

disagree/disagree with the statement. Another way of looking at this finding is that

41.8% of subjects neither agree nor disagree with the statement, and 29.7% agreed with

the statement. With the highest percentage being neither response, it is not clear if

subjects truly don’t know the correct answer, or if the answers are tempered with the
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response “it depends.” There were 52 written responses. They were sorted into two

categories. The first category contained fifty clarifying statements that if produced

correctly, belt vocal production is not damaging; several subjects responded they didn’t

know. One subject provided a comment stating that some voices are naturally able to

take more abuse than others.

Question 50 presented the statement “Belting and classical styles cannot be sung

by the same person.” A little over ninety-two percent (92.2%) of subjects strongly

disagree/disagree with the statement. This is a surprising finding because it suggests that

the subjects understand that classical singing and belting are both styles of singing. This

finding is supported by the results for question 58 that belting can be taught. There were

nine written responses. Seven of the responses clarified statements that it is possible,

although it takes a very proficient singer to be able to produce both. Two responses

named popular singers who have the ability to do both.

Question 52 presented the statement “Belting is created in part by pushing the

sound into a nasal placement.” A little over thirty-one percent (31.1%) of subjects

strongly disagree/disagree with the statement. A little over thirty-two percent (32.9%)

responded neither agree nor disagree and 35.9% strongly agree/agree with the statement.

The percentages across groups are close, suggesting that subjects had varying opinions

but no consensus regarding the statement. There were 12 written responses. Nine

statements clarified an agree response such as the belt sound is brighter in nature or that

yes, belting is very nasal, and three subjects responded they didn’t know. However, this

could be an auditory phenomenon in which the sound is perceived as being produced


97

nasally when in fact it is not being produced in the nose, but sounds as if it is due to the

brightness of the sound.

Question 54 presented the statement “Belt can be any dynamic from soft to loud.”

A little over twenty-six percent (26.5%) of subjects disagree/disagree with the statement.

That would indicate that a majority of subjects either didn’t know or had incorrect

knowledge regarding the volume of belt. If a singer wants to utilize a softer volume, s/he

has to switch to a different method of vocal production. There were nine written

responses. Seven statements clarified an agreed response such as belting by its nature is

loud or it is hard to produce belt softly and two subjects responded they did not know.

Question 56 presented the statement “Belt is a classification of the female voice

just like mezzo or soprano.” A little over seventy-seven percent (77.8%) of subjects

strongly disagree/disagree with the statement. This means that for this finding, most

subjects had correct knowledge regarding this statement. There were four written

responses that all correctly stated that belting is a style, not a classification (Jamison,

1996).

Question 58 presented the statement “Belting cannot be taught; it is only a natural

individual phenomenon.” A little over ninety-two percent (92.2%) of subjects strongly

disagree/disagree with the statement, again supporting the idea that, in general, the

subjects have an understanding of the nature of belt. There were six written responses

that all clarified the subject’s response. These comments ranged from agreeing with the

statement to agreeing that it can be taught.


98

Question 60 presented the statement “Belt produces more tension in the muscles

in the throat than classical singing.” A little over thirty-four percent (34.7%) of subjects

strongly disagree/disagree with the statement. That means that 65.3% of subjects either

didn’t know or had correct knowledge regarding belting and tension. It has been shown

in the research that belting does, in fact, produce more tension in the throat than classical

singing does (Smith-Vaughn, 2007). There were 23 written responses. Twenty-two

statements clarified that it depends if belting is being done correctly and one subject

stated s/he did not know.

The next five questions with their respective written responses were a subset of

this category that focused specifically on the use of the belt voice in adolescent females.

Questions 63, 65 and 67 were opinion questions and questions 69 and 71 were designed

to measure knowledge. Question 63 presented the statement “It is vocally appropriate for

an adolescent female singer to perform major opera roles.” A little over sixty-two

percent (62.9%) of subjects strongly disagree/disagree with the statement. Zero percent

(0%) strongly agree and only 10.8% agree with the statement. This shows that few

subjects held the opinion that opera roles would be appropriate for adolescent singers.

The forced choice responses received much clarification from the 33 written responses.

Most of the responses presented qualifiers such as, it would depend on the difficulty of

the literature, the maturity of the individual singer, and the quality of the training the

singer received. Four of the responses discussed what anatomy/development is needed in

the young singer for healthy singing.


99

Question 65 presented the statement “It is vocally appropriate for an adolescent

female singer to perform major musical theater roles utilizing belt vocal production.” A

little over twenty-six percent (26.3%) of subjects strongly agree/agree with the statement,

38.9% neither agree nor disagree, and 34.8% strongly disagree/disagree. The percentages

across groups are close, suggesting that subjects had varying opinions, but no consensus

regarding the statement. Since this was an opinion question, it is unclear as to source of

the response. For example, one subject might have the knowledge needed to answer the

question, while another subject might simply be of the opinion that it would be

inappropriate. The 38 written responses provided some clarity. Most of the responses

presenting qualifiers such as, it depended on the difficulty of the literature, the maturity

of the individual singer, and the quality of the training the singer received. Three

subjects responded they did not know.

Question 67 presented the statement “It is vocally appropriate for adolescent

female singers to perform major musical theater roles utilizing non-belt vocal

production.” A little over seventy-eight percent (78.5%) of subjects strongly agree/agree

with the statement. This was also an opinion question and the majority of the subjects

agreed that it would be appropriate. Only 4.8% of subjects felt it would be inappropriate.

Since the question specified non-belt vocal production, the singers would be using a

different style such as legit or even a more classical production. There were 16 written

responses. Several of the responses presenting qualifiers such as, it depended on the

difficulty of the literature, the maturity of the individual singer, and the quality of the

training the singer received. One subject responded s/he did not know.
100

Question 69 presented the statement “It is vocally safe for the adolescent female

to sing in the bel canto style.” A little over seventy-three percent (73.7%) of subjects

strongly agree/agree with the statement. However, for this survey, bel canto was not

defined, so that was not a way to measure exactly what the subject thought the term bel

canto means. The 22 written responses helped to clarify the responses. Many of the

responses agreed with statement with some of those specifying only if done correctly, and

depending on the literature. Two subjects responded they did not know.

Question 71 presented the statement “It is vocally safe for the adolescent female

to sing in the belt style.” A little over thirty-seven percent (37.7%) of subjects strongly

agreed/agreed with the statement. There were 40 written responses. Twenty-eight

responses agreed with the statement with the qualifiers that only if belt is taught correctly

and used under guidance. Several statements responded it depended on the individual

ability of the singer and two subjects responded they did not know

Section Three- Undergraduate Education and Experiences

Section Three collected information regarding the subject’s undergraduate

experiences and education. There were 41 questions presented in this section: 20

requiring a closed-ended response and 20 with opportunities for comments or

clarifications of the preceding question. The final question of the survey allowed for

open response if the subject had additional thoughts or comments s/he wanted to share.

The first two questions asked what undergraduate degree the subject held. The next 16

questions asked for information regarding specific academic content received as an

undergraduate. The remaining two questions asked if musical theater were produced at
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the college the subject attended. It was possible for the subject to give a written response

to each question. There were a total of 142 written responses given for Section Two. All

written responses were sorted as clarification of the written response unless otherwise

noted and are found in Appendix I. Frequency tables for Section Three are presented in

Appendix J. Table Eight presents the question numbers, possible responses, and number

of responses for Section Three.


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Table 8

Survey Questions Section Three

Question Question Descriptors Number Number


Number of of Written
Responses Responses
74 Do you have an undergraduate Yes 154 12
degree in music education? No 13
Missing 9
Total 176
76 Do you currently hold state Yes 162 4
licensure to teach music? No 5
Missing 9
Total 176
78 Did you take applied private voice Yes 142 2
lessons in college? No 25
Missing 9
Total 176
80 If you took applied voice in Yes 139 5
college, did you study in the No 2
classical style, including opera, art Skip Logic 25
song, songs in foreign languages, Missing 10
etc.? Total 176
82 If you took applied voice in Yes 13 15
college, did you study in the belt No 128
style? Skip Logic 25
Missing 10
Total 176
84 If you took applied voice in Yes 83 6
college, did you study in the No 57
musical theater legit style? Skip Logic 25
Missing 11
Total 176
86 Did you sing in the jazz style in Yes 58 5
college, either as a soloist or in an No 83
ensemble? Skip Logic 25
Missing 10
88 Did you sing in a gospel choir in Yes 25 3
college? No 116
Skip Logic 25
Missing 10
Total 176
103

Question Question Descriptors Number Number


Number of of Written
Responses Responses
90 Did your university have a Yes 66 0
musical theater voice No 51
teacher/coach? Don’t 16
Recall/
Don’t Know
Skip Logic 25
Missing 18
Total 176
92 If yes, did you study with the Yes 14 4
musical theater voice No 76
teacher/coach? Skip Logic 76
Missing 10
Total 176
94 As an undergraduate did you take Yes 127 0
a vocal pedagogy class? No 39
Missing 10
Total 176
96 If yes, was the technique of Yes 14 8
belting taught in the vocal No 112
pedagogy class? Skip Logic 39
Missing 11
Total 176
98 Have you attended workshops, Yes 33 2
master classes, or conferences that No 131
focused on the teaching of Missing 12
belting? Total 176
100 If yes, did the information you Yes 23 3
received in those events No 12
significantly inform the way you Skip Logic 131
teach belt? Missing 10
Total 176
104

Question Question Descriptors Number Number


Number of of Written
Responses Responses
102 Have you read articles, books, Yes 46 6
essays, etc. that you feel No 118
significantly informed your Missing 12
teaching of musical theater belt? Total 176
104 Did you take any undergraduate Yes 0 1
classes that specifically trained No 164
you to teach belt? Missing 12
Total 176
106 Did you receive any content Yes 25 8
regarding the use of belt in any No 139
course you took as an Missing 12
undergraduate? Total 176
108 If you have a music education Yes 19 10
degree, were you required to take No 135
any courses in acting or theater? Don’t have 10
degree
Missing 12
Total 176
110 Did your college produce Yes 145 6
musicals? No 19
Missing 12
Total 176
112 If yes, did you participate as a Yes 56 16
vocal performer in the musical? No 90
Skip Logic 19
Missing 11
Total 176
114 If you have any thought or 24
comments to share, please write
them here.

Questions 74 and 76 with their respective written responses asked information

regarding educational and licensure status. Question 74 asked, “Do you have an

undergraduate degree in music education?” A little over ninety-two percent (92.2%) of

subjects responded yes. There were 12 written responses. Seven of the responses listed

degrees other than music education, such as vocal performance or instrumental


105

performance.

Question 76 asked, “Do you currently hold state licensure to teach music?”

Ninety-seven percent (97%) of subjects responded yes. There were 4 written responses.

All responses specified what license the subject held, except one subject who implied

s/he worked at a private school that did not require licensure, and one subject held a

permanent certificate received before the licensure system began.

Questions 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, and 88 with their respective written responses

focused on the types of singing opportunities the subject may have had in her/his

undergraduate experience. Exposure to or use of styles beyond traditional choral or

classical singing may suggest willingness to use or accept other forms of vocal

production. Question 78 asked, “Did you take applied private voice lessons in college?”

Eighty-five percent (85%) of subjects responded yes; however, there was no indication of

number of semesters the subject took lessons. This could imply anything from one to

eight semesters. There were two written responses. Both responses specified the subject

took lessons for less than a year.

Question 80 asked, “ If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the

classical style, including opera, art song, songs in foreign languages, etc.?” A little over

ninety-eight percent (98.6%) of subjects responded yes. If the subject responded no to

question 78, the survey skipped to question 94. There were five written responses. The

responses clarified a yes response, detailing what type of music was studied, such as art

song or songs in foreign languages.

Question 82 asked, “If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the belt
106

style?” A little over nine percent (9.2%) of subjects responded yes. If the subject

responded no to question 78, the survey skipped to question 94. There were 15 written

responses. They were sorted into two categories. The first category clarified subjects’

responses. One respondent introduced curricular choices not included in the survey,

stating that s/he studied the Estill method. The written responses present a wide range of

amount of time spent studying in the belt style from a discussion in vocal pedagogy class,

a few lessons over four years, to occasionally using they style her/himself.

Question 84 asked, “If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the

musical theater legit style?” A little over fifty-nine percent (59.3%) of subjects

responded yes. If the subject responded no to question 78, the survey skipped to question

94. There were six written responses that specified when the style was used, such as in

jazz or barbershop. However, the style of jazz is different from musical theater and

barbershop often utilizes elements of belting, so the answers could have suggested a lack

of understanding of what legit musical theater singing entails.

Question 86 asked, “Did you sing in the jazz style in college, either as a soloist or

in an ensemble?” A little over forty-one percent (41.1%) of subjects responded yes. If

the subject responded no to question 78, the survey skipped to question 94. There were

five written responses. They were sorted into two categories. The first category clarified

when the style was used. One respondent introduced curricular choices not included in

the survey stating s/he sang in the rock style.

Question 88 asked, “Did you sing in a gospel choir in college?” A little over

seventeen percent (17.7%) of subjects responded yes. If the subject responded no to


107

question 78, the survey skipped to question 94. There were three written responses that

clarified when the style was used. One of the comments was especially interesting,

stating, “My college roommate did sing in gospel choir and lost her voice after every

concert due to belting.” The use of the belt style in other genres (CCM) presents similar

challenges as when utilized on stage.

Questions 90, 92, 94, 96, 104 and 106 with their respective written responses

were seeking information regarding the availability of belt training as part of the subjects’

undergraduate experience. Question 90 asked, “Does your university have a musical

theater voice teacher/coach?” A little over forty-nine percent (49.6%) of subjects

responded yes. This number was higher than expected given the lack of study

specifically devoted to musical theater styles. If the subject responded no to question 78,

the survey skipped to question 94. There were no written responses.

Question 92 asked, “If yes, did you study with the musical theater voice

teacher/coach?” A little over fifteen percent (15.6%) of subjects responded yes. If the

subject responded no to question 78, the survey skipped to question 94. If the subject

responded no to question 90, the survey skipped to question 94. There were four written

responses that clarified that only musical theater majors were allowed to study with that

teacher.

Question 94 asked, “As an undergraduate, did you take a vocal pedagogy class?”

A little over seventy-six percent (76.5%) of subjects responded yes. Vocal pedagogy

courses teach anatomy of the voice and how sound is produced. This question was

included as an indication of specific training in vocal production. There were no written


108

comments.

Question 96 asked, “If yes, was the technique of belting taught in the vocal

pedagogy class.” A little over eleven percent (11.1%) of subjects responded yes.

However, there was no indication if belt was taught to be used or as something to be wary

of. This question was asked as follow up to question 94. If the subject responded no to

question 94, the survey skipped to question 98. There were eight written responses.

They were sorted into two categories. The first category was clarification of the subject’s

response, including two negative comments stating that they were taught not to teach

belt. One subject stated s/he studied in the Estill method.

Questions 98, 100 and 102 with their respective written responses were written to

identify other sources beside undergraduate experiences where subjects could have

received training in belt. Question 98 asked, “Have you attended workshops, master

classes, or conferences that focused on the teaching of belting?” A little over twenty

percent (20.1%) of subjects responded yes. This question was included to try to identify

where subjects were receiving belt training if not as part of their undergraduate training.

There were two written responses. One response named a specific master class

instructor. One subject stated s/he was introduced to the Estill method at classes offered

at conferences.

Question 100 asked, “If yes, did the information you received in those events

significantly inform the way you teach belt?” A little over sixty-five percent (65.7%) of

subjects responded yes. Significance is difficult to measure. If a subject had no

experience with belting, than any amount of information would seem significant. If the
109

subject responded no to question 98, the survey skipped to question 102. There were

three written responses. One response named a specific teacher, one response was

negative towards belting, and one response expressed a desire to know more on the

subject of belting.

Question 102 asked, “Have you read articles, books, essays, etc. that you feel

significantly informed your teaching of musical theater belt?” Twenty-eight percent

(28%) of subjects responded yes. There were six written comments. Three of the

responses specified what exactly was found to be useful, one response was negative

toward belting, and two responses expressed a desire to know more on the subject of

belting.

Question 104 asked, “Did you take any undergraduate classes that specifically

trained you to teach belt?” Zero percent (0%) of subjects responded yes. This is an

astounding finding when examined with the results from questions 40 and 42. Subjects

were stating knowledge of belt and confidence in teaching it without having received

formal training as part of their undergraduate experience. Questions 98 and 100

attempted to discover where the training might be coming from. There was one written

response that expressed a desire to know more on the subject of belting.

Question 106 asked “Did you receive any content regarding the use of belt in any

course you took as an undergraduate?” A little over fifteen percent (15.2%) of subjects

responded yes. There were eight written responses. Six of the responses specified how

or when the content was received. The remaining two responses expressed negativity

toward the use of belt.


110

Questions 108, 110 and 112 with their respective written responses were written

to gather information on other possible exposure to musical theater outside of music

education courses. Question 108 asked, “If you have a music education degree, were you

required to take any courses in acting or theater?” A little over eleven percent (11.6%) of

subjects responded yes. There were 10 written responses. The responses specified under

what circumstances the courses were taken.

Question 110 asked, “Did your college produce musicals?” A little over eighty-

eight percent (88.4%) of subjects responded yes. There were six written comments. Four

of the responses stated that the theater department, not the music department, produced

the musical. This brings up an interesting point. If music departments are not producing

musicals, then who is? The most likely answer is the theater department, so then the

question becomes what is the training and philosophy of vocal production of college

theater teachers and are they qualified to teach/coach belting?

Question 112 asked, “If yes, did you participate as a vocal performer in the

musical?” A little over thirty-eight percent (38.4%) of subjects responded yes. If the

subject answered no to question 110, the survey skipped to question 114. There were 17

written responses. Of the 17, three of the responses specified playing in the pit orchestra

and two responses listed community theater as the performance venue.

Question 114 allowed for open-ended response. Twenty-three subjects elected to

write comments. The comments were not sorted into categories. However, 10 of the

responses were requests for additional information on the topic of belt or an expression of

the need to include training in belt and musical theater in the field of music education.
111

Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

Independent group T-tests and an ANOVA were run with respect to educational

level, gender, and years of experience for the items in Section Two. Questions in Section

Two were examined for differences based on gender (question 6.) Only question 50

“Belting and classical styles cannot be sung by the same person” was significant (p<.05).

An independent T-test revealed that females (M=4.21, SD=.783) differed from males

(M=4.51, SD=.617), t=-2.378(165), p=.019. Frequency Tables showed that females

strongly disagree/disagree (84.8%) less strongly than males strongly disagree/disagree

(94.1%). Since the question does not distinguish between male and female voices, this

finding could be due to the differences in female and male vocal production. The male

experience might be that it is difficult for the same singer to use both styles while females

might find it easier use both styles or vice versa. Table Nine presents the items from

section two with respect to gender. Table 10 presents the findings of the T-test by

gender. Frequency Tables for question 50 by gender are shown in Table 11.
112

Table 9

Belt Items by Gender

Survey Gender N Mean Std. Deviation


Question
40 Fem 117 4.10 1.086
Male 49 4.18 1.014
42 Fem 118 3.14 1.119
Male 49 3.10 1.141
44 Fem 117 3.55 .846
Male 49 3.41 .864
46 Fem 117 3.56 .932
Male 49 3.63 1.093
48 Fem 117 3.03 .923
Male 48 2.79 .988
50 Fem 118 4.21* .783
Male 49 4.51* .617
52 Fem 118 3.03 .920
Male 49 2.80 .816
54 Fem 118 2.68 .933
Male 48 2.79 .922
56 Fem 118 3.91 .978
Male 49 4.06 .775
58 Fem 118 4.23 .546
Male 49 4.12 .666
60 Fem 118 3.08 1.006
Male 49 3.14 1.118
63 Fem 118 3.81 .908
Male 49 3.63 .994
65 Fem 118 2.75 .969
Male 49 2.96 .969
67 Fem 118 3.91 .704
Male 49 3.90 .848
69 Fem 118 3.91 .762
Male 49 4.02 .721
71 Fem 118 3.06 .927
Male 49 3.10 .918
113

Table 10

Independent T-test for Equality of Means by Gender

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


40 -.447 164 .655
42 .220 165 .826
44 .959 164 .339
46 -.410 164 .682
48 1.448 163 .150
50 -2.378 165 .019*
52 1.516 165 .131
54 -.715 164 .476
56 -.984 165 .327
58 1.073 165 .285
60 -.377 165 .707
63 1.086 165 .279
65 -1.233 165 .219
67 .069 165 .945
69 -.891 165 .374
71 -.272 165 .786
114

Table 11

Frequency Table for Question 50 by Gender

Gender Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative


Percent Percent
Female Valid St agree 2 1.6 1.7 1.7
Agree 2 1.6 1.7 3.4
Neither 8 6.4 6.8 10.2
Disagree 63 50.4 53.4 63.6
St Dis. 43 34.4 36.4 100.0
Total 118 94.4 100.0
Missing System 7 5.6
Total 125 100.0
Male Valid St Agree 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Agree 1 2.0 2.0 2.0
Neither 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Disagree 21 41.2 42.9 44.9
St. Dis. 27 52.9 55.1 100.0
Total 49 96.1 100.0
Missing System 2 3.9
Total 51 100.0

Questions in Section Two were examined for differences based on educational

level (question 4.) An independent T-test was used due to the three categories of

Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and Doctorate being combined into two categories of

Bachelor’s and graduate degrees as previously explained. Only question 50 “Belting and

classical styles cannot be sung by the same person” and question 52 “Belting is created in

part by pushing the sound into a nasal placement” were significant (p<.05). For question

50, an independent T-test revealed that those with Bachelor’s degrees (M=4.49,

SD=.605) differed from those with graduate degrees (M=4.21, SD=.796), t=2.348(165),

p=.020. This meant that for question 50, subjects with Bachelor’s degrees disagreed

more with the statement “Belting and classical styles cannot be sung by the same person”
115

than those with graduate degrees. This finding might be due to differences in training

levels with the assumption that graduate students have more training or experience in

different vocal styles than undergraduates.

For question 52, an independent T-test revealed that those with Bachelor’s

degrees (M=2.76, SD=.860) differed from those with graduate degrees (M=3.05,

SD=.899), t=-1.967(165), p=.049. This meant that subjects with Bachelor’s degrees

agreed more with the statement “Belting is created in part by pushing the sound into a

nasal placement” than those with graduate degrees. Table 12 presents the items from

section two with respect to educational level. Table 13 presents the findings of the T-test

by educational level. Frequency Tables for questions 50 and 52 by educational level are

shown in Tables 14 and 15.


116

Table 12

Belt Items by Educational Level

Survey
Ed Level N Mean Std. Deviation
Question
Bach 55 4.29 1.031
40
Mas/Doc 111 4.05 1.074
Bach 55 3.22 1.166
42
Mas/Doc 112 3.09 1.103
Bach 55 3.58 .809
44
Mas/Doc 111 3.47 .872
Bach 55 3.53 .979
46
Mas/Doc 111 3.61 .983
Bach 55 3.00 1.036
48
Mas/Doc 110 2.94 .901
Bach 55 4.49 .605
50
Mas/Doc 112 4.21 .796
Bach 55 2.76 .860
52
Mas/Doc 112 3.05 .899
Bach 55 2.80 .931
54
Mas/Doc 111 2.67 .928
Bach 55 3.82 1.073
56
Mas/Doc 112 4.02 .838
Bach 55 4.22 .658
58
Mas/Doc 112 4.19 .546
Bach 55 3.02 1.130
60
Mas/Doc 112 3.13 .991
Bach 55 3.93 .920
63
Mas/Doc 112 3.67 .934
Bach 55 2.89 1.149
65
Mas/Doc 112 2.78 .887
Bach 55 4.02 .805
67
Mas/Doc 112 3.85 .713
Bach 55 3.98 .757
69
Mas/Doc 112 3.92 .749
Bach 55 3.13 .963
71
Mas/Doc 112 3.04 .904
117

Table 13

Independent T-test for Equality of Means by Educational Level

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


40 1.407 164 .161
42 .696 165 .487
44 .807 164 .421
46 -.527 164 .599
48 .406 163 .685
50 2.348 165 .020*
52 -1.987 165 .049*
54 .871 164 .385
56 -1.316 165 .190
58 .319 165 .750
60 -.677 165 .499
63 1.684 165 .094
65 .707 165 .481
67 1.387 165 .167
69 .502 165 .616
71 .543 165 .588

Table 14
Frequency Table for Question 50 by Educational Level

Education Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative


Percent Percent
Bach Valid St agree 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Agree 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Neither 3 5.2 5.5 5.5
Disagree 22 37.9 40.0 45.5
St Dis. 30 51.7 54.5 100.0
Total 55 94.8 100.0
Missing System 3 5.2
Total 125 58 100.0
Graduate Valid St Agree 2 1.7 1.8 1.8
Agree 3 2.5 2.7 4.5
Neither 5 4.2 4.5 8.9
Disagree 62 52.5 55.4 64.3
St. Dis. 40 33.9 35.7 100.0
Total 112 94.9 100.0
Missing System 6 5.1
Total 118 100.0
118

Table 15

Frequency Table for Question 52 by Educational Level

Education Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative


Percent Percent
Bach Valid St agree 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Agree 27 46.6 49.1 49.1
Neither 15 25.9 27.3 76.4
Disagree 12 20.7 21.8 98.2
St Dis. 1 1.7 1.8 100.0
Total 55 94.8 100.0
Missing System 3 5.2
Total 125 58 100.0
Graduate Valid St Agree 3 2.5 2.7 2.7
Agree 30 25.4 26.8 29.5
Neither 40 33.9 35.7 65.2
Disagree 36 30.5 32.1 97.3
St. Dis. 3 2.5 2.7 100.0
Total 112 94.9 100.0
Missing System 6 5.1
Total 118 100.0

Questions in Section Two were examined for differences based on years of

teaching (question 2). Only question 50 (“Belting and classical styles cannot be sung by

the same person”) was significant (p<.05). For question 50, a one-way Analysis of

Variance was used to examine the difference in the means of three groups (<10 years

experience, 11-20 years experience, >20 years experience) and showed F=5.258, df

2/164, p=.006 as shown in Table 16.


119

Table 16

One Way ANOVA for Years of Experience

Survey Sum of Mean


Groups df F Sig.
Question Squares Square
Between Groups .468 2
.234
40 Within Groups 185.875 163 .205 .815
1.140
Total 186.343 165
Between Groups 5.393 2
2.696
42 Within Groups 203.709 164 2.171 .117
1.242
Total 209.102 166
Between Groups 2.738 2
1.369
44 Within Groups 116.756 163 1.911 .151
.716
Total 119.494 165
Between Groups .045 2
.023
46 Within Groups 158.274 163 .023 .977
.971
Total 158.319 165
Between Groups .100 2
.050
48 Within Groups 146.603 162 .055 .946
.905
Total 146.703 164
Between Groups 5.606 2
2.803
50 Within Groups 87.424 164 5.258 .006**
.533
Total 93.030 166
Between Groups .106 2
.053
52 Within Groups 132.600 164 .066 .937
.809
Total 132.707 166
Between Groups .414 2
.207
54 Within Groups 141.706 163 .238 .788
.869
Total 142.120 165
Between Groups 3.465 2
1.733
56 Within Groups 138.152 164 2.057 .131
.842
Total 141.617 166
Between Groups .464 2
.232
58 Within Groups 56.015 164 .680 .508
.342
Total 56.479 166
Between Groups 2
2.297 1.148
60 Within Groups 164 1.069 .346
176.170 1.074
Total 166
Between Groups .200 2
.100
63 Within Groups 144.734 164 .114 .893
.883
Total 144.934 166
120

Survey Sum of Mean


Groups df F Sig.
Question Squares Square
Between Groups .150 2
.075
65 Within Groups 159.095 164 .078 .925
.970
Total 159.246 166
Between Groups .814 2
.407
67 Within Groups 91.653 164 .728 .484
.559
Total 92.467 166
Between Groups .416 2
.208
69 Within Groups 92.985 164 .367 .694
.567
Total 93.401 166
Between Groups 1.194 2
.597
71 Within Groups 139.944 164 .700 .498
.853
Total 141.138 166

According to these findings, there were significant differences among the three

groups. Frequency Table18 demonstrates that for those with <10 of teaching experience

88.5% strongly disagree/disagree with question 50, while for those with 11-20 years of

experience 93.1% strongly disagreed with question 50. However, for those with >20

years of experience, 79.1% strongly disagreed/disagreed with question 50. To examine if

pairs of means of the three groups were significantly different, a Tukey’s HSD test was

performed. This test is a post-hoc test performed after an analysis of variance test. It is

used to determine which groups in the sample have significant differences when there are

more than two groups. Results of the Tukey are show in Table 17. The results

demonstrated that the mean of the >20 group was significantly different (p=.043) from

the mean of the 11-20 group. The mean of the >20 group was also significantly different

(p=.005) from the mean of the <10 group. However, the mean of the 11-20 group is not

significantly different (p=.772) from the mean of the <10 group. Overall, this means that

the group with >20 years of experience strongly disagreed/disagreed less strongly than
121

both of the other two groups. In other words, those with 20+ years of experience agreed

more than the other two groups that belting and classical styles can be sung by the same

person. However, there was not a significant difference in response for the 11-20 years

of experience and <10 years of experience groups.


122

Table 17

Tukey Results for Question 50 by Years of Experience

(I) exper_3gps (J) Mean Difference Std. Sig.


exper_3gp (I-J) Error
<=10 11-20 .091 .132 .772
>20 .448 .142 .005*
11-20 <=10 -.091 .132 .772
>20 .357 .147 .043*
>20 <=10 -.448 .142 .005*
11-20 -.357 .147 .043*

Table 18

Frequency Table for Question 50 by Years of Experience

Years of Frequency Percent Valid Cumulative


Experience Percent Percent
<10 Valid St agree 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Agree 1 1.4 1.5 1.5
Neither 4 5.7 6.0 7.5
Disagree 26 37.1 38.8 45.3
St Dis. 36 51.4 53.7 100.0
Total 67 95.7 100.0
Missing System 3 4.3
Total 70 100.0
11-20 Valid St Agree 1 1.7 1.8 1.8
Agree 0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Neither 1 1.7 1.8 3.6
Disagree 30 51.7 53.6 57.1
St. Dis. 24 41.4 42.9 100.0
Total 56 96.6 100.0
Missing System 2 3.4
Total 58 100.0
>20
Valid St. Agree 1 2.1 2.3 2.3
Agree 2 4.2 4.5 6.8
Neither 3 6.3 6.8 13.6
Disagree 28 58.3 63.6 77.3
St. Dis. 10 20.8 22.7 100
Missing System 4 8.3
Total 48 100.0
123

Selected Questions

For most of the questions in Section One and Section Three, there were no

statistically significant differences (p<.05). However, seven questions (9, 27, 74, 78, 94,

106, 110) that were statistically significant were selected for examination using an

independent T-test with the questions in Section Two. These questions were selected

because they might suggest the subjects either had direct exposure to, training in, or use

of belt, all of which would affect opinions or provide knowledge. Results of the t-test for

question nine are presented in Table 19.

Table 19

Independent T-test for Question 9: Do you teach show choir in grades 9-12? (yes/no)

Survey Question t df Sig.


(2-tailed)
40 2.245 164 .026**
42 3.584 165 .000**
44 -1.595 164 .113
46 .484 164 .629
48 -.256 163 .798
50 -.853 165 .395
52 -.087 165 .931
54 -1.391 164 .166
56 -.370 165 .712
58 -.512 165 .609
60 .972 165 .332
63 -.046 165 .963
65 -.306 165 .760
67 -.485 165 .628
69 1.861 165 .064
71 .644 165 .520

For question nine (“Do you teach show choir in grades 9-12?”), item 40 (“I know what is

meant by the term belt”) was found to be statistically significant (p<.05).


124

An independent T-test revealed that for item 40, those responding yes to question nine

(M=4.37, SD=.828) differed from those responding no to question nine (M=3.99,

SD=1.153), t=2.245(164), p=.026. In other words, those subjects that teach show choir

agree more with the statement “I know what is meant by the term ‘belt’” than those who

do not teach show choir. As show choirs often utilize belt vocal production, it would

follow that those educators who teach a course in show choir would be more familiar

with the belt voice.

For question nine (“Do you teach show choir in grades 9-12?”), item 42 (“I am

confident in my ability to instruct students in singing in the belt style”) was also found to

be statistically significant (p<.05). An independent T-test revealed that for item 42, those

responding yes to question nine (M=3.53, SD=1.112) differed from those responding no

to question nine (M=2.91, SD=1.069), t=3.584(165), p<.0001. In other words, those

subjects that teach show choir agreed more with the statement “I am confident in my

ability to instruct students in singing in the belt style” than those who do not teach show

choir. As mentioned above, this finding might be expected if the educator teaches a

course or directs an ensemble that utilizes this style of vocal production. Further

investigation on exactly what vocal production is taught in show choir classes would give

further insight into this finding.


125

Results of the T-test for question 27 are presented in Table 20.

Table 20

Independent T-test for Question 27: Are you or have you ever been responsible for
selecting the musical for your high school? (yes/no)

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


40 -.262 122 .793
42 .842 123 .402
44 .114 122 .910
46 -.374 122 .709
48 -.393 121 .695
50 -.043 123 .966
52 -2.317 123 .022**
54 -.646 122 .520
56 -1.351 123 .179
58 -.727 123 .468
60 -.343 123 .732
63 -.035 123 .972
65 1.400 123 .164
67 -.565 123 .573
69 -.509 123 .611
71 1.649 123 .102

For question 27 “Are you or have you ever been responsible for selecting the

musical for your high school?” item 52 (“Belting is created in part by pushing the sound

into a nasal placement”) was found to be statistically significant (p<.05). An independent

T-test revealed that for item 52, those responding yes to question 27 (M=2.84, SD=.932)

differed from those responding no to question 27 (M=3.29, SD=.810), t=-2.317(164),

p=.022. In other words, the subjects who reported responsibility for selecting their high

school musicals disagreed with the statement more than those who were not responsible.

It is unclear as to why those two statements would be correlated. One does not seem to

have common content with the other. A possible connection might be that educators who
126

are willing to select musical theater literature are more accepting of the brighter sound

that is used in belt production. Another possibility is that educators are attending to vocal

needs when selecting a musical, including which characters use what type of vocal

production.

Results of the T-test for question 74 are presented in Table 21.

Table 21

Independent T-test for Question 74: Do you have an undergraduate degree in music
education? (yes/no)

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


40 .446 164 .656
42 .183 165 .855
44 -.821 164 .413
46 .175 164 .861
48 -.473 163 .637
50 .343 165 .732
52 1.773 165 .078
54 1.323 164 .188
56 1.372 165 .172
58 -1.205 165 .230
60 -.488 165 .626
63 -1.612 165 .109
65 1.058 165 .292
67 1.066 165 .288
69 -.694 165 .495
71 -.021 65 .984

For question 74 (“Do you have an undergraduate degree in music education?”), an

independent T-test revealed that there were no responses from section two that were

found to be statistically significant (p<05). This might suggest that having an

undergraduate degree in music education has no effect on the opinion regarding the use

of belt. The absence of any correlation might signify the lack of exposure to anything
127

belt related. However, responses to other questions show this is not the case, so it

remains unclear as to why question 74 displayed these results.

Results of the T-test for question 78 are presented in Table 22.

Table 22

Independent T-test for Question 78: Did you take applied private voice lessons in
college? (yes/no)

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


40 2.959 164 .004**
42 3.237 165 .001**
44 .420 164 .675
46 -.529 164 .598
48 -.014 163 .989
50 1.597 165 .112
52 -1.472 165 .143
54 -2.674 164 .008**
56 .986 165 .326
58 .349 165 .728
60 1.341 165 .182
63 1.838 165 .068
65 -.584 165 .560
67 -1.280 165 .202
69 .723 165 .471
71 -.753 165 .453

For question 78 “Did you take applied private voice lessons in college”, item 40

(“I know what is meant by the term ‘belt’”), item 42 (“I am confident in my ability to

instruct students in singing in the belt style”), and item 54 (“Belt can be any dynamic

from soft to loud”) were found to be statistically significant (p<.05). An independent T-

test revealed that for item 40, those responding yes to question 78 (M=4.23, SD=.974)

differed from those responding no to question 78 (M=3.56, SD=1.356), t=2.959(164),

p=.004. In other words, those subjects that took applied private voice in college agreed
128

with the statement “I know what is meant by the term ‘belt’” more than those subjects

responding no. This finding suggests that subjects who took private voice in college

might have more exposure to the concept of belt. It was not possible from this survey to

determine if that exposure was positive or negative.

An independent T-test revealed that for item 42, those responding yes to question

78 (M=3.25, SD=1.099) differed from those responding no to question 78 (M=2.48,

SD=1.046), t=3.237(165), p=.001. In other words, those subjects that took applied

private voice felt more confident in their ability to instruct other singers in the belt style.

However, in response to item 104 (“Did you take any undergraduate classes that

specifically trained you to teach belt?”), not one subject answered yes (0%). This would

suggest that subjects either had training in belting either as part of another course or

outside of the collegiate experience.

An independent T-test revealed that for item 54, those responding yes to question

78 (M=2.63, SD=.913) differed from those responding no to question 78 (M=3.16,

SD=.898), t=-2.674(164), p=.008. This would suggest that subjects who had taken

private voice as an undergraduate disagreed more with the statement “Belt can be any

dynamic from soft to loud” than those subjects who had not had private voice lessons.

Belting, as defined by Boardman (1987), is a loud sound requiring tremendous energy.

This would suggest that those subjects who had received private voice lessons had some

understanding that belt cannot be sung softly.


129

Results of the T-test for question 94 are presented in Table 23.

Table 23

Independent T-test for Question 94: As an undergraduate, did you take a vocal pedagogy
class? (yes/no)

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


40 .145 163 .885
42 1.003 164 .317
44 -.792 163 .430
46 -.312 163 .755
48 -.121 162 .904
50 -.250 164 .803
52 -1.360 164 .176
54 .916 163 .361
56 -.523 164 .602
58 -2.060 164 .041**
60 1.014 164 .312
63 -1.620 164 .107
65 1.633 164 .104
67 -1.913 164 .058
69 .158 164 .875
71 1.310 164 .192

For question 94 “As an undergraduate did you take a vocal pedagogy class?” item 58

(“Belting cannot be taught; it is only a natural individual phenomenon”) was found to be

statistically significant (p<.05). An independent T-test revealed that for item 58, those

responding yes to question 94 (M=4.14, SD=.574) differed from those responding no to

question 94 (M=4.36, SD=.584), t=-2.060(164), p=.041. In other words, those subjects

who took a vocal pedagogy class disagreed less with the statement “Belting cannot be

taught; it is only a natural individual phenomenon” than those subjects who did not take a

vocal pedagogy class. This suggests that those subjects who took a vocal pedagogy class
130

had a better understanding of what vocal training could accomplish than those who did

not.

Results of the T-test for question 106 are presented in Table 24.

Table 24

Independent T-test for Question 106: Did you receive any content regarding the use of
belt in any course you took as an undergraduate? (yes/no)

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


40 2.223 161 .028**
42 1.917 162 .057
44 .575 161 .566
46 -1.264 161 .208
48 1.898 160 .059
50 .400 162 .690
52 -.987 162 .325
54 -.690 161 .491
56 .251 162 .802
58 .102 162 .919
60 -1.101 162 .273
63 -.748 162 .456
65 -.313 162 .754
67 -1.126 162 .262
69 .972 162 .332
71 .509 162 .611

For question 106 “Did you received any content regarding the use of belt in any course

you took as an undergraduate?” item 40 (“I know what is meant by the term ‘belt’”) was

found to be statistically significant (p<.05). An independent T-test revealed that for item

40, those responding yes to question 106 (M=4.56, SD=.507) differed from those

responding no to question 106 (M=4.05, SD=1.123), t=2.223(161), p=.028. In other

words, subjects who received content regarding belt at the undergraduate level agreed
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with the statement “I know what is meant by the term ‘belt’” more than those who did not

receive content.

Results of the T-test for question 110 are presented in Table 25.

Table 25

Independent T-test for Question 110: Did your college produce musicals? (yes/no)

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


40 2.703 161 .008**
42 -.123 162 .902
44 -.534 161 .594
46 .658 161 .511
48 .291 160 .771
50 1.909 162 .058
52 -1.830 162 .069
54 -1.957 161 .052
56 .578 162 .564
58 1.088 162 .278
60 .405 162 .686
63 -2.504 162 .013**
65 1.370 162 .172
67 .449 162 .654
69 1.613 162 .109
71 .630 162 .530

For question 110 (“Did your college produce musicals”), item 40 (“I know what is meant

by the term ‘belt’”) and item 63 (“It is vocally appropriate for an adolescent female

singer to perform major opera roles”) were found to be statistically significant. An

independent T-test revealed that for item 40, those responding yes to question 110

(M=4.21, SD=.999) differed from those responding no to question 110 (M=3.50,

SD=1.383), t=2.703(161), p=.008. In other words, those subjects whose colleges

produced musicals agreed with the statement “I know what is meant by the term ‘belt’”
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more than those subjects responding no. The next question (112) in the survey asked if

the subject participated in the musical as a vocal performer. Of the 146 responses, 56

replied yes and 90 replied no. This finding would suggest that the production of musicals

might have exposed the subject to the belt style. The survey did not ask what vocal style

subjects used that participated in the musical. Therefore, it is not clear if the exposure

was to other performers using belt or if the subject her/himself was belting or using a

different style from belting or classical.

An independent T-test revealed that for item 63, those responding yes to question

110 (M=3.70, SD=.944) differed from those responding no to question 110 (M=4.26,

SD=.653), t=-2.504(162), p=.013. In other words, those subjects whose colleges

produced musicals agreed less with the statement “It is vocally appropriate for an

adolescent female singer to perform major opera roles” than those whose colleges did

not. This might suggest an understanding of the vocal requirements involved in

performing an on-stage role. Beyond that, it is unclear how these items are related. The

written comments do not supply additional clarity.

T-tests Within Section Two

Further investigation was undertaken to understand the relationship between

opinions of and questions regarding characteristics of belt and the appropriateness of belt

singing and the adolescent female voice. An independent T-test was run to examine the

relationship between questions 44-71 based on agree/disagree responses to items 40 and

42, excluding written comments. Questions 40 and 42 were selected because they were

designed to measure the subjects’ opinions of their own knowledge and confidence levels
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regarding belt. Questions 44-60 dealt with statements regarding the production of belt.

Questions 63-71 were specific to vocal production by the adolescent female. Questions

40 and 42 were utilized in an effort to determine if the subject’s self-perceptions were

reflected in the knowledge questions about belt.

Results of the T-test for question 40 are shown in Table 26.

Table 26

Independent T-test for Question 40: I know what is meant by the term ‘belt’.
(agree/disagree)

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


44 -1.129 163 .261
46 -1.120 163 .264
48 .436 162 .664
50 -1.845 164 .067
52 .571 164 .569
54 .378 163 .706
56 -3.752 164 .0001**
58 -1.768 164 .079
60 -.944 164 .347
63 -.043 164 .965
65 -.193 164 .847
67 -.018 164 .985
69 -2.936 164 .004**
71 -1.349 164 .179

An independent T-test revealed that for question 40 (“I know what is meant by the term

‘belt’.”), those responding disagree to item 56 (“Belt is a classification of the female

voice just like mezzo or soprano.”) (M=3.30, SD=1.02) differed from those responding

agree to question 56 (M=4.06, SD=.87), t=-3.752(164), p<.0001. In other words, those

subjects who responded strongly agree/agree to question 40 disagreed more with the

statement “Belt is a classification of the female voice just like mezzo or soprano” than
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those who strongly disagree/disagree with question 40. This would suggest that those

subjects who believe that they know what belt is better understood that belt is not a vocal

classification.

An independent T-test revealed that for question 40 (“I know what is meant by the

term ‘belt’.”), those responding disagree to item 69 (“It is vocally safe for the adolescent

female to sing in the bel canto style.”) (M=3.52, SD=.73) differed from those responding

agree to question 69 (M=4.01, SD=.736), t=-2.936(164), p<.004. For those respondents

that self-identified as knowing what belt was also felt that adolescent females could

safely sing in the bel canto style.

Results of the T-test for question 42 are shown in Table 27.

Table 27

Independent T-test for Question 42: I am confident in my ability to instruct students in


singing in the belt style. (agree/disagree)

Survey Question t df Sig. (2-tailed)


44 -.471 164 .638
46 3.659 164 .0001**
48 -2.891 163 .004**
50 -1.283 165 .201
52 -.358 165 .720
54 .704 164 .482
56 .760 165 .449
58 -2.324 165 .021
60 4.443 165 .0001**
63 -.154 165 .878
65 -3.199 165 .002**
67 1.470 165 .144
69 -1.752 165 .082
71 -4.616 165 .0001**
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An independent T-test revealed that for question 42 (“I am confident in my ability

to instruct students in singing in the belt style”), those responding disagree to item 46

(“Belting is more strenuous on the voice than classical singing.”) (M=3.82, SD=.867)

differed from those responding agree to question 46 (M=3.28, SD=1.038), t=3.659(164),

p<.0001. This means that those respondents that self-identified as feeling confident in

their ability to teach belt also felt that belting is more strenuous on the voice than

classical singing.

An independent T-test revealed that for question 42 (“I am confident in my ability

to instruct students in singing in the belt style”), those responding disagree to item 48

(“Belting causes damage to the vocal mechanism.”) (M=2.78, SD=.952) differed from

those responding agree to question 48 (M=3.20, SD=.888), t=-2.891(163), p<.004. This

means that those respondents that self-identified as feeling confident in their ability to

teach belt did not feel that belting will cause damage to the vocal mechanism.

An independent T-test revealed that for question 42 (“I am confident in my ability

to instruct students in singing in the belt style”), those responding disagree to item 60

(“Belt produces more tension in the muscles in the throat than classical singing.”)

(M=3.39, SD=.997) differed from those responding agree to item 60 (M=2.71, SD=.964),

t=4.443 (165), p<.0001. This means that those respondents that self-identified as feeling

confident in their ability to teach belt also felt that belting produces more tension in the

throat than classical singing.

An independent T-test revealed that for question 42 (“I am confident in my ability

to instruct students in singing in the belt style”), those responding disagree to item 65 (“It
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is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major musical theater

roles utilizing belt vocal production.”) (M=2.61, SD=.975) differed from those

responding agree to item 65 (M=3.08, SD=.924), t=-3.199(165), p<.002. This means that

those respondents that self-identified as feeling confident in their ability to teach belt felt

that it was appropriate for adolescent females to sing with belt vocal production.

An independent T-test revealed that for question 42 (“I am confident in my ability

to instruct students in singing in the belt style”), those responding disagree to item 71 (“It

is vocally safe for the adolescent female to sing in the belt style.”) (M=2.8, SD=.875)

differed from those responding agree to item 71 (M=3.42, SD=..865), t=-4.616 (165),

p<.0001. This means that those respondents that self-identified as feeling confident in

their ability to teach belt felt that it was safe for adolescent females to sing utilizing belt

vocal production. These findings would suggest that those subject that self-identify as

feeling confident in teaching belt did have some knowledge regarding the correct

production of belt.

Summary

Chapter 4 presented the statistical results for the survey. The descriptive statistics

were presented in both narrative form and table form for each of the three sections of the

survey, including the number of responses and a brief description of the written

comments for each question. Section One had demographic questions and gathered

information regarding the subject’s teaching assignments. The findings showed that the

distribution of years of service was basically equal across the subjects, but the most

common answer was 6-10 years of teaching experience. The number of Master’s degrees
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was slightly less than double the number of Bachelor’s degrees. There were 4 Doctoral

degrees. Seventy-one percent (71%) of respondents were female and twenty-nine percent

(29%) were male. Many different types of choirs or styles of music within a choir were

being taught, including traditional, show, jazz, a cappella, gospel, and contemporary pop

groups. Subjects came from multiple areas of teaching, including vocal music,

instrumental music, general music, or a combination of two or three areas. Several

subjects reported they teach voice privately, but most subjects indicated that private

lessons in the school setting only occurred around the annual solo and ensemble

adjudicated events.

When asked if their high school produces musicals, 86.4% of respondents said

yes. Of those responding yes, 87.4% reported they are involved with the musical.

Slightly over seventy-seven percent (77.6%) help to select the musical. A little over

eighty-five percent (85.6%) provide vocal direction and 50.4% serve as stage director as

well. Slightly over sixty-seven percent (67.2%) of subjects also conduct the pit orchestra.

A surprising number of written responses were given regarding the use of sound

reinforcement. Ninety-six percent (96%) of subjects reported that their school uses sound

reinforcement, but all of the subjects also reported only principal performers received

individual microphones.

Section Two focused on opinions and knowledge regarding belt. A large

percentage (86.2%) reported knowing what belt meant and 43.7% of subjects reported

feeling confident in teaching it. The percentages were not as high for knowledge-based

questions. Sixty-two percent (62%) knew that belting is not the same as chest voice and
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28.4% agreed that belting is more strenuous on the voice than classical singing. There

was disagreement if belting causes damage to the vocal mechanism and if belting is

produced using a nasal placement. A large percentage (92.2%) agreed that belting can be

taught and 77.8% were able to identify that belting is a style, not a classification of the

female voice. The final five questions focused specifically on the use of belt by

adolescent females. There was a wide range of opinions on what the subjects felt was

vocally appropriate for the adolescent female. A little over seventy-eight percent (78.5)

of subjects felt it was appropriate for adolescent females to sing in the non-belt musical

theater style and 73.7% felt it was appropriate for adolescent females to sing in the bel

canto style. However, only 26.3% of subjects felt it was appropriate for adolescent

females to sing in the belt style.

Section Three examined what sort of training subjects received as part of their

undergraduate experience. Slightly over ninety-two percent (92.2%) of subjects had a

degree in music education and 97% hold state licensure in music. When asked if they

studied applied voice in college, 85% said yes, although the amount of time was not

specified. Most of the subjects studied in the classical style (98.6%), 9.2% studied belt,

and 59.3% studied in the musical theater legit style. Subjects reported singing in other

styles as well, including jazz (41.1%) and gospel (17.7%). A higher-than-expected

number of subjects (49.6%) reported that their college had a musical theater voice

specialist, but only 15.6% reported having studied with that teacher. A little over

seventy-six percent (76.5%) of subjects reported having taken a vocal pedagogy class, but

only 11.1% of those who took the class received any information regarding belt. Zero
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percent (0%) reported taking a class in belting, but 20.1% reported attending classes or

workshops focused on belting and 28% reported reading material that focused on belting.

Slightly over fifteen percent (15.2%) of subjects reported receiving some sort of content

on belting somewhere in their undergraduate training, but it was not specified if the

exposure was positive or negative towards belting. Some subjects (38.4%) reported

having personal experience as a vocal performer in their college musicals.

Independent T-tests were run to examine the relationship between gender and the

questions from Section Two, educational levels and the questions from Section Two. An

ANOVA was run between years of experience and the questions from Section Two.

Question 50 showed significance for all three areas. Question 52 also showed

significance for educational level.

Seven questions from Sections One and Three that had shown statistical

significance (>.05) with questions from Section Two were selected for further

examination. Subjects that taught show choir felt they knew what belt was and felt

confident in teaching it. Those who were at least partially responsible for selecting the

musical knew that belt is not made with a nasal placement. Interestingly, there was not

evidence to suggest that a degree in music education affected the subject’s opinion of

belting. Subjects who had studied applied voice in college felt they knew what belt was

and felt confident in teaching it. Subjects who had taken vocal pedagogy classes were

aware that belting can be taught. Subjects who had some sort of exposure to belting,

whether mentioned in a class or used by the subject in performance, reported they knew

what belt meant.


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Questions within Section Two were examined for relationships. Subjects who felt

they knew what belting was also knew belting was a style of singing and not a

classification of the female voice as well as being of the opinion that it was safe for

adolescent females to sing in the bel canto style. Subjects who reported feeling confident

in their ability to teach belt also knew that belting is more strenuous and produces more

tension than classical singing and that belting does not automatically cause vocal damage.

These findings will be further discussed in Chapter Five.


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CHAPTER 5

DISCUSSION

Introduction

Music educators take methods classes as part of their undergraduate training.

These classes often include both instrumental and vocal training. Vocal training is more

in depth for those who identify voice as their major applied area study. However, as

shown in this study, the training does not often include formal training regarding the use

of belt. Out of 164 subjects who took applied voice, only 13 subjects received some sort

of content regarding belt. One hundred twenty-two subjects reported having no training

in either teaching or using belt, and zero subjects reported taking a class that focused on

belt.

As noted in this study, 86.4% of high schools in Ohio produce a musical at least

every other year. The research presented in this study showed that little attention is given

to teaching the undergraduate music education major the skills to correctly coach the use

of belt in adolescent females. Those studies that do exist often focus on the social aspects

of a musical (Rajan, 2010; Searle, 2010; Watkins, 2005) or production (Davey, 2010;

Williams, 2003; Binnema, 1996; Howard, 1990). This study examined issues that have

not yet been addressed in the research to identify areas for future research.

A review of the literature showed that there were no comparable studies that

specifically examined the use of the belt voice in young singers at all, let alone

specifically the adolescent female. This is of concern in that young voices are not usually
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mature enough or strong enough to handle the rigors of belting, and yet young singers

often attempt to imitate or force this sound in performance of their high school musicals.

There were also no studies that addressed the training or ability of the high school music

educator to teach or coach students in the use of the belt voice. This study was designed

to examine specific training or exposure music educators may have received in the use of

belt as well as personal knowledge or opinions regarding the use of belt.

Participants in this study were vocal music educators who taught at the high

school level. They were invited to participate in the survey based on their membership in

OMEA and self-identification as a vocal music educator. This method of nonprobability

sampling, while convenient, presented a limit in generalizing the findings to the

population at large. However, the findings and the written comments presented

information that directly addressed the research questions

This chapter will first address the research questions and major findings, followed

by more in-depth discussions regarding each of the research questions. An examination

of the written comments will be included throughout the discussion to add depth and new

understanding to the data. This will be followed by recommendations for further study

and conclusions.

The research questions that guided this study were: (1) What are the opinions and

knowledge of high school music educators regarding the use of belt by female (ages 13-

19) adolescent singers? (2) What education or experiences do high school music

educators have to prepare them to instruct female adolescents in the correct production of

belt? The expectation was that the data would present a strong correlation between lack
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of training and negative beliefs about the use of belt. However, the findings did not

support that theory. For most of the questions, independent T-tests did not reveal

significances between variables. While there were a few findings that presented as

statistically significant (p<.05), there are other possible explanations for those findings.

The first possible explanation could be simple alpha inflation. When calculating large

numbers of statistics, it is numerically probable that some of the findings will show as a

false positive. This would mean that in those few circumstances in this study where

p<.05, the findings could actually be a false positive, meaning there was no significance.

Another possible explanation can be seen in the findings of the influence of

gender. A T-test revealed that for question 50, there was a significant difference between

male and female responses. However, this could have been due to the imbalance between

the number of female respondents (125) and male respondents (51). The effects of using

nonprobability sampling could also account for this difference in that subjects were self-

selecting to participate in the survey based on their interest in the topic or personal

knowledge regarding the topic. It is also possible that participants selected to participate

in order to learn more about the topic or that, since the survey focused on the female

voice, it could have held more interest for females. Another possible explanation may be

that subjects who were interested in belt before beginning their undergraduate studies

sought out opportunities to study belting while those who did not have previous interest

did not. Those variables were not accounted for in this study.

The written comments provided valuable information. Although many of the

written comments simply provided clarification of the respondent’s answer, other


144

comments provided insight to issues that were not directly addressed in the survey. For

example, question four asked, “What is your highest completed educational degree?”

Even though the question specified completed degrees, several respondents provided a

written comment explaining where they were in their studies. Another example can be

seen in question 15, “Do you consider vocal music your major area of teaching?” One

respondent commented, “My specialization was instrumental, but I have a lot of vocal

experience. I am currently teaching general”. Appendices G, H, and I display all the

written comments for each section. When appropriate, the answers were also sorted by

common theme. Presentation of the findings will include reporting comments related to

the quantitative information.

Findings for Research Question Number One

The first research question asked, “What are the opinions and knowledge of high

school music educators regarding the use of belt by female (ages 13-19) adolescent

singers?” Of great interest is the response to question 42 (“I am confident in my ability

to instruct students in singing in the belt style”). Slightly over forty-three percent

(43.7%) of the respondents strongly agreed/agreed with this statement. However, zero

respondents reported taking any undergraduate courses regarding belt and only 11.1% of

the respondents received any course content regarding belt as an undergraduate. It would

be of interest to know why the subjects felt confident in teaching a style in which they

had no or limited formal training. This might suggest that the training is coming from

personal experience, non-collegiate experience, or trial and error on the part of the

educator. It would be of interest to ask the subjects why they felt confident or to have
145

them list specific experiences that contributed to their sense of confidence.

Question 42 (“I am confident in my ability to instruct students in singing in the

belt style”) was one of only a few questions that generated negative written responses

from the subjects. The comments were very specific and strongly stated from “I am

confident in my ability to teach them to NEVER belt . . .” and “I will never teach

belting.” It would be interesting to further investigate those subjects in order to

determine what contributed to such negative perceptions and feelings regarding belting.

Questions 9, 27, 74, 78, 94, 106, and 110 were examined using independent T-

tests to determine if exposure to or personal use of the belt style affected personal beliefs

regarding the use of belt. Only questions 9 (“Do you teach show choir in grades 9-12?”)

and 78 (“Did you take applied private voice lessons in college?”) showed significant

results (p<.0001) and (p<.001), respectively, for question 42. Show choirs often perform

Broadway or contemporary pop style music. The use of different styles of music by these

choirs shows at least a willingness on the part of the music educator to let students utilize

the belt voice. Private voice studies may signify exposure to belt techniques, but the

survey did not differentiate if the exposure was positive or negative. In this instance, the

written comments did not provide clarification of the type of exposure the subjects

received in private lessons. A good follow up question would be to ask subjects if their

students belt when performing show choir repertory or in private lessons.

Responses to question 48 (“Belting causes damage to the vocal mechanism”)

might signify reluctance on the part of the educator to allow his/her student to use the belt

voice. Slightly over twenty-nine percent (29.7%) of respondents strongly agreed/agreed


146

with this statement. It is understandable that an educator would not allow their students

to engage in what s/he considered harmful behavior. However, 35 of the 46 written

comments qualified the response with some form of “if done incorrectly”. Several of the

written responses suggested insecurity in the response as seen in this statement, “I would

think it would, but as I do not understand how it is taught I cannot answer the question”.

These statements might help explain why the largest category of response to this question

was “neither” (41.8%).

The results for question 56 (“Belt is a classification of the female voice just like

mezzo or soprano”) by gender yielded interesting results. Of the males, 94.1% strongly

disagreed/disagreed with the statement compared to 84.8% of the females who strongly

disagreed/disagreed. As previously mentioned, the difference in percentages could be

due to the differences in numbers of subjects. However, the differences between males

and females in the perception of how belt is produced may be due to the differences in

vocal production between males and females. It is curious, then, why, in this sample,

males appear to have a better understanding of the production of belt in the female voice.

The written comments did not provide clarification of the perceived differences.

Question 58 presented the statement “Belting cannot be taught; it is only a natural

individual phenomenon”. Slightly over ninety-two percent (92.2%) of subjects agreed

that belting can be taught. This is a surprisingly high percentage. It would then follow

that if belting can be taught that there would be a methodology or pedagogy to follow.

The comments presented three different takes on this statement: “It needs to be taught in

advance of it's [sic] use - it rarely is!”; “Some singers may naturally gravitate toward this
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type of vocal production but any singer can be taught to belt”; “I only allow students

who have a natural belt to use it.” The first two statements follow with LeBorgne’s

(2011) idea of the singer as the vocal athlete. With proper and appropriate training and

guidance, all singers could be taught to belt. The third statement is interesting in that it

suggests the idea that the ability to belt is limited to a select few who perhaps are

genetically predisposed to belting. This concept of a “natural belt” bears examination

because it suggests that belting is a natural state of vocal production and raises the

question that if someone can produce the sound easily and naturally, then is it an

unhealthy vocal choice? It would be an interesting inquiry to the same respondent to see

if s/he felt that voices could be classically predisposed as well.

The next five questions represent the sub-section of the survey that focused

specifically on the use of belt by the female adolescent singer. Questions 63-67 and

questions 69-71 were designed to work together in an attempt to ascertain what would be

considered an appropriate use of the female adolescent voice. Each of those five

questions generated a large number of written comments. Questions 63, 65, and 67 each

asked if a particular vocal style was appropriate for use by the adolescent female.

Question 63 asked about performing major opera roles. Question 65 asked about

performing major musical theater roles utilizing belt vocal production. Question 67

asked about performing major musical theater roles utilizing non-belt vocal production.

For question 63, 62.9% responded that they strongly disagreed/disagreed that it

was appropriate for adolescent females to perform major opera roles. There were a total

of 33 written responses. Four of the responses discussed what anatomy/development


148

would be needed in the young singer for healthy singing. The comment “The young

female doesn't have the muscle structure to sustain an operatic role. The female voice

continues to change and strengthen throughout the twenties and often into the woman's

early thirties” succinctly presented the common argument against the adolescent female

performing a role beyond her respective abilities. Eleven of the comments presented

some kind of qualifier, such as it would depend on the difficulty of the literature, the

maturity of the individual singer, or the quality of the training the singer had received.

Question 65 asked if it were appropriate for the adolescent females to perform

roles that utilized belt. Since both belt and opera are strenuous vocal activities, it was of

interest to compare the two questions. For question 65, the responses were much more

even. Slightly over twenty-six percent (26.3%) strongly agreed/agreed with the

statement, 38.9% neither agreed nor disagreed, and 34.8% strongly disagreed/disagreed.

Twenty-four of the 38 comments presented similar qualifiers, such as it would depend on

the difficulty of the literature and the ability of the singer. Several of the comments

addressed the idea that belting should only be attempted under qualified supervision or

guidance. The concern for the adolescent female belter was best reflected in this

comment, “I have not yet heard an adolescent girl ‘belt’ (using my definition) and not had

the urge to cringe.”

Question 67 asked if it were appropriate for adolescent females to perform major

roles using non-belt vocal production. A little over seventy-eight percent (78.5%) of

subjects strongly agreed/agreed that it would be appropriate. There were 16 written

responses to question 67. Four of the responses were “it depends.” Not one comment
149

stated that it would be inappropriate for an adolescent female to sing using non-belt

production. The interesting finding is that many respondents balked at the idea of a

young singer performing a major opera role (question 63), stating that the voice is too

young and not strong enough for such an undertaking. However, there was not one

comment regarding either belting or non-belt musical theater style as being inappropriate

for young singers. This would suggest a lack of understanding regarding the nature of

belt vocal production. Just as it would be inappropriate for an adolescent female to sing a

major opera role, it is inappropriate for an adolescent female to sing a major belt role

normally performed by a mature Broadway performer (Sabella-Milles, 2011; Tucker,

2009). Although there are always exceptions, it would be inappropriate for most

adolescent females to attempt to sing a role in any style and expect a mature sound to be

produced. This is not to suggest that musicals are inappropriate for young performers. It

just means vocal teachers need to approach vocal production in an age-appropriate and

healthy manner. While many of the roles of the Golden Age do not require the belt style,

one of the comments stated, “Major musical roles will not be won without using belt.”

This comment might suggest a lack of knowledge regarding the literature. Another

comment suggested that there are some roles that even if performed without belting

would still not be appropriate for the young singer:

However I find "major musical theater roles" to be concerning; it

depends on the ranges required, and again to be taken on a case-by-case

consideration. For example, "Phantom of the Opera" or "Wicked" would

not be appropriate for high school students.


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These comments are similar to those in response to question 63. The general consensus

seems to be that it depends on the vocal maturity and training of the singer and the

difficulty of the literature. It would then follow that the educator working with the

adolescent singer would need to know the literature, be able to correctly assess the

individual voice, and have the knowledge to train the singer in the use of belt.

Questions 69 and 71 both dealt with the vocal safety of the adolescent female

singer. Question 69 stated, “It is vocally safe for the adolescent female to sing in the bel

canto style.” Slightly over seventy-three percent (73.7%) of respondents strongly

agreed/agreed with the statement. Question 71 stated, “It is vocally safe for the

adolescent female to sing in the belt style.” The responses were similar to the responses

for questions 63 (opera roles) and 65 (belt roles) in that the responses to question 71 were

much more equal across the categories; 37.7% strongly agreed/agreed with the statement,

36.5% neither agreed or disagreed, and 25.8% strongly disagreed/disagreed with the

statement. These findings suggest that respondents either are more comfortable with or

have more knowledge of the use of classical voice styles than of belt style. Written

comments such as, “I lack knowledge” and “It depends” express the confusion regarding

the use of belt voice. Again, this idea of its being inappropriate for adolescent females to

sing with a mature bel canto sound, but appropriate for adolescent females to sing with a

mature belt sound if done correctly seems to indicate a lack of understanding regarding

how belt is produced and the abilities and limits of the young singer.

The opinions and knowledge of music educators regarding the use of the belt

voice by adolescent females are varied and appear to be strongly affected by


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circumstance as detailed in the comments. Those educators with more exposure to

belting have a better knowledge of how it works. Opinions regarding the appropriateness

of different vocal styles for the young singer are varied. A few subjects reported negative

feelings regarding the use of belt.

Findings for Research Question Number Two

The second research question asked, “What education or experiences do high

school music educators have to prepare them to instruct female adolescents in the correct

production of belt?” Question two requested the number of years the educator had been

teaching (“How many years have you been teaching music in a public or private high

school?”). It was anticipated that the findings would show that those educators with

more years of experience would be less prepared to use belt than those educators with

fewer years of experience. As the use of belt vocal production has become more

mainstream, especially with popular television shows such as Glee, American Idol,

America’s Got Talent, and Pitch Perfect in which the singers all use various styles of

CCM, including belt, it would not have been surprising to find that teachers just entering

the workforce would have more experience or exposure to the style. The findings,

however, showed significant differences only for question 50 (“Belting and classical

styles cannot be sung by the same person”) and that the greatest difference was between

the groups having taught 11-20 years and 20+ years. This finding suggests that music

educators with more that 20 years of teaching experience have a greater understanding of

belt than those with less. An interesting written comment in this section was, “Many

cultures throughout the world belt, and spend their lives belting, without damage to the
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voice.” This comment serves as a reminder that classical singing has functioned under

western European values for hundreds of years and that belt is measured against these

standards. It would be of great interest to examine the beliefs and practices of non-

Western cultures that belt on a regular basis.

Question 78 asked “Did you take applied private voice lessons in college?”

Eighty-five percent (85%) responded yes. The following five questions in the survey

were only accessible to the subjects if they answered yes to question 78. Question 80

asked, “If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the classical style, including

opera, art song, songs in foreign languages, etc.?” Of the 142 that responded, 98.6% said

yes, that they had studied in the classical style. As addressed in the literature review,

study in the classical style is the common practice in collegiate programs. However, only

9.2% of the 142 that took applied voice reported having studied in the belt style (question

82) and 0% of the subjects responded yes when asked if they took any undergraduate

classes that specifically trained them to teach belt (question 104). It is therefore of great

interest that 43.7% of those surveyed feel confident in their ability to instruct students in

singing in the belt style (question 42). It would be unlikely that collegiate programs

would hire faculty based on their confidence level rather than specific training in their

area of expertise, yet teachers are often required or requested by a student to teach belt

without any training in that style. However, 18% of subjects reported taking workshops,

classes, attending conferences, etc., and 26% reported reading information that informed

their teaching of belt. These two numbers add up to 44%, which is almost exactly the

same as those who reported feeling confident in their ability to teach belt (43.7%).
153

The written comments to question 82 provide further insight into these findings.

There were three particularly compelling responses. The first comment was, “I wasn’t

interested in belting or teaching belt.” However, a vocal music educator will probably be

required to coach belt vocal production by a student at sometime in her/his career. Even

if the educator did not like or agree with belting, there is still a need for understanding of

belt production in order to best serve the needs of students. The second comment was, “I

am a dramatic soprano, so the belt style was not necessary for me to be heard.” This

comment shows a lack of understanding of the purpose of belting. Belting is not about

being heard. It is a vocal style with a specific dramatic intent. The final comment was,

“If I could go back to my undergraduate work, I would definitely request it.” This

comment suggests that the respondent found that once in the classroom, s/he realized a

distinct lack of training in a skill they needed.

Question 86 asked, “Did you sing in the jazz style in college, either as a soloist or

in an ensemble?” This question was included as being representative of the CCM vocal

style. Jazz singing is not produced in the same manner as belt, but use of the jazz idiom

may signify a willingness to use vocal production styles other than classical. Slightly

over forty-one percent (41.1%) responded yes. Willingness to utilize vocal production

other than classical was also the reasoning behind question 88, “Did you sing in a gospel

choir in college?” Only 17.7% responded yes. The gospel choir sound is similar to the

musical theater belt sound both in production and auditory quality. There were only four

written comments provided for question 88, but one of the comments describes the

concern when using the belt voice. “My college roommate did sing in gospel choir and
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lost her voice after every concert due to belting.” It would bear study to examine if

gospel choir members receive proper training in the use of belt. Similar questions

regarding the training and knowledge regarding the use of belt could be asked of gospel

singers.

Question 90 asked, “Did your university have a musical theater voice

teacher/coach?” Almost 50 % (49.6%) responded yes. This finding was much higher

than expected given the lack of training in belt as discussed above. Question 92 asked,

“If yes, did you study with the musical theater voice teacher/coach?” Of the 66 subjects

that responded yes to question 90, 14 subjects (15.6%) studied with the musical theater

specialist. There were only four written comments, but a few of them provided insight:

One stated that, “Only musical theater majors studied with these coaches—or performed

in musical theater productions.” Another respondent wrote:

Most of the voice faculty at my school taught both styles and therefore

the studio I was in included students majoring in vocal performance,

music theatre, music therapy and music ed. So I consider that I studied

with a voice teacher who taught musical theater style as well as other

styles.

A third respondent stated: “That person did not happen to be my voice teacher, I had a

different teacher. They did not really specialize in musical theater voice, it was just the

voice teacher who worked with the theater person to do the musical.” These findings

were further supported by the written comments given in response to question 110 (“Did

your college produce musicals?”). Of the six comments given, three stated that the
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theater department was responsible for the musical.

Question 94 asked, “As an undergraduate did you take a vocal pedagogy class?”

Slightly over seventy-six percent (76.5%) responded they had taken the class. The next

question in the survey asked, “If yes, was the technique of belting taught in the vocal

pedagogy class?” Of the 127 subjects that responded yes to question 94, only 11.1%

reported that belt was taught in the vocal pedagogy class. These findings further

illuminate the question of where teachers are getting their training in the use of belt voice

when 43.7% of subjects reported feeling confident in their ability to teach belt (question

42).

This position is further addressed in the responses to question 96 that asked if

belting were taught as part of the subject’s vocal pedagogy course. One subject

responded, “I was not taught as a technique to teach—but to be wary of. This was not

just an opinion, but was also studied with the physical limitations of the vocal

mechanism . . .” Another subject responded, “My college voice faculty was completely

against belting.” It would be interesting to know the source of the negative view of

belting.

The next two questions in the survey looked for outside sources of belt training.

Question 98 asked, “Have you attended workshops, master classes, or conferences that

focused on the teaching of belting?” Slightly over twenty percent (20.1%) responded

yes. Question 100 asked, “If yes, did the information you received in those events

significantly inform the way you teach belt?” Of the 33 that responded yes to question

98, 23 responded yes (65.7%) to question 100. In the comments, several subjects named
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specific industry specialists such as Tim Shrew and Sunny Wilkinson as the source from

which they received the most training.

Question 102 (“Have you read articles, books, essays, etc. that you feel

significantly informed your teaching of musical theater belt?”) continued that line of

questioning. Only 28% of subjects responded that readings had informed their teaching

of belt. Question 104 asked if the subjects had taken any courses that specifically trained

them to belt and 0% responded yes. One subject responded, “This is (or was) an area

lacking in training, which is why I sought out help when facing it within a musical.” In

the follow-up question (question 106) the subjects were asked, “Did you receive any

content regarding the use of belt in any course you took as an undergraduate?” This

would include voice lessons, vocal pedagogy classes, master classes, etc. Only 15.2%

responded that they had received content on belting in any part of their undergraduate

training. Two of the written responses might provide insight as to why content wasn’t

offered. The first comment was, “Would not be appropriate.” The subject did not

elaborate as to why it would not be appropriate. The second comment identified a major

obstacle regarding the teaching of belt technique: “If it was ever mentioned, faculty were

against.” It would follow that if faculty of undergraduate courses felt that belting was

unhealthy or dangerous, they would not allow their student to engage in it. It would be

worth investigating the source of the negative opinion of belt held by the faculty and to

identify if it comes from training, personal use of or bad experiences with belt, or

personal belief or personal dislike of the belt sound that drives that opinion.

One of the surprising findings was the number of written comments given in
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response to question 35 (“If your high school does a musical, does your school use sound

reinforcement for the singers?”) and question 37 (“If yes, does each singer have an

individual dedicated microphone?”) The questions were included in the survey to

ascertain if high schools were using this safety measure. There were a total of 56 written

comments between the two questions. However, there were a few specific comments that

stood out. While most of the responses were variations of “only soloists get mics,” the

volume of responses indicated that this was an issue of concern for the respondents.

What was surprising was the frustration that was expressed regarding missing or broken

equipment and the lack of personnel who knew how to correctly use the equipment. “No

clue—we recently reinstated an auditorium manager—the school needs to hire someone

to run the stage/sound but does not fund that position correctly and so the equipment gets

stolen, abused, wired incorrectly, etc.” Another comment talked about having to rent

expensive equipment in order to mount the musical. If a high school thinks the expense

of producing a musical provides a valid educational experience, then all efforts should be

made to provide the appropriate tools to support the musical, including funding a working

sound system to provide for the vocal needs and health of young singers. In an attempt to

sing over an orchestra or band, the fragile adolescent voice can quickly develop vocal

stress (Noone, 2008; LeBorgne, 2001; Jamison, 1996).

In summary, vocal music educators appear to be little prepared, either through

personal experience or education, to train young singers in the use of belt. Only 9.2% of

subjects had personal experience in the belt style. Not one subject reported having taken

any course on belting as part of the undergraduate experience and only 11.1% reported
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having received content on belting in any course. The use of outside sources to inform

belting practices was very limited and required the subjects to specifically seek it out.

Information was presented that suggested that training in musical theater singing was

happening in the theater departments and not the music departments. There were also

large numbers of written comments regarding sound reinforcement. Subjects expressed

frustration in both the lack of availability and quality of sound reinforcement at the high

school level.

The final question of the survey (114) allowed for open-ended written response by

providing respondents with the opportunity to share final thoughts or comments. Of the

23 comments, nine of them expressed a desire to know more about the topic of belting or

frustration that belting was not addressed as part of the subject’s undergraduate program.

One subject responded this way: “Much more needs to be done in this area in music

education as many music teachers employ this style incorrectly in musical theater as well

as show choir at the high school and junior high school level.” Another subject

responded, “Most college vocal professors view belting as singing incorrectly and

therefore do not instruct or encourage their students to pursue this style of singing. This

puts us, high school educators in a very difficult situation when we have to direct a

musical that is full of belting.” It is for these exact reasons, expressed by the subjects

themselves, that the use of belt needs to be included as part of vocal music educators’

undergraduate preparation and training.


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Recommendations for Further Study

This study was successful in that it revealed many avenues for further research on

this topic. One of the major areas to examine would be what influences the way

educators feel about or understand belt if other than the options presented in this survey.

Further research could focus on developing a method to determine if beliefs and

understanding of belt are based on knowledge, misinformation, or fear. If a subject has

misinformation on belting, simply being asked the questions can trigger the bias. The

response to a question can demonstrate responder bias for the same reason. One way to

ascertain the origin of opinions regarding the use of belt would be to ask the question and

then ask the subject to identify if their answer was based on opinion or knowledge.

It would be interesting to replicate the study with a different population, either

vocal music educators in other states or theater/musical theater educators. The same

topics could be examined, such as whether theater educators have any vocal training as

part of their undergraduate curriculum, or whether specialists in the musical theater/CCM

vocal styles are being hired into high school theater departments. At the time of

publication, there are only two musical theater graduate programs (Pennsylvania State

Main and Shenandoah University) in the United States specifically offering degrees on

training teachers to teach belt and musical theater styles. However, these teachers are

going into collegiate programs to teach voice to musical theater students, not into music

education at the secondary level.

Another strand of research would be to follow the success and longevity of

performers graduating from programs that focus on CCM or belt production. High
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school students who have the opportunity to work with music educators who know how

to properly teach belt might be more successful at getting into collegiate vocal programs

or building professional careers. There have not been any studies that have looked at the

longevity of vocalists who primarily use belt such as Broadway performers. An

examination of depth and breadth of belt training could provide valuable information

regarding performance longevity and vocal health.

Another way of looking at the same topic of training at the collegiate level would

be to look at the professors in the undergraduate programs that are training high school

music educators. It would be enlightening to mine the beliefs and knowledge of the

professors training the teachers. As suggested by some of the written comments, some

collegiate vocal teachers refuse to teach or let their students use belt. It would be

interesting to identify whether the source of this unwillingness to use belt comes from a

lack of knowledge or because of a personal bias against the style. And if the bias exists,

it would be enlightening to identify the source of the bias.

This study focused on the use of belt by the adolescent female. That choice was

made in part according to available research on the topic. There is little in the literature

regarding the use of belt by males. Indeed, there is disagreement as to whether men belt

at all, or if they do belt, if it is vocally produced in the same manner as it is in females. It

is unclear if the issues that are present for adolescent females are the same in adolescent

males. Any study into the use of belt by males would indeed be exploratory and an entire

strand of research in its own right.

During the completion of the current study, two new vocal technique books
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focusing on belting were released: the first was written by Karen Hall with contributions

by Scott McCoy and Wendy LeBorgne. So You Want to Sing Musical Theater: A Guide

for Professionals (May, 2014) takes an overview look at music theater, the vocal styles

used, and contains some instruction for musical theater vocal production. The second

publication is titled The Vocal Athlete (July, 2014) and was written by Marci Rosenberg

and Wendy LeBorgne. This book was written for educators and specifically addresses

the use of CCM, including a CD containing examples and exercises. It also has an

accompanying workbook for consumption by the student. A definitive volume on the

belt voice is long overdue and it will be interesting to see if that book will help bring the

vocal community together in terms of finally defining what belt is and how it can be

taught.

Conclusions

This exploratory study was designed to assess what high school music educators

believe and know about teaching belt to the adolescent female. There were no other

studies found in the literature that specifically addressed this issue. As an exploratory

study, it was unclear as to what to expect regarding the findings. While the study did not

provide specific answers, it created several avenues to direct future research.

Of specific concern to this study is the apparent lack of training in preparing the

music educator to deal with the vocal requirements of a musical. With musicals being

produced at the high school level at such a high rate (86.4% of high schools produce a

musical at least once a year), it is imperative that music educators are given the necessary

training to be able to correctly teach and guide young singers in the use of belt. Out of
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176 subjects, 0% reported taking any classes as an undergraduate on belt and only 11.1%

received content of any kind regarding belt, which included both negative and positive

information. Of the 85% of subjects that studied applied voice in college, 98.6% of them

studied classical voice as an undergraduate. There was limited exposure to jazz or

gospel, and only 11.1% of those who studied voice received training in the use of belt.

Section Two of the survey specifically focused on opinions and knowledge

regarding the use of belt. When asked about their confidence level regarding teaching

belt, 43.7% of subjects felt secure in their ability to teach belt. This was an interesting

finding considering only 11.1% of subjects reported receiving content on belting. This

finding highlights the need to determine where subjects received the information that

shaped their opinions and knowledge regarding belt if not in an academic setting. It

would be of great interest to discover what subjects could identify as knowledge

regarding belt and what was opinion and specifically how those opinions were formed.

The written comments provided the insight that many of the subjects seemed to

understand that the use of the voice by the adolescent female depends on several factors,

such as the maturity of the individual voice and the training of the individual singer.

However, this study did not examine the parameters that would define how or when a

student was ready to receive advanced training.

Collegiate programs that train music educators need to add content regarding belt

to their curricular requirements. Even if there were no room in the curriculum to devote

an entire course to the pedagogy of Contemporary Commercial Music, some exposure

and well-constructed training would be better than none. Several written comments
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identified the theater department as being responsible for the musical and the training of

musical theater singers. It would be interesting to administer this same survey to that

population and compare the depth of training with the findings of this study. While the

written comments provided much insight to all the questions of the survey, the one

comment that appeared over and over again was a request for more training. Many

subjects were aware of their personal lack of knowledge regarding the use of belt, and the

written comments suggested that subjects understood that there were variables that

needed to be considered regarding the use and training of belt in the adolescent female

singer. Those comments in general are best summarized by this statement given by a

subject in response to the opportunity for an open-ended comment:

In college, vocal music ed. majors were taught that belting was singing

incorrectly and we were not permitted to be part of any theater productions.

We were never instructed in how to sing, let alone teach the Broadway-

style or even belting. Most college vocal professors view belting as singing

incorrectly and therefore do not instruct or encourage their students to

pursue this style of singing. This puts us, high school educators in a very

difficult situation when we have to direct a musical that is full of belting.

It is imperative that music educators who work with that population are given the

necessary training and education needed to successfully train and protect young voices.

If the musical is to be considered a valid educational experience, then education and

training regarding the use of belt must be included in academic standards as well as

specifically addressed in undergraduate music education programs. Schools must also be


164

aware of the need for appropriate amplification and good quality equipment as a way to

protect young voices. The financial commitment needs to be made by high schools to

invest in the appropriate technological resources. With the ever-increasing popularity of

Contemporary Commercial Music, it is imperative that educators be provided the tools to

help their students lay a foundation for healthy singing.


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APPENDIX A

INFORMED CONSENT AND REQUEST FOR PARTICIPATION LETTER


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APPENDIX A

Dear Music Educator,

My name is Nancy Wolfgang and I am the instructor of musical theater at


Youngstown State University. I have worked in the musical theater industry for about
twenty years, both as a performer and an educator. I am in the process of completing my
PhD in music education. You are being invited to participate in a research project that is
focused on gathering information regarding the training and understanding of the use of
the musical theater voice style “belt”. It also looks at issues specific to belting in the
female adolescent singer. It will also examine what undergraduate training you may have
received in the field of musical theater voice. You are receiving this invitation based on
your affiliation with your state music association.

Participation is confidential, voluntary, and free of charge. No compensation will


be provided. You will not be asked to provide your name or the name of the school or
district where you are employed. Your e-mail address is confidential and will be used for
the purpose of this study only. Please note, I am required by federal law to protect your
confidentiality.

It should take you approximately 5 to 10 minutes to complete the survey, slightly


longer if you choose to write responses to the questions. Please select an answer for each
question.

If you wish to receive a copy of the study results, they will be available
approximately August 2014. If you have any questions about this study or wish to
receive results, you may contact me at nawolfgang@ysu.edu.

There are no anticipated risks beyond those encountered in everyday life. All
information will be kept confidential within the limits of the law. Any identifying
information will be kept in a secure location and only the researcher will have access to
the data. Participant responses and e-mail addresses will remain confidential in any
publication or presentation of research results. Your research information may, in certain
circumstances, be disclosed to the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which oversees
research at Kent State University, or to certain federal agencies. Confidentiality may not
be maintained if you indicate that you may do harm to yourself or others.

Due to federal laws governing protection of human research subjects, you cannot
be required to take part in this study; rather, you are being given the opportunity to
participate voluntarily. You may choose not to participate or you may discontinue your
167

participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits to which you are otherwise
entitled.

If you have any questions about this research, you may contact Nancy Andersen
Wolfgang at nawolfgang@ysu.edu. This project has been approved by the Kent State
University Institutional Review Board. If you have any questions about your rights as a
research participant or complaints about the research, you may call the IRB at
330.672.2704.

The survey is designed so that you have to answer each question before the survey
will let you move to the next question. Once you have begun your survey, if you do not
complete all answers within a week, your previously entered answers will be deleted and
you will have to begin again.

If you are 18 years of age or older, understand the statements above, and freely
consent to participate in the study, click on the “I Agree” button to receive access to the
survey.

Your assistance in completing and returning the survey would be greatly appreciated.

Nancy Andersen Wolfgang


Ph.D. candidate, Kent State University

o I agree
o I do not wish to participate
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APPENDIX B

SURVEY ON THE USE OF BELT BY FEMALE ADOLESCENTS AND


UNDERGRADUATE PREPARATION TO TEACH BELT
169

APPENDIX B

SURVEY ON THE USE OF BELT BY FEMALE ADOLESCENTS AND


UNDERGRADUATE PREPARATION TO TEACH BELT

This appendix presents the questions in a narrative format, and is not presented here in
the online format. The Survey in its online format can be accessed at
kent.Qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_23HKimTgo60442v

Directions: Please answer each question. If you are undecided on an answer, please
make a choice that is closest to what you think. It should take no longer than 10 minutes
to complete the survey.

For the purposes of this survey, the term “musical theater belt” or “belt” is used in its
broadest sense to mean the Broadway sound or production of a sound that is not classical
or bel canto in nature.

Section One

2. How many years have you been teaching music in a public or private high school?
o 1-5 years
o 6-10 years
o 11-15 years
o 16-20 years
o 21-25 years
o 26-30 years
o 30+ years

3. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

4. What is your highest completed educational degree?


o Bachelors
o Masters
o PhD/DMA

5. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

6. Are you:
o Female
o Male
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7. Do you teach choir in grades 9-12?


o Yes
o No

8. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

9. Do you teach show choir in grades 9-12?


o Yes
o No

10. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

11. Do you teach jazz choir in grades 9-12?


o Yes
o No

12. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

13. Do you teach gospel choir in grades 9-12?


o Yes
o No

14. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

15. Do you consider vocal music your major area of teaching?


o Yes
o No

16. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

17. Do you consider instrumental music your major area of teaching?


o Yes
o No

18. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:


171

19. Do you consider general music your major area of teaching?


o Yes
o No

20. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

21. Do you teach voice lessons in a private or high school setting?


o Yes
o No

22. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

23. Does your high school produce musicals?


o Yes
o No

24. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

25. Are you or have you ever been involved in your high school musical in any capacity?
o Yes
o No

26. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

27. Are you or have you ever been responsible for selecting the musical for your high
school?
o Yes
o No

28. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

29. Do you provide vocal musical direction for your high school musical?
o Yes
o No

30. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

31. Have you served as the stage director for your high school musical?
o Yes
172

o No

32. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

33. Have you ever conducted the pit orchestra for your high school musical?
o Yes
o No

34. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

35. If your high school does a musical, does your school use sound reinforcement for the
singers?
o Yes
o No

36. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

37. If yes, does each singer have an individual dedicated microphone?


o Yes
o No

38. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Section Two

39. In the next section, you will be asked questions regarding how the use of belt is
perceived and produced.

40. I know what is meant by the term “belt”.


o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

41. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

42. I am confident in my ability to instruct students in singing in the belt style.


o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
173

o Neither Agree nor Disagree


o Agree
o Strongly Agree

43. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

44. Belting is the same as chest voice.


o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

45. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

46. Belting is more strenuous on the voice than classical singing.


o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

47. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

48. Belting causes damage to the vocal mechanism.


o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

49. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

50. Belting and classical styles cannot be sung by the same person.
o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

51. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

52. Belting is created in part by pushing the sound into a nasal placement.
o Strongly Disagree
174

o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

53. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

54. Belt can be any dynamic from soft to loud.


o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

55. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

56. Belt is a classification of the female voice just like mezzo or soprano.
o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

57. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

58. Belting cannot be taught; it is only a natural individual phenomenon.


o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

59. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

60. Belt produces more tension in the muscles in the throat than classical singing.
o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

61. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

62. This sub-section will focus specifically on belting and the female adolescent singer.
175

63. It is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major opera roles.
o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

64. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

65. It is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major musical
theater roles utilizing belt vocal production.
o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

66. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

67. It is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major musical
theater roles utilizing non-belt vocal production.
o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

68. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

69. It is vocally safe for the adolescent female to sing in the bel canto style.
o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

70. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:


176

71. It is vocally safe for the adolescent female to sing in the belt style.
o Strongly Disagree
o Disagree
o Neither Agree nor Disagree
o Agree
o Strongly Agree

72. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Section Three

73. The final section will collect demographic information regarding your undergraduate
experience.

74. Do you have an undergraduate degree in music education?


o Yes
o No

75. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

76. Do you currently hold state licensure to teach music?


o Yes
o No

77. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

78. Did you take applied private voice lessons in college?


o Yes
o No

79. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

80. If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the classical style, including
opera, art song, songs in foreign languages, etc.?
o Yes
o No

81. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

82. If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the belt style?
o Yes
o No
177

83. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

84. If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the musical theater legit style?
o Yes
o No

85. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

86. Did you sing in the jazz style in college, either as a soloist or in an ensemble?
o Yes
o No

87. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

88. Did you sing in a gospel choir in college?


o Yes
o No

89. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

90. Did your university have a musical theater voice teacher/coach?


o Yes
o No
o Don’t recall/I don’t know

91. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

92. If yes, did you study with the musical theater voice teacher/coach?
o Yes
o No

93. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

94. As an undergraduate, did you take a vocal pedagogy class?


o Yes
o No

95. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

96. If yes, was the technique of belting taught in the vocal pedagogy class?
o Yes
o No

97. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:


178

98. Have you attended workshops, master classes, or conferences that focused on the
teaching of belting?
o Yes
o No

99. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

100. If yes, did the information you received in those events significantly inform the way
you teach belt?
o Yes
o No

101. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

102. Have you read articles, books, essays, etc., that you feel significantly informed your
teaching of musical theater belt?
o Yes
o No

103. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

104. Did you take any undergraduate classes that specifically trained you to teach belt?
o Yes
o No

105. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

106. Did you receive any content regarding the use of belt in any course you took as an
undergraduate?
o Yes
o No

107. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

108. If you have a music education degree, were you required to take any courses in
acting or theater?
o Yes
o No
o Don’t have that degree

109. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

110. Did your college produce musicals?


179

o Yes
o No

111. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

112. If yes, did you participate as a vocal performer in the musical?


o Yes
o No

113. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

114. If you have any thoughts or comments to share, please write them here.

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey.


180

APPENDIX C

IRB APPROVAL
   
181

APPENDIX C

RE: Protocol #13-359 - entitled “Training and Preparation of the High School Music
Educator in Teaching Musical Theater Belt to Adolescents”

The Kent State University Institutional Review Board has reviewed and approved your
Application for Approval to Use Human Research Participants as Level I/Exempt from
Annual review research. Your research project involves minimal risk to human subjects and
meets the criteria for the following category of exemption under federal regulations:

• Exemption 2: Educational Tests, Surveys, Interviews, Public Behavior Observation

This application was approved on August 7, 2013.


***Submission of annual review reports is not required for Level 1/Exempt projects.

If any modifications are made in research design, methodology, or procedures that


increase the risks to subjects or includes activities that do not fall within the approved
exemption category, those modifications must be submitted to and approved by the IRB
before implementation.

Please contact an IRB discipline specific reviewer or the Office of Research Compliance to
discuss the changes and whether a new application must be
submitted. http://www.kent.edu/research/researchsafetyandcompliance/irb/index.cfm

Kent State University has a Federal Wide Assurance on file with the Office for Human
Research Protections (OHRP); FWA Number 00001853.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at Researchcompliance@kent.edu or


by phone at 330-672-2704 or 330.672.8058.

Respectfully,
Kent State University Office of Research Compliance
224 Cartwright Hall | fax 330.672.2658

Kevin McCreary | Research Compliance Coordinator | 330.672.8058 |


kmccrea1@kent.edu
Paulette Washko | Manager, Research Compliance |330.672.2704| Pwashko@kent.edu

For links to obtain general information, access forms, and complete required training,
visit our website at www.kent.edu/research.
182

APPENDIX D

ELECTRONIC SURVEY COMPLETION REMINDER NOTICES


183

APPENDIX D

Dear Participant,

Two/three weeks ago you received an email requesting your participation in a

survey regarding your training in and the use of the vocal style known as belt when

utilized in your high school ensembles and performances. Your willingness to share your

knowledge and opinions is very important to the outcome of this project. The survey will

take approximately 5-15 minutes of your time. We would appreciate your completion of

the survey by ___________. The survey is attached. If you have any questions or

concerns, please feel free to contact me at nawolfgang@ysu.edu.

Sincerely,

Nancy Andersen Wolfgang


184

APPENDIX E

CHANGES TO SECTION TWO AFTER PILOT STUDY


185

APPENDIX E

Changes to Section Two Questions

41. I know what is meant by the term “belt”.

43. I am confident in my ability to instruct students in singing in the belt style.

45. Even if produced in a healthy manner, belting causes vocal nodules in adolescent
female singers. (New question: Belting causes damage to the vocal mechanism.)

47. Belting is the same as chest voice.

49. Belting is more strenuous on the voice than classical singing.

51. Even when done correctly, belting causes hoarseness and weak laryngeal muscles.

53. Belting and classical styles cannot be sung by the same person.

55. Belting is created in part by pushing the sound into a nasal placement.

57. It is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major opera roles.

59. It is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major musical
theater roles utilizing belt production.

61. It is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major musical
theater roles utilizing non-belt musical theater production.

63. If an adolescent female singer has physically completed the voice change, there is no
danger to the singing mechanism when correctly singing in the bel canto style. (New
question: It is vocally safe for the adolescent female to sing in the bel canto style).

65. If an adolescent female singer has physically complete the voice change, there is no
danger to the singing mechanism if correctly singing in the belt style.

67. Belt can be any dynamic from soft to loud.

69. Belt is a classification of the female voice just like mezzo or soprano.

71. Belting cannot be taught; it is only a natural individual phenomenon.


186

73. Belt produces more tension in the throat than classical singing does.

75. It is vocally safe for the adolescent female singer to sing with a belt.
187

APPENDIX F

DESCRIPTION OF QUESTION LAYOUT


188

APPENDIX F

Description of Question Layout

Question Description
Number
1 Introductory Letter; Subject agreed to participate or declined to participate
2 Instructions for Section One; Question
3 Option for open-ended comment
4 Question
5 Option for open-ended comment
6 Question (Note: no comment option given)
7 Question
8 Option for open-ended comment
9 Question
10 Option for open-ended comment
11 Question
12 Option for open-ended comment
13 Question
14 Option for open-ended comment
15 Question
16 Option for open-ended comment
17 Question
18 Option for open-ended comment
19 Question
20 Option for open-ended comment
21 Question
22 Option for open-ended comment
23 Question If no, skip to question 40.
24 Option for open-ended comment
25 Question If no, skip to question 40.
26 Option for open-ended comment
27 Question
28 Option for open-ended comment
29 Question
30 Option for open-ended comment
31 Question
32 Option for open-ended comment
33 Question
34 Option for open-ended comment
35 Question
36 Option for open-ended comment
189

37 Question
38 Option for open-ended comment
39 Instructions for Section Two
40 Question
41 Option for open-ended comment
42 Question
43 Option for open-ended comment
44 Question
45 Option for open-ended comment
46 Question
47 Option for open-ended comment
48 Question
49 Option for open-ended comment
50 Question
51 Option for open-ended comment
52 Question
53 Option for open-ended comment
54 Question
55 Option for open-ended comment
56 Question
57 Option for open-ended comment
58 Question
59 Option for open-ended comment
60 Question
61 Option for open-ended comment
62 Instructions for sub-section
63 Question
64 Option for open-ended comment
65 Question
66 Option for open-ended comment
67 Question
68 Option for open-ended comment
69 Question
70 Option for open-ended comment
71 Question
72 Option for open-ended comment
73 Instructions for Section Three
74 Question
75 Option for open-ended comment
76 Question
77 Option for open-ended comment
78 Question If no, skip to question 94.
190

79 Option for open-ended comment


80 Question
81 Option for open-ended comment
82 Question
83 Option for open-ended comment
84 Question
85 Option for open-ended comment
86 Question
87 Option for open-ended comment
88 Question
89 Option for open-ended comment
90 Question If no, skip to question 94.
91 Option for open-ended comment
92 Question
93 Option for open-ended comment
94 Question If no, skip to question 98.
95 Option for open-ended comment
96 Question
97 Option for open-ended comment
98 Question If no, skip to question 102.
99 Option for open-ended comment
100 Question
101 Option for open-ended comment
102 Question
103 Option for open-ended comment
104 Question
105 Option for open-ended comment
106 Question
107 Option for open-ended comment
108 Question
109 Option for open-ended comment
110 Question If no, skip to end of survey.
111 Option for open-ended comment
112 Question
113 Option for open-ended comment
114 Option for open-ended comment
191

APPENDIX G

WRITTEN RESPONSES FOR SECTION ONE


192

APPENDIX G

Written Responses for Section One

All responses are transcribed exactly as received.

Question 2: How many years have you been teaching music in a public or private high
school?
o 1-5 years
o 6-10 years
o 11-15 years
o 16-20 years
o 21-25 years
o 26-30 years
o 30+ years

3. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I taught band for ten years. This is my third year teaching choir.
• I taught high school for one year, high school singers in a community choir for 25
years, and college students for 29 years.
• 8 years @ HS level-previous 5 years were K-3
• I taught for 6 years in a public school K-5 and choir in Cincinnati, stayed home
with my boys for 6 years, and have now been teaching in a private K-8 schools
where I teach K-8, 2 choirs, and run the musical theater program. I have also
been a church choir director for the past 22 years-ranging from children, youth,
women’s ensembles and SATB ensemble
• In 21st year
• 1 year teaching 7-12, 1 year teaching 6-8, 7 years teaching 9-12
• Currently in my 6th year of teaching
• Total years at the hs level. Not at same school and not consecutive years.
• Middle school (6-8th grade)
• I have been teaching as a school employee and as a private voice teacher.
• I am in my 26th year of teaching
• Part-time band and theatre assistant
• My primary position is in an elementary building (10 years), however I have
vocal directing that HS musical for 2 years.
• I teach Middle School Choir and Theater
• I do not teach music in high school but in middle school and elementary level.
193

• 7 years
• Twenty years in public schools, twelve years in a private school.
• Part time
• Middle school not high school

4. What is your highest completed educational degree?


o Bachelors
o Masters
o PhD/DMA

5. Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• In process of completing my masters.
• Flute Performance
• Masters 80% complete
• I have not needed to get my masters degree due to teaching in a private school, so
I have not gotten it yet. Eventually I will finish a masters in music ed/conducting.
• BME, MM & post-graduate work in Arts Administration
• Working on my masters in music education now
• I do not have an ed degree, but I have school teaching experience.
• Masters degree approx. ½ complete
• ABD
• Have an additional 18 hrs past masters
• B.M.E from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
• Master of Arts in Music in process
• Plus 60 hours
• Masters done next month!
• Currently completing Masters degree in Music Education
• I am ABD in Music Education toward a PhD

6: Are you Female or Male?

No option given for written response.

7: Do you teach choir in grades 9-12?

8: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Affiliated with high school musical and teach 6th grade choir
• I am retired, now. So, the following questions will be answered as if I still did.
194

• After 15 years of Middle School I am back at the HS level this year.


• In church, I have taught in this age. I have extensive knowledge for children and
youth choirs/theater in 4-8th grade.
• I did teach Show Choir to Grades 9 & 10 for 4 years.
• I am not currently a full-time choral director.
• 8-12 Choir
• I teach choir, music theory, and co-teach drama.
• Not currently for my full time assignment
• Choir-6, 7, 8th grades
• I did for three years, but not as of this year.
• But I teach Church choir with high schoolers in it.
• Not right now—I used to do so
• Currently teach elementary. Taught hs for 10 years and have worked with high
school off and on for many more years.
• Only 2 years
• Grade 7-8

Question 9: Do you teach show choir in grades 9-12?

Question 10: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I never did.
• In previous years, yes, however not for the last 3 years.
• 7th and 8th grade
• Not currently, but did for 5 years of my career.
• I did for three years, but not as of this year.
• I used to teach show choir (about 15 years) when I worked at another school
• I teach show choir in grades 6-8.
• I have in the past.
• I used to do so
• Not now, but did for 10 years and still assist from time to time
• Only 2 years

Category Two: Specification regarding curricular choices at subject’s school


• Not as a specific class but we sing and dance at least 1 concert a year
• We have a middle School show choir-grades 6-8
• No Show Choir in our school
• Sometimes—we are a small school so we offer show choir in years where there is
enough interest
• No Show choir at our school
195

Category Three: Curricular choices not offered by the survey


• I do teach a contemporary a cappella group.
• We have a group that focuses on pop music and movement, but it is closer to a
cappella pop than show choir.
• A small group of 8-12 depending on the year, female only
• I have a group of 16 that sings popular music that is choreographed, but we do not
compete

Question 11: Do you teach jazz choir in grades 9-12?

Question 12: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Jazz, a cappella
• I have taught jazz pieces to my choirs
• Put on a specific Jazz concert every spring
• However we do perform vocal jazz as part of our repertoire
• Not specifically, however I use the style of music
• My show choir sings a decent amount of jazz repertoire
• Some of my students sang a jazz song in honors choir last fall.
• But I include vocal jazz periodically in my classroom repertoire
• Starting this spring
• We do random jazz selections with the upper grades.
• I usually do a jazz song or two in my ensemble.

Category Two: Specification regarding curricular choices at subject’s school


• No Jazz Choir in our school

Category Three: Curricular choices not offered by the survey


• It is actually an acapella group (boys and girls grades 7 and 8)
• All choirs learn elements of jazz in the rotation of literature, but I do not have a
group that focuses solely on jazz. However, I direct a pop a cappella group that
employs a lot of vocal jazz harmony and technique.
• Pop a cappella, technically
• It is a vocal a cappella group singing jazz and pop music primarily

Question 13: Do you teach gospel choir in grades 9-12?

Question 14: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• But I have taught gospel pieces to my ensembles.
196

• Although I pull up gospel songs to use in choir and for OMEA Solo contest.
• Not specifically, however I use the style of music.
• Gospel music is part of our literature rotation, but there is not a choir dedicated to
it.
• We have done a couple of gospel songs in the past.
• As above, I include gospel/spirituals in my classroom repertoire
• Again, we do random gospel selections with all grade levels.

Category Two: Specification regarding curricular choices at subject’s school


• No Gospel Choir in our school.

Question 15: Do you consider vocal music your major area of teaching?

Question 16: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I am strongest in instrumental music, but I teach K-12 Vocal and Instrumental.
• I have 5 band ensembles and 2 choral ensembles.
• Have taught middle school vocal through a teach teaching aspect for past 8 years
(grades 6-8)
• I teach general music K-12, but I direct 5 musicals/year and I have 5 choirs that I
direct—2 at school and 3 at church
• I have 3 choirs daily—6, 7, and 8 grade
• Teach 7 & 8 grade choir and show choir
• My specialization was instrumental, but I have a lot of vocal experience. I am
currently teaching general.
• I also have a piano performance degree
• I teach general music and have three choirs at our school of various ages.
• General music
• I teach ½ time vocal at high school and ½ time general music at middle school
level
• However, I truly consider myself to be an Orff practitioner. Voice is the primary
instrument that is focused on, but my students use many instruments and
movements to accompany themselves while singing.
• I never specialized in either vocal or instrumental—have had training and
teaching experience in both about equally
• I teach K-5 music and High School choir.
• I direct children’s choir

Question 17: Do you consider instrumental music your major area of teaching?

Question 18: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:


197

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Pit orchestra is my responsibility
• I am strongest in instrumental music, but I teach K-12 Vocal and Instrumental.
• I teach piano levels 1 and 2.
• I was an instrumental/vocal major in college.
• Strings, not band.
• Taught instrumental for 9 years at beginning of career. Instrumental was my
major in college.
• I have experience with brass instruments and melodic percussion, and have
collaborated several times with our instrumental program, but it is not the main
focus of my teaching.
• Even thought I haven’t had a predominantly instrumental position yet in my 6
years of experience.
• Voice is my instrument
• However, I teach elementary band and orchestra in my current position, as well as
general music.
• I never specialized in either vocal or instrumental—have had training and
teaching experience in both about equally

Question 19: Do you consider general music your major area of teaching?

Question 20: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I am strongest in instrumental music, but I teach K-12 Vocal and Instrumental.
• My main focus for the first three years of teaching was elementary general
music k-6
• I teach equally both general and vocal music
• Been teaching K-3 General Music for 13 years
• I teach 18 different classes of general music, along with choir and theater at
school
• I teach 3 classes of general music daily (grades 6,7, and 8) ...administration
justifies having 6 preps a day by stating that I should teach the same material
to my 6,7,and 8 grade music appreciation courses and then alternate what is
taught the next year...they say that way, I have only 4 preps a day...we all
know that is not feasible.. ...so I teach 6 different courses every day. (not to
mention the extra groups I have before/after school)
• That’s where most of my experience is though
• I have grades 2-12, so vocal and general music are pretty equal in my teaching
• But as of this year, I teach elementary general music
• I do teach general music for 2 out of 6 of my classes
198

Category Two: Curricular choices not offered by the survey


• Music theory is my responsibility
• I also teach music theory.
• I taught a year of class piano, and am in my 8th semester of teaching music
theory
• I do have a few music in film classes though
• I teach general music, band, choir and music for special learners. There is no
major area.
• I also have a music appreciation class along with my choirs.

Question 21: Do you teach voice lessons in a private or high school setting?

Question 22: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Mostly piano and some voice
• No time
• There is no time for private lessons—I am at work after hours every day till
approx.. 8 to 9 pm every day
• Coaching would be a better term as the length of time and frequency changes by
student and his/her needs.
• I do not presently but I did for many years.
• I used to teach private lessons—for years! Since having children, I have stopped.
• I have in the past.
• Summers only.
• Not currently, but have.
• I did teach privately for about 10 years.
• I did for 2 years

Category Two: Voice lessons given in high school setting


• I work with students in preparation for solo & ensemble events, but don’t have
time to teach voice lessons on a regular basis.
• I only work with vocal students one on one during our Solo and Ensemble season.
• Only during solo and ensemble season
• As needed—Solo & Ensemble
• Only on occasion, such as solo and ensemble preparation

Category Three: Curricular choices not offered by the survey


• I do teach private flute lessons.
• Piano

Question 23: Does your high school produce musicals?


199

Question 24: Comment or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I am not at a HS - however, I direct a 50-75 student musical each year on a large
scale. Many of students go onto other high schools - any private- to specifically
perform in musicals and choirs.
• Not currently involved in the musical
• Extra performances
• I am our high school musical director.
• As does our middle school, which I direct.
• I am the theater director, but it is middle school

Question 25: Are you or have you ever been involved in your high school musical in any
capacity?

Question 26: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I am the director of our musicals.
• I have co-directed 23 shows at my high school, 8 broadway junior shows at the
middle school and 5 musicals at our community theater.
• I only took a quarter of voice lessons. My voice teacher focused on classical
singing.
• I’m the director.

Question 27: Are you or have you ever been responsible for selecting the musical for
your high school?

Question 28: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• As part of a team
• Freshman Show—we do a Jr. version
• Partially. More as a consultant rather than the sole person responsible.
• About 16 years ago for 2 years.
• Co-directing, we collaborate on which musical is best each year
• Again, Middle School
• I work closely with a drama instructor who also assists in selecting musicals.
• I have helped to select it.

Question 29: Do you provide vocal musical direction for your high school musical?
200

Questions 30: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I work with the leads, chorus and choreograph the show.
• I have been the vocal music director for two musicals—I no longer help with the
musical
• I have been the vocal musical director a few times—only because they could not
find anyone else to do it—my schedule to too busy otherwise as stated before
• About 16 years ago for 2 years
• In the past but not currently
• Not currently. Yes previously.
• Sometimes I help out
• I am the vocal director as well
• I was the vocal musical director for 7 years. The position is currently filled by
another music teacher.

Question 31: Have you served as the stage director for your high school musical?

Question 32: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I have always worked with a second director who provides all of the blocking and
stage work. I only do the vocals, choreography and coordinate with our pit
director.
• Co-never alone
• About 16 years ago for 1 year.
• Again, in the past
• I have stage directed at other high schools as a supplemental position, but I have
yet to stage direct at my own school. I am the music director.
• Middle school stage director

Question 33: Have you ever conducted the pit orchestra for your high school musical?

Question 34: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Not “conducted”. We have a small pit in which I play piano and basically lead at
the same time.
• Only once when our pit director had a death in her immediate family at the
beginning of production week.
• First time every, this year!
• About 17 years ago for 1 year.
• Once
201

• We do not have a pit due to budget restraints—only a piano player.


• We use piano only or a CD.
• Once, but as a substitute

Question 35: If your high school does a musical, does your school use sound
reinforcement for the singers?

Question 36: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• We usually have a wireless body mic on each of our leads and two floor mics for
the chorus.
• Mics for leads.
• Some students get a microphone, others do not.
• If you mean microphones, then yes
• Not when I did it 16 years ago
• Singers with solos have individual mics
• The characters with lines. We use hanging mics and occasional boundry mics for
ensemble
• Microphones
• Body mics are used.
• I use a combination of hanging choir mics and I use individual mics for main
characters.
• For some. We have to rent expensive equipment so have to pick and choose.
• Only for leads, floor mics for the others but not a lot of amplification

Question 37: If yes, does each singer have an individual dedicated microphone?

Question 38: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Leads only
• Leads all have mics based upon availability and building of our inventory.
Chorus members do not have mics although we do have “general” microphones
that pick up a general wash throughout the stage
• The lead roles have dedicated mics. Ensemble is supported by boundary mics.
• We usually have a wireless body mic on each of our leads and two floor mics for
the chorus.
• Just leads
• Chorus members do not. Soloists do.
202

• No clue—we recently reinstated an auditorium manager—the school needs to hire


someone to run the stage/sound but does not fund that position correctly and so
the equipment gets stolen, abused, wired incorrectly, etc.
• Leads, not chorus members
• The leads have microphones, but the chorus members do not.
• Only main characters have a wireless mic
• I always try to make sure the leads have individual microphones, but not all
students do.
• Only principal singers get microphones, although there are floor mics as well.
• If s/he has a lead or supporting role, then yes.
• Leads do
• Soloist not chorus
• Leads and people with solos have a personal mic
• Only the lead characters have microphones
• Main parts yes
• Lead roles have mics
• All soloists are provided with microphones, but ensemble singers are not
amplified.
• Only leads of course, not chorus parts.
• Only leads have mics
• Soloists have a mic
• We mic the leads.
• Most leading roles do—not chorus.
• Leads and secondary roles only with general floor mic to pick up the chorus
• We only have 6 working microphones, so we use them on those that need it the
most.
• Leads have their own mics, but the whole chorus is not on personal microphones.
But there are hanging mics and floor mics.
• Our lead performers and supporting performers have individual dedicated mics—
ensemble does not.
• Only the leads
• 12 students—rest supported through area mics
• Soloists use wireless mics and switch them out backstage
• Lead roles primarily
• Leads, not chorus
• We only have 10 headsets
• Leading characters and as many other soloists as possible use microphones.
• We have the leads on wireless mics and the rest use the stage mics.
• Only students with solos/spoken parts
• Those with major roles do
• We have about 15 wireless mics in our sound system for individuals and choir
mics for chorus.
203

• We use wireless mics for some of the lead singers.


• Leads have head set mics and there are hanging area mics overhead.
• Just lead parts
• We do not use sound reinforcement
• Leads do and other key people
204

APPENDIX H

WRITTEN RESPONSES FOR SECTION TWO


205

APPENDIX H

Written Responses for Section Two

All responses are transcribed exactly as received.

Question 40: I know what is meant by the term “belt”.

Question 41: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• My vocal pedagogy at UC CCM was very good, as was my studio teacher. My
roommate throughout my time at the Conservatory of Music was in the Musical
theater program and we have had many discussions about it over the years.
• While I have never looked into a precise use of the word, I understand the
colloquial use of "belting". In my experience, it has been very harmful to young
voices because they don't know how, or refuse to properly project their sound

Question 42: I am confident in my ability to instruct students in singing in the belt style.

Question 43: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of the subject’s response


• I teach a classical style in my beginning and top "Symphonic Choir", but I also
direct a show choir, "Cavalites". I expect all if the Honors students in that group
and as many of the regular level students to take a vocal solo to OMEA Solo and
Ensemble competition.
• I haven't had formal training in belting, but would love some!
• Although my description of and instruction toward belting is secure, my full
demonstration of the technique has suffered in the last few years.
• When we have a show that uses belt style, I bring in an experienced and well
trained vocal coach from Shadowbox Live to make sure it is being done correctly.
Category Two: Comments or opinions expressive negativity toward belting
• It damages the vocal chords.
• I am confident in my ability to teach them to NEVER belt- but to blend the
middle/chest voice with the projection of the tone
• Nor would I do so. It seems much easier to belt incorrectly than to sing
incorrectly in the bel canto style, with greater damage resulting
• I will never teach belting

Question 44: Belting is the same as chest voice.


206

Question 45: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Belting is a form of a mixed voice, placed forward, into a register that is normally
sung in head voice
• I teach belt as a modification of classical tone with a brighter sound. I want the
tone supported with air and back space.
• It depends on who is doing it
• Many people - and teens - think that it is.
• Related, but not synonymous.
• For the most part, though it can be somewhat mixed.
• Belt is produced by a thicker vocal mass with cricoid cartilage tilt.
• Belting is PART of the Belt is produced by a thicker vocal mass with cricoid
cartilage tilt. chest voice...but heavier
• I find "belting" uses chest, but the ability to mix the registers is necessary.
• Depends on whose text you read
• I lack knowledge
• I always thought it was, but I’m not so sure
• I am really not sure as this was not taught years ago, I would like to know.
• Not sure about this

Question 46: Belting is more strenuous on the voice than classical singing.

Question 47: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One:
• If done improperly
• Not if done correctly
• It can be if done improperly.
• When done properly it should not be more strenuous, but improper belting is more
strenuous.
• It depends on your training
• Classical singing - Operatic singing -without proper warm up can also be
damaging. However, vocal pedagogy is stressed in classical singing - where the
belt is often pushed by directors who want louder, but not better.
• If you are belting correctly, it should be equal weight on the voice as classical
singing
• It can be if not done properly
• Everything is relative to point of development and amount of training.
• More likely to be. Easy to do it in a strenuous way.
• It can cause damage unless done properly.
207

• If you push too hard.


• Both styles require a technique and healthy use of the vocal folds.
• Only if done incorrectly
• Not when done properly
• If you don't know how to do it correctly, it is more strenuous
• I lack knowledge
• Depending on training and approach, both styles of singing can be done in a
healthy way or can be strenuous.
• Depends on how it is being done, frequency, pacing, breath support and correct
belting technique.
• When done correctly, it is not more strenuous. When done incorrectly, serious
damage can occur.
• The same muscles are used in both, belting requires a bigger sound.
• Don’t really know
• If done correctly, it can be done in a healthy way.
• It can be if done incorrectly
• There is a proper way to belt that can create the desired sound in a healthy way.
I've seen it in my professor's studios and I just haven't master it yet since I've not
been singing much repertoire from musical theater genre.
• The belt is hard on the voice when improperly supported or used. Many high
school students do not use the belt in a healthy way.
• If I felt better about teaching it, this answer could change.

Question 48: Belting causes damage to the vocal mechanism.

Question 49: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I think it can cause damage but does not have to cause damage
• Only if done improperly
• Not if done correctly
• Again, proper technique must be used! I just wish I had more knowledge about it
so I could better instruct in the belting style!
• Again, it depends on the person's training - in HS singers, most definitely YES!
They have not been taught proper belting techniques.
• It depends upon how the belting is done. If done improperly, belting can be
damaging.
• Belting can cause damage to the vocal mechanism. Singing "classically" can also
cause damage. It is all about how a student is taught.
• Belting, as commonly used, is damaging. Blending - as I defined previously-
does not damage the vocal mechanism. However, as any muscle group, it needs
rest after it is used for a along amount of time.
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• If supported improperly, any manner of singing and talking can do damage


• Depends on vocalist and technique
• It depends on how it is learned and if done correctly
• It can be if not done correctly
• Too much belting or unsupported belting can cause damage, just like high-energy
singing of any kind.
• Everything is relative to point of development and amount of training.
• It can.
• If done correctly, it will not damage the voice.
• When done incorrectly
• Done unhealthfully can cause damage
• Before age 21 yes
• If you’re doing it wrong
• If you belt healthily it will not cause damage, but if the vocal folds are constantly
constricted, it can cause damage.
• Only when done incorrectly
• If not done correctly.
• If not properly supported.
• Unhealthy, persistent strenuous phonation may cause fatigue and potentially
pathology to the vocal folds.
• I lack knowledge
• Not when done correctly
• I think it can over time if not done properly
• If it is done incorrectly, it can lead to damage
• It can if not done properly
• If done incorrectly, yes. I believe there is a proper way? I don't know how to teach
it, though - other than MORE AIR!
• When done frequently
• I believe if it is done properly belting can be done in a healthy way so as to not
cause damage.
• Depends on how it is being done, frequency, pacing, breath support and correct
belting technique.
• When done correctly, it is not more strenuous. When done incorrectly, serious
damage can occur.
• It can.
• Any type of singing done improperly can damage the vocal mechanism.
• Just depends on how much belting the students are doing.
• I would think it would, but as I do not understand how it is taught I cannot answer
the question
• I don’t really know
• If done incorrectly it can, but I can't speak from experience because I don't sing in
that style.
209

• If done all the time and not supported


• Not if properly supported
• This is not true.
• If you belt in the proper and healthy way, I believe it will not cause any damage to
the vocal mechanism.
• I think it could—but so can any type of singing
• If done incorrectly, it can damage the voice.
• Incorrect "belting" over extended time can definitely cause damage.
• If done improperly
• Only when used incorrectly
• If done incorrectly, which is often done at this age

Category Two: Comments or opinions expressive negativity toward belting


• Each instrument is different some voices can take more abuse than others

Question 50: Belting and classical styles cannot be sung by the same person.

Question 51: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• The right type of talent with the right type of instruction can produce both styles
with little to no ill effect on the vocal mechanism. Unfortunately, those
combinations are extremely rare.
• It can be done, though it is somewhat difficult to be very proficient at both.
• I consider this a "fake belt" to try to get the upper register notes to blend into the
chest and mid range belt
• The vocal coach I mentioned is also a trained bel canto and opera singer.
• Look at Kristin Chenoweth!
• I’ve had students who can do both equally well
• Many cultures throughout the world belt, and spend their lives belting, without
damage to the voice.
• Sometimes it does depend on the instrument that a person is gifted with.
However, I believe through proper training and carefully guided practice, it can be
sung by the same person after certain amount of period of instruction.
• It does take much practice to do both

Question 52: Belting is created in part by pushing the sound into a nasal placement.

Question 53: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of the subject’s response


• Forward, but not all the way in the nose
210

• But mainly forcing the chest voice to sing higher than it should
• I teach students to have a twangy placement, but I personally would not describe
it as nasal.
• I am not sure about belting and nasal position.
• Pushing yes
• I flip into a belt generally when I’m going from piano to forte. I suppose it
depends on the technique and practice
• I lack knowledge
• If you are referring to a head voice
• I really do not know
• This is an uneducated or ignorant point of view. Being versatile in many styles is
the sign of a talented and trained performer.
• You might get a more adequate answers from voice professors regarding this
question since they may define the process of belting differently due to the use of
different methodologies.
• The more modern “broadway belt” is VERY nasal!

Question 54: Belt can be any dynamic from soft to loud.

Question 55: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• In a sense yes, because it is a style of singing. No, because the very word defines
its dynamic level.
• I find it difficult for my female students to achieve softer dynamic levels with a
belt tone.
• Belting comes from several combined elements - but does push the chest voice
into the upper voice range unnaturally and gives an "edge" to the voice - which
does make it "Cut through" but also can be damaging.
• Belting generally isn’t very soft
• Some people may have softer belts than others, but a belt is typically "yelling" on
pitch, therefore it is loud.
• Belter is different then a lyric in musical theater. More like the difference
between dramatic and lyric soprano in opera
• I lack knowledge
• I don’t know
• In part, yes. This can be the case, but it depends on the sound that you want-
having the sound in the nasal placement can create the sound you hear from the
girls in "Grease", or a more country sound

Question 56: Belt is a classification of the female voice just like mezzo or soprano

Question 57: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:


211

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I feel belt is an agumentation of the voice. You can belt in any area of the range.
• It is style, not a classification.
• It’s a technique, not a classification
• I think this classification can be used to describe a vocal type- however I believe
it should be used in conjunction with other classifications of voice type.

Question 58: Belting cannot be taught; it is only a natural individual phenomenon.

Question 59: Comments or clarifications regarding his question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• It needs to be taught in advance of it's use - it rarely is!
• If there were a "Very Slightly Agree", I would have selected that one
• Some singers may naturally gravitate toward this type of vocal production but any
singer can be taught to belt.
• In fact I feel more open when I belt
• Belt is something a mezzo or a soprano can do with their voice, just like you can
sing in head or chest voice. It is not your vocal range.
• I only allow students who have a natural belt to use it.

Question 60: Belt produces more tension in the muscles in the throat than classical
singing.

Question 61: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One
• While it often causes more because done incorrectly, a well-trained belter can
sing open-throated
• It should not if done properly
• If taught correctly, it will not cause more tension
• Unless it’s done incorrectly!
• Has the potential to, but if taught correctly, can be done healthfully.
• It can.
• Every style of singing can be done in a healthy way, and can also be done in an
unhealthy way. As long as the vocal folds and false vocal folds are retracted, the
singing is healthy.
• Not when done correctly
• For most singers
• This is based on the individual.
• I don't know where a adolescent female would sing an opera role. Arias I think
are good learning tools
212

• I would say belting USUALLY causes more tension, but an untrained singer can
have tension singing any repetiore
• There may be more tension in the supporting muscular systems... strap muscles,
etc... but not necessarily the throat (certainly not the nasopharynx)
• I lack knowledge
• Only if done incorrectly
• Depends on if it is being done correctly
• Again, when done correctly, it does not create tension. Incorrectly, it does.
• There should not be any tension in the throat.
• I would say no if properly taught
• I teach all of my students to belt, it only depends on the style of the song as to
whether it is appropriate.
• Again, healthy and proper training should enable a singer to produce the desired
sound in a healthy way.
• I believe incorrect classical singing can cause just as much tension if not more in
some cases.
• Just as much

Question 63: It is vocally appropriate for an adolescent female singer to perform major
opera roles.

Question 64: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of the subject’s response


• The female anatomy is not finished growing until in the mid twenties. This
includes the development of the voice.
• Very interesting question! I know at it's difficult for me to get my A soloists
through an aria, so I feel that unless they have intense training, operatic roles
would be very difficult.
• It depends upon if the voice has changed yet and how gifted the singer is. Usually
not enough breath support and training in adolescents.
• The young female doesn't have the muscle structure to sustain an operatic role.
The female voice continues to change and strengthen throughout the twenties and
often into the woman's early thirties.
• unless, of course, the instrument is mature beyond the age of the singer
• However, it depends on the singer and their ability :)
• Depends on the opera
• NO adolescent female should be singing major opera roles. A small number of
older teens could explore light opera, or some Mozart arias, but it isn't responsible
to have young singers working on music that is too big for their instrument.
• Depends on the individual
• Only if the key is modulated to their own skilled range.
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• Exposure to choruses that may contain solo passages is important literature for
adolescent voices.
• Usually not. Depends on the singer and the type of role though.
• Generally disagree, but individual singers can have more maturity than others.
• This is based on the individual.
• Some voices can handle light opera. I have taught many that could. We have also
produced The Light In The Piazza.
• They may be able to dabble in some rep From major opera roles...
• Depends on the kid
• I have never encountered an adolescent who could even approach that concept or
ability
• It takes time for the voice to mature, but I don't know why it would be
inappropriate to perform opera roles.
• The ability to sustain will be limited but proper bel canto placement is always
proper.
• It depends a GREAT DEAL on their training.
• When given proper instruction this can be possible within reason.
• Depends on demands of the role and vocal ability.
• It depends on what you mean by "adolescent." An older high school female singer
WITH APPROPRIATE TRAINING could, conceivably, perform a major opera
role.
• It usually depends on the voice thought.
• Only if it is a junior version with modified parts.
• it depends on the maturity of the student and of the voice and of the comfortable
range of the voice
• If their voice is mature enough to handle it, then yes.
• Any style of singing creates tension in the throat if not performed correctly.
• Depends on the individual
• you may want to be more specific than "adolescent". I have had some
junior/senior women capable of an operatic major role but I still would not tax the
voice that way.
• Depends on the role
• With care in instruction

Question 65: It is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major
musical theater role utilizing belt vocal production.

Question 66: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• They need to be taught the right way to do it in order to not damage their voices.
• If coached well and not over rehearsed (not too many hours of singing/day)
214

• One of my students is being taught this in a local musical theater and regularly
has laryngitis.
• If taught how to do correctly
• I would hope that every HS vocal director would work with his/her singers to
teach appropriate technique
• Not unless they have a coach who knows what they are doing.
• If taught how to safely belt, yes, it is okay. But often belt roles are throaty and
pushed, which can cause vocal nodules like in cheerleading
• However, it depends on the singer and their ability :)
• Depends on the musical
• Depends on the individual
• Depending on the individual singer and the role, yes.
• Depends on the individual
• I have not yet heard an adolescent girl "belt" (using my definition) and not had the
urge to cringe.
• I have some students who can handle it, but very few over the years
• Doing so healthfully is key.
• Depends on their training and dedication
• That would depend on the role and the capability of the performer
• we do it but I don't think it's good for them
• This is based on the individual
• Most do not have the range or stamina to do this
• depends on the role. If the performance practice is to belt it should be belted
• Under careful supervision
• With guidance
• This all depends on the individual development of the singer. Some may have it
earlier than others. also, belt is not always the best stylistic choice...
• It depends on the kid
• It depends on the person
• I lack knowledge
• I would agree if she had been properly taught how to produce it
• It depends on their training
• When given proper instruction this can be possible within reason.
• Depends on demands of the role and vocal ability.
• It depends on what you mean by "adolescent." An older high school female singer
WITH APPROPRIATE TRAINING could, conceivably, perform a major
(musical theater) role.
• Depends on the student and their maturity
• I believe belting can be ok in moderation
• I do not teach opera, so I am not an expert. I would think that it is not a good idea,
though, because a woman's voice doesn't fully develop until her 20's. However,
there are a lot of talented performers out there that may have the skill required to
215

perform an operatic role at a young age. I would take that as a case-by-case


situation.
• Depends on the individual
• With care in instruction
• I am not sure. Belting roles are more prominent in modern musicals, so I have
been choosing someone that can sing there and sounds healthy.

Question 67: It is vocally appropriate for adolescent female singers to perform major
musical theater roles utilizing non-belt vocal production.

Question 68: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• It totally depends upon the show and the songs of the character.
• but I know from personal experience and what I see in my county that it is NOT
the case.
• It depends on the voice and the show, and the director.
• Musical theatre is an important part of American music and is a great means of
expression. Such roles can be wonderful teaching tool.
• For the same reason as i stated for the young girl to not perform in an operatic
role, I disagree with a young girl being able to sustain a healthy vocal mechanism
if they are practicing or performing a major role in a musical. I am taking this to
mean a touring company of some kind - not a community music theater or high
school theater production
• Unless, of course, the instrument is mature beyond the age of the singer
• Major musical roles will not be won without using belt.
• Need amolifycation
• It depends on the specific singer
• But it doesn't sound authentic
• This is based on the individual.
• In small does, it’s fine.
• I lack knowledge and experience
• I've had students who have performed major musical theater roles without belting
• I do Broadway Jr. versions of musicals that have a condensed vocal range, and are
around 1 hour instead of 2...this is appropriate for the age that I work with. I also
teach my students how to belt, and don't have them push or yell. However I find
"major musical theater roles" to be concerning; it depends on the ranges required,
and again to be taken on a case-by-case consideration. For example, "Phantom of
the Opera" or "Wicked" would not be appropriate for high school students.
• Learning musical theater roles includes learning belting techniques

Question 69: It is vocally safe for the adolescent female to sing in the bel canto style.
216

Question 70: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Only if it is limited and appropriate time is given for the vocal folds to relax and
heal.
• Not sure if you mean just "beautiful singing" or the specific technique used by
opera singers. Bel canto can have some belt-like qualities, and needs to be taught
properly. Adolescents need to learn good singing techniques first, and then
venture into specific belting or bel canto techniques as they mature.
• If proper breath support is used, yes.
• This totally depends on what you define as bel canto. If it is in the "Beautiful
singing" style of a trained singer- it is not damaging. However, for an adolescent
to reach that stage would be very rare. They simply are not old enough to gain the
technique correctly.
• Only if done correctly.
• Generally, though can be done incorrectly and cause vocal problems (nodes, etc.).
• I had one student who could sing bel canto - had high light register
• As long as vocal folds stay retracted while singing, any style is safe.
• If bel canto means head voice then yes
• This is based on the individual
• within reason. certain repertoire has different demands. bel canto can be as
strenuous in some roles. The technique and style are appropriate though.
• I lack knowledge
• With proper instruction
• If this is referring to chest voice and head voice.
• I don’t really know
• It really depends on the show/musical as to whether or not belting would be
appropriate--to use the two musicals I have already mentioned, you would never
belt in "Phantom of the Opera", but you would in "Wicked". It depends on
whether it is stylistically appropriate. Either way, you must choose something that
is appropriate for a still-developing voice.
• I would start the process early by introducing it but not pushing the progress since
adolescents need time to mature and develop.
• If done correctly without throat tension and with an open resonance. However, an
adolescent singer will NOT sound like a proper bel canto style until there voice
has matured.
• Head voice should be used and taught
• Make sure to define bel canto singing
• So many answers call for a knowledgeable teacher
• Overall, the opinions are so varied

Question 71: It is vocally safe for the adolescent female to sing in the belt style.
217

Question 72: Comments and clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• If taught the right way.
• If taught correctly
• With proper, healthy training
• 99% of HS singers do not have access to a belting coach who knows what they
are doing. Why risk it?
• Depends upon how belt is done.
• We have already covered this
• Again, if taught and utilized correctly
• When taught correctly
• A lot of these answers would depend on the individual student's ability in my
opinion
• When done correctly
• Again, this is a decision that is made on the ability of the individual
• If they do it correctly.
• It is safe, but only if someone is instructing them on the proper way to belt.
• They push for volume
• Only if they have proper training
• When done healthfully
• As long as vocal folds and false vocal folds stay retracted while singing, any style
is safe.
• This is a tricky question..if done correctly and with range?
• When done correctly
• Occasionally ok but not all the time
• This is based on the individual.
• If taught the proper technique.
• Under careful supervision
• Only with careful guidance
• within reason. moderation is key. The kids scream frequently anyway, with some
training and a watchful ear from a teacher, can be safe to experiment.
• If they are taught correctly
• I lack knowledge
• If she has been properly taught
• With proper instruction.
• If trained correctly
• With appropriate guidance and training, yes.
• I just don't know. I don't have enough experience with teaching it. My personal
experience caused damage on my voice.
• Providing it is done correctly.
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• Only if she knows how to do it correctly.


• Only now and then
• Although I know what bel canto is, I do not sing in this style, and do not know
enough about it to give my opinion.
• I truly do not know
• If properly taught
• It all depends on how it is instructed. Belting with support and a relaxed
technique is fine as long as duration of time is tempered. My leads do not belt
until some dress rehearsals and until showtime.
• A teacher must be careful that the student is not staying in their throat too much
and causing tension and that they are using proper breath support.
219

APPENDIX I

WRITTEN RESPONSES FOR SECTION THREE


220

APPENDIX I

Written Responses for Section Three

All responses are transcribed exactly as received.

Question 74: Do you have an undergraduate degree in music education?

Question 75: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Instrumental Music with Vocal Certifications
• Bachelor of Music Ed from Youngstown State University
• Vocal performance undergrad degree
• University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music BA music education
focus on general/choral conducting instrument voice
• Saxophone Major
• I hold a BA in vocal music
• My undergrad degree is in Musical Theater Performance from the Baldwin-
Wallace Conservatory of Music
• BM in Voice
• My undergrad degree is in Music Therapy. My Masters degree is in Education
with a concentration in music preK-12
• Bachelors in vocal performance, M.Ed in Secondary Ed with licensure
• A minor—my major was English
• My undergrad was in performance-masters in education

Question 76: Do you currently hold state licensure to teach music?

Question 77: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I hold a permanent certificate received before the licensure system began.
• I work at a private school and hold a non-tax certificate from the state of ohio
• Masters in music ed
• I went to CCM for Choral/General Music Education with a specialization in Jazz
Voice

Question 78: Did you take applied private voice lessons in college?

Question 79: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:


221

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• 1 summer semester
• During one term in masters program

Question 80: If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the classical style,
including opera, art song, songs in foreign languages, etc.?

Question 81: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Mostly art songs and foreign language.
• Art songs. My concentration was bassoon. I took lessons on the side.
• Yes—and had juries twice a year.
• BGSU
• Yes, but minimal

Question 82: If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the belt style?

Question 83: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I wasn’t interested in belting or teaching belting.
• But I performed in many productions, opera, musical theater and stage
performance. I was coached by many different instructors
• I am a dramatic soprano, so the belt style was not necessary for me to be heard
• Such lessons were not offered (for men or for women).
• Very little . . .perhaps two lessons our of a four year span.
• But mostly bel canto
• It was not part of the regular rep. but I did sing some when I was in my senior
year.
• Not specifically, but we did have vocal pedagogy classes discussing belt and
physiology with different styles of singing
• As a grad student, I did. Not as an undergrad.
• This was not my main focus, but I took 1 year of classical voice with grad
students only, not faculty
• I favored studying and singing repertoire from the Renaissance and Baroque era
therefore did not spend much time learning or exploring musical theater genre.
Therefore, I did not study the belt style in depth but I do know that it can be done
in a healthy, supported, and proper way.
• I know one vocal exercise
• I did sing in musicals in college where I used the belt style
• If I could go back to my undergraduate work, I would definitely request it
222

Category Two: Curricular choices not offered by the survey


• Have studied the Estill method after my undergraduate

Question 84: If you took applied voice in college, did you study in the musical theater
legit style?

Question 85: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of the subject’s response


• I sang in a jazz vocal group but it was run by an instrumentalist.
• Again, very little—just coaching while on stage
• Somewhat when doing female barbershop
• In grad school, yes. Not in undergrad.
• I did not take any musical theater voice classes.
• My private instructor was not very good, unfortunately. The best lesson I ever
received on belting was from Sunny Wilkinson.

Question 86: Did you sing in the jazz style in college, either as a soloist or in an
ensemble?

Question 87: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response.


• I had to beg to sing any musical theater or Barbra songs at my Senior recital—but
I won! It is still hard to listen to myself on that tape.
• Member of the select vocal jazz ensemble.
• In junior college
• I have never studied musical theater style

Category Two: Curricular choices not offered by the survey


• But I sang in rock and lounge bands

Question 88: Did you sing in a gospel choir in college?

Question 89: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification regarding subject’s response.


• Performed the style, but not exclusively
• In junior college.
• My college roommate did sing in gospel choir and lost her voice after every
concert due to belting.
223

Question 90: Did your university have a musical theater voice teacher/coach?

Question 91: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

No written responses.

Question 92: If yes, did you study with the musical theater voice teacher/coach?

Question 93: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Only musical theater majors studied with these coaches—or performed in musical
theater productions (at CCM)
• This question did not allow an option of “if no”.
• Most of the voice faculty at my school taught both styles and therefore the studio
I was in included students majoring in vocal performance, music theatre, music
therapy and music ed. So I consider that I studied with a voice teacher who
taught musical theater style as well as other styles.
• That person did not happen to be my voice teacher, I had a different teacher. They
did not really specialize in musical theater voice, it was just the voice teacher who
worked with the theater person to do the musical

Question 94: As an undergraduate did you take a vocal pedagogy class?

Question 95: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

No written responses.

Question 96: If yes, was the technique of belting taught in the vocal pedagogy class?

Question 97: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Belting with good breath support and an open throat
• It was not taught as a technique to teach - but to be wary of. This was not just an
opinion, but was also studied with the physical limitations of the vocal
mechanism, the vocal nodes which could occur (and other ways to get nodes) and
how to teach a strong vocal production while staying away from teaching "Belt"
• Introduced . . .perhaps one song assignment, but not he focus of the class
• The professor who taught this class was also the belting specialist, but we didn’t
get into belting in class except for one brief demonstration
• As in previous question, a brief unit was taught
• It was like a 6 week course that mainly talked about how the voice worked
224

• My college Voice faculty was completely against belting

Category Two: Curricular choices not offered by the survey


• Estill methodology

Question 98: Have you attended workshops, master classes, or conferences that focused
on the teaching of belt?

Question 99: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• A few with industry artists such as Tim Shew.

Category Two: Curricular choices not offered by the survey


• I went to a couple of Estill voice sessions at conferences which discussed belt.

Question 100: If yes, did the information you received in those events significantly
inform the way you teach belt?

Question 101: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• I do not teach it adolescents
• I still have many questions and want to be more effective in this style
• Sunny Wilkinson did a master class at CCM when I was there

Question 102: Have you read articles, books, essays, etc., that you feel significantly
informed you teaching of musical theater belt?

Question 103: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Once, definitely need more!
• I do not teach students how to belt
• Only if student has basics in bel canto and 21 do I teach belt
• An article years ago
• Sunny completely changed how I sang from one lesson: her telling me to “sing at
half the volume” really fixed a lot of my problems
• I wish there were more literature on the subject

Question 104: Did you take any undergraduate classes that specifically trained you to
teach belt?
225

Question 105: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• This is (or was) an area lacking in training, which is why I sought out help when
facing it within a musical.

Question 106: Did you receive any content regarding the use of belt in any course you
took as an undergraduate?

Question 107: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• It was covered as a singing technique for musical theatre.
• Class Voice-a small amount
• Not to teach it
• Not much, though
• They were not required, but I took a number of them.
• Would not be appropriate
• If it was ever mentioned, faculty were against.
• Besides hearing studio performance and through private studio lesson-lecture, I
did not received the use of belt in any course as an undergrad.

Question 108: If you have a music education degree, were you required to take any
courses in acting or theater?

Question 109: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• No, but I did a lot of theater.
• It would have been so helpful! (Like band people being required to learn about
marching band.)
• However, I had done three major musicals before college and my roommate was a
musical theater major throughout college. I have taught musicals throughout my
music education career
• Not required, but as electives, I took them.
• My degree is in voice, and I was required to take acting classes
• Opera classes
• I specialized in Choral/Musical Theatre, but most choral majors took no classes in
theater.
• I did take an acting class, but I was not required.
• I was not required to take any theater classes, but I did take some.
• I think we should have!
226

Question 110: Did your college produce musicals?

Question 111: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Mostly operas not utilizing belt
• Not a big theater department by any stretch, I think musical might have only been
summer . . .operas during the year ???? Not sure.
• Not the music department but theater department
• They were not produced by the music department
• The musicals were done in conjunction with the theater department, not the music
department.
• The musicals were given by the theater department.

Question 112: If yes, did you participate as a vocal performer in the musical?

Question 113: Comments or clarifications regarding this question:

Category One: Clarification of subject’s response


• Participated as an accompanist. Piano was my major instrument, but I was on the
choral/music ed track.
• I stage managed instead.
• Only musical theater majors (upper classmen) performed in the musicals at CCM
• As a piano major, I played in the orchestras.
• I was mostly in the operas and one acts.
• I performed in student theater, but not in faculty or department-produced theater.
• Golde in "Fiddler on the Roof"; Queen in "Once Upon a Mattress"; Grace in
"Annie".
• However, I had leads in HS shows and did some professional theater
• The schedule at my undergrad university did not allow for music ed. majors to be
a part of any musical due to the conflict of rehearsal times.
• Great survey. I learned belting in church. I only teach the style for the school
musicals and talent show. Not in class.
• But I actively performed (and directed) in the local community theater
productions.
• No, but I did in high school, and I also performed in the orchestra pits for college.
• Musical roles were primarily awarded to theater majors. I did participate in the
opera.
• In undergraduate school I did participate as a choir member in two opera
performances.
• Not in college, extensive participation in community theater roles
• It was frowned upon at the time but I did it anyway
227

• My experiences with musicals in college consisted of accompanying, conducting


and working with singers, usually soloists.

Question 114: If you have any thoughts or comments to share, please write them here.

No categories given.
• Please educate all of us with more detail on this nebulous subject. Thanks. Good
luck.
• Belt has a place in musical theater.
• I have worked as the musical director as well as the rehearsal pianist under several
talented musical directors where I have learned most of what I know about
singing in musical theater. Much more needs to be done in this area in music
education as many music teachers employ this style incorrectly in musical theater
as well as show choirs at the high school and junior high school level.
• I auditioned for Sweet Charity and was placed in the chorus, but dropped out due
to course load. I never auditioned for another show.
• Wow- I never realized just how little I know about the technique of belting. I
would like to know more! I guess I don't know how to teach it or even if I should
teach it!
• As a vocal teacher, I can see and hear when students are belting incorrectly. A
good belt sound is pushed from the abdomen, not the throat. Also, I focus upon
where the "break" is in the belt voice and do not push students too high in the belt
range.
• If a student does not have the basic fundamentals of proper singing, I feel that the
belt style will hinder their growth as well as hurt their vocal cords. I have taught
students that have complete control of the diaphragm breathing and working on
health and safe belting was appropriate during the musical season.
• I wish belt was properly taught in all college music programs and that high school
and younger students were taught the cause and effects of using the belt voice at
their age, and as they mature. Too many young singers are being taught that
belting is ether horrible and you should never do it, or they are taught to do it
improperly (screaming).
• I am interested in the results and direction your study will take.
• I think this is a very important topic! So many adolescent females are unaware of
proper vocal production - both belting and bel canto style - because of so much
pop-culture influence. It is very obvious which voices are trained and untrained.
When I work with our vocalists for the musical each year, I strongly encourage
"mixing" voices instead of a full out belt. With either mixing, or full out belt, I
strive to bring the student to a forward, high placement with plenty of support and
as little tension as possible. I find that helping them get rid of tongue and jaw
tension is the best start to finding a more relaxed and free sound.
• Good Luck! I got my PhD from Kent in 92. And thanks for letting my daughter
Elise shadow you a couple years ago- Chuck Szabo
228

• In college, vocal music ed. majors were taught that belting was singing incorrectly
and we were not permitted to be part of any theater productions. We were never
instructed in how to sing, let alone teach the Broadway-style or even belting.
Most college vocal professors view belting as singing incorrectly and therefore do
not instruct or encourage their students to pursue this style of singing. This puts
us, high school educators in a very difficult situation when we have to direct a
musical that is full of belting.
• Your line of questioning is quite specific. Your survey was designed in such a
way to demonstrate the apparent lack of understanding of the "belt style" by the
people surveyed. Due to the fact that your survey is so narrow in scope, I believe
your findings will bear out the assertions you have likely made in your research
questions. I think there is a misconception in the terminology that you are using.
I'm not sure that your results will reflect people's apparent lack of use of the "belt
style" or their confusion over the terminology. Make sure you are able to clearly
delineate between these two critical distinctions.
• I love to belt! and I love to sing without belting! I have no qualms about teaching
my students to belt. Just like any style of singing proper breathing needs to be
taught.
• You should contact Karen Wicklund about teaching belting techniques
• I would be interested learning more about the "belt" style voice. I would be
interested in attending workshops about musical productions.
• It is safe to say that I am well trained as a vocal performer, but I have much to
learn about being a vocal teacher at the adolescent level.
• In junior college I coached singers for one production.
• Although I am happy to help by taking this survey it was WAY too long. Please
consider shortening any future surveys.
• If I had a student that sang primarily through belting I would try to retrain them
and have them strengthen the head voice rather than bring the chest voice up.
There have been a few times where I have encouraged toward a belt style, but
never enough to where I thought the student was hurting her instrument.
• I have taken Vocal Pedagogy classes in my graduate work. All of my higher
education has grossly neglected and/or taught me that belting is detrimental to the
voice. I would love to know more and I look forward to reading your results.
• There are simply roles you must belt. If they can do it my feeling has always
been to let them - but saving it until just before showtimes.
• I am interested in learning more on this subject.
• Good luck with your project!
229

APPENDIX J

FREQUENCY TABLES FOR ALL SECTIONS


230

APPENDIX J

Frequency Table for Section One

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
2. How many 1-5 years 33 17.1 18.8
years have you 6-10 years 37 19.2 21.0
been teaching 11-15 years 27 14.0 15.3
music? 16-20 years 31 16.1 17.6
21-25 years 12 6.2 6.8
26-30 years 20 11.4 11.4
30+ years 16 8.3 9.1
Total 176 91.2 100 19
Missing 17 8.8
4. What is Bachelors 58 30.1 33.0
your highest Masters 114 59.1 64.8
completed PhD/DMA 4 2.1 2.3
educational
level?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 16
Missing 17 8.8
6: Are you Female 125 64.8 71.0
male or Male 51 26.4 29.0
female?
Total 176 91.2 100.0
Missing 17 8.8
7: Do you Yes 134 69.4 76.1
teach choir in No 42 21.8 23.9
grades 9-12?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 16
Missing 17 8.8
9. Do you Yes 63 32.6 35.8
teach show No 113 58.5 64.2
choir in grades
9-12?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 20
Missing 17 8.8
231

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
11. Do you Yes 27 14.0 15.3
teach jazz No 149 77.2 84.7
choir in grades
9-12?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 16
Missing 17 8.8
13. Do you Yes 13 6.7 7.4
teach gospel No 163 84.5 92.6
choir in grades
9-12?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 8
Missing 17 8.8
15. Do you Yes 145 75.1 82.4
consider vocal No 31 16.1 17.6
music your
major area of
teaching?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 15
Missing 17 8.8
17. Do you Yes 24 12.4 13.6
consider No 152 78.8 86.4
instrumental
music your
major area of
teaching?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 11
Missing 17 8.8
19. Do you Yes 38 19.7 21.6
consider No 138 71.5 78.4
general music
your major
area of
teaching?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 16
Missing 17 8.8
21. Do you Yes 69 35.8 39.2
teach voice No 107 55.4 60.8
lessons?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 18
Missing 17 8.8
232

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
23. Does your Yes 152 78.8 86.4
high school No 24 12.4 13.6
produce
musicals?
Total 176 91.2 100.0 6
Missing 17 8.8
25. Are you Yes 132 68.4 87.4
involved in No 19 9.8 12.6
your high
school
musical?
Total 151 78.2 100.0 4
Missing 42 21.8
27. Are you Yes 97 50.3 77.6
responsible for No 28 14.5 22.4
selecting the
musical?
Total 125 64.8 100.0 8
Missing 68 35.2
29. Do you Yes 107 55.4 85.6
provide vocal No 18 9.3 14.4
music
direction?
Total 125 64.8 100.0 9
Missing 68 35.2
31. Have you Yes 63 32.6 50.4
served as the No 62 32.1 49.6
stage director?
Total 125 64.8 100.0 6
Missing 68 35.2
33. Have you Yes 84 43.5 67.2
conducted the No 41 21.2 32.8
pit orchestra?
Total 125 64.8 100.0 8
Missing 68 35.2
233

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
35. Does your Yes 120 62.2 96.0
high school No 5 2.6 4.0
use sound
reinforcement?
Total 125 64.8 100.0 12
Missing 68 35.2
37. Does each Yes 61 31.6 49.2
singer have No 63 32.6 50.8
their own
microphone?
Total 124 64.2 100.0 44
Missing 69 35.8
234

Frequency Table Section Two

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
40. I know St. Agree 69 35.8 41.6
what is Agree 74 38.3 44.6
meant by the Neither 9 4.7 5.4
term “belt”. Disagree 3 1.6 1.8
St. Disagree 11 5.7 6.6
Total 166 86.0 100.0 2
Missing 27 14.0
42. I am St. Agree 15 7.8 9.0
confident in Agree 58 30.1 34.7
my ability to Neither 42 21.8 25.1
instruct Disagree 38 19.7 22.8
students in St. Disagree 14 7.3 8.4
singing in
the belt style.
Total 167 86.5 100.0 4
Missing 26 13.5
44. Belting St. Agree 2 1.0 1.2
is the same Agree 24 12.4 14.5
as chest Neither 37 19.2 22.3
voice. Disagree 94 48.7 56.6
St. Disagree 9 4.7 5.4
86.0
Total 166 86.0 100.0 14
Missing 27 14.0
46. Belting St. Agree 27 14.0 16.3
is more Agree 72 37.3 43.4
strenuous on Neither 41 21.2 24.7
the voice Disagree 23 11.9 13.9
than classical St. Disagree 3 1.6 1.8
singing.
Total 166 86.0 100.0 27
Missing 27 14.0
235

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
48. Belting St. Agree 11 5.7 6.7
causes Agree 38 19.7 23.0
damage to Neither 69 35.8 41.8
the vocal Disagree 41 21.2 24.8
mechanism. St. Disagree 6 3.1 3.6
Total 165 85.5 100.0 46
Missing 28 14.5
50. Belting St. Agree 2 1.0 1.2
and classical Agree 3 1.6 1.8
styles cannot Neither 8 4.1 4.8
be sung by Disagree 84 43.5 50.3
the same St. Disagree 70 36.3 41.9
person. 86.5
Total 167 86.5 100.0 9
Missing 26 13.5
52. Belting St. Agree 3 1.6 1.8
is created in Agree 57 29.5 34.1
part by Neither 55 28.5 32.9
pushing the Disagree 48 24.9 28.7
sound into a St. Disagree 4 2.1 2.4
nasal
placement.
Total 167 86.5 100.0 12
Missing 26 13.5
54. Belt can St. Agree 8 4.1 4.8
be any Agree 77 39.9 46.4
dynamic Neither 37 19.2 22.3
from soft to Disagree 43 22.3 25.9
loud. St. Disagree 1 .5 .6
Total 166 86.0 100.00 9
Missing 27 14.0
56. Belt is a St. Agree 2 1.0 1.2
classification Agree 14 7.3 8.4
of the female Neither 21 10.9 12.6
voice just Disagree 83 43.0 49.7
like mezzo St. Disagree 47 24.4 28.1
or soprano.
Total 167 86.5 100.00 4
Missing 26 13.5
236

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
58. Belting St. Agree 0 0 0
cannot be Agree 1 .5 .6
taught; it is Neither 12 6.2 7.2
only a Disagree 107 55.4 64.1
natural St. Disagree 47 24.4 28.1
individual
phenomenon.
Total 167 86.5 100.0 6
Missing 26 13.5
60. Belt St. Agree 10 5.2 6.0
produces Agree 61 31.6 36.5
more tension Neither 38 19.7 22.8
in the Disagree 51 26.4 30.5
muscles in St. Disagree 7 3.6 4.2
the throat
than classical
singing.
Total 167 86.5 100.0 23
Missing 26 13.5
63. It is St. Agree 0 0 0
vocally Agree 18 9.3 10.8
appropriate Neither 44 22.8 26.3
for an Disagree 66 34.2 39.5
adolescent St. Disagree 39 20.2 23.4
female singer
to perform
major opera
roles.
Total 167 86.5 100.0 33
Missing 26 13.5
237

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
65. It is St. Agree 2 1.0 1.2
vocally Agree 42 21.8 25.1
appropriate Neither 65 33.7 38.9
for adoles- Disagree 39 20.2 23.4
cent female St. Disagree 19 9.8 11.4
singers to
perform
major
musical
theater roles
utilizing belt
vocal
production.
Total 167 86.5 100.0 38
Missing 26 13.5
67. It is St. Agree 29 15.0 17.4
vocally Agree 102 52.8 61.1
appropriate Neither 28 14.5 16.8
for adoles- Disagree 7 3.6 4.2
cent female St. Disagree 1 .5 .6
singers to
perform
major
musical
theater roles
utilizing non-
belt vocal
production.
Total 167 86.5 100.0 16
Missing 26 13.5
69. It is St. Agree 38 19.7 22.8
vocally safe Agree 85 44.0 50.9
for the Neither 40 20.7 24.0
adolescent Disagree 4 2.1 2.4
female to St. Disagree 0 0 0
sing in the
bel canto
style.
Total 167 86.5 100 22
Missing 26 13.5
238

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
71. It is St. Agree 2 1.0 1.2
vocally safe Agree 61 31.6 36.5
for the Neither 61 31.6 36.5
adolescent Disagree 33 17.1 19.8
female to St. Disagree 10 5.2 6.0
sing in the
belt style.
Total 167 86.5 100.0 40
Missing 26 13.5
239

Frequency Table Section Three

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
74. Do you Yes 154 79.8 92.2
have an No 13 6.7 7.8
undergraduate
degree in
music
education?
Total 167 86.5 100.0 12
Missing 26 13.5
76. Do you Yes 162 83.9 97.0
currently hold No 5 2.6 3.0
state licensure
to teach
music?
Total 167 86.5 100.0 4
Missing 26 13.5
78. Did you Yes 142 73.6 85.0
take applied No 25 13.0 15.0
private voice
lessons in
college?
Total 167 86.5 100.0 2
Missing 26 13.5
80. If you Yes 139 72.0 98.6
took applied No 2 1.0 1.4
voice in
college, did
you study in
the classical
style, including
opera, art song,
songs in
foreign
languages,
etc.?
Total 141 73.1 100.0 5
Missing 52 26.9
240

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
82. If you Yes 13 6.7 9.2
took applied No 128 66.3 90.8
voice in
college, did
you study in
the belt style?
Total 141 73.1 100.0 15
Missing 52 26.9
84. If you Yes 83 43.0 59.3
took applied No 57 29.5 40.7
voice in
college, did
you study in
the musical
theater legit
style?
Total 140 72.5 100.0 6
Missing 53 27.5
86. Did you Yes 58 30.1 41.1
sing in the jazz No 83 43.0 58.9
style in
college, either
as a soloist or
in an
ensemble?
Total 141 73.1 100.0 5
Missing 52 26.9
88. Did you Yes 25 13.0 17.7
sing in a No 116 60.1 82.3
gospel choir in
college?
Total 141 73.1 100.0 3
Missing 52 26.9
90. Did your Yes 66 34.2 49.6
university have No 51 26.4 38.3
a musical Don’t 16 8.3 12.0
theater voice Recall/Know
teacher/coach?
Total 133 68.9 100.0 0
Missing 60 31.3
241

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
92. If yes, did Yes 14 7.3 15.6
you study with No 76 39.4 84.4
the musical
theater voice
teacher/coach?
Total 90 46.6 100.0 4
Missing 103 53.4
94. As an Yes 127 65.8 76.5
undergraduate No 39 20.2 23.5
did you take a
vocal
pedagogy
class?
Total 166 86.0 100.0 0
Missing 27 14.0
96. If yes, was Yes 14 7.3 11.1
the technique No 112 58.0 88.9
of belting
taught in the
vocal
pedagogy
class?
Total 126 65.3 100.0 8
Missing 67 34.7
98. Have you Yes 33 17.1 20.1
attended No 131 67.9 79.9
workshops,
master classes,
or conferences
that focused on
the teaching of
belting?
Total 164 85.0 100.0 2
Missing 29 15.0
242

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
100. If yes, Yes 23 11.9 65.7
did the No 12 6.2 34.3
information
you received in
those events
significantly
inform the way
you teach belt?
Total 35 18.1 100.0 3
Missing 158 81.9
102. Have you Yes 46 23.8 28.0
read articles, No 118 61.1 72.0
books, essays,
etc., that you
feel
significantly
informed your
teaching of
musical theater
belt?
Total 164 85.0 100.0 6
Missing 29 15.0
104. Did you Yes 0 0
take any No 164 85.0 100.0
undergraduate
classes that
specifically
trained you to
teach belt?
Total 164 85.0 100.0 1
Missing 29 15.0
243

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
106. Did you Yes 25 13.0 15.2
receive any No 139 72.0 84.8
content
regarding the
use of belt in
any course you
took as an
undergraduate?
Total 164 85.0 100.0 8
Missing 29 15.0
108. If you Yes 19 9.8 11.6
have a music No 135 69.9 82.3
education Don’t have 10 5.2 6.1
degree, were that degree
you required to
take any
courses in
acting or
theater?
Total 164 85.0 100.0 10
Missing 29 15.0
110. Did your Yes 145 75.1 88.4
college No 19 9.8 11.6
produce
musicals?
Total 164 85.0 100.0 6
Missing 29 15.0
112. If yes, Yes 56 29.0 38.4
did you No 90 46.6 61.6
participate as a
vocal
performer in
the musical?
Total 146 75.6 100.0 16
Missing 47 24.4
244

Survey Valid Frequency Percent Valid Number of


Question Percent Written
Comments
114. If you
have any
thoughts or
comments to
share, please
write them
here.
Total 24
245

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