ISSN: 2226-6348
Open access
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore vocal techniques and pedagogical approaches applied in adolescent choir rehearsals with particular attention to adjustment of the teaching process for learners of different age and developmental level. The study also aims to address the growing need for effective and healthy vocal training strategies for adolescent singers during periods of vocal and physiological development. Methods: An observational research approach was applied. The data was collected using observation of rehearsals conducted with participants of five national choirs from Australia – Novus, Voice, Latitude, Singers and Chorale. Participants comprised choristers of about 10 to 18 years old along with professional conductors and music educators. Results: The results show that there is a pattern of gradual development in the focus of pedagogical approach within the choirs. Young choristers needed warm-up activities, methods of engaging learners' attention, and voice technique instruction to deal with such problems as pitch and pronunciation. In contrast, the adolescents and advanced students demonstrated a focus on breath coordination, consistent tone, and vocal health awareness. Methods of instruction that proved to be successful in enhancing vocal techniques included the use of gestures, imagery, and other methods of interactive learning and rehearsal. Within the advanced choirs, it became evident that focus should be placed on interpretive skills, tone quality and collaborative decision making within music. Conclusion: It was found that age-related adaptation of pedagogical approaches proves necessary in choral education. Successful choir training should involve a variety of aspects of training, development of physical awareness, and musicality along with proper instructional language and care for singers' vocal health. The findings provide practical implications for choir conductors, music educators, and vocal practitioners seeking to create safer and more effective rehearsal environments for adolescent singers.
Barlow, C., & Howard, D. (2002). Voice source changes of child and adolescent subjects undergoing singing training--a preliminary study. Logopedics Phonatrics Vocology, 2002, Vol.27(2), P.66-73, 27(2), 66-73.
Brown, William E. (1931). Vocal Wisdom: Maxims of Giovanni Battista Lamperti, edited by Lillian Strongin. New York: Taplinger Publishing.
Chosky, L. (1999). The Kodaly method I: comprehensive music education.
Cooksey, J. M. (1999). Working with adolescent voices. Concordia Publishing House.
Curwen, J. (1858). The Standard Course of Lessons on the Tonic Sol-fa Method of Teaching to Sing. The Musical herald, (64), 177-177.
Ehmann, W. (1968). Choral directing. Minneapolis: Augsburg Pub. House.
Ehmann, W., & Haasemann, F. (1982). Voice building for choirs (Rev. ed., Westminster library). Chapel Hill, N.C.: Hinshaw Music.
Emmons, S., Chase, C., & ProQuest. (2006). Prescriptions for choral excellence : Tone, text, dynamic leadership. Oxford ; New York: Oxford University Press.
Fagnan, L. (2005). The Acoustical Effects of the Core Principles of the Bel Canto Method on Choral Singing, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
Fuchs, M., Stucky, Mary, Detwiler, Gwendolyn, & Scott, L. (2014). A Conductor's Guide to the Incorporation of Bel Canto Methodology in the Choral Rehearsal, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
Garcia, Manuel, & Garcia, Beata. (1894). Hints on singing (Rev. ed.). London: Ascherberg, Hopwood and Crew.
Houlahan, M., & Tacka, P. (2015). Kodály today: A cognitive approach to elementary music education. Oxford University Press.
Lamartine, N., & Chamberlain, Bruce B. (2003). A Curriculum of Voice Pedagogy for Choral Conductors: The Effect of Solo Voice Exercises on Individual Singer Technique, Choral Tone, and Choral Literature, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
Lamperti, G., Baker, Theodore, & Heldrich, Maximilian. (1905). The technics of bel canto. G. Schirmer.
McCoy, Scott. (2012). Your Voice: An inside View. 2nd ed. Delaware, OH: Inside View Press.
McKinney, J. (1994). The diagnosis & correction of vocal faults : A manual for teachers of singing and for choir directors (Rev. and expanded ed.). Nashville, Tenn.: Genevox Music Group.
Miller, R. (1996). The structure of singing : System and art in vocal technique. Belmont, Calif.: Schirmer Books/Thomson Learning.
Nesheim, P. (1995). Building Beautiful Voices: A Concise, yet Comprehensive Study of Vocal Technique for the Choral Rehearsal or Private Instruction. Dayton, OH: Roger Dean Publishing Company.
Ragan, K. (2018). The efficacy of vocal cool-down exercises. Journal of Singing, 74(5), 521-526.
Rosabal-Coto, G. (2006). Meaningful Vocal Development through Purposeful Choral Warm-ups. The Canadian Music Educator, 48(2), 57-60.
Smith, B., & Sataloff, R. T. (2013). Choral pedagogy: diagnosis and treatment.
Stemple, J. C., Roy, N., & Klaben, B. G. (2014). Clinical voice pathology: Theory and management (5th ed.). Plural Publishing.
Sweet, Bridget. (2015). The Adolescent Female Changing Voice: A Phenomenological Investigation. Journal of Research in Music Education, 63(1), 70-88.
Titze, I. R. (2006). Voice training and therapy with a semi-occluded vocal tract: Rationale and scientific underpinnings. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 49(2), 448–459.
Welch, G. F. (2006). Singing and vocal development. In G. McPherson (Ed.), The child as musician: A handbook of musical development (pp. 311–329). Oxford University Press.
Lingrui, Z., & Foong, A. M. (2026). Vocal Pedagogy and Rehearsal Strategies in Adolescent Choral Settings: An Observational Study of Australian National Choirs. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 15(2), 747–764.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode