Objective:
This study explores the application of a diversity continuum framework for selecting vocal repertoire in the academic voice studio. Repertoire selection poses ongoing challenges for teachers, who must balance pedagogical goals, stylistic demands, and representation amid a vast and ever-expanding body of literature. No single teacher can maintain comprehensive knowledge of available works, particularly when considering the diverse identities, abilities, and culturally-informed stylistic sensibilities of today’s students. While instructors may not feel equipped to address diversity explicitly through lived experience, they can engage these values through repertoire selection. Experts in the social sciences use a continuum to rate and assess the level of diversity among the members of a population, for example: from homogeneity to heterogeneity, or from a monocultural to an intercultural mindset. This study investigates if repertoire assessment and selection using a diversity continuum can serve as a tool to foster greater awareness, agency, and inclusivity in repertoire selection across styles, and provide guidance and structure to empower intentional and appropriate student-led repertoire selection.
Method/Design:
A survey of undergraduate and graduate voice majors will gather data on current repertoire selection processes, student satisfaction, personal connection to repertoire, practice time, and comfort performing repertoire in assessment settings. From this larger pool, a small pilot group will apply a diversity continuum assessment strategy to song selections in their voice concentration: in this case study, musical theatre concentration students will select from The Singer’s Musical Theater Anthology (Hal Leonard). These students will rate their personal alignment with each song using the diversity continuum, and then choose two for in-depth study with their applied teacher over seven weeks. A follow-up survey of this pilot group will compare student experiences with repertoire selected through a diversity continuum to repertoire chosen through prior methods studied over the same period of time. Resulting data will be analyzed to evaluate shifts in awareness, engagement, and agency in repertoire selection.
Results and Conclusions:
Four pilot participants have been recruited at the time of abstract submission. Data collection and analysis are ongoing, and results highlighting trends in satisfaction, engagement, and perceived inclusivity of the repertoire selection process will be presented.