PSYCHOLOGY TEACHING AND LEARNING4

It is possible, however, to establish deep breathing by the part method; to establish range techniques by vocalizing particular exercises; to establish an even scale of quality through nonsense syllables. Overemphasis however on any one process may upset a balanced co-ordination, and prevent getting the feel of singing as a whole process.
In his first lessons the student should be encouraged to explain his reas¬ons for studying singing, and what he thinks his problems are.

It is not ad¬visable to tell him that he will have to begin over again, but rather to ex¬plain that past experiences afford a basis for future progress. With this in mind, he should be trained to recognize his errors and successes, so that eventually he may be able to solve his own problems. Positive instruction is more effective than calling attention to his errors. Repeated failures dis¬courage the learner and kill his interest.

Success on the other hand estab¬lishes a more favorable attitude toward learning. This can be brought about by the choice of the right song literature to fit the student's stage of develop¬ment and his interest. The fact that a student cannot hear himself as others hear him and there¬fore cannot judge his singing objectively, makes it necessary for him to be guided by a teacher who is qualified to help him solve his vocal problems. Too much guidance however cuts down on the student's personal responsi¬bility and on his initiative.

EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY Problem Solving8

A problem in singing is a difficulty which prevents a student from reach¬ing a definite goal. Tricks and inspiration may solve problems for the mo¬ment, but they are not dependable techniques. Needless to say, the average student is not qualified by experience or by a basic knowledge of how the vocal mechanism works to solve his own problems. As stated before, he must depend upon a teacher to help, since he cannot judge his own singing objectively. In the process of learning how to sing, a student should be taught how to solve new problems through their relationship to problems already solved.

By relationship is meant the degree of resemblance of problems in different situations. For example, in the development of the high voice range in male changed voices, it is advisable to establish the covering or closing process through the practice of vocalization. The next step is to find high range patterns in songs that are similar to the vocalizing patterns, and apply what has been learned in the one to solving problems in the other. This is called transfer of training.

How successful the student will be will depend upon his ability to utilize what he has already experienced. Transfer of training is usually not automatic. It is dependent upon a deliberate attempt to solve new problems through past experience. There are occasions when the solution to a problem occurs automatically, without an understanding of how it happened. This is true of many problems in range development. The thinking process of reorganizing and combining past experiences and significant facts and information in new ways to solve problems is called reasoning. It is characterized by understanding or insight, which enables the teacher or the student or both to understand or see into causes and results.