The purpose of this study was to begin to explore the link of gesture and voice when teaching children and to examine how the children used these gestures in singing. Semi-structured interviewing techniques and observation were used extensively to collect information from the respondents. Five children were asked to participate in this preliminary work individually. The results demonstrated that there was a link between children's singing voice and their use of gesture by observing the Dalcrozian mirror and follow games. The functions of gestures could be defined as being for focus, guidance, support, good intonation and sensation. In addition, some specific teaching techniques were required for achieving a more effective gesture and a more successful sound. Gesture techniques helped the children to improve their vocal techniques and correct their vocal faults. This study opened the field for the full study of gesture in aiding children's singing.
Apfelstadt, H. (1984). Effect of melodic perception instruction on pitch discrimination and vocal accuracy of kindergarten children. Journal of Research in Music Education, 32(1), 15—24.
2.
Apfelstadt, H. (1985). Choral music in motion: The use of movement in the choral rehearsal. Choral Journal, 25(9), 37—39.
3.
Apfelstadt, H. (1988). What makes children sing well. Update, 7(1), 27—31.
4.
Aylen, S. (1998). An investigation into the use of movement as a teaching strategy in the choral rehearsal. Unpublished master's dissertation , Roehampton InstituteLondon.
5.
Barker, A. (1989). Greek musical writings: Volume II, Harmonic and acoustic theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chagnon, R. (2001). A comparison of five choral directors' use of movement to facilitate learning in rehearsals. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University, USA.
8.
Choksy, L. (1999). The Kodály method I: Comprehensive music education . NJ: Prentice Hall.
9.
Choksy, L., Abramson, R., Gillespie, A., & Woods, D. (1986). Teaching music in the twentieth century. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
10.
Clarke, E.F., & Davidson, J.W. (1998). The body in performance . In W. Thomas (Ed.), Composition performance reception (pp. 74—92). Aldershot: Ashgate.
11.
Davidson, J.W. (1991). The perception of expressive movement in music performance. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, City University , London.
12.
Davidson, J.W. (1993). Visual perception of performance manner in the movements of solo musicians. Psychology of Music, 21(2), 103—113.
13.
Davidson, J.W. (1994). Which areas of a pianist's body convey information about expressive intention to an audience?Journal of Human Movement Studies, 26, 279—301.
14.
Davidson, J.W. (1997). The social psychology of performance. In D. J. Hargreaves & A. C. North (Eds.), The social psychology of music (pp. 209—226). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
15.
Davidson, J.W. (2001). The role of the body in the production and perception of solo vocal performance: A case study of Annie Lennox. Musicae Scientiae, 5(2), 235—256.
16.
Davidson, J.W., & Coimbra, D.D.C. (2001). Investigating performance evaluation by assessors of singers in a music college setting. Musicae Scientiae, 5(1), 33—54.
17.
Ehmann, W. (1968[1949]). Choral directing (trans. G. D. Weibe). Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg .
18.
Funk, G.D. (1982). Verbal imagery: Illuminator of the expressive content in choral music. Unpublished DMA dissertation, Arizona State University, USA.
19.
Gordon, L.W. (1975). Body movement exercises in the choral training programme. Choral Journal, 15(7), 12—13.
20.
Henke, H.H. (1984). The application of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze's solfège-rhythmique to the choral rehearsal. Choral Journal, 25(4), 11—14.
21.
Henke, H.H. (1990). Choral musicianship via the Dalcroze approach . Choral Journal, 30(3), 225—229.
22.
Hibbard, T.T. (1994). The use of movement as an instructional technique in choral rehearsal. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Oregon University, USA.
23.
Hylton, J. (1987). Keeping your choir on the move. Music Educators Journal, 74(3), 31—34.
24.
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. Chicago : University of Chicago Press.
25.
Langness, A.P. (1997). Helping children's voices develop in general music education. In L. Thurman & G. Welch (Eds), Bodymind & voice: Foundations of voice education (pp. 571—581). Minneapolis, MN: Voice Care Network.
26.
Liao, M.Y. (2002). The effects of gesture and movement training on the intonation and tone quality of children's choral singing. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Sheffield, UK.
27.
Liao, M.Y. (2005). A study on the opera singer's (soprano) bodily expression and gesture application. Ming Hsin Journal, 31, 207—222.
28.
McCoy, C.W. (1986). The effects of movement as a rehearsal technique on performance, meter discrimination ability, and attitude of members of high school choral ensembles. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Iowa, USA.
29.
McKinney, J.M. (1994). The diagnosis corrections of vocal faults. Nashville, TN: Genevox Music Group, Boardman Press .
30.
Mueller, A.K. (1993). The effect of movement-based instruction on the melodic perception of primary-age general music students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arizona State University, USA.
31.
Phillips, K.H. (1992). Teaching kids to sing. New York: Schocken Books.
32.
Shehan, P.K. (1987). Movement: The heart of music. Music Educators Journal, 74(3), 25—30.
33.
Steeves, C. (1985). The effect of Curwen—Kodály hand signs on pitch and interval discrimination within a Kodály curricular framework. Unpublished master's dissertation. University of Calgary, Canada.
34.
Taylor, D. (1989). Physical movement and memory for music. British Journal of Music Education, 6(3), 251—260.
35.
Weaver, W.E. (1977). The development of vocal, choral, and musical concepts based on a sequenced integration of vocal-choral principles with interpretive body movement. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Carnegie-Mellon University, USA.
36.
Welch, G.F. (1985). A schema theory of how children learn to sing in tune. Psychology of Music, 13(1), 3—18.
37.
Wis, R.M. (1993). Gesture and body movement as physical metaphor to facilitate learning and to enhance musical experience in the choral rehearsal . Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University , USA.
38.
Wis, R.M. (1999). Physical metaphor in the choral rehearsal: A gesture-based approach to developing vocal skill and musical understanding. Choral Journal, 40(3), 25—33.
