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How do we frame singing education and culture?
Get PDFCognitive linguist, George Lakoff, in the run-up to the 2004 USA election, wrote a heartfelt plea to progressives to own the “frame”. In an earlier publication, he discussed the metaphor of political discourse. He distinguished between the “strict father” ideology of the political right and the “nurturant parent” narrative of the left. Although we might feel that it is not appropriate to play the child to any politician’s parent, nevertheless, the importance of this analysis has been enormously influential. It pointed to a recurring problem in any political or social discourse, namely, that of control of the narrative in which the issues are described.Lakoff provides many examples of the ways in which the USA right controls the narrative and defines the terms in which the left must compete in order to win the argument (at times, with devastating effect). My suggestion here is that the terms used to describe and discuss singing are also potentially equally contentious and subject to distortion. Statements identifying music and singing as assets or frills can be unhelpful to singing cultures and professions.On the other hand, we hear from many musicians who reject these narratives and assert that their music-making is an inherent part of who they are.Two frames about which we should have a discussion are those of wellness and the commodification of singing and music in general. Both frames contribute to the making of meaning and the impact of singing in our lives. I would suggest, however, that neither frame is sufficient in itself to describe the value and importance of singing and music
The impact of cyberattacks on civil wars: Examining Russia’s role in the Ukrainian conflict
Get PDFCyberattacks are a relatively new tool to be used in civil wars, and the understanding of their impact remains in early stages. This paper reviews the existing literature on the impact of cyberattacks on civil wars, identifying particularly how they are difficult to attribute to a particular state or non-state group. It then applies that understanding to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where cyberattacks have been used by Russia and its proxies to aid pro-Russian separatist groups
Fixing What Ain't Broke: The New Norm of Fixed Date Elections in Canada
Get PDFSince 2001, legislation implementing fixed dates for general elections has been passed by the federal government, and most provincial and territorial governments. The notion that general election dates are now fixed, however, is flawed. In my submission to Changing Political Landscapes, I will explore the fledgling norm of fixed date elections in Canada and examine the aspects of the legislation which call into doubt the fixedness of these elections. With a review of the literature on the subject, I begin by inquiring into the emergence of this foreign phenomenon into Canadian electoral politics and the justification for its extensive adoption. Comparing the legislation across jurisdictions, I analyze the basic construct of fixed date election legislation in Canada, survey similarities and differences, and discover how fixed dates for elections are ultimately avoidable. As a result, I find that election dates are not truly fixed in Canadian jurisdictions where fixed date election legislation has been enacted
Dichotomous Dilemma
Get PDFCapital punishment has been a controversial topic in American public opinion discourse. The history of American public opinion on capital punishment is a unique opportunity to study how public opinion changes, is measured, and affects policy outcomes. This article examines US capital punishment opinion trends throughout recent history and aims to determine the root causes of these trends. It argues that dichotomous polls of the past that measured support for capital punishment in yes/no responses provided a narrow understanding of capital punishment discourse for policy makers, which inevitably led to more visible support for capital punishment than current, more detailed forms of polling suggest. Dichotomous polls benefitted Republicans over Democrats in past presidential elections which influenced Supreme Court judicial appointments that would further shape capital punishment discourse
Environmental Policy in International Shipping: An Analysis on Current Policy and its Effects to the Industry
No full textShipping is a main method of transportation for goods internationally, and is also a sizeable contributor towards global emissions produced annually. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) which is a specialized agency within the United Nations with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping, and for the prevention of marine pollution by ships, has amended the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution on Ships (MARPOL) in 2013 to include more energy-efficient regulations on new-build vessels, and stricter regulations on existing vessels. With this implementation, IMO is the first and only organization to have adopted energy-efficient measures that are legally binding across a whole global industry, and apply to all countries. Discussion of the intention of this policy, as well as its effect on industry and innovation in the field is considered in the following paper
All those words! Accounting for singers’ memory
Get PDFClassical singers face a formidable challenge. Not only must they fulfill the complex musical demands of the score and its associated technical difficulties, but (uniquely among performing musicians) they must also remember words. In a major operatic role or full length recital, this can mean thousands and thousands of words, which must be expressed in an affecting, characterful manner, according to a set rhythm that does not allow for hesitation. Singers are able to step in and replace ailing colleagues on short notice, even in a part they have not recently sung. To accomplish all of this, they must have verbatim recall of words and music over long periods of time. In this graduate forum, I propose an experiment investigating the optimum distribution of study events for the long range retention of sung verbal materials. Whereas distributed practice effects are well documented in the psychological literature, there have been few studies to date of distributed practice in musical performance, and none on the effect of distributed practice on singer’s learning and memory over long intervals. An experimental design is proposed that compares the effects of ’massed’ and ‘spaced’ learning on memory for a song after a six week period. As a further condition, lyric text without music is compared to a folksong setting to see if the constraints offered by melody can enhance the retrieval of words. Finally, current cognitive theories of singers’ memory are examined and evaluated for relevance to singers’ actual performance practice
Dosimeter Sound Level Measurements in Practice Rooms
Get PDFPrevious research suggests that musicians may be particularly susceptible to noise induced hearing loss (NIHL). To date, however, very few studies examined noise exposure acquired by university vocalists as they practice in school practice rooms, many of which may be small and poorly constructed. The purpose of this study was to assess the noise exposure of university singing students (N = 14; n = 4 sopranos, n = 3 mezzo-sopranos, n = 4 tenors, n = 3 basses) during practice times in university designated practice rooms. Each recorded session consisted of a natural, non-guided practice routine, documented by each participant, lasting for a duration of the participant’s choosing. In addition, 3 participants (n = 1 soprano, n = 1 mezzo-soprano, n =1 bass) collected data during waking hours for one day. Participants wore Etymotic Personal Noise Dosimeters (Model ER-200D) calibrated according to National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommendations. Acquired data were disaggregated according to allowable daily noise dose percentages, equivalent continuous noise levels (LEQ), voice classification, year in school, and participants' self-reported levels of awareness of NIHL and proactive hearing conservation. Results were discussed in terms of vocal pedagogy, hearing health, and suggestions for future research
How can we engage learners in a geographically dispersed residency program? Evaluating small online learning groups (SOLG) as one possible solution
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