(University of Oregon, 2017-06) Coté, Abbigail Katharine;
This paper is a study of pedagogical approaches for the cultivation of an efficient,
balanced vocal onset. The research will provide a historical survey of onset discussions from
various pedagogical sources and conclude with a compendium of exercises which
exemplify a systematic, prescriptive approach to balanced onset through development of
an advantageous prephonatory throat posture and maintaining that posture with varied
articulatory gestures and air pressure. Although the methodology I have used in this
research could be applied to each aspect of vocal technique, I believe teaching the
execution of an efficient onset has been especially controversial and, therefore, more
elusive to today’s teachers, warranting this in depth investigation.
