The Private Studio

ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Carl D. Swanson

Learning Styles and the Voice Student

Carl D. Swanson

When I began teaching elementary

school many years ago, I was given a
whole class of students to teach. My
lesson plans suited my teaching style
and were designed for the "average"
learner, the learner who could endure
the talk and chalk variety of teaching. The reality is that this kind of
teaching meant that only one type of
learning style was addressed. This
made teaching much easier for the
teacher, but it made learning much
harder for some of the students.
Good educators now understand
that the learning process must be individualized to meet the learning styles
of their students. Educators have
learned that it is their job to meet the
learning styles of the individual students and that it is not incumbent
upon the student to adapt to the teaching style of the teacher. In the elemenjournal of Singing, November/December 2005
Volume 62, No. 2, PP. 203-208
Copyright 2005
National Association of Teachers of Singing

NovEMu1l/DEcEMBER 2005

tary classroom this often means indi- drawings or posters. When I tried to
explain diaphragmatic breathing, he
vidualizing daily lesson plans to meet
didn't seem to understand it until I
the individual student's needs.
showed him a medical poster of the
But what does this mean to the
diaphragm. Indeed, upon examinavoice teacher?
tion of his scores, I often find drawings
Let's consider three students from
my private studio. All of these stu- that, he explains, are used to help him
remember the translation of the text.
dents are quite different from each
He also never comes to a lesson
other in the way they learn. Their
without his notebook, into which he
names, changed to stimulate the
writes just about every word I say.
reader's imagination, are Tsee En
When questioned about this note takLuk, Audra Torey, and Kenny Stetick.
Tsee En Luk is a seventeen-year- ing, he informed me that he seldom
needed to review the notes, but that
old male. He has studied with me for
the process of writing it down helped
about one year. He is personable and
him to remember.
motivated. He never seems to be
When Tsee and I work on a new
intimidated by the presence of any
foreign language text, he will work
other person: even at seventeen he is
comfortable meeting important peo- on writing out the words from memory. He says that it is important for
ple face to face.
Tsee is the type of student, how- him to be able to see the words in his
ever, who has had great difficulty learn- head. Indeed, after once making a
memory slip in a recital, he explained
ing my series of warm up exercises.
At first he seemed to forget the pat- that he had accidentally turned an
extra page in his head.
tern of each exercise from week to
Tsee's teachers tell me that he does
week. Only after I wrote out the exerwell
in school and is the sort of stucises for him did he successfully learn
dent who likes to sit near the front of
them. He has always done a good job
the class. Several have remarked that
of learning his assigned songs at home
Tsee is prone to monopolize the conusing his ever present sheet music.
versation. Recently, he was appointed
During a recent recital he became
easily distracted when the accompa- scenery designer of his high school
nist with whom he was working be- production of a play. He tells me he
enjoys this position because he finds
came very involved in the accompanit so easy to imagine what the scenery
iment and moved about in response to
the music. He told me that he could- should look like just by reading the
script.
n't help but look at her when she did
Tsee loves to listen to Barbra Streithis. It distracted him from the process
sand singing "On a Clear Day You
of performing because it was not part
of his planned sequence of events.
Can See Forever."
Audra Torey is also a fine student.
Tsee does respond well to any
teaching that I do with the use of She is a woman of a certain age who

203

Carl D. Swanson

has studied with me for five years.

She is a telephone receptionist for a
local bank. One of her favorite pastimes is to listen to audio books. Although she can play the piano "by
ear," she cannot easily use the piano
to learn her songs. This has made the
lessons move a bit more slowly as I
must play her part for her to learn
new songs.
Since she learns her songs by rote
and with the use of her ever present
tape recorder, it is important for me
to play every note correctly, for if I
make one mistake, that will be the
way she remembers that note forever.
Recently, she purchased a piece of
computer software that prints and
plays music Now she inputs the notes
of her song and the software helps
her to create a CD. She uses this CD
to listen to and learn her new songs.
Audra's compassionate nature
makes her very good at understanding the subtext of any opera scenes
that we prepare. She says that she can
hear the characters talk in her head
when she performs and that she uses
other performers' expressions, inflections, and nuances to understand
songs, especially those in foreign languages. I am also pleased with how
well Audra listens to my explanations:
I have to tell her only once how to do
something and she seems to remember it forever. She cannot understand
why Tsee En Luk has to write everything down.
Although she is a good performer,
Audra does not like to enter competitions or to be distracted by people
talking or making other extraneous
noises while she is performing. It
always seems to break her concentration and, while she seldom forgets
her words, she will drop her character for a moment.
Often, Audra seems to become tired
of her assigned pieces and is anxious

204

to explore new ones before actually

completing work on those assigned
pieces. When choosing new songs,
she is prone to choose pieces that she
loves, rather than pieces that are appropriate for her stage of development.
Audra's favorite aria is "Una voce
poco fa" from Ii barbiere di Siviglia.
Kenny Stetick is a solid student.
He is twenty-five and works as a carpenter. He is always on time for his
lessons and often arrives with a bit
of his work still on his rough hands.
He loves to sing in the local amateur
productions, where he also is well
liked for his carpentry skills. He enjoys
being the quarterback on a local amateur football team and is a great tap
dancer. He is also fairly accomplished
on the piano. He often can play the
accompaniments to his songs.
On stage Kenny is a great actor,
although he does tend to overdo the
hand gestures a bit. Directors with
whom he has worked have learned
that it is unwise to assign him a part
that requires him to Sit still for any
length of time. His face is wonderfully expressive and reviews in the
local paper usually make mention of
this fact. The local civic chorale has
tried to get him to join but Kenny
prefers to work alone rather than in
a group.
Kenny tends to prefer fast paced
songs. Forget the ballads. He can sing
a patter song with the best of them.
There's something about all those fast
turning words that excites him. He
enjoys working step by step to learn
the words of these songs and pays
great attention to the pronunciation
and nuance of each word.
While Kenny prefers to sing fast
paced songs, he prefers to listen to
Sarah Vaughan's "The Touch of Your
Hand."
By now the astute reader has discerned that these students are quite

fictitious. At best they are composites of a variety of students; but each

of these fictitious students exhibits
the characteristics of different learning styles. Doubtless, the astute reader
recognizes in my three students characteristics of students from his or her
own studio.
While there are many ways of classifying the way a student learns, the
three students above exemplify the
theories of Brian Tracy and Cohn Rose
as outlined in their book, Accelerated
Learning Techniques. The authors
speak of three distinct types of learners: visual learners, auditory learners, and tactile/kinesthetic learners.
Visual learners such as Tsee En
Luk prefer to use their vision to learn
new things. They would prefer to see
the written piece of music rather than
learn the piece by rote. They are likely
to take notes or draw pictures when
learning new material.
These learners need to see the teacher's
body language and facial expression to
fully understand the content of a lesson.
They tend to prefer sitting at the front of
the classroom to avoid visual obstructions
(e.g. people's heads). They may think in
pictures and learn best from visual displays including: diagrams, illustrated text
books, overhead transparencies, videos,
flipcharts and hand-outs. During a lecture or classroom discussion, visual learners often prefer to take detailed notes to
absorb the information.'
Auditory learners such as Audra
Torey prefer to learn new music by
listening to it played. They often can
learn a new song quickly this way.
They are verbal and prefer to have
information conveyed to them by verbal instruction.
They learn best through verbal lectures,
discussions, talking things through and
listening to what others have to say.
Auditory learners interpret the underlying meanings of speech through listenJOURNAL OF SINGING

The Private Studio

ing to tone of voice, pitch, speed, and other

nuances. Written information may have
little meaning until it is heard. These
learners often benefit from reading text
aloud and using a tape recorder.'
Tactile or kinesthetic learners such
as Kenny Stetick prefer to touch. They
are often the ones who learn a new
song best by also learning the piano
accompaniment. They seem to have
to "feel" the song with their fingers.
Tactile/Kinesthetic persons learn best
through a hands-on approach, actively
exploring the physical world around them.
They may find it hard to sit still for long
periods and may become distracted by
their need for activity and exploration.
The labels used by Tracy and Rose
represent only one method of classifying learning styles. The field of education is rife with theories about the
way students learn.
Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, for example, suggests that learners show strengths and
weaknesses through a set of seven
intelligences. "These intelligences are:
linguistic, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal,
intrapersonal, and spatial" (see Table
1). It is to be hoped that most of our
students have strengths in at least
Gardner's musical and linguistic intelligence modes. Audra, for example,
demonstrates linguistic intelligence
in her choice to listen to audio books.
Certainly, Tsee En Luk has strengths
in spatial intelligence when he imagines what the scenery should be like
just by reading the script. And Kenny
has a strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence as shown by his preference to
use his body in many daily activities.
"Dr. Anthony F. Gregorc's MindStyles' model is based on how we
perceive information and how we use
the perceived information. "' This
model deals with four basic adult personality types:
Nov11nes/D1:cEMBEI( 2005

Table I. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

Linguistic intelligence: sensitivity to the meaning and order of words.

Logical-mathematical intelligence: ability in mathematics and other complex
logical systems.
Musical intelligence: the ability to understand and create music. Musicians,
composers, and dancers show a heightened musical intelligence.
Spatial intelligence: the ability to "think in pictures," to perceive the visual
world accurately, and recreate (or alter) it in the mind or on paper. Spatial intelligence is highly developed in artists, architects, designers, and sculptors.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence: the ability to use one's body in a skilled way,
for self-expression or toward a goal. Mimes, dancers, basketball players, and
actors are among those who display bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.
Interpersonal intelligence: an ability to perceive and understand other individuals - their moods, desires, and motivations. Political and religious leaders, skilled parents and teachers, and therapists use this intelligence.
Intrapersonal intelligence: an understanding of one's own emotions. Some
novelists and/or counselors use their own experience to guide others.
concrete-sequential personalities are systematic in their approach to information
and tend to be organized, stable, productive, and perfectionists; abstract-sequential personalities will research information
and tend to be precise, conceptual, visionary, and opinionated; concrete-random
personalities operate on instinct and tend
to be curious, hands-on, impulsive, and
impatient; and abstract-random personalities depend on absorption of information and tend to be spontaneous, adaptable, social, and perceptive.
Using Dr. Anthony E Gregorc's
Mind_StyleSTM model, we would find
that Tsee En Luk seems to function
most often in the abstract-sequential
mode. When he needs to have his
vocal exercises written out, he shows
that he is systematic and structured in
his approach to learning. His need to
see the medical drawings of the diaphragm shows his analytic nature.
His ability to visualize scenery in his
head merely by reading the script and
his memorization routine of visualizing the words and music in his head
suggest that he is a person who functions in the abstract. His sequential
nature is underscored by his reaction

to the unplanned movements of his

accompanist.
Abstract-random Audra Torey
shows her compassionate nature
when she finds it easy to understand
the subtext of opera scenes that she
prepares. Her imagination allows her
to hear the characters talk in her head
when she performs. Her abilities to
be spontaneous and perceptive contribute to her ability to play the piano
by ear. Being easily distracted by extraneous noises from the audience and
always asking to learn new pieces
before having completed the old are
signs of her randomness. It is important to give students such as Audra a
chance to choose some of their new
songs, as it is important for them to be
emotionally connected to their songs.
Finally, because Audra is an abstractrandom dominant personality, she
will avoid competitions because she
dislikes criticism: even positive criticism has to be delivered carefully.
Kenny Stetick falls into the concrete-sequential mode. He is hardworking, factual, and conventional.
He can be depended upon to get the
205

Carl D. Swanson

Table 2. Gregorc's Mind Styles' Model Interpreted for the Voice Teacher.
CONCRETE RANDOM

CONCRETE SEQUENTIAL
Strengths Upon Which to Build
Explore the details of a new song first, and then
sing it through.
Share your planned agenda with the student at the
beginning of the lesson.
Establish routines.
Give clear and exact directions.

Strengths Upon Which to Build

Sight read the whole song first, and then explore
the details.
Set goals for future performance.
Explore a variety of options to obtain a goal.
Relate songs to the student's own experience.

Weaknesses Upon Which to Improve

Encourage the student to explore the imagery of the song.
Help the student to find songs in which he or
she can become emotionall y invested,

Weaknesses Upon Which to Improve

Encourage the student to take notes.
Set your planned agenda with the student at the
beginning of the lesson.
ABSTRACT RANDOM

ABSTRACT SEQUENTIAL
Strengths Upon Which to Build
Explore the details of a new song first, and then
sing it through.
Encourage the student to take notes.
Use posters, drawings, diagrams, and other visual
aids to demonstrate your point.
Make eye contact when making a point.
Use physical demonstrations before asking the
student to try a task.
Vary exercises to avoid boredom.

Strengths Upon Which to Build

Sight read the whole song first, and then explore
the details.
Encourage the student to explore the feelings and
emotions behind the song.
Pick repertoire that is appealing to the student.
Work one-on-one, not in a group.

Weaknesses Upon Which to Improve

Encourage the student to sometimes sight read a
song without delving into the details first.
Encourage the student to explore the feelings and
emotions behind the song.
Work with the student to maintain concentration
during repetitive tasks such as warm-ups.

Weaknesses Upon Which to Improve

Work to remove the anxiety from competitions.
Concentrate on one song at a time.
Help the student to accept positive criticism.
Plan the lesson's agenda at the beginning of the
lesson.

job done. He is a hands-on sort of student, preferring to dive in, get his
hands dirty, and get the job done as
systematically as possible. Learning
the accompaniments of his songs is
one way Kenny sequences his learning.
A student who functions in the
concrete-random mode
prefers to receive information in an unstructured manner; enjoys group discussion, cooperative learning, and multi-sensory experiences; often connects feelings
with concepts and ideas; and prefers to
learn through simulations, discussion206

based activities, confluent/holistic education, and cooperative/collaborative

learning.'
Good teachers always have responded to these different styles of
learning in their students. Many do
this instinctively. But how does one
incorporate these ideas into his or
her teaching style to ensure the best
possible learning experience for the
student?
First, it is necessary to establish
each student's learning style. This
can be done formally with the use of
any number of learning styles inven-

tories easily found on the Internet.

Many teachers, however, make this
assessment by the observation of students' behaviors. Once the learning
style is known, it is incumbent upon
the teacher to make adjustments to
his or her teaching style.
Random learners, as described by
Gregorc, are top-down learners. They
"learn best by developing a conceptual framework into which they fit
details and specific information."
This is the student who needs to start
with the general and work down
toward the specific.. Start this student
JOURNAL OF SINGING

The Private Studio

Table 3. Tracy and Rose's Accelerated Learning Techniques,

Visual Learners
Present as much information as possible in pictures, diagrams, posters, or charts.
Allow these students to close their eyes to visualize the aural information they
receive.
Match your body language to the needs of the music and concepts you wish to
teach.
Auditory Learners
Give these students plenty of oral explanations, choosing words carefull y to
convey the nuance of your explanations.
Encourage these students to repeat back to you the information they have
learned.
Teach new songs by carefully and accurately playing or singing it for the student.
Tactile/Kinesthetic Learners
Teach blocking, movement, and gestures in conjunction with learning a new
song.
Encourage students who can play an instrument to learn to play their songs.
Choose active songs for these students whenever possible.
with the whole song and then go back
to explore the details.
"Serialists, or sequential learners,
are bottom-up learners who like to
learn individual details and then use
a series of steps to gain an overall
understanding."' This is the student
who takes the time to deal with all
the minutiae. Start this student with
details such as the translation of the
piece, the form of the piece, or the difficult passages, and then start putting
the song together section by section.
Table 2 offers further suggestions of
the best ways to deal with students
labeled using Gregorc's Mind-Styles''
model.
Encourage kinesthetic/tactile learners such as Kenny Stetick to learn to
play the accompaniments of their
songs. This will help them to put the
pieces of a song together to make a
whole. Allow visual learners such as
Tsee En Luk time to take notes and to
draw pictures. This will help them to
analyze the pieces being performed.
Allow auditory learners such as Audra
Torey to record the melodies that they
need to learn new pieces. This will
NOVEMBER /

I)i:ci:i Iii:i 2005

allow them to internalize new songs

more quickly. Table 3 offers further
suggestions of the best ways to deal
with students labeled using Tracy and
Rose's model.
After twenty-seven years as a classroom teacher and several more than
that as a voice teacher, I have seen
many educational theories come and
go. The concept of altering one's
teaching style to match the learning
styles of students, however, is an idea
that must persist. There is no doubt
that as technology increases our abilities to interact with students, we will
further refine our understanding of
teaching and learning styles. But rest
assured that we will always need to
embrace our students' learning styles
to create a rich and effective educational experience for all of the students in our studios.

NOTES
1. http://www.ldpride.net/learning
stylcs.Ml.htm#Learning % 20Styles % 2
OExplained
2. Ibid., I.
3. Ibid.

4. http://www.educationworld.com/
a_cu rr/currO54.shtin]
5. http://www.gregorc.com/
6. Ibid., 5.
7. http://employees.csbsju.edu/esass
learningstyle.htm
8. Ibid., 7.
9. Ibid.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tracy. Brian, and Cohn Rose. Accelerated
Learning Techniques. Niles, IL: Nightingale-Conant Corporation, 1997.
Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The
Theoixj of Multiple Intelligences. New York:
Basic Books, 1983.

INTERNET RESOURCES
http://www.yk.psu.edu/learncenter/ac
skills/visual.html
http://www.yk.psu.edu/learncenter/ac
skills/auditory.html
http://www.yk.psu.edu/learncenter/ac
skills/kinesthetic. html
http://www.berghuis.co.nz/abiator/lsu
lsiframe.html
http://staff.gc.maricopa.edu/ ' jgibson/
mil/LSlnventories.htm
http://www.cloudnet.com/ edrbsass/
learningstylesjigsaw.html
http:/ / www.ldprlile.net
Carl I). Swauson liokis a Bachelor of MUSiC
degree from the University of Rhode Island
and a Masters in Education degree from
Suffolk University in Boston. He is currently
the New England Region Governor of NATh
and has served as the Rhode Island District Governor of NATS. He is a member of
Boston NATS and afounding member of
the Rhode Island Chapter of NATS and
served as Secretary, Vice President, and
President. Swanson serves as the webmaster of the New England NATS website [www

207

Carl D. Swanson

nats.org/newenglandJ . in addition to teaching grade three in I)uxbuq, Massachusetts

by day. Swanson currently teaches voice at
his home studio in Wareham, Massachusetts and at Northeastern University in
Boston. A tenor, Swanson has made numeroiis opera and oratorio appearances through out New England, includinq performances
with Opera Rhode Island, Rhode island's
Bel Canto Opera Company, the New Bedford Choral Society. the Somerset Choral
Society, the Sippican Choral Society, the
Falmouth Interfaith Choir, and the Cape
Cod Chorale. His past engagements as a
conductor include Chorus Master of Opera
Rhode Island, Music i)irector of several
churches and temples, several engagements
as Choral 1)irector for All-State choruses,
and Director of the Providence Gay Men's
Chorus. His recordings include Handel's
Messiah and Mendelssohn s Elijah.

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