Optimizing the theory and practice of vocal teaching in higher education: strategies and research

Abstract

Vocal training is an important component of music education in higher education institutions; it is divided into theoretical and practical components. As part of theoretical training in vocal performance, language learning should be included among the key substantive components of students' education in vocal majors, which contributes to the enhancement of their basic theoretical foundation. In the practical aspect of vocal performance education, mastering stage expressiveness plays a crucial role. Developing stage expressiveness in university students requires teachers to gradually cultivate this quality directly during vocal lessons. Therefore, strategies for teaching vocal performance in higher education are particularly important. Combining the core content elements of theoretical and practical training, as well as developing and discussing optimal vocal teaching strategies, will enhance the effectiveness of vocal education and, consequently, improve the quality of training for vocal specialists. The article successively examines the priorities of theoretical and practical training, ways of improving language preparation and stage expressiveness, and specific optimization strategies: enriching the content of lessons, expanding imitation exercises, deepening the understanding of the verbal content of works, modelling stage performance, and differentiated selection of study repertoire by level of difficulty.