This expanded edition of Barbara Doscher's seminal vocal pedagogy work includes a new introduction by John Nix as well as a new appendix with reflections and practical insights from singing teachers. This classic text describes the anatomy and physiology of breathing and phonation and examines acoustics for an understanding of resonation.

Written for the collaborative community that supports children's choirs in school, church, and community contexts, Before the Singing is appropriate for artistic directors, conductors, music educators, board members, volunteers, administrators, staff, and university students studying music education or nonprofit arts management.

In The Naked Voice, W. Stephen Smith invites all singers to improve their vocal technique through his renowned and time-tested wholistic method. Focusing not only on the most important technical, but also on the often overlooked psychological and spiritual elements of learning to sing, his book allows readers to develop their own full and individual identities as singers. With philosophies and techniques drawn from a lifetime of teaching voice, Smith demonstrates how one can reveal the true unique sound of ones own voice by singing with the whole self. The masters method, presented in concrete and comprehensible terms with helpful illustrations, is enhanced by a companion website containing exercises performed by singers from Smiths own studio-singers whose talent and training bring them across the country and around the world. The clear and easy style of The Naked Voice welcomes the reader into Smiths teaching studio, and into conversation with Smith himself as he presents the six simple and elegant exercises that form the core of his method. These exercises provide a foundation for free singing, and lead singers through the step-by-step process of mastering the technique. Throughout, Smith speaks sympathetically and encouragingly to the singer in search of an unencumbered and effective approach to the art. The Naked Voice is a must-read for all singers, giving teachers and students, amateurs and professionals, access to the methods and concepts that have earned Smith his reputation as one of the most highly-sought-after vocal instructors in the international arena today.