DMA in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance
West Virginia University has been offering the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Performance since 1966. The DMA in Vocal Pedagogy and Performance differs by allowing students to experience a more focused approach to modern vocal pedagogy to prepare future collegiate voice professionals. Graduates will demonstrate skills of exemplary performance, and will be cutting edge vocal pedagogues with a historically-informed and scientific approach to voice teaching.
Through this new curriculum design, graduates will be able to discuss current trends in the field of vocal pedagogy and the vocal arts. To facilitate these skills students will have coursework dedicated to performance and opera, a pedagogy seminar rotated between our expert voice faculty, as well as a six-semester sequence dedicated to compiling appropriate repertoire for students in various languages and styles.
Graduates will connect time-honored pedagogic traditions to state-of-the-art voice science research, and contribute to the new and current research in voice science and pedagogy. Through coursework and research, students in the program will become proficient in the use of our expanding voice laboratory equipment including VoceVista, the Electroglottograph, and the Nasometer. A voice disorders course, taught by world-renowned voice scientist, and Chair of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Dr. Robert Orlikoff, will prepare students to make informed decisions regarding their student’s vocal health. Students will have the opportunity to create their own internship to garner expertise toward their dissertation research. The dissertation will require original research, to facilitate the preparation of a graduate’s research agenda.
