Overview
Lead vocals are the mainstay of most modern songs. The process that transpires from written lyric to a recorded voice requires a specific understanding of the interaction between a ‘voice’, the translation of an emotion or message to an audience and the producer. This synergy appears at the recording stage of a song.
This course addresses both technical and pragmatic issues relating to vocal performance in recording studio contexts. Through a series of lectures and practical workshops, students will develop an understanding of the accumulative processes required by commercial vocal demands.
About this paper
| Paper title | Special Topic: Vocal Performance & Recording |
|---|---|
| Subject | Music |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Summer School (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,318.20 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 18 100-level points
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Eligibility
- Prerequisite include 100 level in either contemporary, musical theatre or classical voice. For other students wanting to take this paper who have not had voice training, they can also audition or submit proof of their experience singing/performing or recording.There will be an essay component in the course worth 30%.
- Contact
2026 Summer School: Mr David Harrison david.harrison@otago.ac.nz
2027 Summer School: Dr Alison Blair spa@otago.ac.nz- More information link
View more information on the School of Performing Arts website
- Teaching staff
- Paper Structure
- Vocal Staging
- Vocal Anatomy and Breathing for Singers
- Styles and Genres of singing
- In the studio: Vocal harmonies in a studio setting; understanding the Studio, and roles of vocalist and producer
- Vocal improvisation and physical gesture
- Textbooks
No textbook is required.
- Course outline
Contact The School of Performing Arts for a detailed course outline.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Communication, Critical thinking, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students will gain a greater understanding of working in a recording studio environment. They will also gain the foundational vocal anatomy and techniques and how to apply this knowledge in a recording studio setting. Below are further learning outcomes:
- An understanding vocal staging concepts within a studio setting
- How to recognise and demonstrate commercial vocal requirements on demand
- How to communicate with a producer
- How to begin to demonstrate an ability to imitate elements of commercial pop vocal performance
- How to establish specific practical knowledge and skills relative to style
- How to develop an understanding of studio recording processes
- To gain confidence with commercial vocal expectations
- To critically review your own performances with a basic understanding of vocal anatomy
- To evaluate the presentations of your peers
- To recognise and evaluate your individual role and expectations in a studio setting
- How to create understanding and communication skills in a recording studio setting
- Improve your musicality and ability to harmonise within a commercial recording studio setting
- Learn to improvise and create spontaneously within a recording session
- How to listen to yourself and understand your voice
- How to adapt to a studio setting quickly and effectively
Overview
Through cultural analysis of Taylor Swift as a performer, songwriter and icon, students explore issues of stardom, authorship, identity, and fandom, while considering critical perspectives on the commercial music industry.
About this paper
| Paper title | Special Topic: Taylor Swift: Popular Music, Fandom, Culture |
|---|---|
| Subject | Music |
| EFTS | 0.15 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Summer School (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Prerequisite
- 36 100-level points
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music
- Eligibility
No prior musical knowledge is required.
- Contact
- More information link
View more information on the School of Performing Arts website.
- Teaching staff
- Paper Structure
- Why study Taylor Swift?
- Taylor Swift, celebrity and stardom.
- Swifties: Taylor Swift and fan culture.
- Gender, sexuality and politics.
- Songwriting, sound, and textual analysis.
- Easter eggs: Visuality, intertextuality, and self-reflexivity.
- Textbooks
No textbook is required.
- Course outline
Contact the School of Performing Arts for a detailed course outline.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Communication, Critical thinking, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Students will gain a critical understanding of the impact and cultural significance of contemporary pop music star Taylor Swift, utilising a number of critical methods and approaches. In doing so, students will:
- Analyse Taylor Swift’s artistry within the cultural and industry context of popular music.
- Develop an ability to interpret music scholarship through a critical disciplinary perspective.
- Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts and produce analytical writing when studying music culture.
- Gain an appreciation of methods, theories and procedures relating to a critical popular music framework.
- Collaborate effectively when working with others in class.