


































9 Singing- The Human Connection


Global Partners in Education Journal – Special Edition  December 2022, Vol. 10, No. 2 
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Singing: The Human Connection 

Marguerite O. Hemedinger 

East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA 

Abstract 

Though music may not be a universal language, it is a facet that can help us 
understand each other across cultures, languages, and borders. This project explores 
the experiences in singing and teaching voice lessons of individuals in different parts 
of the world. It was designed as a case study not to analyze individual’s experiences 
as a representation of the whole, but rather as a point of comparison between individual 
experiences in different parts of the world. Through interviews with people who have 
sung or taught singing in Italy, Chile, Canada, and the United States, cultural values 
and practices of singing are compared. This study was conducted over the course of 
several months using virtual meeting technology. Each interview was recorded with 
the express permission of the subjects and the recordings were analyzed after all the 
interviews were collected. The interview answers reveal several connections and 
contrasts between the individual subjects. Some interviewees found different aspects 
of singing and learning to sing more important than others, such as lesson pacing 
(technique versus repertoire) and preparation (performing versus rehearsing). There 
were also many similarities that resonated in each singer’s experience around the 
world. For instance, all subjects discussed the mind-body connection that is 
experienced in singing. Even though certain values varied between subjects, this study 
highlights the connection that different individuals have with their voice as part of their 
identity as a human in the world.  

Keywords: singing, global perspectives, human cultures 

Introduction 

Music can be found in some way, shape, or form in nearly every human civilization 
across time. While that does not necessarily make music a universal language, there 
is something unique about music, and singing specifically, that it has an important 
place in nearly every culture. Studies have been conducted exploring the relationship 
between human culture and music. There are variations in the way people interpret 
music and in the function of music in their culture, society, and history (Feld & Fox, 
1994). There are also variations in the ways human beings use their voice, both their 
speaking/singing voice and their vocal power to speak their truth (Feld & Fox, 1994). 
There are different cultural uses for the voice and a variety of associations and 
experiences that people share through singing. Throughout all these connections and 
differences, one aspect that can connect us is the human voice. Many studies have 
been done on the influence singing can have on language learning (see Good, Russo, 
& Sullivan, 2015; Ludke, 2009; Matsu, 2022; Zbikrowski, 2012). The literature review 
shows that there is a gap in publications of qualitative research focused on the 
perceptions and experiences of singers, teachers, and lovers of music. 

This research explores the connections in singing through individual experiences 
around the world. In this study, five participants with different international singing 



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experiences were interviewed. They were asked about the logistics, philosophy, and 
culture of their voice lessons. Subjects had experiences singing or teaching voice 
lessons in Chile, Switzerland, Montreal, Ontario, Italy, and the United States. Each 
participant offers an individual perspective on their experience singing in each culture. 

The background of this research comes from my personal experience singing 
internationally. As an undergraduate vocalist, I researched opportunities to continue 
my vocal studies while studying abroad in Valparaíso, Chile. A couple weeks into my 
semester, I arrived at my first audition to take voice lessons at a conservatory. I had a 
certain expectation for how the audition would be set up and what lessons would look 
like: there would be a piano; there would be a classroom or studio space; there would 
be a voice teacher at the piano or an accompanist; they would use [what I had been 
taught was] “standard” repertoire. I also assumed that it would not be a problem that I 
was only going to be there for 6 months. These assumptions and expectations quickly 
disappeared after not recognizing the set up inside the audition: no piano; a huge, 
crowded room inside of a palace-like space; no recognizable repertoire. Before I sang 
one note, I was asked to leave the audition. The conservatory model in Valparaíso 
required years of study with the same teacher, and I was hoping to study for a few 
months. Looking back on that experience now, I did not speak the musical and cultural 
language fluently and had not considered that cultural differences could extend to 
something like voice lessons. 

This oversight sparked my curiosity: What are voice lessons like in other places? What 
do other people experience in solo singing lessons? Why do people sing? 

The participants in this study shared their experiences in studying and teaching voice 
in different countries and cultures. Paola is a singer from Chile; Agnus is a singer who 
lived in Italy for 8-10 years and took voice lessons; Kerby is a singer from the US who 
studied abroad in Italy for a semester and took voice lessons; Catherine teaches and 
performs in the US and grew up singing in Ontario, CA; and Daniel is from and teaches 
in Ontario, CA and has studied/taught in Montreal and Switzerland. I asked what led 
them to want to study or teach singing, the logistical set-up of their voice lessons, what 
sort of repertoire/genres do they sing or assign to students, and lastly, what is important 
to them about singing. It is important to note that each individual person is not meant 
to represent the experience of an entire country or culture, but rather to serve as a tool 
in comparing individual experiences throughout the world and to aid in exploring the 
threads that connect us. 

Experiences singing in Chile 

Paola is a Chilean singer from outside of Santiago. She studies voice in her university 
and through chorus. When I asked her why she chooses to sing, she told me that she 
has always loved music. Although she plays the guitar and the ukulele, she loves to 
sing the most because of the text and poetry. As singers, we have the luxury, 
responsibility, and privilege of communicating with text. This connection to the text that 
Paola expressed is not unique; other vocalists whom I interviewed shared this 
experience as well. 



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Paola’s lessons take place in a group setting. The teacher instructs from the piano, 
and they are in a large recital hall space. Students typically sing art and folk songs in 
Spanish and sometimes English. Paola’s favorite songs to sing are folk songs in 
Spanish. One reason for this could be that she is able to connect with the songs on a 
deeper level because it is her native language. 

The last question I asked was, “What is important to you about singing? Why is it 
important to you that you sing?” This is what she said: 

[Translated, Original: Spanish] “For me singing is very, very important. I feel that 
music in general is for everyone. And I feel that it is part of my life because it is 
very powerful and strong. One connects with very profound things when one 
relates the song, the melody, and the lyrics with their life experiences. For me, 
it is a liberation. It is part of me.” 

Paola touches on the idea that singing is something available for everyone and that 
she feels embodied when singing. These are observations that I found in other 
interviews as well. 

Experiences singing in Canada and Europe 

Daniel is a countertenor who sings all over the world. It was natural for him to study 
music and teach voice because he grew up in a musical family. As both a performer 
and teacher, Daniel offers another perspective to this topic. When he meets a new 
voice student for the first time, the first lesson is often mostly talking: getting to know 
what their musical and non-musical interests are and why they are taking lessons. He 
said that he tries to not ask too much in the first lesson because it is important that they 
have a chance to sing. He chooses repertoire using the student’s interests and 
experiences for guidance and he focuses on singing in languages that they speak so 
that they have a solid understanding of the meaning of the piece. This is one of the 
connections he shares with Paola, who expressed her preference for singing in her 
native language. 

Daniel also has education and teaching experience in Europe because he studied in 
Switzerland and has performed in several countries. Curious about the differences he 
experienced, I asked about the contrasts between North American voice lessons and 
singing in Europe. He said his main observation was the fundamental understanding 
that the European singers have of the music from Europe. The example he gave was 
hearing Mahler’s Fifth Symphony in Germany performed by German singers. He 
described it as an emotionally transformative experience because the singers were 
able to dig deeper into the meaning of the music due to stronger cultural connections 
with the music and the text. The relation that can be made when there is a deep 
understanding of the culture and language of a piece is a reoccurring theme in these 
interviews. 

I asked Daniel why he teaches singing and why his singing is important to him. His 
response is as follows: 



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“I really think that we want to explore a really safe and life-affirming teaching… 
I really mean the pedagogy:  literally how we think of vocal technique and 
repertoire learning. I think all these things can support health. I think we can just 
go ahead and heal the world.” 

Similar to Paola, Daniel touches on his experience of singing being a universal 
sensation. His answer varies as he explores this observation through the lens of 
teaching vocal technique and repertoire. Daniel equates singing to supporting health 
which has been explored in other studies as well. 

I also interviewed my voice teacher and research mentor, Dr. Catherine Gardner, about 
her experience in teaching music in the United States in comparison to her experience 
growing up singing in Ontario, Canada. Catherine was in many choirs and took piano 
lessons when she was younger. In university she focused on vocal performance, but 
when she started teaching private lessons after graduation, she realized that she really 
loved it. She said that she learned things about her own voice while teaching others. 
When I asked about how she chooses repertoire, she told me about the graded system 
of music in Canada called the Royal Conservatory of Music. Students progress through 
the books and each book has repertoire picked out by voice teachers that are 
appropriate for each level. This is a resource that comes from voice teachers who have 
a better awareness for the needs and ability levels of voice students. Catherine also 
emphasized the importance of choosing repertoire that is diverse and represents 
composers of color, LGBTQIA+ composers, and minorities in traditional western music. 

Her response to the final question about the importance of singing resonated with much 
of what had been touched on in other interviews while adding some new ideas as well: 

“For me as a person, the awareness of my experience being a human in my 
body I think is something that singing has brought me that I don’t know if I would 
have found if I was not a singer: How do I feel? Am I breathing? How do I feel 
about this poetry? How do I want to express it? Just being in touch with my 
feelings and my physical body. I think we all can benefit from being aware of 
who we are in our bodies. But then I also think we get the privilege of expressing 
beautiful poetry, text, and a whole range of feelings to audiences or whoever is 
listening to us who maybe do not have the same tools to express that but have 
all those feelings. It feels good as a singer to say out loud these words that 
express the human experience and then also to know that the audience is taking 
that in and helping them process being a human in the world.” 

Catherine, similarly to Paola, talks about the experience of feeling embodied through 
singing because it is a physical experience. She also expresses how important it is to 
communicate the poetry and text through song. 

Experiences singing in the United States and Italy 

My last two interviews were with Kerby and Agnus. Kerby is a voice teacher in the US 
who studied for a few months in Italy during her undergraduate degree with an Italian 
voice teacher. Kerby described her voice lessons as taking place in the school where 
they lived and took their other classes. One distinct difference she noticed in her Italian 



Global Partners in Education Journal – Special Edition  December 2022, Vol. 10, No. 2 
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lessons in comparison to her lessons in the US was the schedule. Her voice lessons 
in the US always began and ended on time whereas in Italy, “things took the time they 
took.” If they were at a stopping point early, the lesson ended earlier, if they needed 
more time, they took more time. The biggest take away she learned from those lessons 
(that she still incorporates into her singing and teaching) is the emphasis on style and 
the importance of the story in the song that her Italian teachers taught. During her time 
in Italy, she mostly sang in Italian in order to gain a deeper understanding of Italian 
music and culture. Kerby discussed the influences of a larger culture on her singing 
experience. This may be because she is thinking more about the differences and 
factors that impact those experiences, coming from a different culture and frame of 
reference. 

I asked Kerby about why she sings, and she shared: 

“One of the biggest reasons I love singing right now in my life…is because I feel 
like it really connects me to my body. I feel very mindful and embodied when I 
am singing. I’ve always been really attracted to the balance of science and art 
that is singing… the balance of technique and thinking and logic with the 
endgame of music which is to make meaningful artistic music. I also feel this 
duty to keep it alive…with online media it becomes a little bit more difficult to 
consume art that is meant to be experienced live with bodies in the room. I feel 
very drawn to this idea of staying in the art so that it doesn’t die, and some 
people are reminded that it’s awesome and that it’s worth the ticket price and 
the communal experience.” 

Similar to Catherine and Paola, Kerby is impacted by the physicality and the 
experience she has in her body as she sings. She also presents the experience of 
being on the receiving end of a live performance and how important it is to her as a 
performer and audience member. 

The last participant, Agnus, studied in Italy under different circumstances than Kerby, 
however, there were a lot of similarities between their stories. Agnus went to Italy to 
study Italian and took lessons in Italian to practice her language skills and vocal 
technique. She focused on the old Italian art songs because she wanted to learn them 
the “Italian way.” When I asked her about what she meant by the “Italian way,” she 
gave an answer that was similar to Kerby’s: singing the song with style and with a true 
understanding of what the text means. She studied with three different voice teachers 
while she was in Italy, travelling back and forth over a period of 8-10 years. 

For Agnus, these are the important elements of singing: 

“The communication part [is important]. I think the words and how to get the 
meaning across, I mean the music of course is important too, but the words are 
so very important. I think that comes across with the Italian teachers, they want 
those words to come out and the sense of the song. I guess it’s a communication 
thing.” 

Her response focused on the ability to communicate the feeling and meaning behind 
the text expressively, similar to Catherine’s response. 



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Conclusion 

This study highlights the similarities and differences found in five individual singing 
experiences around the globe. Each participant described the importance of feeling 
fully embodied while singing. Many observed the responsibility and privilege of 
expressing poetry and its meaning through their voice and music. Some participants 
described the value of singing in their native languages while others preferred to sing 
in a diverse selection of languages. Some participants found value in having a deep 
understanding of the text and being able to communicate effectively due to their 
familiarity with the language. They also elaborated on the differences in structure and 
logistics of the lesson, including group versus individual lessons, emphasis on different 
repertoire and techniques, and the types of pedagogy used. 

Personal perspectives of bodily autonomy and awareness of self through the 
experiences of singing and teaching singing is a subject that deserves further 
exploration. There have been many studies done about the scientific and neurological 
aspects of singing and few about the emotions and sensations felt while singing. This 
study contributes to a deeper understanding of singers’ experiences performing, 
studying, and teaching in their body and in the world. 

An expansion of this study could include voices and perspective from other parts of the 
world including but not limited to Asia, Africa, Australia, Central and Eastern Europe, 
and other parts of Latin America. Although there were differences in the participants’ 
experiences in learning and teaching singing in their respective cultures, much of the 
structure and repertoire remained similar to the western music tradition that has 
integrated into much of the world due to factors such as colonization (Ingle, 2017). This 
research opens further questions about the value of singing in other languages, the 
meaning that can get lost in the translation and presentation of songs, and how history 
has affected the value and use of singing around the world. 

References 

Feld, S., & Fox, A. A. (1994). Music and language. Annual Review of Anthropology, 
23, 25–53. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2156005 
 
Good, A. J., Russo, F. A., & Sullivan, J. (2015). The efficacy of singing in foreign- 
language learning. Psychology of Music, 43(5), 627–640. 
https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735614528833 
 
Ingle, G. L. (2017). Decolonizing music: The music forum of the Americas.  American 
Music Teacher, 67(2), 16–18. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26385827 
 
Jeannin, M. (2008). Organizational structures in language and music. The World of  
Music, 50(1), 5–16. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41699805 
 
Ludke, K. M. (2009). Teaching foreign languages through songs. Institute for  
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Matsu, S. (2022). Student perceptions of an arts-integrated curriculum intervention in  



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Peretz, I., Gagnon, L., Hébert, S., & Macoir, J. (2004). Singing in the brain: Insights  
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Author Notes 
 
Marguerite Olivia Hemedinger earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a 
Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic Studies from East Carolina University in North Carolina, 
United States of America. Hemedinger presented the research titled Singing: A Human 
Connection at the 2022 Research and Creative Achievement Week conference at East 
Carolina University and at the 2022 Global Issues Conference. 


