Key points

The main goal of this research project is the theoretical/practical substantiation and development of an interactive digital educational platform which will assist elementary school music teachers in instructing young students to singing practices and theory.

The ASMA research project is developed according to the following issues:

  • The aesthetic values of students in order to assist to their mental and psychic development and serve to psycho-pedagogical purposes, aside from the purely artistic ones.

  • Practicing singing in childhood, not only contributes to the awakening and nurturing of student’s creativity as also aesthetic sensitivity, but further promotes psychomotor, mental, emotional, social and moral development.

  • The Greek educational system needs to be upgraded by new tendencies in information and communication technologies in teaching (ICT). The implementation of innovative, digital technology-based methods in primary education, can utilize the beneficial properties of music for everyone, regardless of their cultural, social, or developmental background, encouraging the development of cognitive, mental and social functions, towards a perspective of multicultural and interdisciplinary education.

  • Real-Time visual-feedback software and the application of gamification techniques for vocal training, are the most suitable, modern, customised and effective tools in music education which could be integrated in music curriculum including school strategies, teaching practices, technological infrastructure and experience of the students.

The ASMA research project focuses on the following objectives:

  • Investigation of music educational issues towards the cultivation of the singing voice practices for pedagogical purposes according to new methods based on acoustic and psychoacoustic parameters.

  • Analysis of the socio-educational conditions in the 21st century elementary education (technology, multiculturalism, special educational needs, etc.)

  • Examination of the multiple roles of novel technologies and the possibilities of its use in music education.

  • Designing, planning and experimental implementation (in selected primary schools) of a digital platform for vocal training, based on visual voice feedback and gaming elements.

This digital platform will be created in order to accomplish the following objectives:

  • Investigation of the acoustic parameters related to children’s weakness to sing accurately (weak pitch memory, psychology, physiology, possible pathology, social patterns of singing voice), to properly control the intensity of his voice and to properly articulate the singing phrases.

  • Development of a software which will not focus solely on issues related to voice pitch accuracy but also to aspects such as correct vocal placement and diction, dynamics, musical rhythm, memorisation of the verse and ways of musical interpretation.

  • Design of an interactive environment which includes applications, addressed to both, teachers (for use in the classroom) and students (for practice in their free time).

  • Developing a student- friendly educational system with proper interface, gamification tools and easily accessible by different student groups.

  • Implementation of a flexible system in order to be accessible and helpful to children with special needs and children with a multicultural background (different language and culture).

The digital support platform for singing vocal pedagogy will consist of Real-Time visual-feedback applications which can be installed on computers, tablets and smartphones. There are many advantages to such an array but the most important us to enable users to monitor their performance in real-time and assist them in comprehending the results of their actions quickly. This learning activity has to speed up the learning process.

This learning activity is realized through the indication, to the users’ brain, of a specific and objective way of utilizing/controlling the movements of their vocal mechanism [see Fig1]. For example, fMRI cognitive studies in the field of singing have shown that professional opera singers learn (through many years of training) to master control over the motor skills related to their vocal mechanism and to be able to isolate and overlook their subjective auditory feedback.

The use of novel singing training systems implementing visual feedback has been tested partially in Greek elementary schools and apprentice singers and the results are very encouraging (Angelakis et al 2017; Moschos, Georgaki & Kouroupetroglou 2016).