By: Alexis Cairy

Department of Music

Abstract 

The history of vocal pedagogy has greatly informed current teaching practices of Western Classical Music. This paper aims to compare the relationship of teaching methodology between the Garcia-Marchesi method and global teaching methodology, with a primary focus on Türkiye and America, and the modern elements of teaching in America, particularly group teaching.
The modern understanding of current vocal pedagogy and voice science can be traced back to Manuel Garcia II and the students he produced as both singers and teachers. A student of Garcia’s, Mathilde Marchesi, is also considered as one of the best historical pedagogues. Marchesi had an innovative approach for her studio teaching based on Garcia’s training strategies for the voice, but not necessarily following his model of one-on-one lessons. A concert class, an opera class, or a methodology class is what Marchesi offered in her private teaching studio. In these three classes, Marchesi would teach in a group setting and encourage students to write and observe.
The model of teaching Marchesi used was not necessarily new from a global perspective of music and teaching. Global voice pedagogy systems, including Turkish Classical Music’s system of teaching, called Meșk, also has the master-apprentice relationship with group teaching elements. The elements of group teaching in the Meșk education system are similar to the methodology that Marchesi eventually used, and what was eventually formed in the United States of America through group teaching methods and non Western classical music scenes.

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