The Voice Essential: Exploring Oral Traditions in the Study of Vocal Improvisation

The voice—from the utility of oral traditions to the pedagogy of singing as performance—is essential to the human experience, yet its use of it has become the narrow purview of those privileged enough to study or make a career out of teaching or performing. In this article, the authors lend unique perspectives on the voice as an instrument of tremendous capacity by providing a lens on its utility in oral traditions. Lullaby, chants, work songs, and vendor songs as specific oral traditions offer entry points to understanding vocal utility that synthesizes both practicalities with aesthetics. Their study within the context of vocal improvisation offers much value to those seeking an understanding of the voice’s potential and for those whose access and comfort with their own voice has been diminished. Such liberation afforded by the exploration of these oral traditions can inform the work of music therapists, voice coaches, students, and everyday singers.