SYLLABUS/COURSE CONSIDERATIONS - VOICE

Carol Wilson, Associate Professor of Voice

Room 333 -940-369-7544 -

The Vocal Studies Division Handbookis your guide fordegreerequirements. You can find it online at

POLICIES REGARDINGLESSONS & CANCELLED LESSONS:

If you need to cancel a lesson for any reason, please notify me by email as soon as possible. Lessons I miss will be rescheduled; lessons missed by you will be rescheduled at my discretion.

STUDIO PIANISTS:

Each of you is responsible for securing a pianist for lessons, Studio Class performances,and Departmental Recitals. All pieces you plan to present in your lesson should be rehearsed in advance, as well as repertoire you intend to present in Studio Class. Please provide your pianist with legible copies of the music well in advance of your lesson. If you cancel a lesson, be sure to notify your pianist. It would not be unreasonable for your pianist to charge you the usual fee if you cancel a lesson without giving her/him prior notice.

STUDIO CLASSmeets every Tuesday from 3:00-3:50 in Room 258. Two classes during the semester will be in Voertman Hall – please refer to the schedule outside the studio door. Attendance is required for all students. If you have a professional commitment which conflicts with Studio Class, let me know. Each of you should plan to sing a minimum of 3 times during the semester, more if you are preparing a recital. Repertoire should be memorized and rehearsed with your pianist.

DEPARTMENTAL RECITALSarescheduledevery Tuesday from 4:00-6:00 in Voertman Concert Hall. Attendance is required.If you need to miss a Departmental because of a professional commitment or illness, let me know in advance so that you are excused and not counted absent. The Departmental schedulewill be posted on the bulletin board outside my studio and the Voice Division Board located near Dr. Austin’s studio, Room 216. To participate on a Departmental submit your name and all program information to The deadline for submitting entries is 5:00 the Thursday prior to the Departmental.

RECITAL ATTENDANCE:

All singersare expected to attend all requiredvoice recitalsas listed on the Departmental Schedule. This includes faculty recitals, opera productions,and special event recitals. In addition, the Division Handbook states an attendance requirement of 15 recitals of your choosing. Recitals given by your studio colleagues should be given priority consideration.Please submit to me a list of recitals you’ve attendedby the end of the last week of classes. Your recital attendance plus Studio and Departmental attendance will be a factor in your overall grade.

REPERTOIRE:The Vocal Studies Division Handbook gives guidelines concerning repertoire requirements. Please take the initiative to research and suggest repertoire, and bring those ideas to your lesson. Saving recital programs is a good strategy in developing a broader knowledge of repertoire for all voices. It is one of the best ways to become familiar with repertoire for all voice categories. When you graduate from UNT you will have a virtual card catalogue for future reference.

PRACTICE:How much you practice depends in part on your other singing commitments on a given day. An hour of practice per day, particularly for graduate students is the minimum expectation. On those days that you have a lot of singing commitments, plan shorter periods of voice trainingand more time for mental study—memorizing music, translating foreign texts, and for character development.

Studio/Room Permission: each of your namesis on a StudioPermission List in the Copy Room. The Copy Room personnel will let you in to the studio when it is not being used. Please limit your time to 1 hour so that others also have use of the room. When you leave turn please deposit your litter in the wastebasket, turn off the lights,and be sure the door is locked behind you.

ESSENTIAL TOOLS OF THE TRADE:

  • A recording devicefor lessonsand studio performances. Buy a memory card for the studio video camera and bring it to your lessons and to studio class on those days you are scheduled to perform.
  • Resources for song translations: -- has song translations in multiple languages
  • The Fischer-Dieskau Book of Liederfor German Lied texts (on my studio desk or in the Library
  • -- The Pierre Bernac Interpretation of French Song for French translations (on my studio desk or in the Library)
  • -- Word-by-Word Translations of Italian Songs & Arias by Berton Coffin (on my studio bookshelf)
  • -- Line by Line Translations of German & French Songs and Arias byCoffin (studio bookshelf)
  • A metronome: I-phones and most android phones have an App
  • A journal to keep notes on useful technical concepts learned in the lesson

ADDITIONAL ISSUES: Please consult with me when you intend to audition for competitions, summer programs, and for concerts/performance opportunities not directly associated with the studio.

From Dr. Warren Henry, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Music:

Office of Disability Accommodation

The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. For additional information see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at You may also contact them by phone at 940.565.4323.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (Undergraduates)

A student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue to receive financial aid. Students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA in addition to successfully completing a required number of credit hours based on total registered hours per term. Students cannot exceed attempted credit hours above 150% of their required degree plan. If a student does not maintain the required standards, the student may lose their financial aid eligibility.

If at any point you consider dropping this or any other course, please be advised that the decision to do so may have the potential to affect your current and future financial aid eligibility. Please visit for more information about financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress. It may be wise for you to schedule a meeting with an academic advisor in your college or visit the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships office to discuss dropping a course being doing so.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (Graduates)

A student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue to receive financial aid. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in addition to successfully completing a required number of credit hours based on total registered hours per term. Students cannot exceed maximum timeframes established based on the published length of the graduate program. If a student does not maintain the required standards, the student may lose their financial aid eligibility.

If at any point you consider dropping this or any other course, please be advised that the decision to do so may have the potential to affect your current and future financial aid eligibility. Please visit for more information about financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress. It may be wise for you to schedule a meeting with an academic advisor in your college or visit the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships office to discuss dropping a course being doing so.

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity is defined in the UNT Policy on Student Standards for Academic Integrity. Any suspected case of Academic Dishonesty will be handled in accordance with the University Policy and procedures. Possible academic penalties range from a verbal or written admonition to a grade of “F” in the course. Further sanctions may apply to incidents involving major violations. You will find the policy and procedures at:

Student Behavior in the Classroom

Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students’ opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student’s conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university’s expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at