Fairynne's Proposal

Who:

I would like to center my service-learning project around the collegiate students that I am working with in private voice lessons at three universities in the Lexington area. They currently range in age between 18-21.

Why, How, and What:

I would like to learn more about this target audience as I hope to be a full-time collegiate professor once I graduate with my DMA. I am looking to solidify pedagogical approaches to create a safe and enriching learning environment rather than a hindering one and challenging the standard voice lesson format. This focus will help me professionally by teaching me to work with a vast majority of students and give me the resources to approach each student as an individual to help them find success in the voice studio and beyond. Personally, it will challenge my current teaching strategies and give me more tools in my toolbelt to address student growth and learning strategies. This is relevant to the course because most of the students I work with are not neurotypical. I have a few students with formal accommodations, but many of my students do not have any formal accommodations and have been diagnosed with things like ADHD or anxiety disorders. These drastically impact the way students learn and perform and draw a direct comparison to what this class is all about. 

Prior Experience:

I began working with collegiate voice students in August of 2022 when I began my DMA studies. I have exposure to a lot of things when it comes to concepts of inclusivity in practice and principles, but not engrained knowledge in best teaching practices when it comes to neurodivergent students. 

Experts:

• The students themselves by putting out a general ask to all of my students to see who would want to participate.