Finding Ophelia's Voice Opening Ophelia'

Young girls in modern society are bombarded by the media and, ultimately, by their peers with expectations of how they should look, walk, talk - really, be. Before they truly begin to know and appreciate the uniqueness of themselves, they are asked to be something or someone that is only a facade - a passing frame on a screen or a still image in print. Finding ways to help adolescent girls gain self approval, encourage self-esteem, and begin to reconnect with themselves as talented, worthy, and special human beings has never been more important. Lynn Gackle, Associate Professor of Ensembles and Assistant Choral Director at Baylor University, haslong been an advocate for the power of singing as a catalyst for this positivechange and self-actualization in the adolescent girl. Her landmark text is a synthesis of these ideas, reflecting her unmatched expertise on the workings of the female voice and a lifetime of experience and research. Serving to enlighten and encourage teachers and choral directors of these students, readers of "Finding Ophelia's Voice, Opening Ophelia's Heart" will learn the symptoms of vocal change in the female voice, along with physiological factors that affect it. Appropriate choral literature, recordings, and other educational materials to be used with the singers are also presented. The included DVD, which may be used in the classroom as a teaching tool, provides demonstrations of the phases of vocal maturation, voice classification, vocal techniques, and other pedagogical strategies, all with the help of an all-girl choir (ages 12-16) under the direction of Dr. Gackle.