1. What does the statement “Singing is a learned behavior” mean? Most people are not naturally “born singers.” Many people believe that “singing is some kind of gift” (Phillips, 222). I have heard this phrase many times in my life. My family always asked me who I inherited my musical talent from. If music were a gift, why would the public use tax dollars to teach music to all students? Some students simply have a higher musical aptitude than others. This means that some students will be able to learn music and musical concepts faster than others. Every student is capable of learning music. The younger a student starts music lessons, the easier it will be for them to master an instrument and sing. Choir directors must have a good understanding of the voice as an instrument. In choral programs, the choir director often ends up being the voice teacher. Outside of a university setting, it is difficult for students to find voice teachers outside of the classroom. This would be a great opportunity for the choir director to bring in qualified voice teachers for their students to study with. By giving students every opportunity to learn to sing and sing well, you are setting them up for success.6. What deters good singing posture and what can be done to correct the problem? Holding music tends to be a deterrent to good singing posture. This tends to pull the singing position inward, rounding the shoulders along with the lower sternum and head. A choir director may insist that students hold their music to help them correct their singing posture. When holding music, students should hold their music high enough that they can see right above their music and see the conductor. Students are in the middle of the sheet and immediately think. It will be difficult for a student to think about their breathing, tone, pitch, rhythm and jaw at the same time. Isolating their breathing will help them develop good habits that they can then carry into their singing. Also for more advanced singers, breathing exercises help increase your phrase length and dynamic levels. The more comfortable you are with using your abdomen to support your breathing, the better vocal quality you will be able to produce. It is important to monitor the breathing process to make sure everything is working properly. Just as singers use vocal sirens to detect vocal problems, so do breathing exercises. By engaging the breath, you also work to prevent vocal breathing. When students know how to sing while breathing, they are less likely to sing with their throat..