The evaluation of singing as an impossible practice. results from a Swiss research project and a perspective to its transformation through a holistic assessment method

Abstract

In Swiss music education, singing assessment via auditions remains standard, despite reports of its humiliating effects and lack of shared criteria. Based on interviews with secondary music teachers, qualitative content analysis revealed critical weaknesses: misalignment between training (choral teaching) and evaluation, and unclear links between scoring and quality criteria. This raises normative questions about the humaneness of current practices. As an alternative, we propose a framework viewing singing as a learnable skill, centred on developmental rubrics aligned with current standards. By combining diagnostic and performance assessments with authentic tasks, this approach fosters growth, reduces humiliation, and supports holistic skill evaluation.