Hi Val! This student has "great difficulty" matching pitch, implying that at least in some situations, he CAN match pitch?

 

How old is he?

If we are assuming that he needs or prefers for his hearing to be partially reduced, can you assess objectively where and when he is able to match pitch when he is hearing a full range of sounds?

Does he match pitch more effectively in a quiet environment or in a noisy environment?

Is there any question of intent or distractability?

Are there any overt communication problems?

Is he sensitive to or startled by loud sounds?

 

 

If he loves music and wants to be successful on his instrument, is he aware that he is not matching pitch accurately at all times?

 

With the voice students I have encountered with pitch-matching problems, in one case, it turned out to be that the student's perception of pitch was that she was hearing the second overtone stronger than the fundamental.  Having a hearing test would be advantageous, I think, to determine how this student actually perceives pitch.

Four requirements for matching pitch:

 

1. I need to be able to distinguish the noise that I'm making from the external noise that you want me to match.

2. I need to have some control of the noise that I'm making.

3. I need to sense some satisfaction if the frequency of my noise is the same as the frequency of the external noise.

4. I need to care.

 

Any of those may be a problem, but the "UNLESS he has a cold" bit suggests that your student's issue is number 1. Presumably a cold makes it easier for him to separate "his" noise from external noise - perhaps by blocking some of the spaces in his head and affecting sound transmission. You sometimes see a singer stick a finger in one ear to achieve a similar effect.

 

Alternatively, how about problem 4? When healthy, this student might have a hundred "better" things to be doing, but a miserable cold makes him more subdued and amenable.