Comparison of Reported Vocal Habits of First-Year Undergraduate and Graduate Vocal Performance Majors

Abstract

Vocal performance students at the collegiate level are faced with rigorous training protocols for which they are required to maintain optimal vocal quality and function. The purpose of this study was to compare the vocal habits and hygiene practices of incoming undergraduate Bachelor of Music (BM), Master of Music (MM), Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), and Artist Diploma (AD) vocal performance students at a tier I music conservatory. To date, no study has compared the reported vocal habits of undergraduate and graduate vocal performance students within the same music conservatory. Two-hundred and eighty six incoming vocal performance majors including undergraduate (n=79), graduate master's candidates (n=171), and graduate doctoral/AD candidates (n=36) at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music over a period of 9 years (2008-2017) completed a questionnaire designed to gain information about their baseline vocal patterns and hygiene practices. The intake form included questions about daily liquid intake, past voice treatment, current adverse voice symptoms, warm-up and cool-down use, average time spent singing daily, and any harmful voice hygiene practices such as phonotraumatic behaviors (ie, yelling, frequent throat clearing). This data was retrospectively analyzed for significant findings within groups and between groups. Results from the questionnaires detailing the undergraduate voice performance participants' self-reported current and past vocal symptoms, current vocal health and hygiene practices, reported voice training habits, and other pertinent factors that may lead to potential voice problems in comparison to those same factors presented in the graduate master's and doctoral/artist diploma voice performance participants' questionnaires are provided. Data gained from the voice performance participants revealed that the potential for voice-related problems exists within all groups, as 45.5% of undergraduate students, 38.6% of graduate master's students, and 44.4% of graduate doctoral/artist diploma students stated at least one current voice issue or adverse symptom. The findings indicate that there is no significant difference regarding level of education in relation to percentage of subjects that reported at least one current adverse vocal symptom, current voice problem, and/or reported negative hygiene practice. The information provided in this study may be beneficial for those who are vocal performers as well as those involved in the training of collegiate-level vocal performance students.