Looking for natural voice — The effectiveness of the program of Postgraduate Studies of Voice and Speech Training

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to determine the acoustic aspects of the impact of a voice training intervention. The research group participated in a voice training program of Postgraduate Studies of Voice and Speech Training at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Warsaw. The subjects of the research are adults, aged 25-61, male and female. The initial recording session took place before the training cycle started. The recording of the same content was repeated to mark the stages of the training progress. The recordings were evaluated by an independent expert (perceptual evaluation, using e.g. the GRBAS scale) and by the participants themselves (subjective self-evaluation, Voice Handicap Index questionnaire). Furthermore, a case study of each course participant was conducted. As an objective assessment technique, acoustic analysis of the collected speech signals was performed. A statistical analysis shows which parameters correspond to the perceptual categories of vocal performance evaluation. The most significant parameters are chosen to develop algorithms in order to track progress within training course. For the analysis, Praat and Matlab software was used. The study objectively confirms the changes in voice quality of the participants during the study period.