Voice Range Profiles of Middle School and High School Choral Directors

Abstract

Vocal demands of teaching are significant, and this challenge is compounded for choral directors who depend on the voice for communicating information or demonstrating music concepts. The purpose of this study is to examine the frequency and intensity of middle and high school choral directors' voices and to compare choral directors' voices with vocally trained and untrained singers and trained healthy and dysphonic voices using a voice range profile. Results indicated that (a) choral directors' vocal intensity range was significantly smaller than both healthy and dysphonic trained voices, (b) choral directors' minimum intensity was significantly higher than healthy and dysphonic trained voices, and (c) vocal frequency ranges of choral directors were reduced as compared with trained and untrained singers and healthy trained voices. The results of this study provide evidence that choral directors are at risk for developing vocal problems. Preservice vocal health training is recommended to reduce voice problems among choral directors.