Classical Singers Research Articles

Under Pressure: Reports of Performance Anxiety Across Multiple Singing Genres

Music Performance Anxiety (MPA) is a complex phenomenon that has been observed in musicians of all disciplines and at all skill levels. Singers are particularly vulnerable to MPA as symptoms like shaky voice and hyperventilation impede reliable vocalisation. Furthermore, enquiry into aesthetic and performance expectations of contemporary commercial music (CCM), music theatre and classical singing reveals genre specific triggers for MPA. To date, most of the research concerning singers’ experiences with MPA has focused on the classical genre and so has excluded most singers and contemporary performance situations. It is imperative that developing singers and singing voice teachers understand the nuances of the diverse professional performance environment. To this end, in September 2019, Griffith University facilitated a panel presentation and open discussion with experts in the field of Contemporary Commercial Music (CCM), Music Theatre (MT) and Classical singing. The three panellists discussed MPA in the context of each genre as well as management strategies for performers and teachers. The following article summarises their remarks.

The Acoustic Characteristics of Vocal Twang

The Acoustic Characteristics of Vocal Twang Ingo R. Titze (bio) VOICE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY Vocalists are capable of imitating many of the sound qualities of musical instruments. As with impersonation of sounds other humans make, a caricature of the main feature of the instrumental sound is produced. Vocal timbre can be flute-like, brass-like, or percussive. Often the desired sound quality is that of the instruments that accompany the voice. Give the vastly different geometry and material properties of the human airway compared to those of musical instruments, only one or two acoustic features can usually be imitated. The word “twang” comes from the sound of a plucked guitar string. There is little in common between guitar strings transmitting sound to wooden plates and vocal folds transmitting sound through a 17 cm vocal tract, yet a common feature can be the clustering of frequencies produced. Woodhouse published frequency spectra of plucked guitar strings. Regardless of the pitch produced, the dominant harmonics clustered around 1500–2000 Hz. The fundamental frequency was never the dominant one.1 Such a frequency spectrum can be approximated by shaping the vocal tract such that both the epilaryngeal and the pharyngeal airway are narrow. The bottom row of Figure 1 shows this airway configuration in comparison to other shapes that produce different voice qualities, such as neutral, yawn, ring, and call. On the right panel, the input impedance to the vocal tract is shown for each configuration in the 100–2000 Hz region. The thin line is input resistance and the thick line is input reactance. High positive reactance means that harmonics are reinforced by the vocal tract. Note that twang has the highest reactance between 800 Hz and 1600 Hz. (The ring configuration has its highest reactance in the 3000–4000 Hz range, not shown in Figure 1). With a variety of tongue and lip configurations, the impedance peaks in the 1000–2000 Hz range can be moved up and down, as well as closer together or farther apart. Saldias et al. have shown midsagittal airway images that clearly show the narrowing in the epilaryngeal and pharyngeal regions in twang phonation. They have also shown that the corresponding spectrum has a broad peak in the 1000–2000 Hz region.2 A second feature of twang is nonsteadiness. The spectrum of a plucked string does not remain constant. It is transient as the sound dies out. A sharp twang drifts to a more mellow twang. A singer can imitate this transient quality by keeping the vowel or vocal fold adduction variable. Country singers often [End Page 613] make their vowels more speech-like, drifting from one vowel to another with co-articulation. This is in contrast to classical singers, who often maintain a steady voice quality, thereby mimicking steady tone instruments, such as flutes, brasses, and bowed strings. Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. (left) Airway shapes and (right) corresponding vocal tract input impedance over a 100–2000 Hz frequency range. Thin lines are resistances and thick lines are reactances. This author has had multiple conversations with singing teachers about what constitutes “twang” in the industry. In an audition, singers may be asked to produce a twang sound, but it comes out more like a belt or a pressed voice. My advice would be to listen carefully to the sound of a plucked steel string. Imitate that sound first in isolation, then embed that quality into running speech, and finally “sang a sawng” with it. Ingo R. Titze NOTES 1. J. Woodhouse, “Plucked Guitar Transients: Comparison of Measurements and Synthesis,” Acta Acustica united with Acustica 90, no. 5 (September/October 2004): 945–965. 2. Marcelo Saldías, Anne-Maria Laukkanen, Marco Guzmán, Gonzalo, Maranda, Justin, Stoney, Paavo Alku, and Johan Sundberg, “The Vocal Tract in Loud Twang-Like Singing While Producing High and Low Pitches,” Journal of Voice 35, no. 5 (September 2021): 807.e1–807.e23. Copyright © 2022 National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc

Recent Research in Singing

Recent Research in Singing Donald Simonson Click for larger view View full resolution Donald Simonson The following list of recent research in singing is a brief sampling of dissertations/theses published during the last year. It is by no means comprehensive and reflects only a small fraction of the available documents. If you have published recent research in singing, voice pedagogy, voice science, vocal repertoire, pedagogic methodology, or other topics of interest to the membership of NATS, please send citations and abstracts to Donald Simonson at drs@iastate.edu for review and possible inclusion in future columns. ________ Brown, Julie A. "The Unique 'Pelléas et Mélisande:' A Closer Look at Claude Debussy's One and Only Opera." MA Thesis, Webster University, St. Louis, 2021, 96 pages; ProQuest 2542413613. "French composer Claude Debussy's compositions symbolize the definition of twentieth century music. His use of unresolved wandering dominant seventh chords, the use of ninth, elevenths, and thirteenth chords, the use of pentatonic and whole-tone scales, and extreme dynamics and orchestral timbre are trademark characteristics of his style. However, it is the uniqueness of his only opera, Pelléas et Mélisande, that elevates Debussy's music to a higher level and establishes his notoriety in the world of opera. The purpose of this thesis is to discover the various methods Debussy used in composing Pelléas et Mélisande that would classify Debussy's opera in its own category of uniqueness. This thesis also takes an in-depth look at the background of the opera and the libretto of Pelléas et Mélisande. It provides information on the plot, an analysis of the unaccompanied recitative and vocal inflection of the libretto with passing tones and neighbor tones, and the motifs Debussy used to establish his characters, and is supported by musical examples. Debussy's symbolism is discussed as well as his use of polytonality, polyrhythms, poly-meters, dynamic changes, and tempo changes. Finally, this thesis will show a comparison between Debussy's opera and Wagner's opera and give an orchestral and harmonic score analysis of Pelléas et Mélisande to discover what makes Debussy's one and only opera so unique." (ProQuest/Author Abstract) ________ Brown, Ryan Russell. "'We Tell Each Other Stories': Musical Dramaturgy in Craig Hella Johnson's Considering Matthew Shepard." DMA Dissertation, University of California, Los Angeles, 2021, 181 pages; ProQuest 2555923452. "At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the number of choral organizations which pay their members has increased greatly. Along with the emergence of these professional choirs, there is an increased focus on considering the audience experience. One of the ways that professional choral organizations are seeking to elevate the audience experience is through storytelling. Consequently, professional choirs are commissioning and performing oratorios with greater frequency. Considering Matthew Shepard, a modern chamber oratorio composed by Craig Hella Johnson, serves as [End Page 533] an archetype of this new era of musical dramaturgy in choral music. Interviewing conductors of professional choirs and investigating practices in script-writing, the author applies modern concepts of narrative discourse to oratorio. The author explores musical dramaturgy within Considering Matthew Shepard using 'action analysis' and suggests performance practices which highlight the musical dramaturgy within the work." (ProQuest/Author Abstract) ________ Chan, Vania L. "Mindful Singing: Exploring Mindfulness and Self-Regulation in Classical Singing." PhD Dissertation, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2020, 166 pages; Access through the following link, Chan_Vania_L_2020_PhD.pdf (4.712Mb). "The harmonious partnership between the mind and body lies at the core of practice and performance for classical singers. Mindfulness (staying in the present moment) and Self-regulation (understanding and controlling one's own learning environment) are key concepts that when applied to the discipline of classical singing, could help to enhance the growth of efficient learning skills and healthy vocal development. This paper gathers the philosophies and perspectives of respected researchers (including Jon Kabat-Zinn, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and K. Anders Ericsson), and organizes them into three separate stages: 1) Mindfulness Stage One—which involves mindfulness meditation, developing awareness and increased concentration by paying exclusive attention to the breath, 2) Self-Regulation—which centers on deliberate practice, the experts' approach to acquiring...

Considerations and demands in the voice care of contemporary commercial singers in occupational health and safety aspects.

Singers, classified as "vocal performers" are at an increased risk of developing voice disorders. The area of contemporary commercial singing has not been studied as extensively as classical singing. Non-classical singing is generally considered detrimental to vocal health and thus the information on challenges contemporary commercial singers (CCS) pose to otolaryngologists and other healthcare professionals is scarce. The authors present an overview of contemporary commercial singing styles in comparison to classical singing, discuss the notion of non-classical style being harmful to vocal health, present major risk factors associated with developing voice disorders in contemporary commercial singers, and outline the diagnostic process of vocal health assessment in this group of occupational voice users. Given that contemporary commercial singers constitute a unique and vast group of elite vocal performers, the authors stress the importance of raising awareness among healthcare professionals of the fact that these patients require special considerations for voice evaluation and treatment in the occupational health and safety framework. Med Pr. 2022;73(1):33-41.

Vocal Health Care amongst Hindustani Classical Singers– A Mixed Methods, Cross-Sectional Survey

The objective of the present survey was to profile the knowledge, attitude, and practices towards vocal health care amongst Hindustani classical singers. Mixed-methods, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. A self-reported questionnaire was developed and used to gather data on the knowledge, attitude, and practices of Hindustani classical singers towards vocal health care. An online survey link was generated, and responses were collected from self-identified trained Hindustani classical singers. Descriptive statistics was carried out for the closed-ended questions and inductive approach was used to analyse the responses of open-ended questions. Ninety-four self-identified trained Hindustani classical singers participated in the study. The responses indicate good knowledge towards vocal health measures and positive attitudes towards vocal health care. The open-ended responses were analysed using an inductive approach. Although, 70% were aware about role of a speech language pathologist, only 9.7% reported of consulting one in the event of voice problem. Further, 70% singers reported of following precautions to avoid voice problems while 85.1% considered voice rest as necessary before a performance. The singers reported of using home remedies, vocal and non-vocal measures as a part of vocal health measures. The present study helps to profile the knowledge, attitude, and practices towards vocal health care amongst Hindustani classical singers. It also helps to provide a basis for further studies to establish an empirical basis for the reported practices towards vocal health care.

Issues of Lyric Diction of Brazilian Portuguese as Applied to José Siqueira’s Oito Canções Populares Brasileiras

Issues of Lyric Diction of Brazilian Portuguese as Applied to José Siqueira's Oito Canções Populares Brasileiras Marcel Ramalho (bio) LANGUAGE AND DICTION In the early twentieth century, the Brazilian nationalist movement in the arts brought concerns about the development of Brazilian art song and pronunciation of Brazilian Portuguese in classical singing. Alberto Nepomuceno (1864–1920) was the first Brazilian composer to express his desire to develop a Brazilian art song tradition. He and other composers used the German Kunstlied and its high level of expressivity and symbiosis between words and music as the parameter through which they would measure the excellence and effectiveness of sung Brazilian Portuguese. In order for that excellence to be achieved, a thorough study of the sung national language with the goals of understanding its musical possibilities had to be performed. Spearheaded by Mário de Andrade (the same intellectual who led the Modernist movement and the Week of Modern Art of 1922), the Primeiro Congresso da Língua Nacional Cantada (First Conference for the Sung National Language) happened in São Paulo City in 1937. The main goal of this conference was to "unify the way in which the language was spoken and sung by the elimination or minimization of the use of regional dialects. As with music and other arts, the shift was toward the creation of a national language."1 The intent of establishing a standard pronunciation of Brazilian Portuguese for singing was "animated by the desire to serve the cause of Brazilian nationality in the arts of language and singing,"2 with the resulting norms published in 1938. The organizers of this conference had a second conference in mind, which was supposed to occur in 1942. Due to political reasons, this second conference never happened. In 1956, the Primeiro Congresso Brasileiro da Língua Falada no Teatro (First Brazilian Conference for the Language Spoken in Theater) took place in Salvador, but the goal of this congress was not the establishing of a pronunciation standard. According to the organizers of the event, this task would happen naturally through the work of radio, television, and cinema, among other media (with no mention of singing).3 Almost seventy years after the Primeiro Congresso, the pronunciation of sung Brazilian Portuguese once again gained prominent place as a subject for discussion and research among Brazilian and American scholars. In 2007, new norms were published after discussions that took place between [End Page 363] 2003 and 2007 in several different music conferences in Brazil, including the IV Encontro Brasileiro de Canto (4th Brazilian Singing Convention), which happened in São Paulo in 2005. The main goal of the Normas para a Pronúncia do Português Brasileiro no Canto Erudito (Norms for the Pronunciation of Brazilian Portuguese in Classical Singing) was "to establish a standard for a recognizable Brazilian pronunciation for classical singing, without foreign or regional features, laying aside the consideration of international influences and of the important regional and historic varieties of our language for future studies."4 An English version of these norms was published in the Journal of Singing in 2008.5 In 2017, Marcía D. Porter published Singing in Brazilian Portuguese: A Guide to Lyric Diction and Vocal Repertoire, the purpose of which was "to provide professional and amateur singers and pianists, voice teachers, coaches, students of singing and others interested in lyric Brazilian Portuguese (BP) a tool or guide to help with the pronunciation of the language."6 This article discusses aspects related to lyric diction of Brazilian Portuguese as applied to the Oito Canções Populares Brasileiras (Eight Popular Brazilian Songs), by José Siqueira (1907–1985). Given the regional character of Siqueira's overall opus and of these songs in particular, it is this author's understanding that several adaptations of the 2007 norms are necessary because, as stated by Brazilian linguist Thaïs Cristófaro Silva, "linguistic systems are dynamic and, in that sense, any document of a normative character will present limitations."7 The limitations in this case are related to meeting the needs of this specific repertoire and the cultural identities it aims to portray. In that sense, this article is aligned with the...

Deconstructing Timbre into 5 Physiological Parameters: Vocal Mode, Amount of Metal, Degree of Density, Size of Larynx, and Sound Coloring

SummaryTimbre has been related to adjustment at the source as well as adjustments in resonance, including laryngeal height and hypopharynx area and volume. However, it is often presented in vocal pedagogy as solely related to resonance. Very little data is available on the laryngeal adjustments at both source and resonance involved in achieving various timbres across a variety of phonation types. PurposeTo systematically assess the independent laryngeal adjustments at the source and independent laryngeal adjustments in the vocal tract necessary to obtain the lightest and darkest timbral extremes for four different phonation types. MethodsTwenty-one professional singers produced a sustained vowel “EH” as in “stay” in each of the four phonation types (“UH” as in “hungry” for one type), varying the sound coloring to the lightest and darkest of their ability without altering pitch, vowel, or loudness. The singers were observed using laryngostroboscopy and electroglottography. A systematic assessment protocol covering 31 laryngeal gestures was developed based on previous research for objectively classifying changes in laryngeal setups. ResultsDarkening and lightening the sound color involved altering the size of the vocal tract space related to lowering/raising the larynx, widening/closing the piriform sinuses, increasing/decreasing the distance between stylopharyngeus and palatopharyngeus, increasing/decreasing anterior-posterior narrowing (and the resulting view of the vocal folds), medialising/retracting ventricular folds, and altering supraglottic funnel depth. The phonation types did not show equal ability to be colored. Female singers exhibited less coloring variation compared to the males. Classical singing exhibited both lightening and darkening colouring features. ConclusionsThe singers were able to produce a variety of different timbral expressions within each of the investigated four phonation types by coloring the sustained note darker or lighter using laryngeal adjustments. Timbre is deconstructed as a perceptual artefact defined by (1) the choice of vocal mode, (2) the amount of metallic character, (3) the degree of density in the note, (4) the chosen sound color, and (5) the natural size of the larynx and vocal tract.

Long-Term Average Spectrum Characteristics of Portuguese Fado-Canção from Coimbra

Descriptions of acoustical characteristics of Fado, a Portuguese urban style sung in Lisbon and Oporto, are scarce, particularly concerning Fado-Canção, a related style sung in Coimbra. The present study aims at describing long-term average spectrum (LTAS) parameters of 16 professional singers while singing and reading the lyrics of a typical Fado-Canção. LTAS parameters were investigated in terms of: (1) equivalent sound level (Leq); (2) spectral differences between 3 frequency bands 0-2, 2-5, and 5-8 kHz; and (3) quantification of spectral prominence between 2 and 4 kHz, calculated as the level difference between the peak in this frequency region and a reference trendline between 1 and 5 kHz, henceforth Formant Cluster Prominence (FCP). Given that Fado-Canção, besides Fado and traditional styles, originated also from classical singing, and that previous studies on Fado suggest the absence of a singer's formant cluster, the averaged LTAS for all Fado-Canção singers was further compared to the LTAS of two world-touring opera baritones singing an operatic aria and a lied. Results show that Fado-Canção is commonly sung with a Leq of 86.4 dB and a FCP of about 10 dB, values significantly higher when compared to reading. The FCP in Fado-Canção, although smaller than for the two classical opera singers' examples (14.8 and 20 dB, respectively), suggests that the style preserved some of its original lyrical influence. However, because younger singers present higher energy in the 5-8 kHz region relative to the remaining frequency bands as compared to older singers, it seems that Fado-Canção may be drifting towards non-classical vocal practices. FCP seems to be a promising straightforward method to quantify the degree of formant clustering around the region of the singer's formant in LTAS, allowing comparisons between different singers and singing styles.

Relationship between epilarynx tube shape and the radiated sound pressure level during phonation is gender specific

Objective/hypothesis The aim of the study was to measure the morphology of the epilaryngeal tube during sustained phonation as a function of loudness variation and to compare subjects of different genders. Study design This is a prospective study. Methods Five female and five male classically trained singers were recorded by magnetic resonance imaging with simultaneous audio recordings while sustaining phonation at three different loudness conditions. Three-dimensional subsections of the vocal tract were segmented on multi-image-based cross-sections. Different volume and area measures were determined and their relation to sound pressure level and loudness condition was analyzed. Results Male singers tended to narrow the epilaryngeal tube when increasing sound pressure level whereas female singers did not. Conclusion Strategies of vocal tract adjustments during loudness variation in classical singing appear to be gender specific.

Finite element modeling of the effects of velopharyngeal opening on vocal tract reactance in female voice.

Classical singers use nasal consonants as "resonance exercises," and experimental results have shown that singers may use some velopharyngeal opening (VPO), most often in [a:] and more seldom in [i:] or [u:]. In particular, male singers have been found to increase VPO as pitch rises toward register change frequencies (passaggi). Laryngoscopic findings have shown that some VPO stabilizes vocal fold vibration; the effect is related to positive reactance. This study investigates the effects of VPO on vocal tract (VT) reactance over the range of fundamental frequencies (f0) used in singing using a computerized tomography-based finite element model of the VT and nose of a female. According to the results, by raising the lowest VT resonances, the VPO increased the VT reactance in the frequency ranges 207-359 Hz for [i:], 265-411 Hz for [u:], and 500-611 Hz for [a:], depending on the VPO size (full or half VPO). These frequency ranges are close to the first and second passaggio of a female singer. The change may have an especially practical stabilizing effect for [a:], which is otherwise characterized by very large changes in VT reactance and negative reactance at the second passaggio.

Between mother and daughter: Brown erotics and sacred notes

ABSTRACT In this short essay, I offer an alternative ontology and epistemology of the term “lesbian” vis-à-vis my relationship with my brown Pakistani mother. I bring into this reading a number of variables ranging from the geographic, historical, biopolitical, and economic to the embodied, affective, esthetic, and immaterial. In recounting formative moments of my childhood – Quranic pedagogy alongside classical voice, singing and dance lessons – I re-read the spaces that produce homosociality and homoerotics as sites of brown maternal knowledges and feminist transgressions. This essay uses memory to examine the different ways that lesbian, both as a term and a mode of being, is not necessarily attached to sexual identity and practices. Analyzing how desire and secrecy are mediated by global capital, postcolonial respectability, nation, and compulsory heterosexuality, brown erotics and sacred notes offers a close look into the nuanced relationality between a brown mother and brown daughter, and takes seriously questions of what constitutes living a feminist life, and being and becoming a lesbian.

Relationship Between the First Formant of a Vowel and Classical Singing Strategy with Ascending Pitch

Relationship Between the First Formant of a Vowel and Classical Singing Strategy with Ascending Pitch

Are source-filter interactions detectable in classical singing during vowel glides?

In recent studies, it has been assumed that vocal tract formants (Fn) and the voice source could interact. However, there are only few studies analyzing this assumption in vivo. Here, the vowel transition /i/-/a/-/u/-/i/ of 12 professional classical singers (6 females, 6 males) when phonating on the pitch D4 [fundamental frequency (ƒo) ca. 294 Hz] were analyzed using transnasal high speed videoendoscopy (20.000 fps), electroglottography (EGG), and audio recordings. Fn data were calculated using a cepstral method. Source-filter interaction candidates (SFICs) were determined by (a) algorithmic detection of major intersections of Fn/nƒo and (b) perceptual assessment of the EGG signal. Although the open quotient showed some increase for the /i-a/ and /u-i/ transitions, there were no clear effects at the expected Fn/nƒo intersections. In contrast, ƒo adjustments and changes in the phonovibrogram occurred at perceptually derived SFICs, suggesting level-two interactions. In some cases, these were constituted by intersections between higher nƒo and Fn. The presented data partially corroborates that vowel transitions may result in level-two interactions also in professional singers. However, the lack of systematically detectable effects suggests either the absence of a strong interaction or existence of confounding factors, which may potentially counterbalance the level-two-interactions.

Cultural exploitation in Chinese politics: Reinterpreting Liu Sanjie

Liu Sanjie is a typical Chinese legendary figure, adapted from folk custom and transformed during many historical and political stages. By comparing the musical filmLiu Sanjiewith the landscape performing artImpression Liu Sanjie, this paper explores how Liu Sanjie is reconstructed in theImpressionto be in accord with contemporary demands (shidaixing). In the film, made during the 1960s, Liu Sanjie was promoted as a heroine fighting against the privileged classes, but in theImpression, her class struggle has been erased and only a harmonious and abstract legend remains. Her ethnicity is promoted by Han elites as not exclusive Zhuang, but shared equally with Han, Miao and Dong ethnicity in an imagined community to propagate a sense of ethnic harmony and unified Chineseness. Her transformation from a realistic character, full of a rebelling spirit, to an abstract and disembodied ‘sense of harmony’, is a complete reinterpretation of a Chinese historical legend. Utilizing a term from Wang Ban (1997), ‘the sublime figure of history’, which refers to an ideology aestheticized by the party state for securing its governance, this paper refers to the bold artistic treatment of Liu Sanjie for cultural exploitation as ‘Liu Sanjie's sublime’. The paper explores the evolutionary progress of Liu Sanjie from class revolution to art revolution in response to political requirements. The author is a stage-trained performing artist, specialized in both Western opera and Chinese classical and folk singing and dance. He is also a critic and art consultant in the Chinese landscape performing arts industry. These professional roles have allowed privileged access to the top people in this industry.

The Takarazuka Opera Company? On the Persistent Ties between the Takarazuka Revue and Opera

AbstractAlthough the Takarazuka Revue is technically a musical company, its founder's ambition was to create a uniquely Japanese form of opera or operetta, merging elements from Western and Japanese forms. Like opera, and unlike musicals in general, trouser roles play a central part in the all-female Takarazuka Revue, and are typically cited as its main appeal. Research from a Japanese-studies perspective tends to discuss the Takarazuka Revue trouser roles, otokoyaku, as a gender-reversal of all-male kabuki, or put them in the context of androgynous or cross-dressing Japanese idols. This article addresses their connection to trouser roles in non-Japanese music theatre, specifically opera. It does so through three lenses: first, the Takarazuka Revue's opera loans and adaptations; second, the shared aesthetic appeal of trouser roles in these two theatre forms; and finally, the singing styles employed in the Takarazuka Revue, including their change over time and relation to classical singing.

Comparison of sound radiation between classical and pop singers

The directional characteristics of six soprano opera singers and five pop singers in the horizontal and vertical planes were measured in an anechoic room. Sound radiation measurements were made across the whole frequency range at 44 positions in the hemispherical array around the head at a distance of 120 cm while the singer's mouth was the centre. The scales through two octaves (C4–C6) in four dynamics and gradual increase of loudness (crescendo) in nine pitch positions were measured for the Czech vowels /a/, /i/, and /u/. The main aim was to describe differences in sound radiation between both groups of singers and verify the results of a preliminary study.The study confirmed that classical singers have more omnidirectional sound radiation patterns. A different type of pattern was found when singing /i/ in the middle voice range A4–F5#. The analysis of sound radiation in octave bands confirmed the main influence of the position and levels in the frequency bands of the first formant or first harmonic level, which is made by the difference in vocal technique between both groups of genres. When pitch and SPL levels are higher, the level of sound radiation is attenuated in the rear directions in general. The different trends of sound radiation, connected with the change of pitch and SPL, are probably caused by the shape and size of the singer's mouth. Those relations will be examined in the follow-up study.

Vocal Art of Armenian Composers

The three volumes of the Vocal Art of Armenian Composers present the works of post- genocide first generation composers, such as Komitas, Alemshah, Ganatchian, and Berberian, to enrich the art song repertoire of the musical community at large. The repertoire is presented for the first time in International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) phonemes accompanied by literal, poetic, and idiomatic English translations. The volumes also include information on Armenian music and historic events relevant to the repertoire, composer biographies, and sources. Classical singers, vocal coaches, and voice teachers will find this Anthology helpful in learning and teaching Armenian art songs. This article describes the process of putting together the volumes, elucidates linguistic and grammatical intricacies of the Armenian language, and provides an IPA transliteration key that will greatly simplify the learning process.

Effect of COVID-19 Quarantine on Voice Handicap Index in Female Classical Singers

ObjectiveThis study aimed to verify the impact of vocal deviation in the quality of life of classical female singers over the quarantine imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic through self-assessments.MethodsFifty five professional classical female singers filled out an online questionnaire including general questions such as identification, age, professional experience time, vocal classification, time of singing, and rehearsal studies. They all answered the protocol Classical Singing Handicap Index, adapted for this research, which analyses three subscales: Disability, Handicap, and Impairment.ResultsThere was no significant difference in the perceived total handicap index score (40% of 120 points). Regarding the three domains analyzed, Disability was significantly higher than Impairment (P = 0.012). In addition, the correlation with the variables identified that Impairment subscale showed a negative correlation with the variable hours of rehearsal (r = -0.335, P = 0.040).ConclusionsThe COVID-19 quarantine does not seem to cause a significant impact on the voice of professional classical female singers probably due to their degree of experience and vocal preparation.

Immediate Effects of Straw Phonation in Water Exercises on Parameters of Vocal Loading in Carnatic Classical Singers

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of vocal loading and the immediate effects of straw phonation in water exercises on parameters of vocal loading in Carnatic classical singers. A within-subject pretest-posttest design. Twelve healthy Carnatic classical singers participated in the vocal loading experiment for 2 days, referred to as no-treatment and treatment conditions. The vocal loading task consisted of 1 hour of continuous singing in the presence of background noise. For the treatment condition, the participants followed a 10-minute straw phonation in water exercises before the vocal loading task. Acoustic, electroglottographic, and self-rated perceptual voice measures were recorded before and after the vocal loading task on both days. Pretest and posttest comparison of various outcome measures during no-treatment day suggested a significant increase in shimmer percent, decrease in maximum phonation duration of vowel /a/, and increase in perceived phonatory effort, perceived vocal effort, and Evaluation of Ability to Sing Easily scores. Pretest and posttest comparisons during treatment day showed a significant increase in Mean F0, Highest F0, and Lowest F0, perceived phonatory effort, and perceived vocal effort scores. However, changes in Mean F0, Highest F0, and Lowest F0 measures were small in the posttest condition compared to pretest. The present results suggest that vocal loading did induce changes in Carnatic classical singers' voices. However, there is no substantial evidence that straw phonation is effective in reducing the vocal loading in Carnatic classical singers. Further studies are required to corroborate the current findings.

Respiratory Particle Emission During Voice Assessment and Therapy Tasks in a Single Subject

IntroductionSARS-CoV-2 is transmitted via respiratory particles. Respiratory particle emission is impacted by manner of breathing and voicing, as well as intersubject variability. Assessment and treatment of voice disorders may include tasks that increase respiratory particle emission beyond typical breathing and speaking. This could increase the risk of disease transmission via respiratory particles.MethodsRespiratory particle emission was measured during a single-subject, repeated measures clinical simulation of acoustic and aerodynamic assessment and voice therapy tasks. An optical particle sizer was used to measure particle count (1–10 μm in diameter). Assessment and therapy tasks were completed in three conditions: (1) 15 cm from the device, (2) 1 m from the device, and (3) 1 m from the device with the subject wearing a surgical mask.ResultsCondition 1 generated the highest particle count, with a median of 5.1 (13) additional particles above baseline, which was statistically significant (U = 381.5, P= 0.002). In condition 1, therapy and acoustic tasks combined produced more particles compared to the baseline and speech tasks, with a median difference of 6.5 additional particles per time point (U = 309.0, P= 0.002). This difference was not significant for conditions 2 and 3. Peak particle generation occurred in specific phonatory tasks, which was most pronounced in condition 1. Voice therapy tasks during condition 1 generated the highest peaks of normalized total particles with classical singing and expiratory muscle strength training. There was a significant difference in the amount of particle generation between condition 1 and 2, with a median difference of 5.2 particles (U = 461.0, P= 0.002). The particle count difference between conditions 2 and 3 was 2.1 (U = 282.0, P= 0.292), and this difference was not significant. The normalized total particles were assessed over time for each condition. For all conditions, there was no significant accumulation of particles.ConclusionsFor a single subject, production of voice assessment and therapy tasks combined resulted in an increased number of respiratory particles compared to speech and baseline (1–10 μm). EMST and classical singing generated the greatest concentration of particles. Respiratory particle counts were higher at 15 cm from the particle sizer compared to 1 m from the particle sizer, suggesting that physical distancing may reduce immediate clinician exposure to respiratory particles. Particle concentration did not accumulate over time.