Trained Singers Research Articles

Formation of vocal and pedagogical traditions of the Saratov Conservatory in the context of the pedagogical views of M. E. Medvedev and A.M. Paskhalova

The article, based on archival data, as well as preserved testimonies of students, attempts to reconstruct the pedagogical views of M. E. Medvedev and A.M. Paskhalova, whose teaching activity was the basis for the subsequent formation of the vocal and pedagogical traditions of the Saratov Conservatory. The object of research here is the vocal and pedagogical traditions of the Saratov Conservatory, the subject is the pedagogical views of the professors of the initial period of activity of the educational institution under consideration - M. E. Medvedev and A.M. Paskhalova. The paper analyzes the book of the student M. E. Medvedev baritone S. Y. Levik "Notes of an opera singer", as well as the methodological work of A.M. Paskhalova "Work on the production of voice for the leaders of the Russian folk song choir". It is revealed that, despite the differences in some aspects of the vocalist's voice production (soundless exercises, scientific foundations of vocalist education, the use of vocalizations, etc.), the activities of M. E. Medvedev and A. M. Paskhalova is characterized by the following general provisions: a rather low type of breathing, increased attention to the development of a sense of sound support, a cautious attitude to the development of a full range of voice, the development of clear diction, evenness of sound studies, smoothness of register transitions; soft sound attack; the ability to vocalize various dynamic gradations of vocalization qualitatively; the use of a "concentric" teaching method in the pedagogical process, increased attention to the upbringing of the emotional and dramatic component of the performer's personality. The analysis also showed that the features distinguishing the pedagogical views of professors of the initial period of the Saratov Conservatory's activity can be attributed to the use of the repertoire of Russian composers in classroom work at the initial stage of training singers.

Kharkiv vocal school: on the path of continuity

Statement of the problem. Objectives, methods, novelty of the research. The year 2022, which marked the 105th anniversary of the Kharkiv National University of Arts, became a tragic challenge for the entire Ukrainian public, exacerbating the issue of preserving the country’s cultural traditions and its historical memory. The formation and development of the Kharkiv school of academic vocal art is an integral and bright part of the cultural history of Ukraine, which needs to be highlighted and scientifically understood. Despite the fact that the Kharkiv vocal school has educated a whole galaxy of world-class singers, there is still no fundamental scientific research devoted to it. The purpose of the article is to actualize for our contemporaries the creative achievements of the Kharkiv vocal school, represented now by the Department of Solo Singing and Opera Training of the Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts, to highlight the hereditary ties between the generations of its representatives, some trends in its development and the specifics of its current stage. The combination of historical-biographical, chronological-documentary, analytical, and systemic methods made it possible, based on a brief review of the historical development of the Kharkiv vocal school, to identify some characteristics of it, established in its tradition. Research results and conclusion. A brief overview of the historical development and main achievements of the Kharkiv school of academic singing, the core of which is today the teaching staff of the Department of Solo Singing and Opera Training of the Kharkiv I. P. Kotlyarevsky National University of Arts, allows us to identify certain characteristics of it, established in its long-standing tradition. This is an extremely high vocal culture, characteristic of its best representatives, among whom are People’s Artists of the USSR B. Hmyria, M. Reizen, M. Manoilo, N. Surzhina, N. Tkachenko, V. Tretiak, H. Tsypola; People’s Artists of Ukraine and former Soviet republics V. Arkanova, H. Horiushko, O. Vostriakov, I. Zhurina, M.Koval, L. Solianyk, O.Romanenko, V.Rozanov and many others, Honored Artists and laureates and graduates of international and national vocal competitions, who at different times, in different countries, on the most prestigious stages of the world successfully confirmed the high professional status of the Kharkiv vocal school: L. Morozov (Geneva, 1958), Ye. Ivanov (Sofia, 1961) , Bucharest, 1964), V. Trishin (Moscow, 1970), L. Serhienko (Geneva, 1973, Moscow, 1974), H. Tsypola (Tokyo, 1976), V. Boldyrev (Japan, 1990), O. Kramareva ( St. Petersburg, 2005), M. Paster (Moscow, 2007), N. Polikarpova (Finland, 2010), L. Kohan (Finland, 2017), Liu Xia (Italy, 2018), V. Lashko (Czech Republic, 2019) and many others. The components of this culture are perfect technical skill, “inherited” thanks to the tradition of training singers, which comes from the masters of Italian bel canto – the founders of the Kharkiv school, and a deep understanding of the artistic content of music, which is impossible without the constant attention of the teachers to the harmonious education of the students, the expansion of their creative horizons. From the beginning, the Kharkiv vocal school relied on invaluable performance experience – its teachers were usually the recognized masters of opera and chamber singing, and this tradition has been preserved. Today, in the era of the “stage director’s” theater, the concept of complex development of the vocalist has gained new relevance. Currently, the Department of Solo Singing and Opera Training of the Kharkiv National University of Arts carries out the entire complex of professional training of a singer thanks to his close cooperation with the concertmaster, conductor, choirmaster, director, teachers of acting disciplines, stage practice in the Opera Studio. As in the previous stages of its development, the Kharkiv vocal school demonstrates openness, readiness to learn the experience of other Ukrainian and international schools, which is a guarantee of constant growth. In recent decades, the number of honorary and scientific titles, bright victories of Kharkiv singers at prestigious vocal competitions has significantly increased, graduates of the department work on leading opera stages, and successfully tour abroad. With the change of generations, new pedagogical methods, aesthetics and performance styles naturally appear, vocal and technical skills are improved, but awareness of the artistic and aesthetic principles of the Alma Mater vocal school will help its young students to solve difficult professional tasks.

The Key to Singing Off-Key: The Trained Singer and Pitch Perception Distortion

Pitch perception distortion (PPD) is a novel term describing a phenomenon in which an amplified, accompanied singer's perception of their sung pitch relative to band or accompaniment becomes ambiguous, leading to one of two conditions: a) the singer believes they are out of tune with the accompaniment, but are in tune as perceived by a listener, or b) the singer believes they are in tune with the accompaniment, but are not. This pilot study aims to investigate the existence and incidence of PPD among amplified, accompanied performers and identify associated variables. 115 singers were recruited to participate in an online survey, which collected information on musical training, performance environment, and PPD experience. Reported PPD incidence was 68%, with 92% of respondents indicating that PPD occurred rarely. The factors reported as most associated with PPD experiences included loud stage volume, poor song familiarity, singing outside one's habitual pitch range, and singing loudly. Contrary to previous studies and our hypotheses, no association was found between modality of auditory feedback (e.g., in-ears versus floor monitors) and incidence of PPD. Additionally, higher levels of training were found to be associated with higher incidence of PPD. The reported incidence supports that PPD exists beyond chance and anecdotal experience. In light of the highly trained sample, the data suggest that pitch accuracy in accompanied, amplified performance may be more associated with aural environment-specifically loud stage volume-and a highly trained singer's tuning strategy in response to that environment rather than a singer's mastery of vocal intonation skills in isolation. Loud stage volume was implicated as a primary factor associated with PPD, which may be related to the stapedius reflex. Future investigations will target attempted elicitation of PPD in trained singers after establishing baseline auditory reflex thresholds and objective measurements of intonation accuracy.

Exploring the Use of Imagery to Synthesise Voice Science and Vocal Artistry When Training Singers in the Youth Choir Context

This qualitative practitioner research project seeks to broaden the debate between voice science and artistry by investigating choral conductors’ pedagogical needs. In particular, it explores the application of imagery in the vocal training and development of young singers. As the science versus imagery debate continues in the pedagogical community, the interrelationship between physiological accuracy, artistic expression and vocal health is becoming ever more prescient. Despite advances in vocal health research, relatively few studies investigate the impact of imagery use in choir training compared to other areas of voice pedagogy, and fewer still extrapolate findings to consider conductors’ professional development. This study seeks to bridge that gap. Six conducting staff members at a British youth choir participated in observations, interviews and a questionnaire aimed at identifying, analysing and evaluating their use of imagery in rehearsals. Investigation of imagery type, function and application during the training of youth choir singers begins to indicate the efficacy of various strategies in synthesising the two competing strands of science and artistry. Where imagery does not adequately unite the technical and artistic, three core themes have been identified as underlying the deficit. Findings suggest that additional training, development of physiologically accurate personalised imagery, and nuanced understanding of professional roles are all vital for ensuring the vocal health of youth choir singers.

ВКЛАД РУССКОЙ ПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКОЙ ПЕВЧЕСКОЙ ШКОЛЫ В СТАНОВЛЕНИЕ ГО ШУЧЖЕНЬ — ЗВЕЗДЫ ОПЕРНОГО ОЛИМПА КИТАЯ

The article is devoted to the period when Guo Shuzhen (born 1928), an outstanding representative of the Chinese vocal school, studied at the Moscow Conservatory. The author defines the moments contributing to the formation of European vocal training branch in China, and describes the first teachers who emigrated from Russia in 1919 and became the founders of the first vocal schools in Shanghai and Harbin. The versatile activity of Guo Shuzhen, a chamber and opera singer raised by the Moscow Conservatory school, is briefly characterized. The main goal is to consider the stages of the formation of Guo Shuzhen’s creative personality in the context of the emerging pedagogical ties in China and the USSR and their subsequent intensive development. The materials of Guo Shujen’s personal file from the Archive of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory presented new, unknown in China, information on the years of her studies. Especially significant is the conclusion of Professor E. Katulskaya in the pre-graduate period: “Guo Shuzhen has outstanding professional qualities and is a trained singer for successful work in the opera theatre, as well as for concert work”. For the first time the scale of Guo Shuzhen’s opera and concert practice during the years of her study is illuminated: from participation in opera studio performances to patron concerts all over the USSR, as well as participation in opera productions of different years, performing the roles of Tatiana, Cio-Cio-San and others. The article pays special attention to graduates of the Central Beijing Conservatory who passed through the brightly individual school created by Guo Shuzhen and considers the multifaceted activities of Guo Shuzhen in China.

A World Famous, Yet Unknown, Countertenor: Basile Bolotine of Serge Jaroff’s Don Cossack Choir

A World Famous, Yet Unknown, Countertenor: Basile Bolotine of Serge Jaroff's Don Cossack Choir Donna Arnold (bio) PROVENANCE prov·e·nance (prǒv´ ə nəns) n. Place of origin, source. [Lat. Provenire, to originate.] Well before countertenors became prominent in classical music's early music movement of the mid-twentieth century, countless concertgoers in Europe and America had already experienced their artistry. This was because Serge Jaroff's Don Cossack Choir, a world famous a cappella Russian émigré ensemble, showcased singers they called falsettists. We now would call them countertenors. Basile Bolotine (1895–1981) was a beloved falsettist in the choir for many years, and thanks to his recorded legacy, his music is still cherished. Because his name has never been well known, this essay seeks to introduce him by name both to those who have and have not yet experienced his music. The choir had an extraordinary history. It was founded late in 1920 at a wretched internment camp in Turkey. Thousands of Don Cossack soldiers who were expelled from Russia after losing the civil war to the Bolsheviks were detained there. To raise their morale, the camp commander ordered that a choir be formed from the best singers in the regimental choirs. Detainee Serge Jaroff (1896–1985), a graduate of Moscow's prestigious Synodal School of Church Singing, was ordered to establish it.1 All of his potential choristers were amateurs. Against all odds, he selected thirty-six men, arranged repertoire for them from memory, and in a few months transformed them into a brilliant world class ensemble. Despite daunting circumstances, they worked hard to hone their craft after the troops were transported to the island of Lemnos in March of 1921 and freed in Bulgaria later that year. They attracted influential supporters who, cognizant of their precarious hand to mouth existence, exerted strenuous efforts to help them undertake a professional career.2 It began with a groundbreaking concert at Vienna's Hofburg Palace on July 4, 1923. Still dressed in their shabby military attire, they sang so expressively and with such superb technique that the huge audience, which had attended mainly out of curiosity, was ecstatic.3 They became internationally famous overnight, were booked for tours immediately, and would enthrall millions of people in the non-Soviet world for nearly sixty years (Figure 1). [End Page 517] Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 1. The choir in Bregenz, Austria, December 1923. Serge Jaroff, who was of very short stature, is sitting in the middle of the front row.4 As founding members occasionally left the choir, Jaroff was able to replace them with outstanding professionals from the Russian émigré community. Basile Bolotine was one of them (Figure 2). He joined the choir in 1930, and was already the featured falsetto soloist in their 1930 recording of Aliabiev's "The Nightingale."6 He would go on to play a vital role in their stellar career, last singing with them around 1970. Click for larger view View full resolution Figure 2. Bolotine in his Cossack uniform, 1930s.5 There is very little information about Bolotine's life. He was born in Kiev, Ukraine on January 1, 1895.7 He, too, had fought on the losing side of the Russian Civil War and escaped from Russia in 1919.8 His recorded legacy attests that he was a highly trained singer, but no information has come to light about his musical background except that he was a tenor soloist in another Cossack choir before joining Jaroff's ensemble.9 He married a woman named Ksenia in Yugoslavia in 1921, and their son, Vladimir, was born in 1922. Any exile who had opposed the Bolsheviks was cruelly deprived of Russian citizenship in 1922. Thus, Jaroff's choristers, although based in Berlin for years, were stateless. Providentially, however, their untenable situation would improve dramatically after 1930. In the fall of that year, they began to make annual tours of the United States with phenomenal success (Figure 3). Dismayed by ominous military buildups in Europe, and encouraged by admirers, Jaroff and his singers decided to move their base of operations from Berlin to New York City and seek American...

Understanding the barriers to seek professional help for voice-related problems in Indian trained singers

Understanding the barriers to seek professional help for voice-related problems in Indian trained singers

The Divas Get Real: Training Singers for Success in the Canadian Cultural Domains

To the accepted three cornerstones for innovation of undergraduate music major curricula—creativity, diversity, and integration—must be added fourth, professionalization, that is, the establishment of viable professional identities. This article focuses on a subset of Canadian music undergraduate singers, reporting on research into the structure and reality of the eight cultural domains in Canada, and investigating three important themes that emerge from statistics for the training of singers in postsecondary training: the range of work available to music graduates, the portfolio nature of working musicians’ careers, and the increasing significant role of technological fluency in musicians’ careers today.

The spread of breathing air from wind instruments and singers using schlieren techniques.

The spread of breathing air when playing wind instruments and singing was investigated and visualized using two methods: (1) schlieren imaging with a schlieren mirror and (2) background-oriented schlieren (BOS). These methods visualize airflow by visualizing density gradients in transparent media. The playing of professional woodwind and brass instrument players, as well as professional classical trained singers were investigated to estimate the spread distances of the breathing air. For a better comparison and consistent measurement series, a single high note, a single low note, and an extract of a musical piece were investigated. Additionally, anemometry was used to determine the velocity of the spreading breathing air and the extent to which it was quantifiable. The results showed that the ejected airflow from the examined instruments and singers did not exceed a spreading range of 1.2m into the room. However, differences in the various instruments have to be considered to assess properly the spread of the breathing air. The findings discussed below help to estimate the risk of cross-infection for wind instrument players and singers and to develop efficacious safety precautions, which is essential during critical health periods such as the current COVID-19 pandemic.

A comparative study of phonetogram parameters among female trained Hindustani classical singers, untrained singers and non-singers

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Vocal sound is based on the complex yet co-ordinated interaction of phonatory system, resonatory system and respiratory system. Phonetography is a practicable and readily accessible method to investigate and map the quantitative potentialities of vocal output. The objectives of the present study were to determine the phonetogram of trained (Hindustani classical) singers, untrained singer sand non-singers elicited from singing as well as speech task to see if statistically significant differences were present which may indicate an effect of training.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> 90 female subjects between the ages 20-45 (mean age 34.2 years for trained subjects, 26.3 years for untrained subjects and 25.8 years for non-singers) divided into three groups each group consisting of 30 subjects. For the singing task, the individuals had to phonate |a| at habitual level by traversing through eight musical scales. In the speech task, the subjects were asked to count from one to twenty in Bengali at habitat level and at Sustainable cohorts of intensity. This was recorded using phonetogram software Dr. Speech (version 4). The parameters considered were fundamental frequency, intensity, semitones and area. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The study revealed that in both tasks singing and non-singing task for all three groups in all the four parameters of phonetogram significant differences were seen (p=0.000) at 95% level of confidence.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The present study depicted the phonetographic profile of a genre of trained singers and tracked out the parameters on which differences are pronounced between a trained and untrained singer and non-singer.</p>

Neural representations of enhanced speech motor control in trained singers

Humans are unrivalled amongst the great apes in our capacity for vocal learning, which forms a key component our facility for articulate speech. Here, we used a speech imitation task to investigate the neural representation of the human larynx, which has a distinct cortical topography and innervation in humans that may underpin our sophisticated vocal capabilities compared with non-human primates. In an MRI study, 25 highly trained singers and 24 non-singing control participants adjusted voice pitch (F0) and vocal tract length (VTL) to mimic altered auditory targets generated from recordings of their own speech. Participants simultaneously underwent real-time anatomical scans of the vocal tract and functional scans of brain activity. Representational similarity analyses of neural activation data identified representation of the two vocal parameters in regions of somatomotor cortex previously associated with laryngeal control. Singers showed more accurate task-relevant larynx height modulation (as measured with vocal tract MRI) when imitating VTL, which was underpinned by stronger representation of VTL within a region of right dorsal somatomotor cortex previously related to singing experience. Our findings offer the first behaviourally validated, representational account of speech imitation within larynx somatomotor cortex, suggesting that the behavioral and neural correlates of singing expertise extend to human speech.

Prática de Ensaio como Pesquisa

Este artigo explora caminhos que os artistas trabalham com as pessoas em performances ou práticas artísticas sociais. Abordando diretamente e organizando pessoas envolve uma ética de atenção, incluindo modos de ouvir, que desdobram-se em variados resultados de pesquisa. Nesse contexto, o livro de Lisbeth Lipari de 2014 Ouvir, Pensar, Ser: No Sentido de uma Sintonia Ética discute a noção do filósofo Emmanuel Levinas do encontro cara a cara com o outro como um união que deve abranger a diferença. Práticas de audição e afinação tem papel crítico no projeto de PhD de Olivia Webb da Universidade AUT onde a prática de sua arte engaja participantes e diversas comunidades de música e canto. Para esses projetos Webb usa sua experiência como treinadora de coral e artista performática e questiona como a audição é traduzível entre diferentes grupos culturais. Essas metodologias práticas, baseadas na ideia de participação, ativamente alteram e redirecionam seus projetos.

A Preliminary Study of Vocal Health Among Collegiate A Cappella Singers

ObjectiveCollegiate a cappella groups have grown significantly in popularity and prominence; however, there have been few studies that evaluate the vocal health of this subgroup of young singers. The objective of this preliminary study was to conduct a multiparametric evaluation of the vocal health characteristics of a sample of collegiate a cappella singers. We further tested whether differences in vocal health assessments exist between a cappella singers with and without vocal training and trained collegiate singers who do not participate in a cappella groups. Study designPoint prevalence study. MethodsForty-one collegiate singers participated in this study. Participants were divided into the following three groups: trained singers (TS), trained a cappella singers (ATS), and untrained a cappella singers (AUS). Participants were administered a set of surveys to assess self-perception of singing voice health and perceived access and attitudes toward voice-related health care. Acoustic and laryngoscopic assessments of participant's speaking and singing voice was performed and validated vocal health questionnaires administered as a means to objectively evaluate for the presence of voice problems. ResultsOverall, 87.5% of the ATS and 60% of the AUS groups reported experiencing problems with their singing voice. However, no vocal abnormalities were detected during laryngoscopic and acoustic assessments. Furthermore, minimal differences between any of the measured vocal health parameters were observed between the TS, ATS, and AUS groups. ConclusionCollectively, a high percentage of collegiate a cappella singers with and without vocal training report singing voice problems. However, our sample of a cappella singers did not have increased singing voice problems as compared to vocally trained collegiate singers not in a cappella groups. We did find that a cappella singers may be more inclined to seek information about maintaining a healthy singing voice from their fellow musicians as opposed to singing teachers or other voice health professionals. Singing teachers, otolaryngologists, and speech-language pathologists may need to play a more active role in educating a cappella singers regarding maintaining good vocal health.

Immediate Effects of External Vibration vs Placebo on Vocal Function Therapy in Singers

External vibration therapy (EVT) has been widely used in chronic pain conditions, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and athletic training. Vibration therapy has been suggested to enhance vocal performance and has been popularized in social media. However, there is no evidence to support its effect on vocal function. To evaluate the immediate effects of EVT in trained singers using acoustic and self-assessment parameters. Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled interventional study at St Michael's Hospital Voice Clinic, affiliated with the University of Toronto. Data collection and analysis were performed by investigators who were blinded to the group assignment of the participants. Study participants were randomized to EVT or a placebo (control) group. The study dates were September 2015 to December 2016. Participants attended the voice laboratory at St Michael's Hospital, where a standardized data collection protocol was performed, including acoustic parameters, voice range profile, and soft voice tasks, followed by subjective rating of vocal effort or discomfort. The EVT group underwent EVT to 5 neck sites bilaterally. The placebo group underwent the same protocol with a modified device. After the intervention, the participants repeated the standardized data collection. The primary outcome in this study was acoustic analysis (jitter, shimmer, and pitch range) compared before and after treatment. In addition, secondary outcomes included perceived effort or discomfort evaluated by participants after 4 voice tasks proposed to investigate more subtle voice properties. Within and between groups, data sets were statistically analyzed for potential treatment effect. Among 27 participants (age range, 18-50 years; all female), 14 were randomized to the intervention group and 13 to the placebo group. Comparison of the treatment effect on the vowel token acoustic parameters evaluated showed that, after EVT, participants had a more cohesive change with a restricted 95% CI compared with placebo. The mean change in fundamental frequency after intervention was 5.00 Hz in both groups but the 95% CI was much wider after placebo (-30.30 to 19.20) than after EVT (-18.10 to 7.50). After EVT, the effect size was notable in the vowel (0.83) and SVT3 (0.79) task. In this study, EVT demonstrated a more predictable change in acoustic metrics compared with the placebo treatment. Effort ratings for 6 voice tasks evaluated in this study were not found to be different after EVT compared with the placebo treatment. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02083341.

Evaluación multidimensional de la calidad de voz de los futuros intérpretes vocales de élite

Introduction and objective: This study correlates the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI) scores with videostrobolaryngoscopy and acoustic analysis in healthy professional singers, as a measure of self-perceived vocal health, versus actual pathology diagnosed during examination by stroboscopy, or by modification at the acoustic voice evaluation. The objectives of the study were to measure the strength of self-assessment among professional singers and to determine whether there is a benefit of combining SVHI, acoustic analysis and videostrobolaryngoscopy for the routine assessment of singers who have no obvious singing voice problem. Method: Prospective cross-sectional study. The voice quality of 40 students of the Music Academy, Cluj-Napoca, was assessed by means of a multidimensional test battery containing a singing voice handicap index (SVHI), as well as SVHI-10, videolaryngostroboscopy, maximum phonation time on vowel /a/, S/Z ratio, Jitter, Shimmer and NHR (Harmonic Noise Ratio, at lowest, highest and conversational frequency). Additionally, in a questionnaire on daily habits has been recorded for the participants, covering the prevalence of smoking, eating habits, and vocal abuse. The correlation between SVHI scores, acoustic analysis and pathologic findings seen on videostrobolaryngoscopy was analyzed using linear regression and serial t tests to draw the conclusions of this study. Results: Both SVHI and SVHI-10 scores showed, as previously expected, normal values for healthy singers (SVHI-10 being the singers preferred metric). However, although all participants self-identified as healthy, laryngeal abnormalities were relatively common. Acoustic analysis of students voices identified relative instability of pitches, problems with F0 variation, TMF (Maximum Phonation Time) and S/Z ratio. No Significant correlation (P = 0.9501) between SVHI scores, acoustic analysis and videostrobolaryngoscopy findings were shown by the linear regression analysis. Conclusions: Multidimensional assessment of voice quality for the routine evaluation of singers without obvious singing voice problems is an important tool for the early detection of voice problems, despite appearances of a healthy voice. A trained singer has the possibility to compensate minor laryngeal modifications using singing techniques and, thus, is at risk of overlooking or ignoring an existing pathology. In conclusion, acoustic evaluation of the performers’ voices through the methods outlined above could assist in early detection and treatment of vocal pathology.

Effects of Respiratory Muscle Strength Training in Classically Trained Singers

Many voice pedagogy practices revolve around the notion of controlling airflow and lung volumes and focus heavily on the concepts of breath support and breath control. Despite this emphasis, the effects of increased respiratory muscle strength on airflow and phonation patterns in trained singers remain unknown. This study addressed whether singers could increase respiratory muscle strength with progressive threshold training and whether respiratory muscle strength increases had measurable effect on voice outcomes. A single-subject design was used to answer the research questions. Improved breath support was hypothesized to manifest in differences in airflow and phonetogram characteristics. Six graduate-level singing students were recruited to complete the protocol, which consisted of a baseline phase followed by either inspiratory muscle strength training followed by expiratory muscle strength training or vice versa. Results showed that these singers had increased respiratory muscle strength after completing the training program. Consistent changes in measures of aerodynamics and voice were not present among subjects, although some individual changes were noted. Future research may focus on the effects of respiratory muscle strength training in less advanced singers.

Relevance of the Implementation of Teeth in Three-Dimensional Vocal Tract Models.

Recently, efforts have been made to investigate the vocal tract using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Due to technical limitations, teeth were omitted in many previous studies on vocal tract acoustics. However, the knowledge of how teeth influence vocal tract acoustics might be important in order to estimate the necessity of implementing teeth in vocal tract models. The aim of this study was therefore to estimate the effect of teeth on vocal tract acoustics. The acoustic properties of 18 solid (3-dimensional printed) vocal tract models without teeth were compared to the same 18 models including teeth in terms of resonance frequencies (fRn). The fRn were obtained from the transfer functions of these models excited by white noise at the glottis level. The models were derived from MRI data of 2 trained singers performing 3 different vowel conditions (/i/, /a/, and /u/) in speech and low-pitched and high-pitched singing. Depending on the oral configuration, models exhibiting side cavities or side branches were characterized by major changes in the transfer function when teeth were implemented via the introduction of pole-zero pairs. To avoid errors in modeling, teeth should be included in 3-dimensional vocal tract models for acoustic evaluation. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5386771.

Paradoxical vocal changes in a trained singer by focally cooling the right superior temporal gyrus

The production and perception of music is preferentially mediated by cortical areas within the right hemisphere, but little is known about how these brain regions individually contribute to this process. In an experienced singer undergoing awake craniotomy, we demonstrated that direct electrical stimulation to a portion of the right posterior superior temporal gyrus (pSTG) selectively interrupted singing but not speaking. We then focally cooled this region to modulate its activity during vocalization. In contrast to similar manipulations in left hemisphere speech production regions, pSTG cooling did not elicit any changes in vocal timing or quality. However, this manipulation led to an increase in the pitch of speaking with no such change in singing. Further analysis revealed that all vocalizations exhibited a cooling-induced increase in the frequency of the first formant, raising the possibility that potential pitch offsets may have been actively avoided during singing. Our results suggest that the right pSTG plays a key role in vocal sensorimotor processing whose impact is dependent on the type of vocalization produced.

Experience-dependent modulation of right anterior insula and sensorimotor regions as a function of noise-masked auditory feedback in singers and nonsingers

Previous studies on vocal motor production in singing suggest that the right anterior insula (AI) plays a role in experience-dependent modulation of feedback integration. Specifically, when somatosensory input was reduced via anesthesia of the vocal fold mucosa, right AI activity was down regulated in trained singers. In the current fMRI study, we examined how masking of auditory feedback affects pitch-matching accuracy and corresponding brain activity in the same participants. We found that pitch-matching accuracy was unaffected by masking in trained singers yet declined in nonsingers. The corresponding brain region with the most differential and interesting activation pattern was the right AI, which was up regulated during masking in singers but down regulated in nonsingers. Likewise, its functional connectivity with inferior parietal, frontal, and voice-relevant sensorimotor areas was increased in singers yet decreased in nonsingers. These results indicate that singers relied more on somatosensory feedback, whereas nonsingers depended more critically on auditory feedback. When comparing auditory vs somatosensory feedback involvement, the right anterior insula emerged as the only region for correcting intended vocal output by modulating what is heard or felt as a function of singing experience. We propose the right anterior insula as a key node in the brain's singing network for the integration of signals of salience across multiple sensory and cognitive domains to guide vocal behavior.

Effects of Focus of Attention on Tone Production in Trained Singers

Motor performance in familiar tasks is often advantaged when performers focus on the effects of their movements rather than on the movements themselves. But, this phenomenon has yet to be studied systematically in the context of vocal production. I evaluated 20 trained singers’ vocal tone as they varied their focus of attention. Each participant performed a short vocalise, a phrase of “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” and a prepared solo piece under six different conditions in which they focused attention on either keeping the vibrato steady, the position of their soft palate, directing their sound to points in the room at three different distances from the singer, or imagining “filling the room” with sound. Each session began with singers performing with no focus instructions, which served as a baseline for comparison. Expert listeners rated all performances on seven variables. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) revealed significant effects for the evaluation variables of ring and overall tone quality in all singing tasks. Ratings were higher for ring and overall tone quality when the focus of attention moved farther from the singer.