Vocal Immobility Research Articles

Піснеспіви свята Преображення у східнослов’янських співочих рукописах єрусалимського уставу

У статті розглянуто та досліджено 6 богослужбових (Устави та Мінеї) та 76 співочих східнослов’янських кодексів єрусалимської традиції, що припадає на кінець XIV – першу половину XVII століття. Це Стихирарі, Осмогласники, Збірники, Ірмологіони, в яких віднайдено піснеспіви свята Преображення. В співочих рукописах вказаного часу представлені майже всі піснеспіви чину свята, які зафіксовані безпозначковою крюковою, путьовою та київською нотолінійною нотацією. В рукописах межі XVI–XVII століть, періоду найвищого розквіту давньоруського співочого мистецтва, послідовність служби свята Преображення завершує своє формування та з’являються різноманітні співочі інтерпретації поетичного тексту (багаторозспівність).

The Primal, the Abstracted and the Foreign: Composing for the Voice

While I love the voice and have used it often in my work, it has always been very difficult for me to write for it. In this essay, I try to work through some of the reasons for this difficulty. Some of the main characteristics of the voice—its fixed identity, the fact that it communicates on an instinctive level, the urgency of speech's semantic level, and the primal function of song as a collective place for the sharing of emotions—give the voice it is very special identity, importance, and urgency. We listen from inside our body. This makes the voice and ‘instrument' that is much more powerful than any other. While it contains an endless range of expressions, the voice is so strongly contextualized that it is difficult to transform, abstract, or radically individualize. It is hard to escape the immediate signature of its unique identity. In six ‘interventions,' I present six attempts at rethinking my automatic impulses with regard to the voice, addressing a different fixated area in each instance. The paper closes with a perspective on my work with the voice today, in which the development of earlier approaches crystallizes into a poetic proposition where the sound of the breath is an equal partner to that of the voice. This encourages the release of the nodes of our vocal fixation, and might uncover the possibility of an even stronger mutation.

Asymptomatic Benign Cervical Vagal Schwannoma: Is there a Role for Initial Observational Management?

Asymptomatic Benign Cervical Vagal Schwannoma: Is there a Role for Initial Observational Management? Background: Benign cervical vagal schwannoma is an uncommon neoplasm ideally treated by subcapsular enucleation and neural preservation when possible. Despite this, vocal immobility and dysphonia is often reported postoperatively. The current study retrospectively reviews the existing English literature and correlates subsite location and tumor size with vocal outcomes in this selective group. Methods: There were 20 cases of lower cervical and 14 cases of parapharyngeal space vagal schwannoma treated by subcapsular enucleation which met the inclusion criteria and were used for cumulative vocal outcome analyses. 73 patients treated by excision or enucleation at both sites were used for pretreatment symptom analyses. Logistic regression models were used to associate vocal outcomes and pretreatment symptoms, with tumor size and location, respectively.

A chronic traumatic tracheoesophageal fistula functioning as a respirator and a phonator simultaneously

Acquired benign tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is an infrequent complication of prolonged intubation or chest blunt injury. Controversy exists as to whether this should be repaired in a single-stage or in a two-stage procedure. To understand the advantage of one-stage surgery on this complicated injury, and vocalization after reconstruction, we will present a case that had a chronic traumatic TEF, compounded with total laryngotracheal obstruction and an existing unilateral vocal fixation. A 28-year-old female sustained a laryngotracheal injury in a car accident eight years ago and underwent a temporary laryngotracheal stent placement after reconstructive surgery, for one year, in another hospital. Relapsing aspiration pneumonia had developed since then. Video laryngoscopy revealed a mobile right vocal fold, a completely obstructed glottic lumen by granulomatous tissue, and a TEF. This chronic fistula functioned as a respirator without any assistance from the ventilator tube placement, as also a phonator, offering a socially acceptable voice simultaneously, as the larynges were totally obstructed by the scarring granulation tissue. This surrogate glottis enabled survival without a tracheostoma and challenged the justification of any further reconstruction in this patient. Eventually, TEF repair and reconstruction of the laryngotracheal airway were conducted in one stage. Subsequently, the insufficient glottis was corrected by medialized laryngoplasty, to complete the entire reconstruction work.