Vocal Performance Research Articles

The Multi-Genre Female Singer: Practitioner Insights

This article presents a selection of findings from a study that investigated the professional female singer’s performance of multiple genres of voice. The term multi-genre-singing (MGS) refers to singers who have experience in several genres that may or may not include classical. Presented are insights from a qualitative investigation via interviews with eighteen female practitioners of MGS regarding their background and practical methods, as well as approaches and techniques of vocal performance. The specific technical areas in relation to MGS discussed in this article are postural alignment, rhythm and movement, breath management, articulation and registration. Practitioner perspectives have been sought specifically to address the gap in the field of research of singing practice more commonly dominated by studies that investigate perspectives of pedagogues. While many of the interview participants are also teachers, a focus for the research was to elicit the lived experiences of working as a multi-genre singer. The findings reveal MGS practitioners often possess not only a comprehensive understanding of the definitions and qualities of individual genres but the interrelated parameters and complexities of approaches and attitudes involved in singing multiple genres.

Analysis of the Assessment of Vocal Performance Samples of Students of Acting from a Social–Behavioral Perspective

Analysis of the Assessment of Vocal Performance Samples of Students of Acting from a Social–Behavioral Perspective

Design of Emotion Analysis Model IABC-Deep Learning-based for Vocal Performance

Design of Emotion Analysis Model IABC-Deep Learning-based for Vocal Performance

The embodiment of the image of the People's Artist of the USSR Anegina Ilyina in Yakut fine arts and literature

The article is devoted to the embodiment of the image of the Yakut opera singer, People's Artist of the USSR Anegina Ilyina in the Yakuts visual arts and literature. For the first time, this article discusses issues related to the disclosure of the theme of an outstanding contemporary woman - famous figure of musical art as a carrier of creativity. The subject of the study is the image of a talented Yakut vocalist captured in the best works of fine art (L.M. Neofitoff, V.R. Vasilyeff, A.N. Ossipoff, L.D. Sleptsova) and literature (Semen Daniloff, E. Neimokhoff, I. Gogoleff, L. Popoff P. Kharitonoff). The object of the study is the work of Yakut artists and writers of the second half of the 20 - 21 centuries. For the first time, the article explores a previously unexplored aspect of their work. The descriptive, comparative, iconographic, historical-biographical methods are applied, which allow us to reveal the topic most effectively. This image presents the ideas of female beauty and natural talent inherent in the national consciousness of the people, which indicates that in the 1960-1980 in the perception of the Yakut society traditional ideas based on the mythology and folklore of Sakha were quite strong and stable. Thanks to her natural talent, studying in the class of the People's Artist of the USSR, professor of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory N.L Dorliak A.E. Ilyina was able to take place as an outstanding master of Russian academic vocal performance and herself as a creative personality had a great influence on the creative inspiration of many writers, artists and the development of Yakut art in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in the second half of 20 centuries. This article is the first experience in studying of this scientific problem.

Perspectives on Satisfactions, Challenges, and Career Planning among Undergraduate Vocal Performance Students in China and the United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

Perspectives on Satisfactions, Challenges, and Career Planning among Undergraduate Vocal Performance Students in China and the United States: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

Voice, Unhearability, and Epistemic Violence: The Making of a Sonic Identity

ABSTRACT This article suggests that Asian American rhetorics of sound destabilize representational politics by complicating the racialization of sonic difference. The author investigates the relationship between notions of Asian American citizenship and not-Blackness in vocal performance. By attending to sonic rhetorics through Awkwafina’s blaccent controversy, the article explores the condition of epistemic violence that position Asian American voices as “unhearable.”

Vocal Cool-Down In Voice Training: Method and Technical Considerations

Abstract In addition to the artistic aspect of professional voice performance, the sportive aspect is also important. The voices of professional voice actors, who are considered just like an athlete, should be strong, flexible and durable against long-term use. Also called vocal athletes, voice performers need processes such as muscle and skill development, voice warm up and cool down as in the applications expressed as periodization in sports medicine. Vocal training should aim to prepare the student for the stage not only with its artistic aspect but also with its sportive aspect. In the vocal training process, it is important to raise the awareness of the students from the very beginning of the education and to make the sportive discipline a behavior in the name of sustainable professional vocal use. It is unacceptable for a professional athlete to do some warm-up and cool-down movements with random movements or ignorance. The same is true for seeking vocal exercises for the singer.
 Exercise programs structured on a physiological basis both give predictable results, and the singer knows what to do and can ensure the performance. The most important components of the conscious training program that creates vocal periodization are vocal warming-up and cooling-down. Contrary to vocal warm-up exercises, studies on vocal cool-down are not sufficient both in the literature and in vocal training. It is an important necessity to apply vocal cool-down exercises in the same routine for the tissue recovery and to return to the speaking tone after the performance and to achieve tissue recovery under appropriate conditions. Vocal cool-down exercises are basically based on stretching and slowing down. In addition to metabolic effects such as blood flow changes, decreasing the muscle tonus, and removal of metabolites from the tissue; physiological effects such as providing a comfortable low larynx position and relaxation are targeted. Vocal cool-down techniques include semi-occluded vocal tract exercises, descending arpeggios, formant maneuvers, yawn&sigh, and chewing approach. In this study, the literature on vocal cool-down exercises has been reviewed, and ideal cool-down conditions and exercises have been presented in parallel with sports physiology.
 Keywords: Voice Training, Vocal Warm-up Exercises, Vocal Cool-down Exercises, Voice Health, Vocal Performance

Musical symbolism in the mirror of vocal performance poetics (on the material of Lesia Dychko’s vocal cycle “Moods”)

Musical symbolism in the mirror of vocal performance poetics (on the material of Lesia Dychko’s vocal cycle “Moods”)

Daily vocal exercise is necessary for peak performance singing in a songbird

Vocal signals, including human speech and birdsong, are produced by complicated, precisely coordinated body movements, whose execution is fitness-determining in resource competition and mate choice. While the acquisition and maintenance of motor skills generally requires practice to develop and maintain both motor circuitry and muscle performance, it is unknown whether vocal muscles, like limb muscles, exhibit exercise-induced plasticity. Here, we show that juvenile and adult zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis) require daily vocal exercise to first gain and subsequently maintain peak vocal muscle performance. Experimentally preventing male birds from singing alters both vocal muscle physiology and vocal performance within days. Furthermore, we find females prefer song of vocally exercised males in choice experiments. Vocal output thus contains information on recent exercise status, and acts as an honest indicator of past exercise investment in songbirds, and possibly in all vocalising vertebrates.

EXPRESSIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE FUNCTIONS OF ORNAMENTATION IN THE 17TH CENTURY VOCAL MUSIC

he demand for Baroque music on the concert stage sets high requirements for singers in terms of the performance style. At present, the issues of reproducing vocal ornamentation in ancient arias are the primary tasks. Given the lack of knowledge and skills of baroque improvisation among Russian singers, the ornamentation used often represents, in fact, only a technical aspect that the soloists are diligently trying to cope with. At the same time, ornaments often sound "empty", not expressive, not corresponding to the main purpose which is to emphasise affect. According to the instructions of the 17th century masters, the main purpose of performing music was to show the passions of the human soul. The singers’ fundamental task was to maximise the impact on the listener’s feelings and to awake affects in them through an intoned word. As a vivid expressive means, ornamentation contributed to the emphasis of certain words in the general context. Moreover, according to the instructions of teachers from the past, singers needed to convey one or another affect with the appropriate intonation of the voice. The artistic function of ornaments came down to increasing the level of performance expressiveness. Various ornamentation (melismas and passages) had to be used purely to enhance the musical statement. The proposed article is aimed at solving actual problems in the field of Baroque performance, problems related to the correct interpretation and performance of vocal ornaments in 17th century works. The historicism principle is the methodological basis of the work. Using the methods of analysis and synthesis, as well as the cultural and historical method of research, the author managed to recreate the historical significance of the ornament in connection with the opera traditions of the 17th century. The author's position is that for a singer, it is important to understand the figurative and expressive functions of any type of ornamentation (melismas, passages) as one of the main means of expression, contributing to revealing the composition affect, which presents scientific novelty and is the main conclusion of the article. The content and conclusions of the article will be useful to musicians, singers performing 17th century compositions for their stylistically correct interpretation, as well as in training courses on the history of vocal performance and stylistics at Performing Arts departments of music colleges and university faculties.

Influences of Preventive Voice Training on the Vocal, Mental Health, and Voice-Related Self-Concept of University Teachers and Academic Advisers: A Pilot Study

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the vocal self-concept and potential vocal and related mental health problems of university teachers and academic advisers can be improved by participating in preventive voice training. University teachers and academic advisers show an increased susceptibility to occupational risk factors related to their voice and an increased prevalence of developing a voice disorder in the course of their employment. An experimental, prospective, longitudinal study was conducted to examine whether voice training (1) improves physiological vocal function, vocal performance, vocal self-concept, and mental health of university teachers and academic advisers; (2) reduces unfavorable influencing factors at the university workplace; and (3) fewer voice problems are reported from the perspective of university teachers and academic advisers. This study showed that voice training has positive influences on the voice (function and quality), voice self-concept, and well-being of university staff. Workplace prevention programs can help to reduce the high prevalence of voice disorders among university teachers and advisers and counteract the risk factors. They should therefore be firmly integrated into continuing education/university health management and everyday life to cope with certain work-related vocal stresses and to maintain psychological and vocal well-being throughout the university career. Gender and age-related aspects should be considered.

전문 음성사용자와 직업적 음성사용자의 주관적 음성증상 비교

전문 음성사용자와 직업적 음성사용자의 주관적 음성증상 비교

Taqyim Ta'lim Al-Qira’ah Al-Jahriyah bi Kitab Mubtadi fi Silsilah Al-Lisan ala Asas Tahlil Ihtiyajat Al-Manhaj Al-Mustaqil

This research aims to characterize the teaching of read-aloud with kitāb-mubtadi' in Silsilah-Lisān. Evaluating on it based on Kurikulum Merdeka's need analysis. This study is experiment evaluation, data collected from test and observation. Data analysis by Miles and Huberman model, with collecting, displaying, reducing and conclusions. Sample is 177 students of UIN Walisongo. The result is Pre-test started with equivalent value 58.59. The research passed on 16 subject-materials and ended with the post-test and equivalent value is 60,65. The result of the differences in the value of the average was 2.06 in the grade of C. So, the use of kitāb-mubtadi' was not effective on it. The evaluation is a) Project-based learning evaluation, b) Using read-aloud in public speaking training, c) Suiting the study plan with the theory of read-aloud, including the competencies of vocal performance, intonation, and diction, d) applied in local culture topics.

The embodiment of the image of the People's Artist of the USSR Anegina Ilyina in Yakut fine arts and literature

The article is devoted to the embodiment of the image of the Yakut opera singer, People's Artist of the USSR Anegina Ilyina in the Yakuts visual arts and literature. For the first time, this article discusses issues related to the disclosure of the theme of an outstanding contemporary woman - famous figure of musical art as a carrier of creativity. The subject of the study is the image of a talented Yakut vocalist captured in the best works of fine art (L.M. Neofitoff, V.R. Vasilyeff, A.N. Ossipoff, L.D. Sleptsova) and literature (Semen Daniloff, E. Neimokhoff, I. Gogoleff, L. Popoff P. Kharitonoff). The object of the study is the work of Yakut artists and writers of the second half of the 20 - 21 centuries. For the first time, the article explores a previously unexplored aspect of their work. The descriptive, comparative, iconographic, historical-biographical methods are applied, which allow us to reveal the topic most effectively. This image presents the ideas of female beauty and natural talent inherent in the national consciousness of the people, which indicates that in the 1960-1980 in the perception of the Yakut society traditional ideas based on the mythology and folklore of Sakha were quite strong and stable. Thanks to her natural talent, studying in the class of the People's Artist of the USSR, professor of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory N.L Dorliak A.E. Ilyina was able to take place as an outstanding master of Russian academic vocal performance and herself as a creative personality had a great influence on the creative inspiration of many writers, artists and the development of Yakut art in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in the second half of 20 centuries. This article is the first experience in studying of this scientific problem.

Exploring the interplay of choreography and singing techniques in vocal group performances at Pekan Seni Mahasiswa Nasional Competition

A vocal group is a group of individuals with singing skills united in one Group with different vocal voices. Several voice levels in vocal groups range from soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. In the presentation of vocal groups, two aspects need to be considered: musical and non-musical. Some examples of musical aspects that need to be considered in group vocals are intonation, timbre, dynamics, technique, and arrangement of works. Apart from that, non-musical aspects also play an essential role in the presentation of vocal groups. Some examples of musical aspects that must be considered are costumes, props, and choreography. This research discusses choreography in Partere Voce, where the choreography can influence the breathing strength of the singers, so vocal group members need specific singing techniques. The method used for this research is data collection through interviews and observations. Researchers participated in the competition activities so that they knew the field conditions and felt what was complained about; after that, the researchers tried to find the main points of the problem and solutions to the perceived problems.

Teacher expectation effects on vocal and instrumental performance: A focus on student gender

In this study, the researchers examined teachers’ differential expectations for male and female students and the effects on music performance within the higher education context. The participants were 91 teachers and 480 second-year undergraduate students majoring in vocal and instrumental performance from two universities. Data of teacher expectations and students’ prior achievement were collected at the beginning of the 2021–2022 school year as well as students’ later achievement at the end of the school year. Researchers found that teachers held higher expectations for female students learning vocal performance than for males, and higher expectations for male students learning instrumental performance than for females. With students’ prior achievement being controlled, teacher expectations had significant effects on student year-end musical performance. Furthermore, the magnitude of teacher expectations was moderated by student gender. Specifically, males learning vocal performance and females learning instrumental performance were more susceptible to teacher expectations than their counterparts. Implications for addressing gender inequity in music education were also discussed.

A Self-Leadership Model to Enhance Vocal Music Students’ Self-Efficacy at University in Hunan Province, China

Background and Aims: Vocal music performance is the expression of talent and ability through public exhibition and focuses on the human voice as the major component. It requires training and development of self-efficacy to achieve the best results. Self-leadership and self-efficacy are related concepts that both play important roles in personal and professional development. Self-leadership can enhance self-efficacy in vocal music students by assisting in the setting of goals and maintaining motivation to overcome obstacles. This study aimed to develop a model of self-leadership to enhance the self-efficacy of vocal music students. Material and Methods: The research design was a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design that combined both qualitative and quantitative methods to develop an instrument that was used to collect data from the target population. The population for this study was vocal music students from four universities in Hunan. The sample size was 1,009 students. Results: Findings showed that the students’ levels of self-leadership and self-efficacy were overall, at a low level. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to find the significant self-leadership strategies. Predictor variables of self-efficacy were successful foresight (r=.31, p<.001), self-goal setting (r=.24, p<.001), belief hypothesis evaluation (r=.25, p<.001), self-punishment (r=.27, p<.001), self-observation (r=.24, p<.001), and natural reward (r=.23, p<.001). A theoretical model was developed from the findings and validated by experts. Conclusions: Increasing self-leadership in vocal music students can help them to take charge of their musical development and help them to become more confident, motivated, and independent.

Influence of vowels on note pitching in a cappella vocal quartet performance

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the fundamental frequencies employed when singing different vowels on the same pitch for each member in turn of a professional soprano, alto, tenor, bass (SATB) a cappella vocal quartet in terms of the measured fundamental frequency during the production of a set of individual vowels within a four-part carrier phrase. This is an experimental singing production study on the tuning of vowels in the context of a cappella quartet singing. To facilitate this, one singer at a time in a professional a cappella vocal quartet changed the vowel they are singing on a single note concurrent with a consonant a cappella triad being sustained by the other three singers singing a fixed vowel. The first few bars of the a cappella anthem "If ye love me" by Thomas Tallis provided a carrier phrase that ended with a held chord on the chord on the word "me" by three singers against which the remaining singer produced a set of different vowels on their note of the chord. This is carried out for each of the four singers. The hypothesis being investigated is to remain accurately in-tune; fundamental frequency should be varied depending on the vowel being sung. Fundamental frequencies were measured using electrolaryngographs to ensure that there was no acoustic interference that could affect the accuracy of the fundamental frequency measurements if they were obtained from the audio output. The results provide clear evidence of changes being made to the fundamental frequencies of different vowels in an a cappella quartet context, and these changes confirm variations found elsewhere relating to the perceived pitches of different vowels. Measurable and consistent fundamental frequency variations occur when one part tunes different vowels against a reference chord sung by the other three singers in a choral quartet context on a fixed vowel. This has a direct consequence for tuning in a cappella choral music. The importance of carefully tuning individual notes for different vowels in a cappella choral singing requires focused listening to the pitches of the sounds being produced by the other singers in the choir. Usually, all parts are singing common vowels where it is important that the vowels are matched by being carefully blended together and tuning is aimed at being beat-free in just intonation. When compositions require parts to sing different vowels, both intrinsic (production related) and auditory (hearing related) pitch variations become relevant and challenge beat-free tuning.

The Impact of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation on Singing Training in Vocal Performers: A Non-Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Introduction: Vocal performers often seek natural treatments to improve their vocal capability. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation may reduce inflammation and cause changes in body composition, such as loss of fat mass. The purpose of this study was to determine if omega-3 PUFA supplementation in combination with a singer’s training regimen enhances singing training and body composition. Methods: This was a non-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Forty-three college-level students were recruited and volunteered to serve as study participants. 3.0 g of omega-3 PUFA per day or 3.0 g of placebo per day were provided over a 10-week intervention. Participants completed Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI), Reflux Symptom Index (RSI), Evaluation of Ability to Sing Easily (EASE), Voice Range Profile (VRP), food records, and body composition measures at baseline and study end. Results: Thirty-five participants completed the study. SVHI was significantly different between groups (p = 0.0152; ƞ2 = 0.153). A minor third was added to the bottom of the range in 50% of males in the supplement group (placebo = 0%). Body composition measures were not statistically significant, although those in the supplement group lost more fat mass than placebo, p = 0.101. Discussion/Conclusion: Omega-3 PUFA supplementation may be beneficial to improve how active singers feel about their voice and could potentially improve voice range in conjunction with voice lessons; however, more research is necessary to confirm the latter.

The Infl uence of Russian Vocal Music on Chinese Vocal Pedagogy and Performance

The article examines the infl uence of the Russian vocal school on Chinese culture in the context of vocal performance and vocal pedagogy. The history of the formation of Russian vocal traditions is touched upon, the process of their integration into Chinese society from the beginning of the 20th century to the present is analysed. The historical process of the functioning of Russian vocals in China is analysed both in general and through the example of the capital of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin – a city that has been considered the center of Russian emigration for more than a century. The specifi cs of teaching vocal performance to modern Chinese students in Russian higher educational institutions are considered. At the end of the article, it is concluded that the promotion of the Russian vocal school in China allows the traditions of Russian vocals to develop not only in Russia, but also abroad.