Professional Voice Research Articles

Reform dynamiReform Dynamics and the Professionalisation of Principals in Sweden and Finland. A Study of Articles in Union Journals Since the 1990’scs and the professionalization of principals in the North of Europe since the 1990’s.

This article analyses union journals in Sweden and Finland since 1990. In doing so, the article recognises the journals as principals’ collective professional voice regarding major education reform dynamics. Our findings suggest that principals in both Nordic countries, as collective actors, have clearly influenced reforms of the school system significantly. The unions serve as a strong voice with major influence in both professional and reform ambitions. However, the main arguments for the respective professional projects were similar, although professional ambitions were different in both cases: discretion for more educational leadership, without explaining what educational leadership means in detail.

Bridging the gap: voices of teachers on inclusive literature

ABSTRACT This study explored teachers’ perspectives on utilising existing children’s books for students with intellectual and additional disabilities. 58 teachers from Israeli special education schools and kindergartens revealed widespread dissatisfaction with available materials. Strikingly, 70.7% were unsatisfied with existing children’s books, and 94.7% believed there were not enough accessible options. Qualitative analysis identified five major barriers: excessive text, inappropriate content for older age groups, challenges with the physical structure of books, mismatches between text and visuals, and specific challenges for teachers of children with multiple disabilities. These findings underscore the substantial need for more accessible literature tailored to the needs of children with disabilities. Despite legislation mandating societal inclusion of people with disabilities, teachers’ dissatisfaction highlights gaps in addressing their students’ literary requirements. The results shed light on these teachers’ vital roles in adapting books and indicate the need for greater collaboration between teachers, publishers, and policymakers. By highlighting the voices of frontline professionals, this study provides a crucial call to action to develop high-quality, customised educational resources for children and young people with disabilities.

Vocal Hygiene: What Are Professional Voice Users Saying About It on YouTube?

PurposeHealth content has been presented and accessed freely on social networks and can generate misinformation; hence, this study aimed to analyze the voice guidance in videos available on YouTube. MethodThis observational cross-sectional research selected the 45 most viewed videos on YouTube in 2022, produced by professional voice users with guidance on vocal hygiene and well-being. The content was described and compared with the scientific literature on the topic, analyzing which category of professional voice users produced the most scientifically based content. ResultsAltogether, 38 topics were found in the videos, distributed in nine blocks, identified from A to I. Block A (foods with a positive effect on the voice) was the only one that had no citations in scientific articles, whereas block D (negative habits for the voice) had the highest mean number of articles in relation to the others. The most publicized guidelines were mainly related to actions and/or behaviors and resources considered positive for the voice. Eight professional categories were found who produced these videos. Singing teachers who also worked as singers produced the most scientifically based content. ConclusionThe study showed that not all the information in the videos was scientifically based, which means that people with voice problems have easy access to information that could even harm them if used in their professions.

Influence of Carnatic Vocal Training on Voice Measures in Males

Introduction: Training is an integral part of learning any skill. The vocal training helps singers attain proficiency as they are the most demanding vocal group of all professional voice users. Hence, it is necessary to evaluate the influence of training on the singer’s voice. The current study objective was to investigate the influence of vocal training on voice measures (acoustic and aerodynamic) between male Carnatic singers with lower (6 months–5 years) and higher (6–10 years) training using novel task “mkaram” along with lyrical task. Methods: Group 1 consisted of 30 trained male Carnatic singers with lower vocal training, and group 2, thirty trained male singers with higher training in the age of 18–45 years. The acoustic (frequency-related parameter, cepstral, spectral, perturbation, and noise) and aerodynamic measures (maximum phonation time and s/z ratio) of voice were obtained. The test-retest reliability was conducted on a sample of 10% of the population from each group, with a 2-week interval between the tests. Cross-sectional study design was applied. Results: The statistical analysis revealed significantly decreased frequency-related parameters (semitones) such as the mean fundamental frequency, lowest fundamental frequency, highest fundamental frequency at the low register and the highest fundamental frequency at the middle register in group 2 during “mkaram” task (p ≤ 0.05). Similarly, one of the spectral-related measures 1st harmonic-2nd harmonic (dB) during lyrical task and one of the noise-related measure harmonic-to-noise ratio (dB) at the middle register during “mkaram” task showed a significant decrease in group 2 compared to group 1 (p ≤ 0.05). Test-retest reliability revealed that most of the parameters had “acceptable to excellent” internal consistency (Cronbach’s α >0.7 to 1). Conclusion: Few frequency and noise measures during “mkaram” task and a spectral measure during lyrical task showed to be sensitive in distinguishing the impact of vocal training on the voices of male Carnatic singers. The higher vocal training was found to help the singers to perform more efficiently with enhanced vocal range particularly in the low register and to some extent in the middle register. Indeed, the study highlighted the positive effects of vocal training on male Carnatic singers.

Interrogating the Meagre Response of Social Work to the “Social Question” Exposed by the COVID-19 Pandemic

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in South Africa in March 2020 unleashed not only a health crisis, but also a “tsunami” that disrupted every aspect of human and social life. Social work practice and education were not spared. The aftermath of the pandemic saw various services declared essential while the conventional delivery of others, including social work, were brought to a complete halt. In response, social workers elsewhere explored innovative strategies to continue rendering services remotely. In South Africa, some social workers embarked on consultative engagements through various formations whilst, others either remained mum or lamented the exclusion of social work as an essential service. Notwithstanding the fact that the above were not the only responses, the consequences of the lack of a unified professional voice and leadership may have far-reaching and negative consequences. This article presents a critical interrogation of the South African social work response throughout the pandemic. The interrogation reveals three explanatory factors behind the ineptness of social work, namely: professional decadence; a perpetual struggle for recognition; and the need to improve the status of the profession in society. These factors explain the unsatisfactory responses of the social work profession. The author argues that this amounts to failure to engage the social question, which inadvertently leads to the erosion of the value, status and societal recognition of social work. The author proposes serious professional reorientation to a focus on the social question which translates into focusing primarily on societal rather than disciplinary issues and problematics.

Recent Research in Singing

Abstract: This “Recent Research in Singing” article chronicles three academic documents authored during 2023 and 2024. Dissertations by Osman, Amanda, “Lost Voices: A Survey of Knowledge of Temporal Mandibular Joint Disorder and Muscle Tension Dysphonia in the Professional Voice Studio”; Sowell, Bradley Thomas, “An Analysis of Ben Moore’s Comedy Songs Using J. Peter Burkholder’s Music-Borrowing Techniques”; and You, Mengxi, “A Comprehensive Study of Alexander Tcherepnin’s Op. 71, Seven Songs on Chinese Poems With Musical Analysis and Historical Context.” Each includes a complete bibliographic citation and an Author/ProQuest abstract.

Characterizing the Roles of Voice Professionals

Abstract: This article is a joint statement by the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA), National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), Pan American Vocology Association (PAVA), and the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA). This statement is a revision of the previous 2005 joint statement by ASHA, NATS, and VASTA.

Perceived Benefits of Interdisciplinary Coaching Strategies for Professional Vocalists: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Professional vocalists, specifically teachers, are at increased risk of missing work and having vocal damage due to vocal misuse and overuse. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the perceptions of participants (N = 4) taking part in interdisciplinary voice coaching sessions with both a singing and theatre voice specialist. Participant perceptions were obtained using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), individual weekly journals, and a post-study researcher-created questionnaire. Results are discussed in terms of potential for future research and application of results to mutli-disciplinary voice training options for professional voice users as a solution to mitigate voice problems.

Extrinsic Laryngeal Muscle Activity and Vocal Economy in Professionally Trained Voices During Vocal Vibrato

Summary PurposeThe purpose of the present study was to determine the extrinsic laryngeal muscle activity and vocal economy during two different singing conditions (straight-tone singing vs. vibrato singing) over a physiologically relevant singing range. MethodsThirty professional singers or voice coaches participated in the study. The participants sang a sustained /a:/ vowel for approximately 5 seconds, once in straight-tone singing conditions and once more in vibrato. The target pitches were C3, F3, A3, C4, F4, A4, and C5. Surface electromyographic (sEMG) measures were performed in the infrahyoid (IH) muscle region and the suprahyoid (SH) muscle region. Contact quotient (CQ), sound pressure level (SPL), and fundamental frequencies were measured to derive the electroglottographic-based vocal economy parameter quasi-output cost ratio (QOCR). ResultssEMG measures show that IH and SH muscles significantly increased in activity with ascending pitch. IH and SH muscle activity were significantly higher when singing in vibrato than straight-tone. Moreover, SPL also increased with ascending pitch and when sung in vibrato. CQ increased and QOCR decreased as pitch ascended but did not significantly change when sung in vibrato. ConclusionSinging higher pitches were generally associated with higher extrinsic laryngeal muscle activity and lower QOCR values. When comparing the two singing conditions, the extrinsic laryngeal muscle activity was higher during vibrato, implicating that the IH and the SH muscles may contribute to rhythmic pulsations of pitch changes. Although the QOCR value did not show significant differences between the two singing conditions, a significantly high SPL during vibrato may indicate acoustical and physiological advantages while singing in vibrato.

Responses to the needs of families with children with disabilities in Spain: The voices of families and professionals

Children with disabilities and their families have the right to access Early Childhood Intervention (ECI). Family members should act as active agents of the intervention. In this sense, service professionals should offer support and intervention to improve family well-being and child development. We analyzed the experiences of parents of children with disabilities users of ECI services and the professional coordinators in the Balearic Islands (Spain) from a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach. Data collection was through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. A total of 5 coordinators and 30 family members participated in the study. The results indicate five categories: making ECI visible, reception phase, family well-being, intervention, and current barriers. The findings project the need to make ECI visible in policies and administrations, as well as plans to raise social awareness of child disability. Protocols must be found to facilitate access to services for children and families. Implications for the improvement of ECI are proposed.

Embedding Patient and Health Care Professional Voices in Clinical Trials

This Viewpoint discusses the need to include patient and health care professional perspectives in the design of clinical trials to improve trial features and implementation.

Centering First-Year Teachers’ Instructional Visions and Professional Voices in a Community of Practice

First-year teachers often experience tensions between their visions of high-quality and equitable mathematics instruction and the realities of school culture and politics. Subsequently, first-year teachers need a professional learning space where they can be supported in enacting their instructional visions while developing their professional voices. In this paper, we share the voices of four first-year teachers and how a community of practice supported them to navigate the individual challenges of their classroom practices. Findings from this study yielded two major themes: 1) the community of practice supported them to reflect, envision, and articulate alternative realities; and 2) instructional visions were filters that empowered them to strengthen their professional voices while developing as equitable mathematics teachers.

NÂNG CAO CHẤT LƯỢNG GIỌNG HÁT THÔNG QUA MỞ RỘNG ÂM VỰC CHO SINH VIÊN NGÀNH THANH NHẠC TẠI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC VĂN HÓA, THỂ THAO VÀ DU LỊCH THANH HÓA

In vocal music, the singer's performance ability is often considered a "living instrument". However, a singer has not only a voice, but also a long training process to meet the high criteria of a professional voice. Expanding vocal range is an important requirement when teaching and learning Vocal Music. A voice that cannot expand its vocal range will be limited in expressing a variety of songs in different genres. A voice that cannot expand its vocal range will be limited in expressing a variety of songs in different genres. With a song that has a high or low range, a singer with a wide range will perform best. Limited vocal range will make the voice unprofessional and unable to meet the performance requirements of the work. Therefore, during the teaching process, teachers need to focus on training to expand students' vocal range.

Professional voice use in health and nursing care - Time for reconsideration? A scoping review.

Communication is a key tool in the nursing profession. It is known that listeners are sensitive to the speaker's voice and interpret the speaker's intentions primarily from the non-verbal signal conveyed. To map and discuss the current state of knowledge and research evidence on professional voice use in health and nursing care. A scoping review adherent to the EQUATOR guidelines PRISMA-ScR. Searches in the EBSCO, CINAHL, Medline, PubMed, PsychInfo and PsycArticles databases were conducted between 1 and 28 February 2023. According to the data (n = 23), health professionals use voice as a vital aspect of caring communication and caring relationships, and in leadership as well as inter-professional collaboration, to facilitate information exchange and understanding and promote shared decision-making. The data showed that there is also a rising tendency to explore vocal demands and problems among health professionals. No studies were found on the use of voice in digital health and nursing care services or by social robots. Most of the reviewed studies were cross-sectional, rather small, and focused primarily on the perspectives of healthcare professionals. The use of voice should be explored as a vital aspect of caring communication and caring relationships from the patients' perspective, and the effects of voice use on listeners' emotions and actions should be examined in different contexts with modern, voice-specific data collection methods. Studies focusing on voice use in digital health care and by social robots are also needed. By integrating training programmes, education and technological innovations, health care can leverage the full potential of voice-based communication to promote a more coordinated and patient-centred care environment, true inter-professional collaboration and effective leadership. Professional voice use is an essential part of all health and nursing care and an impressive method that should be used consciously. Therefore, the meaning and methods of voice use, including speech accommodation, should be systematically introduced into health and nursing care and included in nursing education.

Knowledge and Needs of Theology Students on Voice and Vocal Hygiene at a South African Institution of Higher Education

Preachers are professional voice users (PVUs) who regularly experience high vocal demands, often leading to vocal difficulties or disorders. Research has established that this often occurs due to a lack of sufficient knowledge of the vocal mechanism and vocal hygiene in this population. Student preachers are therefore also considered to be a potential at-risk group for the development of vocal difficulties once they enter the occupation. This study therefore aimed to determine the knowledge and needs of theology students at a South African institution of higher education regarding voice production and vocal hygiene. A cross-sectional online survey using non-probability purposive and convenience sampling was distributed to participants through email to obtain data on the education, training, needs, and knowledge of voice production, vocal hygiene, and voice use among the participants. A clear need was observed for education and training on vocal health and hygiene amongst the study population. The participants presented with limited knowledge about voice production and vocal hygiene; however, they also reported to not regularly implement this limited knowledge in day-to-day voice use or practice. This study found a willingness among participants to learn more about voice and vocal hygiene. This study confirmed that theology students, as future PVUs, receive minimal-to-no training on voice and vocal hygiene, despite their increased risk for voice difficulties.

Attachment in the Context of Early Years Pedagogical Practice: Early Childhood Educator and Director Insights

Given that early childhood education and care is relationship laden, research into attachment can contribute towards our understanding of early childhood education relationships. There is, however, a lack of research in this field and available research is largely absent of the voices of early childhood professionals and directors who work in early years environments. On these grounds a qualitative instrumental case study, nested in a social constructivist paradigm, was designed in Ontario, Canada, to gain insight into how attachment is (dis)embodied in their practice. The ten interviews that informed findings suggest that although attachment merges with practice, reluctance exists to intentionally embrace attachment theorizing and terminology. Instead, attachment is cloaked in care and love discourse, with "two-sided" inclinations. Participants of this study compel pre and in-service organizations to fortify their training to ensure that pedagogical approaches espouse the cornerstones of attachment theory and terminology, most notably to counter attachment (mis)understandings. Findings furthermore point to the intersectionality between the personal attachment history of professionals who work with young children, and their capacity to nurture security in their pedagogical practice.

Vocal Fatigue and Its Relationship with Vocal Hygiene and Work-Related Factors in Professional and Nonprofessional Voice Users: A Multiple Linear Regression Model Study

To investigate vocal fatigue severity between professional voice users (PVUs) and nonprofessional voice users (NPVUs), and across different levels of voice users. Also to examine the relationship between vocal hygiene and work-related factors with vocal fatigue. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. Four hundred one individuals from different professions were included in total. Participants were divided into four levels of voice users by classification of Koufman and Isaacson. The top three levels of voice users further identified as PVU, and level 4 voice users identified as NPVU. An online questionnaire which included vocal hygiene checklist, work-related factors, and Turkish version of vocal fatigue index (VFI) was submitted by the participants. Vocal fatigue severity of PVUs were found higher than NPVUs in all VFI scores (P<0.05). Level 2 voice users were found to have more vocal fatigue severity than all other levels of voice users. Call center workers (CCWs) had the highest means of vocal fatigue severity. Based on the multiple linear regression model vocal hygiene and the number of vocal rest breaks were found to have related with vocal fatigue the most (P<0.05). There was also a relation with some VFI scores (P<0.05) with voice usage duration at work and vocal rest duration. We found no relationship between working experience and vocal fatigue. The data suggests the relation between vocal fatigue and vocal hygiene, and work-related factors explain a small proportion of the association. However, in CCWs r2 was found 0.44. The change in vocal fatigue severity did not match with Koufman and Isaacson's classification of voice users. We suggest that there may be other contributing factors to vocal fatigue than vocal hygiene, vocal rest, and voice usage duration even those factors may differ from profession to profession.

Vocal Pedagogues Training Dysphonic Voices: Treatment Seeking Approaches and Practices

ObjectiveThis study examined the practices of current professional voice teachers' management of voice disorders. Type of StudySurvey. MethodsAn online survey was developed and made available to vocal educators who had membership in organizations within the field of voice. Respondents rated their comfort with management of voice disorders, criteria for accepting a dysphonic student, and their approach within the multi-disciplinary environment. ResultsOf 786 responses from professional vocal educators, 48% had worked with a vocalist recovering from dysphonia, vocal surgery, or a vocal pathology. Two thirds reported management of nodules, polyps, or cysts. The majority of respondents working with injured voices had advanced degrees in vocal performance, but few had cross training as an SLP. Pedagogues focused on breathing strategies while SLP pedagogues focused on resonance and reduction of phonotrauma. Pedagogues sought information on voice science and medicine from scholarly journals, attending conferences, and medical professionals. ConclusionsVocal pedagogues were interested members of the interdisciplinary team with a desire to seek knowledge beyond their initial career training, even though additional continuing education or licensure is not mandated for vocal educators. Findings show a need for vocal degree programs to include anatomy and physiology and multidisciplinary management of voice disorders.

Professional Voice Care: A Team Approach

Abstract: Traditionally, doctors in most specialties work in relative isolation, frequently caring for patients alone or with just a nurse. State-of-the-art care for voice disorders involves a multidisciplinary model that has evolved since the 1980s. Optimal care includes not only a laryngologist who specializes in voice, but also a skilled speech-language pathologist, singing voice specialist, nurse clinician and/or an extended care provider such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant; and arts medicine specialists in numerous other disciplines including pulmonology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, psychology, psychiatry and many other fields. Voice problems in singers are diagnosed and resolved most efficiently in an integrated team setting.

Beyond Words

Beyond Words