!
Sixth International Conference on the Physiology and Acoustics of Singing
CONFERENCE PROGRAM
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
October 17-20, 2012
GENERAL INFORMATION
Address of Conference:
4505 Maryland Parkway
Las Vegas, NV 89154
Useful Telephone Numbers:
(702) 895-3332
(702) 895-2540
911
311
Conference Website:
2012pas.com
UNLV Department of Music Office
UNLV Studio, Tod Fitzpatrick (Coordinator)
UNLV Police Emergency
UNLV Police, Non-Emergency
HOST INFORMATION
Department of Music
College of Fine Arts
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE
David Howard, University of York, Department of Electronics
Eric Hunter, University of Utah, National Center for Voice and Speech
Scott McCoy, Ohio State University, Director of the Helen Swank Voice Teaching and Research Lab
John Nix, University of Texas, San Antonio, Department of Music
Donald Miller, Groningen Voice Research, The Netherlands
Stephen Robertson, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Head of Vocal Performance
Ronald Scherer, Bowling Green State University, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Harm Schutte, Groningen Voice Research, The Netherlands
Jan Svec, Palacky University Olomouc, Department of Biophysics, the Czech Republic
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Jonathan Good, Department of Music Chair
Stacy Shapin, Department of Music Office Manager
Parwin Bakhtary, Department of Music Administrative Assistant
Sandra DeBorger, Department of Music Scheduling/Reservations
Haik Gumroyan, Department of Music Security
Rob Mader, Department of Music Computer Technician
Jennifer Oshiro and Rachel Bell UNLV Events Services
Diana Russell, UNLV Catering
UNLV Voice Faculty: Alfonse Anderson, Michelle Latour, Linda Lister, David Weiller
The many undergraduate and graduate students assisting with the conference.
Christine Ebersole and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts
2
Wednesday (10/17)
8:00
Thursday (10/18)
Friday (10/19)
Saturday (10/20)
Registration
Doc Rando Recital Hall Lobby
9:00
10:30
Paper Session 1
Paper Session 4
Paper Session 7
Doc Rando Recital Hall
Doc Rando Recital Hall
BEH Room 103
Christian Herbst (9:00)
Donald Miller (9:45)
Hubert Noé (9:00)
Nicholas Perna (9:45)
Ken Bozeman (9:00)
Ingo Titze (9:45)
VoceVista Tutorial Session
Break
Break
Break
Ham Fine Arts (HFA) 222
Doc Rando Recital Hall Lobby
Doc Rando Recital Hall Lobby
Student Union Overlook Lounge
Don Miller will be available
during the day for tutorials on
VoceVista. Please feel free to
stop-in anytime for discussion
and assistance with the program
Poster Group A
Duane Karna
Melissa Grady
Heather Nelson
Art Joslin
Poster Group B
Jeremy Manternach
Melody Rich/Robert Friberg
Sheri Cook-Cunnigham
Matthew Schloneger
Kathryn Hansen
Poster Group C
Melissa Brunkan
Troy Dargin
Aaron Grant
Aija Puurtinen
Amy Haines
10:50
Paper Session 2
Paper Session 5
Paper Session 8
Doc Rando Recital Hall
Doc Rando Recital Hall
BEH Room 103
Stephanie Weiss (10:50)
William McCullough (10:55)
Viggo Petersen (11:00)
Scott McKoy (11:30)
Eric Hunter (12:00)
Nathan van Arsdale (10:50)
John Nix (11:00)
Alipour Faribourz (11:30)
Roger Butterley (12:00)
Lisa Popeil (10:50)
Ray Chenez (11:00)
Dan Ihasz (11:30)
Lynn Helding (12:00)
12:30
2:00
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Student Union Room 208c
Tam Alumni Grand Hall
Foundation Building
Blasco Event Wing
Paper Session 3
Paper Session 6
Paper Session 9
Student Union Room 205
Student Union Room 219
Student Union Room 222
James Daugherty (2:00)
Jeanette LoVetri (2:30)
Lisa Popeil (3:00)
Rollin Rachele (2:00)
Discussion (2:45)
Jeanette LoVetri (2:00)
Johanna Devaney (2:30)
Deirdre Michael (3:00)
3:30
4:00
Registration Begins
Beam Music Center Lobby
5:30
Opening Reception
Doc Rando Recital Hall Lobby
Break
Break
Break
Doc Rando Recital Hall Lobby
Doc Rando Recital Hall Lobby
Student Union Overlook Lounge
Poster Group A cont.
Duane Karna
Melissa Grady
Heather Nelson
Art Joslin
Poster Group B cont.
Jeremy Manternach
Melody Rich/Robert Friberg
Sheri Cook-Cunnigham
Matthew Schloneger
Kathryn Hansen
Poster Group C cont.
Melissa Brunkan
Troy Dargin
Aaron Grant
Aija Puurtinen
Amy Haines
Workshops 1 & 2
Workshops 3
Workshops 4 & 5
(1) Doc Rando Recital Hall
(2) Beam Music Center 159
Doc Rando Recital Hall
Beam Music Center 159
(4) Student Union Rooms 219
(5) Student Union Room 222
1
V. Asher
R. Eerola
2
(4:00) L. Lister
(4:45) M. Gilman
3
D. Michael (4:00)
K. Bozeman (4:45)
4
T. Fitzpatrick (4:00)
T. Dargin
(4:45)
5
K. James
J. LoVetri
Vocology Alumni Association
Meeting (VAA)
HFA Room 222
7:00
PAS Open House
Christine Ebersole Concert
Red Rock Home
7:00 – 10:00 PM
Smith Center for the Performing Arts
9:30 PM
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Thursday, October 18, 2012
PAPER SESSION No. 2
Investigation of glottal configurations in singing
Christian T. Herbst, PhD
Laboratory of Bio-Acoustics, Dept. of Cognitive Biology
University of Vienna
It is well known that the voice timbre can be controlled in the vocal tract in various ways. The adjustment of
the voice character at the laryngeal level, however, receives less attention, particularly in the pedagogic
literature. Hence, this presentation focuses on the sound source: How can singers control and fine-tune the
voice timbre by adjustments of the vocal folds? And what are the possibilities of monitoring these maneuvers
in a pedagogical or therapeutic setting?
The timbral voice characteristics can be controlled at the laryngeal level by (a) cartilaginous adduction, i.e. the
adduction of the posterior glottis via the arytenoids (controlled by the singer with the degree of “breathiness”
/ ”pressedness”); and by (b) membranous medialization through vocal fold bulging (controlled by the choice
of vocal register, i.e. chest vs. falsetto). These two maneuvers can be controlled separately by both trained and
untrained singers.
A pedagogical model that incorporates the two described physiological parameters consists of four quadrants:
aBducted falsetto, aDducted falsetto, aBducted chest, and aDducted chest. Accomplished singers can
“navigate” this map at will, thus facilitating subtle timbral changes at the laryngeal level. This concept is very
promising for voice pedagogy and therapy, and for better understanding various singing styles.
In conclusion of the presentation, a novel method for monitoring vocal fold contact in voice production is
put forward: the electroglottographic (EGG) wavegram. It is shown how features seen in this non-invasive
technique are related to cartilaginous adduction and membranous medialization. The applicability of the
method in the singing study and in a speech therapy setting is discussed.
NOTES:
4
The glottal closed quotient as a key parameter for register in determining "chest," "head," and
"mix" in classical and other modes of singing voice production
Donald Miller, PhD
Groningen Voice Research
Groningen, The Netherlands
The distinction between the registers "chest" and "head-falsetto" in classical, and especially operatic, singing is
reasonably well understood, but less scientific scrutiny has been given to the factor register in what is typically
called "mix" in styles of singing that take amplification as a given. This presentation will focus on objective
characteristics of various types of singing that are normally amplified, particularly what is sometimes called
“belting.” The data will come from female practitioners of such singing, measured non-invasively through
microphone and electroglottograph (EGG) signals. The study aims to contribute to information that will aid
in identifying the goals of instruction in these styles, as well as providing feedback on whether the goals are
being attained.
NOTES:
5
POSTER PAPER, Group A
The Use of the IPA in the Choral Rehearsal
Duane R. Karna, DMA
Director of Choral Activities
Associate Professor of Music Performance
College of Fine Arts, School of Music
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
I believe that the teaching and use of the International Phonetic Alphabet’s symbols for sound should be
used for all singers within the context of the choral rehearsal. The IPA can be reinforced daily through the
use of choral warm-ups that introduce new and familiar sounds and their corresponding IPA symbols. These
“symbols for sounds” can be taught and reinforced during each choral rehearsal as the choir strives for
uniformity of sound and more precise diction. And with a handout of an IPA transcription of a choral
composition’s foreign language text, the choral singers will be able to pronounce and practice pronouncing
the foreign language text more accurately.
It is my belief that, over time, a choir which has developed an understanding of
The International Phonetic Alphabet will not only be able to communicate more effectively with their
director, but they will also be more effective in communicating intelligibility of text to their audiences. The
singers will also become more knowledgeable and capable of pronouncing foreign language choral texts with
appropriate and accurate diction.
NOTES:
6
The effects of varied non-verbal conductor gestures on LTAS measures of choral sound, chorister
and expert panel perceptions, and intonation analysis: A report of two studies to date.
Melissa L. Grady, M.Mus., Ph.D. Student
Vocal/Choral Pedagogy Research Group
The University of Kansas. Division of Music Education and Music Therapy
Lawrence, KS
In Rodney Eichenburger’s instructional conducting video What They See is What You Get (Eichenburger &
Dunn, 1994), Eichenburger claimed that everything the conductor shows a choir non-verbally would affect
the overall sound. Specifically, He discussed and demonstrated conductor right hand lateral gestural
movement verses vertical gestural movement. Eichenberger asserted that a choir will “sag in pitch” on
sustained sounds if the conductor employs a lateral conducting gesture. He further asserted that “as long as
you are in an upward movement something good happens to the tone,” and it will be more energized and in
tune. The two investigations reported here test these specific contentions advocated by Eichenburger.
Both studies analyzed audio recordings of choristers as they sang the same musical excerpt while following a
videotaped conductor who displayed (a) a traditional conducting pattern, (b) a vertical right hand conducting
gesture, and (c) a lateral right hand conducting gesture. Videotaped conducting assured consistency of all
other conductor behaviors across conditions.
Among results of a pilot study with a choir soprano section: (a) LTAS data showed significant mean signal
amplitude differences in the vertical conducting condition compared to the other conditions, especially in the
2 – 4 kHz frequency region; (b) Max/MSP pitch analyses indicated that the vertical gesture excerpt was most
in tune with itself and the traditional gesture excerpt was least in tune with itself; (c) expert listeners (N = 10)
preferred recordings of both lateral and vertical gesture over traditional gesture; and (d) singers noticed
differences between the three conducting conditions, offering the most positive comments for the vertical
conducting gesture.
A subsequent study was conducted with a full SATB choir and featured a longer musical excerpt sung in a
different room, along with some refinements in the presentation of the lateral and vertical conducting
gestures. Primary results of this investigation mirrored those of the previous study, with the single exception
that the lateral conducting gesture was the least in tune with itself.
Results of these two studies will be discussed in terms of possible effects of nonverbal conductor behaviors
on conglomerate, choral sound, and what these data may suggest for future research.
NOTES:
7
Perceptual and Acoustic Characteristics of University Practice Rooms for Vocal Music
Heather R. Nelson, M.A., M.M., PhD Student
Vocal / Choral Pedagogy Group
University of Kansas, Division of Music Education and Music Therapy
Lawrence, KS.
The purpose of this study was to measure acoustical characteristics of individual music practice rooms (N
=4), using impulse response testing to measure (a) reverberation rate, (b) early decay time, and measure
Maximum Length Sequence noise reduction in two adjacent spaces. Practice rooms were selected by a survey
of voice performance students (N = 32) at a major university School of Music, who were asked to indicate
their most preferred and least preferred practice rooms and why they preferred or did not prefer these
specific practice rooms.
Among primary results: (a) acoustical testing procedures indicated differences in reverberation rates and early
decay times among the four practice rooms examined; (b) the practice room most frequently preferred by
responding singers showed longer reflection times, stronger amplitude with subsequent reflections at the
octave band center frequency of 2 kHz regardless of the direction of the sound impulse, and increased decay
times; (c) noise reduction measurements found satisfactory noise reduction between two adjacent rooms, but
unsatisfactory noise control from the corridor into the room; (d) most survey comments overall (ca. 65% 89%) referenced non-acoustical/non-psycho-acoustical reasons for particular practice room preferences, with
most of these comments addressing the condition of practice room pianos.
Results were discussed in terms of directions for future research, and the pedagogical roles of practice room
environments in providing student singers with adequate aural feedback as they learn and refine vocal singing
technique.
NOTES:
8
The Use of Hyperbaric Oxygen in the Treatment of Vocal Fold Injury
Art Joslin, DMA
National Center for Voice and Speech Affiliate
Cornerstone University
Despite the use of hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of smoke inhalation, laryngeal cancer, tissue necrosis,
and decompression sickness, very little is known about its use in treating voice disorders. Medical treatments
using high partial pressure of oxygen have been known to reduce tissue swelling, promote healing of damaged
tissue, speed vascular repair and regeneration, as well as overall wound healing. However, no research is
known to exist using hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of vocal fold injury. This research will
attempt to bridge the gap and explore the efficacy of using hyperbaric oxygen in the treatment of vocal fold
injuries, specifically Reinke’s edema, vascular hemorrhages of the vocal folds, and severe vocal fold edema.
NOTES:
9
PAPER SESSION No. 2
The EMG activity of the diaphragm and the diaphragm’s influence on vertical larynx position. A
study utilizing ultrasound imaging to visualize the movement of the diaphragm and the vertical larynx position, and
electromyography to explore muscle activity in the diaphragm and four other significant breathing muscles.
Viggo Pettersen. Professor Dr. philos
Department of Music and Dance
University of Stavanger
4036 Stavanger, Norway
Hans Torp, dr. tech, Professor
Department of circulation and medical imaging. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology
(NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
Kåre Bjørkøy, Professor
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
Introduction: By two professional classical singers and two student classical singers this study will utilize
ultrasound imaging (USI) to a simultaneously examining of the anterior and dorsal diaphragm (ADPH and
DDPH) movements and the vertical larynx position (VLP). At the same time electromyography (EMG) will
be utilized to explore the electrical activity of the ADPH, DDPH, the sternocleido (STM), the lower
intercostals (LINT), the upper anterior abdominal muscles (UAABD) and the lower anterior abdominal
muscles (LAABD).
Material: Three ultrasound devices were utilized: ADPH was investigated by a transabdominal scan from the
right hypochondrium. DDPH was surveyed by examining the movement of the left kidney. VLP was
monitored by placing the probe on the right side of the neck. EMG activity was recorded from ADPH,
DDPH, STM, LINT, UAABD and LAABD.
Results USI; Anterior DPH (ADPH): During phonation a linear ascending movement pattern is observed in
sections of the aria sequence. In some sections of phonation time the ascending movement stops, and in
small phonation sections even descending movements are observed.
USI; Dorsal DPH (DDPH/kidney): During phonation, by the student soprano and the student counter
tenor, the DDPH moves primarily cranially until the highest position is reached. Thereafter, the DDPH
remains in that position, with a couple of very small caudal adjustments, during the rest of the phonation
time. By the professional soprano a highly deviant pattern is observed: During phonation ascending
movements are superseded by abrupt caudal movements. Only in small sections the DDPH is observed in its
highest position. By the professional tenor caudal adjustments are observed shortly before vocal challenges,
as pitch changes and repeated powerful tones.
USI; VLP: VLP is observed to be more dependent of the DDPH’s position than on the ADPH’s position. By
the professional soprano and the professional tenor, when facing vocal challenges, the caudal movements
observed in the DDPH are also observed in the VLP. The student soprano and the student counter tenor
show a VLP pattern similar to those of the professional singers but with less consistency of interaction
between VLP and DDPH position.
Results EMG; ADPH: EMG activity is observed during most of the inhalation phase when breathing in for
the first breathing sequence. With inhalations during sustained singing, EMG activity in the ADPH is
observed by all singers during the final part of the inhalation phase. During phonation EMG activity is
observed as the ascending movements are retired.
EMG; DDPH: EMG activity is phased close to similar to the EMG activity of the ADPH site, except for the
professional tenor. He did not show any EMG activity during inhalation in the DDPH. The caudal
adjustments, observed during phonation, are apparently influenced by the DDPH’s own activity.
10
EMG; STM, LINT, UAABD and LAABD sites: The results will be presented at the Conference.
Discussion: The results will be discussed
Conclusion: The caudal adjustments, observed in both ADPH and DDPH during phonation, are apparently
influenced by the DPH’s own activity. During phonation VLP is observed to be more dependent of the
DDPH’s position than on the ADPH’s position.
NOTES:
11
Airflow and the Singing Voice: adding real-time airflow measures to the pedagogic toolbox
Scott McKoy, DMA
Professor of Voice and Pedagogy
Director of the Helen Swank Voice Teaching and Research Lab
The Ohio State University
Airflow and the Singing Voice: adding real-time airflow measures to the pedagogic toolbox
Many singing teachers—especially those who attend events such as PAS—have come to rely on acoustic
analysis as a pedagogic aid. Some also use EGG to provide biofeedback for vocal processes that otherwise
would be invisible. At The Ohio State University, students and faculty in the Swank Voice Research Lab are
taking real-time feedback to another level, incorporating airflow measures in singer training. This session
presents an overview of our activities in this area, along with related research projects that are in our pipeline.
NOTES:
12
Modeling and Predicting Vocal Recovery
Eric J. Hunter, PhD 1,2,3
1. National Center for Voice and Speech
The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
2. Division of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery
The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
3. Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Singers often experience tired voice or vocal fatigue from high or intense voice use, characterized by the
reduced ability to phonate without increased effort or other perceptual quality. Vocal fatigue is likely based
on many underlying effects, such as LPR, glottal incompetence from a slight weakness of the vocal folds,
infection, poor vocal technique, or vocal overuse. It appears that the non-pathologic recovery trajectories of
vocal fatigue have a short-term and long-term component. Using data from a previous study where six
singers were tracked over multiple days, including a heavy voice use day (e.g. performance or extra-long
rehearsal), results were compared to another population of high voice users, school teachers, to compare
vocal use and recovery. A model of phonation exposure and recovery will be used to discuss guidelines for
vocalization safety limits, including optimal vocal vibration exposure and vocal rest periods.
Acknowledgements: Funding for this work was provided by the National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders, grant number 1R01 DC04224. The author would like to thank the research team
(both past and present) at the National Center for Voice and Speech with many supporting roles. Data from
the singers was collected under the direction of John Nix with funding from the Recording Academy.
Thanks to Ingo R. Titze for the initial design of these studies.
NOTES:
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PAPER SESSION, No. 3
Acoustic and perceptual comparisons of SATB choir performances in two auditoria, with three
chorister spacing conditions, two heights of choral risers, and three microphone locations
James F. Daugherty, Ph.D.
Robert C. Coffeen, P.E., FASA
Melissa Grady, MME, Ph.D. Student
Vocal/Choral Pedagogy Research Group
The University of Kansas
This is the third in a series of studies exploring potential effects of chorister spacing and riser step heights on
choral singing production and propagation.
Under controlled conditions, we assessed 12 performances of an SATB choir (N =32) both acoustically
(LTAS, and smoothed one-third octave band analyses) and perceptually (listener ratings, singer perceptions).
Choristers performed the same musical excerpt six times in two auditoria. Sung trials in each auditorium
included three chorister spacing conditions (close, lateral, circumambient) on each of two riser units (regular
riser step height, taller riser step height). Sound data were acquired from three, calibrated Earthworks
precision omni-directional microphones, placed at ear heights in a conductor position, an early audience
position, and a mid-hall position in each auditorium.
We assigned singer positions randomly within a block sectional choir formation used throughout the study.
The choir practiced equal amounts of time on each riser unit in each spacing condition prior to the recording
sessions. Videotaped conducting served as a control for tempo consistency and assured that singers
responded to precisely the same conductor behaviors in all sung trials. We discussed results in terms of
voice-friendly choral performance practices, the studies done thus far, and suggestions for future research.
NOTES:
14
Comparative Analysis of A Professional Children’s Chorus: Two Research Perspectives
Jeannette LoVetri
Director, The Voice Workshop
New York, NY
Two independent research studies have been conducted on the Brooklyn Youth Chorus Academy’s Concert
Chorus. In 2010, Dr. Christopher Barlow of Great Britain’s Southampton Solent University published
"Closed Quotient and Spectral Measures of Female Adolescent Singers in Different Singing Styles" and in
2012, Dr. Richard Morris of Florida State University published "Long-Term Average Spectra From a Youth
Choir Singing in Three Vocal Registers and Two Dynamic Levels". Both studies appeared in the Journal of
Voice. The findings indicate that the chorus is singing in distinctive and healthy vocal qualities as found in
classical repertoire and also in Contemporary Commercial Music styles such as pop, rock and folk music.
Individual artists and organizations as diverse as the NY Philharmonic and Elton John, with whom the
chorus has performed at Carnegie Hall and Madison Square Garden, respectively, have recognized the
chorus’s abilities. This paper presents a comparison of the data in the two research studies and discusses its
finding with implications for training children to sing, for training in children’s choruses and for an American
rather than English “boy-choir” approach to singing. The presenter is a co-author on both studies.
NOTES:
15
Absolute Vocal Range in Singers
Lisa Popeil
Voiceworks
Sherman Oaks, CA
Edrie Means Weekly, BME, MM in Vocal Performance
Associate Professor of Voice
Shenandoah University and Conservatory of Music, Winchester, VA
Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal Pedagogy Institute, Co-Founder
Historically, vocal range has been defined as usable or performable range. Absolute range is defined here as
the highest and lowest notes a singer can produce on a regular basis. Surprisingly, very few singers or even
voice teachers are aware of their absolute range, often underestimating it by as much as two octaves.
This project used a protocol to ascertain the highest and lowest notes of approximately 60 subjects, male and
female singers of different levels of experience. Singers were between the ages of 25 and 45 (post pubertal
and pre-menopausal) and in good vocal and physical health. Singers could be classically or commercially
trained though singers of unusual heights (below 5’ or over 6’4”) were excluded.
Eight US and UK voice teachers collected the data. They were instructed on the range-finding protocol with
instructional videos. Topics included in each subject’s responses to a questionnaire: age, gender, height, years
of training, subjective voice type/fach, absolute lowest and highest note, teacher’s perception of subject’s
timbre and time of day.
The purpose of this study was to determine if 3 1/3 octave was indeed the most common vocal range; to see
if males have, on average, larger ranges than women; and to see what disparity, if any, lay between singers’
self-assessment of range/timbre and the results of the tests.
NOTES:
16
WORKSHOP SESSIONS, No. 1 & No. 2
Pilates2Voice®: A New Mind-Body Technique for Voice Professionals focusing on Proprioceptive
Training.
Veera Asher, DMA
Lecture Portion:
What is a Mind-Body Technique? Most voice professionals are familiar with The
Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais and yoga. A mind-body technique defined through the
science of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) supports a new technique for voice
professionals called Pilates2Voice®.
Pilates2Voice® is an innovative mind-body technique that integrates Pilates-and-voice
training methods: based on the dissertation, “The Olympic Singer: Integrating Pilates Training
into the Voice Studio.” Singers who practice Pilates2Voice® see improved posture, breath
management, mind-body conditioning, muscle-reaction time, vocal range, resonance and
articulation. Pilates2Voice® applies to any style of singing, and helps to prevent potential
overuse injury.
Pilates2Voice® is a stand alone technique from Pilates in that it applies precision mindbody
technology specific to voice performance. Pilates2Voice® uses proprioception and a
system of physical exercises that dictate a mind-body sequence identifying the power source for
peak vocal performance. Pilates2Voice® is unique in that it also introduces the use of ‘voicing’
during the physical exercises to monitor the degree of recruitment of the deep proprioceptive
‘core’ muscles associated with optimal breath management and healthy vocal production.
Pilates2Voice® does not negate other mind-body techniques, but rather, presents new
training and diagnostic tools to help measure the improved strength and stamina associated with
high-level voice performance. It is not a teacher dependent technique once facilitation is no
longer needed by a certified Pilates2Voice® instructor. Pilates2Voice® continues to be part of
groundbreaking medical-performance collaborations with other voice professionals including
laryngologists, physical therapists, music therapists, speech pathologists and voice teachers.
Workshop Portion:
1. Discussion and demonstration of the Pilates2Voice® Technique
i. Description of the 3 SEQUENCES:
1. Basic Sequence
a. focusing on Posture and Jaw-Release, Volition and Respiration
2. Intermediate Sequence
a. adding a focus on Phonation
3. Advanced Sequence
a. adding a focus on the tongue and its relation to Vocal Resonation and
Articulation
2. The DOs and DON’Ts of “perfect practicing” for the singer, based on physical therapy, Pilates and
proprioceptive training principles.
3. Discussion on the benefits of each area of focus in a routine mat repertoire class with props:
a. Benefits include, optimal:
17
-Body Sequencing & Conditioning
on
forming Artist™
4. Information on how one would monitor and measure the progress and development of a student’s
performance of an exercise.
5. A demonstration and discussion for voice professionals not trained in a Pilates method:
a. Introduction of some basic Pilates2Voice® exercises for singers can be used in the private studio.
b. Observations and assessments that can help identify weaknesses in a student’s performance.
6. Final questions or discussion regarding the practical applications and/or the voice science aspects of the
Pilates2Voice® Technique.
The session will conclude with recommendations on how we can increase awareness regarding the benefits of
Pilates2Voice® and other mind-body techniques for singers, and how it can be further integrated into areas
of vocal instruction.
NOTES:
18
An ABC-analyzing method™ of functional imbalances in singing and the speaking voice
Ritva Eerola
Sibelius Academy / Music Education department and Folk Music department
The most common diagnostic of the functional voice disorders has been hypo- or hyperfunction, which has
been diagnosed in laryngoscopy by a phoniatrian or ENT-doctor. The other evaluation methods have been
mainly concentrated on describing the surface quality of the voice as hoarse, breathy, astenic etc. These
methods are also frequently used more in analyzing the speaking voice.
From the practical point of view I have developed the ABC-method™, which is based on analyzing the vocal
function as a whole, how the whole human instrument is working. The basic symbols correlates: A ➜ body;
B ➜ larynx and C ➜ head. The functional symbols: x ➜ too much tension locally and o ➜ too
much expansion locally. Its purpose is to evaluate the concentration of the basic energy and categorize vocal
function vertically. These different types will also be presented acoustically (Praat and Voce vista).
This can easily be used by voice teachers and voice therapists, who are guiding their students or clients by
diagnostic hearing. This is a form of motoric imitation as McKinney has written in his book. It is possible to
sense by listening to a singer or speaker how the muscles are working (as Moses named it 'creative hearing').
When we concentrate on listening with the diagnostic hearing, we can sense the same function in our body.
This ability is an important tool in voice therapy and teaching of singing.
This evaluation method is part of my Balance in Phonation -training method™ that I have developed over
the years. This training method can be used for speaking and singing (all genres).
NOTES:
19
Yoga for Singers
Linda Lister, DMA
Director of UNLV Opera
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
From opera diva Karita Mattila to Lady Gaga, from Broadway’s Mandy Patinkin to pop star Jason Mraz,
singers are doing yoga and experiencing its ability to free their voices and their psyches. In this workshop,
participants will learn yoga breathing techniques (pranayama), poses (asanas) & meditation practices (mantras
& mudras) that can help singers to improve their breathing & alignment and to combat performance anxiety.
www.yogaforsingers.com
An outgrowth of my book Yoga for Singers: Freeing Your Voice and Spirit through Yoga, this hands-on
session will teach yoga poses (asanas) that are helpful and relevant to singers. Focusing on the Iyengar school
of hatha yoga, the session will incorporate poses (asanas) as relating to movement and alignment for singers.
In addition, there will be an introduction to yoga breathing techniques called pranayama (breath control).
The final element will be mantras, mudras, and meditation. Many young singers struggle with performance
anxiety, which can be greatly eased by meditation. The session will present the use of mantras (positive
mental affirmations), mudras (yoga hand postures) and chanting (nada or sound yoga) to calm the nervous
system and center the mind and body.
NOTES:
20
My Feet ARE Connected To My Larynx? Posture And Singing
Marina Gilman MM MA CCC-SLP
Department of Otolaryngology Emory University
Speech-Language Pathology
The Emory Voice Center
Atlanta, Georgia
The importance of posture in vocal training for singing and the theater is commonly recognized. Aside from
admonitions for the singer to ‘stand up straight, chin up, chest up, stomach in’ there are few exercises in the
pedagogical arsenal that helps teachers and therapists improve posture in any dynamic way. In the realm of
voice rehabilitation, a number of excellent articles validate the efficacy of laryngeal manipulation as treatment
for muscle tension dysphonia or tension of the neck, shoulder girdle, base of tongue, or extrinsic muscles of
the larynx (Roy and Leeper 1993, Roy, Bless, Heisey and Ford 1997, Van Houtte 2011, Lieberman 1998,
Aronson, 1990, Roy and Leeper 1993, Mathieson, 2011, Greene and Mathieson 1991). In this author’s
personal experience, they are sometimes also used in the voice studio, but not generally part of the
pedagogical toolbox for addressing upper body tension. These techniques are designed for symptomatic relief
with the underlying assumption that once the tension is released the individual will be able to make the
necessary internal adjustments to maintain the improved vocal function. While these techniques are primarily
used in the context of voice therapy, there is no reason why they cannot or should not be adapted to the
voice studio with appropriate training by the teacher.
While there is a growing body research on the effect of posture on voice, scientific studies are still small in
number and limited in scope. Giovanni, Aki and Ouaknine (2008) and Lagier et al (2010) investigated the
relationship between vocal effort and posture. Both studies were based on the premise that vocal
hyperfunction resulted in part from postural instability. In fact their findings suggested that increased vocal
intensity appears to correlate with increased overall postural activity. Changes in gross body position, supine
vs. upright, have been examined in relation to specific muscles of the tongue and larynx, (Takahashi et al,
2002), respiration (Hoit, 1995, Hixon,1976) , and lung volume as related to subglottal pressure (Sundberg et
al, 1991). Other studies have examined the activation patterns of the muscles of respiration, the chest wall as
well as the shoulder, neck and trunk muscles during phonation. (Pettersen 2005, Pettersen and Westgaard,
2004, Johnson and Skinner 2009). Gilman, unpublished, explores the impact of head position on the
aerodynamic and acoustic output of the sound. Preliminary results suggest that in addition to increased
phonatory effort, there are subtle changes in the harmonic output in some positions. While most of these
studies were small and exploratory in nature they do build a body of work that reinforces the long held
assumption that a dynamic relationship between posture and vocal production exists.
The problem remains, when confronted with a singer whose technical limitations, including suboptimal
resonance, are potentially related to posture, how can the singing teacher or voice therapist teach improved
posture so it can be truly embodied? How does the teacher/therapist 1) recognize that the problem may be
related to ‘inefficient’ posture and 2) if so, then how can one go about teaching or guiding the singer to
discover more efficient patterns. Merely asking the person to stand or sit ‘straight’, ‘relax the shoulders’ etc,
does not provide them with the tools necessary to make and maintain the internal adjustments necessary to
reduce laryngeal, tension and/or sing freely.
Somatic education methods, such as the Alexander Technique or the Feldenkrais Method® teach increased
awareness of body use patterns that enhance voice production. Through hands-on manipulation or verbally
directed lessons, students learn to move, stand, sit and by extension sing and talk with increased ease. Both
Feldenkrais and Alexander understood that no one part of the body is isolated from any other part of the
body. Poor balance can be as detrimental to good singing as excessive neck tension and may even be a
significant contributor to neck tension. Learning, not through cognitive study, but somatic experience allows
the singer to feel the changes and provides options for movement.
21
This interactive workshop will explore some of the postural dynamics that can change respiratory and
phonatory function and improve resonance. Participants will learn specific lessons and movement sequences
that will help singers (with and without) pathologies to release laryngeal tension and improve
respiratory/phonatory coordination.
Bibliography
Giovanni A, Aki L, Ouaknine M. Postural dynamics and vocal effort; preliminary experimental analysis. Folia
Phoniatrica et Logopedica. 2008;60:80-85.
Lagier A, Vaugoyeau M, Ghio A, Legou T, Giovanni A, Assaiante C. Coordination between posture and phonation in
vocal effort behavior. Folia Phoniatrica et Logopedica. 2010;62:195-202.
Takahashi S, Ono T, Ishiwata Y, Kuroda T. Breathing modes, body positions, and suprahyoid activity. Journal of
Orthodontics. 2002;29:307-313.
Hoit J. Influence of Body Posture on Breathing and its implications for the evaluation and treatment of speech and voice
disorders. J Voice. 1995;9(4):341-347.
Hixon T. Dynamics of the chest wall during speech production: function of the thorax, rib cage, diaphragm and
abdomen. Journal of speech and hearing research. 1976;19:297-356.
Sundberg J, Leanderson R, von Euler C, Knutsson E. Influence of body posture and lung volume on subglottal pressure
control during singing. J Voice. 1991;5(4):283-291.
NOTES:
22
Friday, October 19, 2012
PAPER SESSION, No. 4
The technic of “cover” in romantic Italian operatic baritone singing compared to baritones trained
in the so-called German tradition.
Hubert Noé, M.D., laryngologist, voice teacher
Fürstenfeld, Austria
In 1955 the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera New York Sir Rudolf Bing had to resort to a trick in
order to engage his favorite German baritone Josef Metternich for leading Verdi roles such as Don Carlo and
Renato, respectively, in La forza del destino and Un ballo in Maschera . Bing referred to him as the only
German baritone who could sing like an Italian. Connoisseurs of the baritono drammatico in Verdi of course
immediately understood Bing, although there were no clear criteria for this preference of the so-called Italian
vocal technique. Today, spectrum analysis shows the significant acoustic differences in real time. It turns out
that not only great “Italian baritones" as Warren, Merrill, Bastianini, Herlea, Capucilli or Zancanaro meet
these criteria. Exemplary recordings are easily accessible to study the great singers, leading to a certain
international convergence in vocal technique. In addition, the development of the “typical German” baritone
is discussed using the program VoceVista. The study aims at a better understanding of high baritone singing
in different national traditions.
NOTES:
23
The Nasometer as a Pedagogic Tool: Preliminary Findings
Nicholas Perna, DMA
Assistant Professor of Music
West Virginia University
Studies on nasalance of the singing voice can be traced at least as far back as 1995. A study by Richard Miller
and William McIver investigated the effects of nasal consonants on vowels using a Nasometer. They found
of their male, undergraduate voice students, twelve of fifteen sang [i] with nasality. Conversely, no women
sang [i] with nasality. Two of fifteen men showed nasalance on [e] and [u], and four of fifteen men showed
nasalance on [a] and [o]. This study was conducted using pitches that were all in a comfortable middle
register.
A study by Linda Fowler and Richard Morris measured nasalance in thirty-six trained female singers at three
frequency levels. They found that nasalance scores were much higher for front vowels, and that nasalance
scores were higher at lower frequencies and lower at higher frequencies. They claimed this confirms the
practice of training singers to elevate the velum when singing higher pitches. In a study on nasalance by Jori
Jennings and David Kuehn, male subjects were found to have had increased nasalance as frequency increased.
A study by Peer Birch, et. al. investigated nasalance in different registers of the operatic voice. They also had
expert listeners rate perceived nasality to compare that data to nasalance without success. Little user reliability
was found between perceived nasality and nasalance. A study by Perna found that tenors employ increased
nasalance as they ascend through passaggio into head voice on the vowel [a].
Given the data, and the growing popularity of real-time visual feedback during the instruction of singing, it
seems worthwhile to scrutinize the effectiveness of the Nasometer as a pedagogic tool for use in the voice
studio. This project is aiming to isolate the effectiveness of the signal alone in training nasality. A yet
undetermined pool of undergraduate voice subjects will sing the same series of exercises each week for 10
weeks during the fall semester of 2012. The subjects will be given a brief explanation of the display screen,
which they will watch during the testing. This will allow the subjects to monitor their nasalance in real-time
during the exercises. They will be asked to sing a descending five-note scale on [pi], [pa], and [pu] in a
comfortable register for their voice type. In addition they will sing an ascending-descending five-note scale
on each of the three vowels [i, a, u].
Nasalance will be monitored week by week to attempt a determination as to whether the visual feedback from
the Nasometer is aiding the student to decrease or increase their nasalance. The assumption is being made
that at some point during their course of study their teacher has discussed or demonstrated a tonal concept
that either discourages, or encourages nasality. Therefore, freshmen will not be eligible for participation as
subjects. Upon the mid-point of the study, the subjects will be asked whether or not their tonal goal is less or
more nasality, for data comparison. The first five weeks of data will be collected and analyzed in time for
presentation at PAS 6 in Las Vegas.
NOTES:
24
POSTER PAPER, Group B
The effect of conductor preparatory head, shoulder, and hand movements on singer extrinsic
laryngeal muscle engagement and voicing behaviors
Jeremy N. Manternach, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Choral Music Education
The University of Arizona, School of Music
This study was designed to examine whether varied nonverbal conductor behaviors during an initial
preparatory gesture affected singers’ (N = 23, n = 15 experienced, n = 8 naïve) extrinsic laryngeal muscle
engagement and voicing behaviors. Participants sang the first phrase melody of Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus
eight times while following a videotaped conductor who displayed the following fully-crossed preparatory
gesture conditions: (a) upward moving or downward moving arm, (b) upward moving head with intentional
posterior neck and shoulder tension or neutral head positioning, and (c) clenched fist with intentional arm
tension or open palm. Surface electromyographic (EMG) electrodes measured singer muscle responses in the
suprahyoid (SH), posterior neck PN), upper trapezius (TR) and sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle regions.
Audio recordings provided data for acoustic (Fo, Amplitude, spectrographic onset, and Formant Frequency
Profiles) and perceptual (heard onset and vocal timbre) evaluations. Results were discussed in terms of
efficiency of breathing and voicing resulting from certain conducting gestures.
(N.B. Data analysis is currently in progress)
NOTES:
25
Effects of short-term postural correction on voice characteristics in undergraduate voice majors
Melody Rich, DMA
Hardin-Simmons University Department of Music
Abilene, TX
Robert Friberg PhD, PT
Hardin-Simmons University Departments of Physical Therapy
Abilene, TX
PURPOSE: Voice students are instructed during their weekly voice lessons to attain appropriate posture for
singing and are then expected to maintain the posture at all other times of singing throughout the week
through self-monitoring. The purpose of this study is to examine if this common strategy is effective in
modifying the postural behavior.
The hypotheses are: (1) Examine the effect of standing posture on selected characteristics of singing in
undergraduate voice majors. (Characteristics: efficiency in breathing, phonatory control, the presence or
absence of vibrato, and vibrato consistency across vowel changes) 2) Determine if undergraduate voice
majors are able to change postures after participating in a short-term postural awareness program.
SUBJECTS: Hardin-Simmons University undergraduate voice majors, n=30, (M=11, F=19) were evaluated
by four physical therapy students and a faculty member from music. METHODS: Participants signed an
informed consent prior to participation. Participants were randomly assigned to control and treatment
groups. To assess posture, fluorescent markers were placed on the tragus of the ear, lateral acromion process,
greater trochanter, lateral femoral condyle, and lateral malleolus. Participants were photographed in their
typical standing postures from a sagittal view. Posture Analysis Software System (PASS) was used to analyze
angles between the landmarks. The treatment group was instructed in assuming a biomechanically appropriate
posture confirmed with a vertical compression force that did not cause buckling of the shoulder girdle or
spine. The treatment group was told to assume and maintain the proper posture for 15 seconds once every
waking hour. Both groups were instructed to return two weeks after the initial posture assessment. Three
measurements were taken to assess progression in singing. For the first measurement, the circumference of
the participant’s rib cage was measured prior to inhalation as well as after inhalation to measure excursion of
ribcage for full-singing breath inhalation. Using a stop watch, the participant was then timed for duration
while hissing on /s/. For the second measurement, participants were positioned 5 feet away from the decibel
meter (Quest Technologies Impulse Sound Level Meter Model 2700/Model OB-50 Octave Filter Set ) set at
mouth level, then instructed to inhale for full-breath singing and sing the vowel /a/ sustained for maximum
duration on a designated pitch in the middle of his/her voice (soprano- C5, alto-F4, tenor C4, baritone F4).
At subsequent tests, the participant was instructed to sing the same pitch, first at a decibel level that felt
comfortable, then again at the same decibel level (up to a 3 point difference) as on the baseline for
comparison and for consistency. For the third measurement, participants were instructed to sing the vowel
series /a e i o u/ on the same pitch as measurement two, allowing one second for each vowel. Each
participant sang into a decibel meter to measure intensity of the pitch for baseline measurement and a
microphone to record the spectrogram from which pitch and frequency of vibrato were further analyzed
using the VoceVista software program. At subsequent tests, the participant was instructed to sing first at a
decibel level that felt comfortable, then again at the same decibel as he/she did on the baseline (up to a 3
point difference) for comparison and for consistency. After one week, the treatment group met with
researchers to undergo another standing postural training session. They were again told to return one week
later, along with the control group for final posture testing. Final voice measures were taken in a similar
manner as previously described. A MANOVA (PASW 19.0) was computed to determine the effect of active
standing treatment on (1) rate of vibrato, (2) percent change in vibrato, and (3) median pitch. An independent
samples t-test was computed to determine if subjects were able to effectively change postures as a result of
treatment. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups prior to intervention. After
postural intervention, there was no significant difference between groups regarding; Hz (p=.417), percent
change in vibrato (p=.383), or pitch median (p=.123). There was no significant difference regarding posture
26
with the exception of the ear to shoulder angle showing less deviation from midline for the treatment group
(p=.0045). Although not significant, the shoulder to hip angle showed a trend toward decreasing deviation
from midline (p=.09).
CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistical evidence to support any of the research hypotheses.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Further research is needed to determine an optimal length of time posture
should be taught or practiced in order to have a significant change in alignments. In addition, a more
comprehensive analysis and intervention of the biomechanical and neuromechanical reasons for poor posture
should be addressed. The evidence indicates that awareness of appropriate posture or short-term intervention
is not a predictor (guarantee) that the subject will be able to acquire or maintain the position in the act of
singing.
NOTES:
27
Hearing Dose and Perceptions of Hearing Health Among University Choral Singers in
Varied Rehearsal and Performance Settings
Sheri L. Cook-Cunningham, M.Mus., Ph.D. Student
Melissa L. Grady, M.Mus., Ph.D. Student
Heather R. Nelson, M.Mus., Ph.D. Student
Vocal/Choral Pedagogy Research Group
The University of Kansas
University of Kansas, Division of Music Education and Music Therapy
Lawrence, KS
This collective case study documented university choral students’ (N = 4) hearing doses,
acquired through an Etymotic Personal Noise Dosimeter (ER200D), during two choir
rehearsals and two choral concerts, in three separate acoustical venues. An orchestra
accompanied the choir during three of the collection periods. In addition, singers (N =
120) responded to a set of hearing health indicator statements and provided perceptions
of hearing status in each of these choral singing contexts. Dosimeter data and survey
responses were disaggregated according to (a) rehearsal vs. concert venues, (b) position
of singers within the choir, and (c) singing with and without the orchestra. Results were
discussed in terms of acceptable sound dose, singers’ perceptions, and suggestions for
future research.
NOTES:
28
Vocal Dosage Data and Perceptions of Voice Efficiency and Hygiene Acquired from Two Private
Studio Voice Teachers
Matthew Schloneger, PhD Student, Vocal Pedagogy
Vocal/Choral Pedagogy Research Group
The University of Kansas
It is well documented that teachers suffer the highest rate of vocal problems of any population group.
However, very little information regarding the voice habits and hygiene of singing voice teachers has been
collected to date. A recent study by Barnes-Burroughs and Rodriguez (2012) surveyed the vocal hygiene and
voice use habits of 596 teaching performers. With the advent of vocal dosimeter technology, this perceptual
information could be compared to real-time vocal dose measurements to develop a more complete picture of
voice use and vocal efficiency among studio voice teachers. While dosimeter studies have documented the
real-time voice use of classroom teachers (Titze, Hunter & Svec) , classroom music teachers (Morrow &
Connor, 2010) and graduate voice teaching assistants (Schloneger, 2011), no published studies have measured
the vocal dosage of full-time voice studio teachers.
The purpose of this case study was to assess vocal doses acquired by collegiate voice professors (N=2) over 7
full days through the use of voice dosimeters. Monitoring included two baseline (non-teaching) days and a
five-day teaching week. Vocal dose was measured in tandem with daily surveys of self-perceived vocal health
and efficiency as well as the Barnes-Burroughs/Rodriguez Teaching Performer survey. Results were discussed
in terms of voice use (vocal dosage, mean F0 and mean SPL dB levels) in and out of the teaching studio as
well as any perceived changes that occurred in vocal efficiency during this intensive period. These vocal dose
data along with voice efficiency and hygiene perceptions were compared to findings of the BarnesBurroughs/Rodriguez Teaching Performer survey.
NOTES:
29
A VoceVista Study: Formant Boosting and Vowel Modification, Adapting Resonance Techniques of
Professionals to the Voice Studio
Kathryn R. Hansen, undergraduate student
Department of Music
Carthage College
Kenosha, WI
This investigation analyzes VoceVista (VV) spectral evidence for formant boosting and vowel modification in
recordings of mezzo-sopranos singing the final measures (“si je t’aime prends garde à toi”) of the “Habanera”
from Carmen by Georges Bizet. With these findings, I then explored matching these resonance strategies to
feel the differences in sensation and sound to discover which best suit my instrument at this time.
The VV spectral evidence has inspired a further study of the variations in recordings and their possible
causes. I’m currently comparing spectra from live performance recorded directly into VV, and prerecorded
performance recorded into VV from compact discs, youtube and mp3 files.
NOTES:
30
PAPER SESSION, No. 5
Does this song fit my voice: testing the reliability of objective methods for matching a song to a
singer.
John Nix, MM, MME, Cert. in Vocology
Associate Professor of Voice and Vocal Pedagogy
Department of Music
The University of Texas at San Antonio
Selecting appropriate repertoire for one’s students is one of the primary responsibilities of a singing teacher.
Previously the author has advocated a systematic means for assessing a singer’s strengths and weaknesses and
has provided a process for evaluating the pedagogical advantages and disadvantages of individual selections of
vocal literature (“Criteria for selecting repertoire,” The Journal of Singing 58(3), 217-221). In this
presentation, the author will explore objective means of (a) evaluating a singer’s capabilities and (b) estimating
the vocal demands of a song.
The project concerned two research questions:
Can the VRP be used to predict how well a song will fit a singer?
How accurate are estimates of the vocal load of a song? Can reliable calculations be made regarding how a
song will fatigue a singer?
Data collection methods included:
Gathering a voice range profile on a highly trained singer
Estimating voicing time dose, short-term recovery time, and cycle dose: the author chose to follow the
method used by Titze (The Journal of Singing, 65 (1), 59-61) for estimating the voicing time dose, short term
recovery time and cycle dose for the song “An Chloe” by Mozart as performed in the original key by a
soprano.
Recording and analyzing a performance of the song
Analysis methods included:
Calculating a VRP of the performance of the song
Comparing the performance VRP with the singer’s VRP
Calculating the actual recovery time, time dose and cycle dose from the sung performance
Comparing the actual dose data to the estimated values
The author will discuss the merits of such objective methods of singer and vocal repertoire assessment from
the perspective of the collegiate voice teacher.
NOTES:
31
Acoustics of Pressed Phonation and Throat Singing
Fariborz Alipour, PhD
Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor
Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders
The University of Iowa
Michael Karnell
Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck Surgery
University of Iowa Healthcare
Iowa City, Iowa
[2]
The acoustic spectrum of normal and pressed phonation was investigated in normal subjects along with
flexible laryngoscopy. Using a KayPentax model EPK-1000 video processor and a flexible laryngoscope
model VNL-1070 STK, the true and false vocal folds were observed and recorded while four normal subjects
including one trained singer performed various tasks. The audio signal was acquired with a Symetrix SX-202
microphone and the EGG signal was obtained with a KayPentax laryngograph model 6103. Signals were
recorded on the computer with KayPentax CSL model 4500 version 3.3.0 at 44.1 kHz samples per second.
The recorded EGG signal was used for vocal folds motion analysis and audio signal was used for spectral
analysis. Results indicated that during pressed phonation the false vocal folds experience both lateral and
anterior-posterior compressions. During pressed phonation and throat singing the EGG signal sometimes
takes a more complex shape that suggests a secondary tissue contact that might be attributed to the false
vocal folds motion. This was also observed from the video laryngoscopy. The acoustic spectra for the pressed
voice showed increased energy 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz due to the modification of vocal tract and formants
shift. The throat singing spectra included a sharp peak at fundamental of 210 Hz with additional energy
around 2000 Hz and 3200 Hz without the low-pitch sound of false vocal folds. Work supported by
NIDCD grant #R01DC009567.
NOTES:
32
Cirque du Soleil Casting: An in depth look at the casting process and vocal requirements for Cirque
du Soleil's multiple productions around the world.
Roger Butterly
Music Casting Advisor and Scout, Resident Shows
Cirque du Soleil
NOTES:
33
PAPER SESSION, No. 6
Overtone Singing Demonstration
Rollin Rachele
Abundant Sun, Ltd.
NOTES:
34
WORKSHOP, No. 3
Assessing Intonation: What Can Technology Teach Us?
Deirdre D. Michael, Ph.D., CCC/SLP
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Marina Gilman MM, MA, CCC-SLP
Department of Otolaryngology Emory University
Speech-Language Pathology
The Emory Voice Center
Atlanta, Georgia
Tyler Raad BS
Graduate Assistant, North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND
It is likely that most singers, singing teachers, and choral conductors have had the frustrating experience of
receiving contradictory opinions about the intonation of their student, their choir, or their own singing. It is
well-known to voice teachers judging voice competitions, or speech pathologists trying to agree on voice
quality, that there is often little agreement, even among “expert” listeners.
This workshop proposal is an extension of our proposal for a paper: Assessing Intonation: Perceptual
Strategies – A New Approach. Singing teachers and choral conductors in our communities have been
fascinated by the samples of singing, and the “tuned” versions of those samples, as well as by the ratings of
intonation and other voice characteristics. We will be giving a Minnesota NATS-sponsored workshop in
September, at which NATS members will have the opportunity to share and discuss their own perceptual
strategies. The hope, of course, is to move toward a more universal understanding of intonation, and how (or
if) it can be separated out from other characteristics of voice. We believe that a similar collegial workshop at
PAS 6 will be similarly welcomed.
The format for the workshop would be casual, in which samples are presented and listeners given the chance
to make their own ratings. In a small group like PAS, ratings can then be tallied, and the discussion can
begin. The authors can bring to light research that has been done in the area of pitch perception and voice
quality assessment.
It is our hope that attendees will then have the opportunity to discuss as colleagues how voice scientists might
shed new light on an age-old problem in the world of singing teachers.
NOTES:
35
Tutorial on the Use of the MADDE Synthesizer in Voice Pedagogy Classes
Kenneth Bozeman, MM
Professor of Music
Conservatory of Music, Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin
Chair of Editorial Board of the NATS Journal of Singing
A new edition of the MADDE Synthesizer by Svante Granqvist was introduced in the spring of 2011 that
added the top octave of the keyboard and a keyboard display of formants and partials. These improvements
have rendered MADDE an especially clear pedagogic tool for explaining and demonstrating the basic
acoustic elements of the voice source and the vocal tract filter, as well as all source/filter interactions. This
workshop tutorial will demonstrate how MADDE can be used to explain and display the effect of the
number of source harmonics, the roll off in power of the source spectrum, the implication of roll off on the
laryngeal registration of the voice source, the locations and bandwidths of vocal tract formants, the acoustic
effects of harmonic/formant relationships and crossings, such as open timbre, “turning over,” close timbre,
and “whoop” timbre.
1. Kenneth W. Bozeman, “New Technology for Teaching Voice Science and Pedagogy: the Madde Synthesizer (Svante
Granqvist),” Journal of Singing 68, no. 4 (March/April 2012): 415-418.
At the end of the workshop, attendees will:
Be familiar with the display parameters of MADDE.
Understand how to use MADDE to display characteristics of the voice source and vocal tract filter.
Understand how to use MADDE to display interactions between the harmonics of the voice source and the
formants of the vocal tract filter.
NOTES:
36
Saturday, October 10, 2012
PAPER SESSION, No. 7
Kenneth Bozeman, MM
Professor of Music
Conservatory of Music, Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin
Chair of Editorial Board of the NATS Journal of Singing
If vocal tract length and shape are kept stable across changes of fundamental frequency, source harmonics
inevitably pass through the center frequencies of vocal tract resonances, causing audible timbral effects.
Whenever a harmonic rises through the first formant, there is some degree of timbral “closure,” the fewer the
harmonics remaining below F1 the greater the closing. Whenever a harmonic drops below F1, there is some
degree of timbral “opening,” the more harmonics below F1, the greater the degree of openness. F1 tracking
of H1 or H2 has been shown to be pedagogically relevant (Sundberg, 1977; Miller, 2008). The passing of H2
through F1 has been identified as the primary register shift of a voice (Bozeman, 2007; Miller, 2008). Other
intersections also have potential pedagogic relevance. Since these events are predictable
by vowel and fundamental frequency for each vocal Fach, they can be used to assess and train the stability of
vocal tract length, a characteristic thought to be desirable in Western classical singing. This paper will explore
student singers and on the MADDE synthesizer, and present registration exercises based upon them.
1. Johann Sundberg, “The Acoustics of the Singing Voice,” Scientific American, Volume 236, No. 3 (March 1977), 8291.
2. Donald Gray Miller, Resonance in Singing (Princeton, NJ: Inside View Press, 2008), 50-54.
3. Kenneth W. Bozeman, “A Case for Voice Science in the Voice Studio,” Journal of Singing 63, no. 3
(January/February 2007): 267–268.
4. Donald Gray Miller, Resonance in Singing (Princeton, NJ: Inside View Press, 2008), 61–62.
At the end of the presentation, attendees will:
Be familiar with t
Understand the implications and use of open and close vowels, open and close timbre, and “yell” and
“whoop” formant tunings;
training and range development.
NOTES:
37
The Inertogram: From Theory to Practical Use
Ingo Titze, PhD
National Center for Voice and Speech
University of Iowa
Inertance of the supraglottal vocal tract, a quantity that assists vocal fold vibration, is theoretically derived
from an impedance measurement at the glottis. This is a difficult measurement, not feasible for studio
application. A useful approximation to the inertogram, however, can be obtained from formant frequency
measurements. Some of these approaches will be described. The inertogram shows where the “dead spots”
and “sweet spots” are for vocal fold vibration assisted by the vocal tract.
NOTES:
38
POSTER PAPER, Group C
The effects of three singer gestures on select acoustic and perceptual measures of singing in solo
and choral contexts
Melissa C. Brunkan PhD, Assistant Professor of Music Education
School of Music, Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA
The purpose of this two-part study was to assess across iterations the potential effects of three singer gesture
conditions (low, circular arm gesture; lifting with an arched hand; and pointing upward and outward) on
performances of three familiar songs by choral singers (N = 31; Experiment 1) and solo singers (N = 35;
Experiment 2), using selected acoustic and perceptual measurements. In Experiment 1, choral singers sang
seven iterations (baseline condition with no gesture, 5 gestural iterations, and posttest condition with no
gesture) of three song selections (“Over the Rainbow” with the low, circular arm gesture, “Singin’ the Rain”
with a pointing gesture, and “Hawaiian Rainbows” with the arched hand gesture). In Experiment 2, solo
singers followed the same protocol as the choral context (Experiment 1). All singers completed a
demographic questionnaire and a post hoc survey on perceptions of singing with gesture. Two expert panels
(N = 9 for each context) rated audio sound samples using a CRDI system on perceptions of singing with and
without gesture. Among primary findings, (1) Long-Term Average Spectra (LTAS) measures indicated
significant acoustical differences in choral sound (a) between baseline and posttest conditions, and (b)
between baseline performance and each of five gestural iterations, (2) according to Max/MSP pitch analyses,
expert listener (N =9) evaluations, and singer questionnaire responses there were perceived differences in
choral sound (a) between baseline and posttest conditions, and (b) between baseline performance and each of
five gestural iterations, and (3) most choristers (97%) mastered each gesture in a choral rehearsal context and
solo singing context (95%) as measured by video analyses, (4) according to measures of fundamental
frequency (Fo), relative amplitude (∆ dB), and formant behaviors, there were acoustical differences in solo
sound (a) between baseline and posttest conditions, (b) between baseline performance and five gestural
iterations, and (c) according to demographic variables of participant sex and singing experience, (5) according
to expert listener (N =9) evaluations and singer questionnaire responses there were perceived differences in
solo sound between conditions. Results were discussed in terms of singing pedagogy, limitations of the study,
and suggestions for further research.
NOTES:
39
Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Exercises and their effect on Normal and Disordered Voice
Troy Clifford Dargin, MA
Department of Music
University of Kansas
Jeffrey Searl, PhD
University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Speech Language Hearing
Lawrence, KS
The benefits of using resonant voice therapy have been well established in the speech pathology voice clinic
for years. It is essential for speakers who are not professional performer’s to feel a buzz in the “mask” of
their face in order to have correct forward placement, which in turn leads to less effort on the voice box.
Therefore, it is even more important for a professional singer to use resonant voice therapy techniques. In
this study there will be a group of 4 non-singers that have been diagnosed with hyperfunctional dysphonia by
an ear nose and throat medical doctor and a group of 4 singers who are considered to have normal voice.
They will be administered a flexible fiberoptic laryngeal endoscopy/stroboscopy procedure where we will
compare the visual stroboscopy image pre and post therapy. There will also be and MDVP Acoustical
measurement taken pre and post therapy. During therapy they will be administered 4 sessions of resonant
voice therapy by a speech language pathologist. It is expected that both groups will show improvement after
the therapy sessions.
NOTES:
40
Timbre Transitions in High-Pitched Male Musical Theater Singing
Aaron Grant, DMA
Opus3 Artists Management
New York, NY 10016
Belting is a vocal technique that is frequently associated with musical theater singing. Although many
studies have been performed on female belting, the amount ofinformation that is available on male belting is
limited. In thisstudy, the phonations of eleven male subjects were analyzed in order to achieve a better
understanding of the male musical theater voice. Spectrographic images were created using the VoceVista
software and images were analyzed and compared between multiple subjects singing in multiple timbres. The
results show that male musical theater singers are capable of producing both belted and non-belted timbres
during high-pitched singing, and that the differences in timbre are createdby changes in formant tuning
strategies. Comparisons to preexisting studies on female belting show that male musical theater singers utilize
similar formant tuning strategies during belting as do female musical theater singers.
NOTES:
41
Post doctoral research on alternative teaching method of teaching mixed voice and bodybased
singing to children aged 8 to 12. How to use intensified emotions and take advantage of their
influence within the body and more balanced singing.
Aija Puurtinen, DMus
Sibelius Academy, Helsinki
Finland
Eighteen months of working succesfully with 14 children in private singing lessons, ”circle singing” and in
group situation. Singing pedagogy emphasizes to pracitise mixed voice the role of body posture, body activity
and breathing support.
With children I will approach better balance in mixed voice technique through emotional warm ups, vocal
exercixes and offer ways of approaching a variety of CCM –styles from blues to rock. Keywords to children
in exercises and songs were for example joy, sadness, danger, arrogant, happiest person, laugh and sing.
Effective and emotional bodywork allows the singing child release physical tension and sing more freely and
breath more deeply – increase soundmaking/singing as an emotional and a physical process.
NOTES:
42
Undergraduate Research in Voice using VoceVista: Investigating Vocal Strategies
Amy L. Haines, MM
Assistant Professor of Music
Department of Music, Carthage College
Kenosha, WI
Today’s voice students frequently desire to effectively perform both traditional and contemporary repertoire.
A thorough analysis of performance practices that details resonance, articulation and style strategies deepens
understanding of the skills necessary for effective performance. In addition, studying performance practices
hones investigative skills, inspires interest in research, sensitizes students to emotional and expressive nuance,
and increases sophistication of performance choice. Such investigation also exposes students to higher levels
of learning in associated disciplines (poetics, literary analysis, acoustics, anatomy, physiology, vocology, and
recording studies) while experiencing the deep awareness that typifies people who go on to lives of life-long
learning.
Carthage fosters undergraduate research through class assignments, departmental internships, senior thesis
requirements, and individual student inquiry. Students interested in developing further understanding of
successful performance strategies are able to use the equipment in the Carthage Voice Lab to assist in their
investigations. The following model: Investigating Vocal Strategies: Traditional and Contemporary
Performance Practice, is being used by Carthage students to shape their study. This poster outlines
procedures and results thus far, as well as initial student findings.
NOTES:
43
PAPER SESSION, No. 8
Vocal Registers of the Countertenor Voice: Based on Signals Recorded and Analyzed in VoceVista
Ray Chenez, D.M.
Instructor of Voice
University of Alabama
To date, our understanding of the registers of the countertenor voice has been limited. The findings of this
study indicate that today’s countertenors make register transitions similar to those of the mezzo-soprano.
The primary register transition from the chest to middle register ranges from pitches B3 to E4, and is
primarily characterized by a decrease in closed quotient. An audibly smooth transition corresponds with a
gradual and slight adjustment in CQ, rather than a drastic change. The transition from the middle to the
upper register takes place in the range of pitches between C#5 and E5, and is characterized by both an
increase in closed quotient and a shift in the relative amplitudes of the first and second harmonic (H1 and
H2).
The data in this study was obtained from established and emerging professional countertenors in North
America. Audio and electroglottograph signals were recorded using a standard protocol primarily consisting
of scales and arpeggios on open vowels. The recordings were made without musical accompaniment.
NOTES:
44
Vocal Convergence
Daniel Ihasz, MM
Professor of Vocal Studies
State University of New York
School of Music
Fredonia, New York
Increasingly, voice teachers are called upon to teach different genres and vocal techniques including art song,
opera , musical theater, etc…… Though we employ the same anatomy and physiology is there a practical
common ground where these varying techniques intersect? Can the study of CCM techniques benefit or
inform traditional Classical techniques and vice versa?
This proposal is to investigate two very distinct vocal techniques; CCM and Classical to determine the
similarities or where the two techniques meet rather than where they differ. For example what are the
similarities of using chest voice, belt, belt mix and voce mista? Utilizing spectrogram, power spectrum and
egg, measurements will be made comparing a group of singers trained in both techniques performing samples
from each respective genre.
NOTES:
45
Memory, Hither Come: Using Open Source Course Management Systems to
Aid Memory Consolidation
Lynn Helding MM, Cert. in Vocology
Associate Professor of Music/Voice
Director of Performance Studies
Department of Music, Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA
In a 1998 essay entitled, “The Singing Teacher in the Age of Voice Science,” the great American pedagogue
Richard Miller asked the question: “What should a responsible voice teacher be teaching in a scientific age?”
Miller’s answer was characteristic of his high standards:
“We owe it to our students to be able to take advantage not only of everything that was known 200 years ago,
but also of everything that is known today.”I Now we are in the midst of a new age, that of the aptly named
“Cognitive Revolution.” In the same spirit that caused Miller to assert: “it is the responsibility of the voice
teacher in a scientific age to interpret and expand the vocal traditions through the means of current
analysis”ii, I propose that significant additions to the “current analysis” system must include the neuro- and
cognitive sciences, not to replace discoveries in voice science, but rather, to amplify discoveries in voice
science. I have presented at two previous PAS symposia,iii as well as at the previous two national NATS
conferences, in which I gave broad overviews of recent research in the neuro- and cognitive sciences.iv
For PAS/6, I propose a presentation that will focus on a critical and dynamic component of learning,
memory consolidation, wherein learners’ impressions are transferred from short-term to long-term memory
and thus, learned. The biological substrates of this cognitive process is receiving much scrutiny in current
neuro- and cognitive science research.
Through the support of a year-long “Willoughby Fellowship/Teaching with Technology” grant at my
institution (2009-2010), I have developed specific learning methods to aid the memory consolidation process
in the voice studio using the Open Source Course Management System (CMS) “Moodle,” also known as a
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). Although I only briefly mentioned this application in my most recent
presentation, it generated a lot of interest among singers and teachers at the NATS conference, so I am also
planning a future “Mindful Voice” column in JOS on this topic.
i Richard Miller in Vocal Health and Pedagogy, Robert Sataloff, ed. (San Diego: Singular
Publishing, 1998): 297-300.
ii Ibid., 300.
iii Lynn Helding, PAS presentation:The Theory of Multiple Intelligences: Toward a Rapprochement
between Science and Art in Vocal Pedagogy, The Third International Physiology and Acoustics of
Singing Conference, York, England, May 12, 2006. Lynn Helding, PAS Poster Paper: The
Triumvirate of Motor Learning: Talent, Training and Practice, The Fourth International Physiology
and Acoustics of Singing Conference, San Antonio TX, Jan 7-10, 2009.
iv Lynn Helding, presentation: Mindful Voice: Ten Tenets from the Cognitive Revolution, NATS
51st National Conference: July 4, 2010, Salt Lake City, Utah. Lynn Helding, presentation:
Mindful Voice: The Singing Teacher in the Age of the Cognitive Revolution, NATS 52nd National
Conference: July 1, 2012, Orlando, FL.
NOTES:
46
PAPER SESSION, No. 9
Somatic Voicework™ The LoVetri Method: An Overview
Jeannette LoVetri
Director, The Voice Workshop
New York, NY
This paper will present the basic elements of Somatic Voicework™ The LoVetri Method and its application
to vocal technique.
Somatic Voicework™ The LoVetri Method is a body-based approach to teaching Contemporary Commercial
Music• styles. It is based in voice science and vocal health and is designed to increase a singer’s auditory and
kinesthetic awareness while producing vocal sound. It works to release, align and balance the vocal and
physical systems and to free the vocalist to express deep and authentic emotion through music. It promotes
uniqueness of tone and personal satisfaction in the singer. It is clear in its premises but flexible in its
application.
Somatic Voicework™ is taught at four universities in three different departments. It is taught at Shenandoah
Conservatory in the music department, at the University of Massachusetts in the Department of Jazz Studies,
at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in the Department of Jazz Studies, and at the University of
Central Oklahoma. It has been affiliated with four world-recognized otolaryngologists: Dr. James Burns of
Massachusetts, Dr. Gwen Korovin and Dr. Peak Woo of New York City, and Dr. Norman Hogikyan of
Michigan and has also been affiliated with two Speech Language Pathologists with expertise in the
professional voice, Dr. Christopher Watts of Texas and Dr. Wendy DeLeo LeBorgne of Cincinnati. More
than 600 people from 38 states and 11 foreign countries have graduated from at least one of the three levels
of Somatic Voicework™.
www.thevoiceworkshop.com
*Those styles previously called “non-classical” including music theater, jazz, rock, pop, Gospel, R&B,
country, folk, rap and others
NOTES:
47
Semitone Tuning in Vocal Performance
(1) Johanna Devaney, PhD
(2) Jason Hockman
(3) Jonathan Wild
(4) Peter Schubert
(5) Ichiro Fujinaga
(1) Center for University of California, Berkeley;
(2–5) CIRMMT, Schulich School of Music, McGill University
In earlier work, we studied six professional and six non-professional singers’ performances of Schubert’s
“Ave Maria”, both a cappella and with accompaniment. We observed a significant effect in both groups for
intervallic direction of semitones; on average the singers’ descending intervals were 7–8 cents smaller than
their ascending intervals. In the non-professional group, we also observed significant effects for the presence
of accompaniment and for leadingtone motion. In this group, the singers’ semitones in their accompanied
performances were 3 cents larger on average than in their a cappella performances and their semitones
between leading-tone and tonic were 10 cents smaller on average than their other semitones.
In this follow-up experiment, we consider the effect of accompaniment, de-tuning, and harmonic context on
singing of semitones in a set of simple two-part exercises, shown in Figure 1. As with the earlier experiment,
our subject pool includes both professional and non-professional singers. The subjects are asked to
sing the upper line, which is the same simple semitone pattern for all of the exercises, against a recorded
version of the lower line. The lower line was retuned using pitch correction software to two different starting
pitches (a major second above and below the original pitch) and three different tuning conditions. The
three tuning conditions are equal temperament, Just Intonation, and a modifiedversion of Just Intonation
tuning with certain notes raised or lowered by one or two syntonic commas (22.5 or 45 cents, respectively). In
the modified Just Intonation version, melodic intervals are inflected in a counter-intuitive direction
to provoke the subjects into making a choice between acceptable melodic intervals or acceptable vertical
intervals. The deviations from equal temperament in the Just Intonation and modified Just Intonation
versions are shown Table 1. Overall, there are 6 versions of each of the 15 exercises presented to each
subject, resulting in 90 measure-long exercises in total. The subjects are given a score of both parts, so
that they can see the notes in the lower line.
Preliminary analysis of a pilot singer’s performance of the exercises shows a significant effect for direction,
similar to our earlier experiment. This singer’s descending intervals were 11 cents smaller on average than the
ascending intervals. There were no significant differences between the means of the semitone sizes in
different tuning conditions. There was, however, a greater amount of variation in semitone size when the
subject sang against the modified Just Intonation version of the exercise than for the equal tempered or Just
Intonation conditions.
48
Figure 1: Two-part exercises used in the experiment.
49
Table 1: Tuning deviations in cents from equal temperament for the standard Just
Intonation tuning (left) and the Just Intonation tuning with syntonic comma inflections
(right).
NOTES:
50
Assessing Intonation: Perceptual Strategies – A New Approach
Deirdre D. Michael, Ph.D., CCC/SLP
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Marina Gilman MM, MA, CCC-SLP
Department of Otolaryngology Emory University
Speech-Language Pathology
The Emory Voice Center
Atlanta, GA
Tyler Raad BS
Graduate Assistant, North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND
It is no surprise to voice teachers judging voice competitions, or speech pathologists trying to agree on voice
quality, that there is often little agreement, even among expert listeners. Studies by Wapnick and Ekholm
(1997), and Kreiman and Gerratt (2007), for example, tried to determine why listeners often disagree on
ratings of voice quality. In the Wapnick and Ekholm study some listeners were influenced by the execution of
the sung samples, while others relied more on the intrinsic qualities to make their determination. Kreiman
and Gerratt, in attempting to find a model for voice quality assessment, suggested “to the extent that listeners
rely on individual acoustic dimensions when making quality judgments, their attention to a dimension appears
to depend on access to the context of the entire voice pattern.” Yet, of all the terms that describe the singing
voice, “pitch” should be the most objective, as it is the perceptual correlate of fundamental frequency, which
can be measured objectively. By extension, ‘intonation’ should be a perceptual quality on which singing
teachers can agree. A study by Michael, et al., presented at PAS 3, found wide disagreement among 10 expert
singing teachers asked to rate 40 singers, each singing a 5-note scale up and down, for six characteristics of
singing: intonation, effort/ease, focus/clarity of tone, resonance focus, vibrato, and overall quality. The
intonation ratings on a 120 mm visual analog scale with the end-points marked “worst” (0 mm) and “best”
(120 mm) had a spread of 60 mm to 80 mm on over half of the samples.
In a study presented at PAS 5, Michael and Gilman attempted to determine whether there were any
perceptual strategies employed by the singing teachers that might explain the wide variation in intonation
ratings. Pitch contour and stability, vibrato, and spectral characteristics were assessed to determine what
acoustic characteristics might account for the widely disparate judgments of intonation. Singing samples with
the best scores, the worse scores, and the most divergent scores were examined for pitch accuracy (cents),
characteristics of vowel formants (LPC), long-term average spectrum, and relationship to other factors such
as vibrato. From the samples analyzed it became clear that ratings of intonation are not well correlated with
the actual accuracy of intonation in cents. It also appears that presence of vibrato is perceptually salient for
some listeners and not for others. No clear patterns for spectral characteristics emerged, suggesting either
that there may be other factors involved, or that the there were not enough samples analyzed to uncover a
pattern.
The current study takes a different approach. The original voice samples were “tuned” by means of a pitchcorrection software program, Melodyne, in common use in the music industry. Several strategies for tuning
were employed: a) Tempered = every pitch tuned to 0 cents, that is, every pitch correct in equal temperament
tuning; b) Corrected = Initial pitch maintained, every subsequent pitch 200 cents apart (or 100 cents for a half
step); c) Preserved = initial pitch tuned to 0 cents, then subsequent original intervals (cents) preserved. Figure
1 shows an example of the Melodyne screen for an untuned sample.
51
Figure 1. A sample of a sung scale, ready for “tuning” in Melodyne
In a pilot study, seven “tuned” samples were presented along with the Original (untuned) sample to three
singing teachers. The listeners were once again asked to rate the samples for intonation, as well as the other 5
characteristics, on a 120 mm visual analog scale. Once again, the range of ratings for the Original sample was
highly variable, with ranges from 7 mm to 70 mm. The range of ratings for the Preserved samples was slightly
less, from 11 mm to 43 mm; the Corrected samples ranged from 10 mm to 51 mm; and the Tempered
samples ranged from 4 mm to 51 mm. One-tailed T-Test comparison of the tuned ratings to the Original
shows that the Preserved ratings were not different from the Original (p=0.15), but the Corrected and the
Tempered were significantly different from the Original (0.03 and 0.02 respectively).
Even with only three listeners, varying strategies for assessing intonation were evident. For example, one
listener had moderate correlations between intonation and four of the other characteristics, but a much
stronger correlation between intonation and overall quality. Another listener had very high correlations
between intonation and all other characteristics. The third listener had weak and variable correlations between
intonation and the other five characteristics.
Further, in this pilot study, there was no pattern of preference for either of the tuning strategies. One listener
rated the Tempered samples more highly than the others for the samples that originally had very low ratings
or very divergent ratings, but this pattern did not hold for the samples that originally had high intonation
ratings. The other listeners did not demonstrate patterns.
These preliminary results agree with previous findings that singing teachers use a variety of perceptual
strategies in the assessment of intonation. It is also clear from these results that perception of intonation is
influenced by other characteristics of voice or other unknown variables as indicated by several ratings for
Tempered samples, which were in 20’s, 30’s, and even single digits for intonation (highest rating 120 mm).
That is, samples that were, in fact, ‘perfectly in tune’ were rated as having very poor intonation. It would
appear that “intonation” does not have a direct acoustic correlate that is universally shared by singing
teachers.
The expanded study will use 20 samples in all four tunings, and 10 singing teachers as listeners to further
explore the effects of tuning on ratings of intonation, and its potential use in determining perceptual
strategies for assessing intonation. Implications for training teachers of singing will be explored in light of
these findings. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to, and rate, examples of original and tuned
samples, and consider how voice scientists might shed new light on an age-old problem in the world of
singing teachers.
References:
1. Kreiman J, Gerratt BR, Ito M. When and why listeners disagree in voice quality assessment. J. Acoustic. Soc. Am.
2007;144(4):2354-2364.
2. Wapnick J, Ekholm E. Expert Consensus in solo performance evaluation. Journal of Voice. 1996;11(4):429-436.
NOTES:
52
WORKSHOP, No. 4 & 5
Live in Las Vegas! In-ear Headphone Conundrums and Solutions for Singers
Tod Fitzpatrick, DMA, Cert. in Vocology
Associate Professor of Music
Department of Music
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Silje-Marie Norderhaug
Professional Singer in Cirque de Soleil’s Mystère
The use of in-ear headphones is often a challenge to singers during live performance. Current theatrical
productions increasingly require performers to be spread out across large distances in multi-leveled stage
settings. As a result, musicians use electronic sound monitors (in-ears) to create a rhythmically and
harmonically accurate ensemble. Unfortunately, the quality and proximity of the direct sound signal can
hinder a singer’s ability to perform.
Several factors create an experience that is unlike performance in a purely acoustic, non-electronically
amplified environment. Singers experience feedback that may be acoustically modified through the use of an
equalization soundboard. As a result, some performers may try to adjust their singing in an attempt to
generate the feedback vocal quality they desire. A technically detrimental vocal loop is then created that can
significantly affect tuning, registration, breath and muscular synergy.
The workshop will explain how and why in-ear headphones are used, challenges associated with the device
and several possible solutions to assist both the singer and sound technician.
NOTES:
53
Practical Science: Semi-occluded vocal tract exercise efficacy and the contemporary commercial
music “belt” mode
Kimberly James DMA, Cert in Vocology
Associate Professor of Music
University of Montana
Research and clinical practice confirms that semi-occluded vocal tract (SOVT) exercises are beneficialtools
for vocal habilitation and rehabilitation. Although clinicians have regularly used SOVT exercises inclinics and
voice studios, only recently has the scientific community described the theoretic basis for SOVT exercise
efficacy (Titze, 2006). Likewise, many singing voice teachers are uninformed of more recent developments in
vocal source–resonator interactions and the (re)habilitation principles and tools associated with non-linear
source-filter theory. This presentation and workshop seeks to bridge the gap between the science and current
practices that utilize SOVT with particular focus on the contemporary commercial music (CCM) “belting”
mode.
The presentation and subsequent workshop reaffirms the science and praxis behind recent
developments in SOVT training from the clinical/singing voice teacher perspective and expand from this
solid base into the specifics of how SOVT training helps singers. It is important that scientists and
practitioners are working together to disseminate practical science and effective methodologies that can be
utilized and understood by a broad audience. Further, the presentation will describe how SOVT principles are
currently being used in classical and commercial music voice studios, supported by quantitative measures
(spectrograph analyses) and qualitative measures (perceptual analyses and surveys). The workshop portion
focuses on simple flow resistance (coffee straw phonation) exercises and how they have been particularly
useful in training the “belt” mode, an exciting and necessary thyroarytenoid-dominant vocal mode in the
CCM genres yet traditionally perceived as dangerous from classical vocal pedagogues and practitioners. The
issue raised by Gaskill and Quinney (2011) of transitioning from flow-resistant straw exercises to normal
phonation is addressed. The presenter’s results point to beneficial changes at the level of the vocal folds,
changes in supraglottal transmissions, and source-filter interactions (Vampola et al, 2011). The session closes
with a discussion of potential future intersections of research and praxis for SOVT training for CCM
specialists.
Gaskill, C. & Quinney, D. (2011). The Effect of Resonance Tubes on Glottal Content Quotient With and Without Task
Instruction: A Comparison of Trained and Untrained Voices. Journal of Voice, Epub ahead of print, 1-15.
Nix, J. & Simpson, B. (2008). Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract Postures and Their Application in the
Singing Voice Studio. Journal of Singing, 2008, 339-342.
Sampaio, M., Oliveira, G., & Behlau, M. (2008). Investigacao de efeitos imediatos de dois
exerciÅLsios de trato vocal semi-ocluiÅLdo. Pró-Fono Revista de Atualização Científica, 20 (4), 261-267.
Titze, I. (2006). Voice Training and Therapy with a Semi-Occluded Vocal Tract: Rationale and
Scientific Underpinnings. Journal of Voice, 49, 448-459.
Vampola, T. Laukkanen, A., HoraÅLček, J. & Švec. J. (2011). Vocal tract changes caused by phonationinto a tube: A
case study using computer tomography and finite-element modeling. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 129
(1), 310-315.
NOTES:
54
Implementing Arthur Lessac’s Body and Voice Work into the Stage, the Studio, and the Clinic.
Troy Clifford Dargin
University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Speech Language Hearing and Department of Music
Lawrence, KS
Learning how to breathe correctly and stand in a “perfect” posture is a desired outcome for any serious
performer or clinician. Unfortunately, most people do not breathe or stand in the most efficient way. This
in turn leads to not only breathing issues but acoustic issues as well. If a singer or actor is not using adequate
breath support the tone is going to drop and the pitch will be flat or not as “in tune” as it could be with
optimal breath support. Singers and Actors spend most of their career focusing on how to breathe correctly
and most efficiently with a deep diaphragmatic breath that is both effortless and efficient. Performers
oftentimes need to catch a very quick breath between phrases of their song or recitation. Clinicians also
struggle with how to teach clients to breathe with a diaphragmatic breath in a series of short sessions. In this
workshop we will look at the techniques of Arthur Lessac’s body and voice movement which will help the
actor, the singer, and the clinician (who will eventually help patient’s) to breathe with a deep and
diaphragmatic breath. The second part to the master class will be focused on the acoustic properties of the
tone when breathing correctly. “The Call” is what Arthur Lessac termed his acoustically perfect sound. “The
Call” was performed when attention was needed to be gained across a loud hall. “The Call” requires one to
form their mouth is a certain position to take advantage of all the acoustical power from the vocal tract,
which according to Arthur Lessac changes with each pitch. We will discuss how this relates to formants and
will see this visually by use of a computer software program such as Voce Vista. This master class will
encourage active participation of the members present.
NOTES:
55
Teaching Novices to Belt
Jeannette LoVetri
Director, The Voice Workshop
New York, NY
Many people are curious about the vocal quality called “belting”. Particularly for those who are trained in
classical vocal pedagogy, this quality can be difficult to understand and use. This workshop will invite two
individuals in the audience who have no experience belting to be demonstrators. The instructor will guide the
demonstrators through vocal exercises leading to a belt vocal quality, additionally using this as an opportunity
to present what is currently known in voice science research about how belting is produced. The instructor is
a classically trained soprano who has always been able to belt and has over 40 years of experience teaching all
styles of singing in New York City. There will be time for questions from the audience.
www.thevoiceworkshop.com
NOTES:
56