Instrumental and Perceptual Evaluations of Two Related Singers

The primary goal of this study was to characterize a performer's singing and speaking voice. One woman was not admitted to a premier choral group, but her sister, who was comparable in physical characteristics and background, was admitted and provided a valuable control subject. The perceptual judgment of a vocal coach who conducted the group's auditions was decisive in discriminating these 2 singers. The singer not admitted to the group described a history of voice pathology, lacked a functional head register, and spoke with a voice characterized by hoarseness. Multiple listener judgments and acoustic and aerodynamic evaluations of both singers provided a more systematic basis for determining: 1) the phonatory basis for this judgment; 2) whether similar judgments would be made by groups of vocal coaches and speech-language pathologists; and 3) whether the type of tasks (e.g., sung vs. spoken) would influence these judgments. Statistically significant differences were observed between the ratings of vocal health provided by two different groups of listeners. Significant interactions were also observed as a function of the types of voice samples heard by these listeners. Instrumental analyses provided evidence that, in comparison to her sister, the rejected singer had a compromised vocal range, glottal insufficiencies as assessed aerodynamically and electroglottographically, and impaired acoustic quality, especially in her speaking voice.     

Voice Handicap Index in singers

The Voice Handicap Index (VHI) was developed to assess patients' perception of the severity of their voice disorder. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of handicap expressed by professional and recreational presenters with a voice complaint. Singers (n = 106) and nonsingers (n = 369) with voice symptoms were studied. The results of the VHI for singers indicate that singers score significantly lower (less severe) on the VHI compared to nonsingers. Singers with vocal fold nodules had a lower mean VHI than singers with vocal fold cysts or polyps. Singers who perform classical music had the lowest mean VHI of all types of singers studied. A low VHI in singers may represent a significant handicap and should not be ignored when considering the severity of a singer's voice problem.     

Acoustic comparison of voice use in solo and choir singing

An experiment was carried out in which eight bass/baritone singers were recorded while singing in both choral and solo modes. Together with their own voice, they heard the sound of the rest of the choir and a piano accompaniment, respectively. The recordings were analyzed in several ways, including computation of long-time-average spectra for each passage, analysis of the sound levels in the frequency ranges corresponding to the fundamental and the "singer's formant," and a comparison of the sung levels with the levels heard by the singers. Matching pairs of vowels in the two modes were inverse filtered to determine the voice source spectra and formant frequencies for comparison. Differences in both phonation and articulation between the two modes were observed. Subjects generally sang with more power in the singer's formant region in the solo mode and with more power in the fundamental region in the choral mode. Most singers used a reduced frequency distance between the third and fifth formants for increasing the power in the singer's formant range, while the difference in the fundamental was mostly a voice source effect. In a choral singing mode, subjects usually adjusted their voice levels to the levels they heard from the other singers, whereas in a solo singing mode the level sung depended much less on the level of an accompaniment.     

Voice problems and risk factors among aerobics instructors

Fifty female and four male aerobics instructors completed a questionnairepertaining to vocal problems and variables that could indicate an increased risk for developing problems. The questions concerned teaching experience, physical data regarding instructional facilities, method of voice projection, music volume, history of illness, allergies, voice loss, hoarseness, smoking habits, and knowledge of vocal hygiene. The results showed that a significant number of instructors experienced partial or complete voice loss (44%) during and after instructing, as well as increased episodes of voice loss, hoarseness, and sore throat unrelated to illness since they began instructing. Significant variables associated with voice problems included sore throat and hoarseness following instruction, and shouting to cue the participants. It was also found that very few instructors in this study had any knowledge of vocal hygiene techniques.     

Effects of Testosterone Replacement on a Male Professional Singer

Testosterone has been known to play an important role in the development of the postpubertal male voice for many centuries. In fact, the prevention of pubertal development of the voice by castrating young male singers was a well-known practice, especially in Italy beginning in the sixteenth century. The “castrati” were well known for their clear, high-pitched voices. Because of the resulting small larynx and vocal folds, castrati apparently produced a distinctive resonance as well as the high pitch, which cannot be matched even by the counter tenors of today. Busy voice labs occasionally see males with sex hormone deficiencies secondary to chromosomal or gonadal problems. This is a presentation of an unusual patient who was a trained tenor singer and was found to have hypogonadism on a premarital health examination. Administration of replacement testosterone resulted in significant vocal register and voice quality changes.     

Evaluating the Influence of Warmup on Singing Voice Quality Using Acoustic Measures

Vocal warmup is generally accepted as vital for singing performance. However, only a limited number of studies have evaluated this effect quantitatively. In this study, we evaluated the effect of vocal warmup on voice production, among young female singers, using a set of acoustic parameters. Warmup reduced frequency-perturbation (p < 0.001) and amplitude-perturbation values (p < 0.05). In addition, warmup increased singer's formant amplitude (p < 0.05) and improved noise-to-harmonic ratio (p < 0.05). Tone-matching accuracy, however, was not affected by warmup. The effect of vocal warmup on frequency-perturbation parameters was more evident among mezzo-soprano singers than it was among soprano singers. It was also more evident in the low pitch-range than in the higher pitch-ranges (p < 0.05). The results of this study provide valid support for the advantageous effect of vocal warmup on voice quality and present acoustic analysis as a valuable and sensitive tool for quantifying this effect.     

Effects of sound-field frequency modulation amplification on reducing teachers'' sound pressure level in the classroom

Voice problems are a frequent difficulty that teachers experience. Common complaints by teachers include vocal fatigue and hoarseness. One possible explanation for these symptoms is prolonged elevations in vocal loudness within the classroom. This investigation examined the effectiveness of sound-field frequency modulation (FM) amplification on reducing the sound pressure level (SPL) of the teacher's voice during classroom instruction. Specifically, SPL was examined during speech produced in a classroom lecture by 10 teachers with and without the use of sound-field amplification. Results indicated a significant 2.42-dB decrease in SPL with the use of sound-field FM amplification. These data support the use of sound-field amplification in the vocal hygiene regimen recommended to teachers by speech-language pathologists.     

A Preliminary Study of Vocal Health Among Collegiate A Cappella Singers

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

Self-reported voice problems among three groups of professional singers

A vocal health questionnaire was administered to three groups of professional singers and a “friendship-matched” group of nonsingers in Melbourne, Australia. The responses of 79 opera, 57 musical theatre and 31 contemporary (excluding rock) singers and 86 nonsingers were analysed. The questionnaire solicited information regarding biographical data speaking and singing voice-use behaviours, and vocal health over the previous 12 months in terms of experiences of vocal impairment, vocal disability, and handicap. Significant differences between singers and nonsingers in the prevalence and nature of voice problems were reported. Of the singers, 44% reported one or more occurrences of a diagnosed vocal condition compared to 21% of nonsingers and 69% of singers experienced vocal disability compared to only 41% of nonsingers, over the previous 12 months. In contrast, no significant differences were found between the three different styles of singers in their experience of vocal impairment, disability or handicap.     

The effects of preventive vocal hygiene education on the vocal hygiene habits and perceptual vocal characteristics of training singers

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of vocal hygiene education on the vocal hygiene behaviors and perceptual vocal characteristics of untrained singers. Eleven adult untrained singers served as subjects. They attended four 1-hour class sessions on vocal hygiene, including anatomy and physiology of the phonatory mechanism, vocally abusive behaviors, voice disorders commonly seen in singers, and measures to prevent voice disorders. Pre- and postinstruction surveys were used to record subjects' vocal abuses and their perceptions of their speaking and singing voice. They also rated their perceived value of vocal hygiene education. Results revealed minimal changes in vocal hygiene behaviors and perceptual voice characteristics. The subjects did report a high degree of benefit and learning, however.