The Visual/Kinesthetic Effects of Melodic Contour in Musical Notation as it Affects Vocal Timbre in Singers of Classical and Music Theater Repertoire

The purpose of this investigation was to obtain information from professional singers active in performing of both classical and music theater repertoire with regard to the visual/kinesthetic effect of melodic contour in musical notation as it affects vocal timbre. The evaluation of data gathered during the study indicates that there is reason to investigate the resulting postural shifts of the head and neck because they are guided by visual maps of melodic contour and its inversion. Significantly, it was discovered that the tone quality produced when a singer's head and neck postures followed the natural melodic contour of the melody was in no case considered to be the most pleasing of the conditions studied and that, in many cases, the tone quality produced when a singer's head and neck postures followed a map of the inversion of the melodic contour was judged to be much improved. The results of the study also indicate that the development of new technology for the general teaching studio, designed to address these effects, may be useful to these singers.