Physiological and acoustic characteristics of the female music theater voice

International audienc

Effects of melody and technique on acoustical and musical features of Western operatic singing voices

peer reviewedObjective: The operatic singing technique is frequently employed in classical music. Several acoustical parameters of this specific technique have been studied but how these parameters combine remains unclear. This study aims to further characterize the Western operatic singing technique by observing the effects of melody and technique on acoustical and musical parameters of the singing voice. Methods: Fifty professional singers performed two contrasting melodies (popular song and romantic melody) with two vocal techniques (with and without operatic singing technique). The common quality parameters (energy distribution, vibrato rate and extent), perturbation parameters (standard deviation of the fundamental frequency, signal-to-noise ratio, jitter and shimmer) and musical features (fundamental frequency of the starting note, average tempo, and sound pressure level) of the 200 sung performances were analyzed. Results: The results regarding the effect of melody and technique on the acoustical and musical parameters show that the choice of melody had a limited impact on the parameters observed, whereas a particular vocal profile appeared depending on the vocal technique employed. Conclusions: This study confirms that vocal technique affects most of the parameters examined. In addition, the observation of quality, perturbation and musical parameters contributes to a better understanding of the Western operatic singing technique

Calling out the nameless: CocoRosie's Posthuman sound world

“To engage with CocoRosie requires absolute suspension of disbe- lief,” writes The Guardian. This has as much to do with their music as their appearance, for sisterly duo CocoRosie have embraced what they call a “posthuman kind of style” rooted in the dissolution of gender. In an effort to imagine a world beyond human constructions of gender, CocoRosie creates a sound world that reflects this aesthetic of a genderless futurity. Following Donna Haraway’s notion of the posthuman occupying a “post-gender world” and Drew Daniel’s contention that “all sound is queer,” supposing sound can sound gendered or de-gendered centers the discussion of posthumanity around the production and reception of sound. This discussion of CocoRosie, then, offers music scholars a particularly apt discursive model for examining what a post-gender (and thus posthuman) sound world sounds like. CocoRosie’s strange music, I contend, carries a transformative impulse and in turn sounds the undoing of gender itself

The Relationship between Kinesthetic Perceptions of Elite Music Theater Singers and Acoustic Measures of Voice Production Methods: A Pedagogic Analysis

This study relates acoustic changes that occur during female belt voice, mix voice, and legit voice to the self-reported physical sensations of elite music theater (MT) singers for the purposes of developing further pedagogic language to convey imagery and sensation to students of MT singing.;Six professional female MT singers comfortable producing belt, mix, and legit styles of singing sang a series of C major and E-flat major scales on the vowels /alpha/, /ae/, /epsilon/, and /[special character omitted]/, followed by three brief excerpts from the modern MT repertoire. Both prior to and following the sung exercises, subjects described the three styles based on their own kinesthetic feedback. Sung examples were recorded using spectrograph software and compared to the stated physical sensations of the singers.;The results of the study support the need for a MT specific pedagogy. Information provided by the six singers, both through interview and sung exercises, shows a clear difference between techniques they successfully use in the MT industry and those traditionally taught to classical singers. The results support the current literature on belt and mix techniques. In addition, a pattern in the acoustic spectrum of legit voice was found that shows a distinct difference between legit and classical styles of singing. Further research in this area is needed to clarify terminology used in the MT industry

The Hybrid Teacher: Expanding the Vocal Pedagogy Regime

The world of professional vocal training is becoming more and more eclectic and demanding in the United States. Academic music programs, and subsequently, vocal and vocal pedagogy programs are still predominantly classical in 2022, due to the American university system’s historical roots. In the 21st century, the commercial music industry is at an all-time high. However, in contemporary academia, vocal and vocal pedagogy degree programs remain primarily classical. In recent years, voice professionals have been discussing the implications of academic programs updating their programs and pedagogy in order to include professional CCM and hybrid training. Classical, CCM and hybrid singers need assured longterm vocal health, proficiency, and artistry via pedagogically-sound vocal training. The question is, “How will more voice teachers will be trained in hybrid techniques to meet this need?” Changes to academic courses and requirements are necessary to ensure that hybrid (classical and nonclassical) vocal pedagogy is offered more broadly to all voice-teachers-in-training. Collegiate vocal pedagogy must make a greater effort to meet industry standards for singers of every musical style, moving away from predominantly classical styles to a hybrid system which acknowledges classical and nonclassical styles as equally valid and challenging. The hybrid voice teacher understands classical and nonclassical singing and can modify teaching techniques to suit the interests and abilities of their voice students. Training for the hybrid voice teacher must begin in academia. Academic training for the hybrid teacher ensures that more voice teachers are working, a broader range of future voice professionals have solid technical foundations, and industry standards for all styles of singing are acknowledged, respected, and upheld by professional voice teachers. This dissertation will look at the understanding of scientific function as being of prime importance in teaching healthy singing. In studying classical and belted vocal techniques functionally, many differences are noticeable in voice science. The first part of this paper will focus on current research and theory related to functional belting and functional classical singing techniques, and their application to various sung musical styles. By comparing functional singing during classical versus belted technique, one can denote any differences in posture, breath, registration, resonance, and acoustics. The second part of the paper offers applied exercises and explanations for in-studio application of the information offered in Part I. These exercises mirror the pedagogical areas explored in Part I (posture and breathing, registration, resonance, and acoustics), offering training techniques that acknowledge technical differences between classical and belted singing inside the hybrid studio. To close Part II, vocal cross-training implications will be explored

Effective Contemporary Commercial Music Vocal Training for Thai Singers

This research addresses specific methods of vocal training for singing. The research focuses on ContemporaryCommercial Music (CCM), which is termed “popular music”.The research design this study uses is grounded theory research. The goal is to pragmatically applyexisting best practices to the development of vocal pedagogy in Thailand. Data for this research had beencollected from a number of sources, peer-reviewed journals, professional books, and online resources.The purpose of this research is to set out a framework for a CCM curriculum that takes into accountthe current training methods and the specific requirements of CCM as compared to classical vocal training.The study examines how singers are currently trained in Thailand and identifies the content requiredfor CCM vocal training to be effective. It also identifies other factors that the CCM vocal curriculum willneed to take into account.During the research, the researcher found that there is still a lot of confusion in existing curriculumsand training practices between classical singing and CCM methods and techniques. Many books onvocal pedagogy and teaching singing are not specific about whether they are presenting CCM or classicaltechniques, and they may not even discuss the difference.Result indicated that it would be appropriate to establish a goal in singing education to providecorrect information for the style the singer is learning. At the individual level, singing teachers need tolearn correct vocal pedagogy to make sure they are instructing their students correctly.Key words: vocal pedagogy, contemporary commercial music, singer in Thailan

A voice profile of the adolescent speaker and singer

"The purpose of this research was to obtain a detailed profile of the adolescent speaking voice and to assess which style of singing causes the highest level of muscular tension. The three singing genres evaluated were classical, musical theater, and gospel. Twenty middle and high school choral students, 13 females and 7 males, comprised the sample. The KayPentax Computerized Speech Lab (CSL) was utilized to extract acoustic parameters. Laryngeal imaging was performed on each subject using the KayPentax Stroboscopy System while the subjects sang excerpts of the three styles of music. Results showed acoustic parameters that were outside of published normative ranges for both females and males. Laryngeal imaging revealed greater muscular tension while singing musical theater compared to classical and gospel singing."--Abstract from author supplied metadata