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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Spectral analysis of sung vowels. III. Characteristics of singers and modes of singing.

The 1/3-oct spectra of nine different vowels, sung by 14 professional male and female singers in nine different modes of singing, were analyzed to reveal spectral characteristics of individual singers and modes of singing. The main spectral differences between singers could be described in two dimensions characterizing, respectively, differences among male and among female singers. Spectral characteristics of these dimensions suggested that interindividual differences among males, like the average difference between males and females, arise mainly from differences in vocal tract dimensions, whereas interindividual differences among females may have a glottal basis. The spectral characteristics of the modes of singing could be represented for each vowel in two dimensions. Differences among the soft (pianissimo), light, neutral, free, straight, extra vibrato, and loud (fortissimo) modes were mainly due to the spectral effect of vocal effort, which constituted a very dominant first spectral dimension. This dimension essentially reflected the slope of the spectrum. The second dimension mainly described the spectral differences between the dark and pressed modes of singing. A possible explanation of the results in terms of glottal and supraglottal morphological variation is discussed.

Female↗
PubMed2006

Preliminary findings on the classical singer's use of the pectoralis major muscle.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to further characterize the muscle activity that influences the posture and breathing utilized for classical singing. The activity in the pectoralis major (PC) muscle and the phasing of PC activity to sternocleidomastoideus (STM) activity and upper thorax (UTX) movement were investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seven professional classical singers (3 sopranos, 1 mezzo, 1 tenor and 2 baritones) and 8 advanced classical singing students (4 sopranos, 1 mezzo, 1 tenor and 2 baritones) participated. Electromyographic activity was recorded from the PC and STM muscles on the right side. UTX movement was traced with a strain gauge sensor placed around the upper thorax. Different arias, freely chosen by the singers from their professional repertoire, served as singing tasks. All subjects performed their task 3 times with variation in vocal loudness (normal, forte, piano). RESULTS: It was observed that a majority of the singers activated the PC during inhalation and that > 50% of the singers activated it during parts of phonation. In general, however, the activity of the PC was relatively low during phonation. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the PC, in idiosyncratic patterns, could be involved in the inspiratory effort recruited when positioning the UTX during inhalation and phonation.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Pulmonary function in singers and wind-instrument players.

Previous studies suggest that pulmonary function of singers and wind-instrument players may be better than normal control subjects due to breath-control training; however, prior studies were poorly controlled or limited in scope. In the present study, we compare 34 singers and 48 wind instrumentalists with a control group of 31 string or percussion instrumentalists using a pulmonary questionnaire, measurements of inspiratory and expiratory pressures, and spirometry. We found no significant difference between groups in maximum voluntary ventilation, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), mean forced expiratory flow during the middle half of the FVC, the FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory pressure, or peak inspiratory pressure, independently or when corrected for age, sex, height, weight, years performing, smoking, presence or absence of cough, or sputum production. Smoking correlated negatively with measurements of pulmonary function in all groups. There was evidence of a heightened awareness of health among singers, who exercised more and smoked less than their colleagues. The differences in health habits may account in part for the myth of improved pulmonary volumes among singers.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Poverty, demographic growth, and birth control: a critique of Peter Singer s ethical perspective on the relationship between rich and poor].

This article analyzes the relationship between population growth and ethical principles relating to poverty. The paper is a critical approach to the thesis presented by Peter Singer in his book Practical Ethics. The first part briefly examines the principal topics of his thesis. The author then analyzes the basis of Singer's theory with respect to the following questions: 1. Is overpopulation the main reason for poverty? Is it possible to establish an association between the poverty phenomenon and population growth? 2. Is Singer s demographic perspective valid? 3. Can problems of resource distribution be ignored when talking about poverty from an ethical perspective? 4. Is it true that birth control policy was successfully implemented in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil? 5. Does Singer s position on population growth have a negative influence on the "collective imagination"? The paper concludes by suggesting some useful arguments for understanding an ethical perspective towards poverty.

Brazil↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Airway reactivity induced reversible voice dysfunction in singers.

As the power source for vocalization, the lower respiratory tract plays a key role in voice production. This is particularly true with sustained singing, where continued high ventilatory demands are present. Changes in pulmonary function that are insignificant with normal speech have been shown to lead to performance impairment. The purpose of this study was to examine and characterize this problem in a large group of singers. Systematic evaluation of a defined population, along with inhalational and singing challenge, was the design. The demographic characteristics, history, pulmonary function, and response to treatment were evaluated in 20 professional or serious amateur singers with voice problems, who did not have causal laryngeal pathology, whose history and evaluation suggested increased airway reactivity, and who responded to anti-asthma therapy. An additional patient was challenged by the exercise of singing in the office, with pulmonary function measurements before and after. This group of serious singers demonstrated vocalization complaints referable to bronchodilator responsive airway obstruction. They responded to treatment for asthma, with improvement in their performance-related difficulties. An additional subject demonstrated a small decline in expiratory flow rates with only 20 minutes of singing in the office. This was readily reversed by an inhaled bronchodilator. Singers who present with complaints of impaired vocalization, such as vocal fatigue, decreased control, and excessive muscular tension, should be evaluated for increased airway reactivity as a possible cause of their complaints.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

[Treatment of vocal fold nodules in singers].

Vocal nodules (singer's nodules) are a typical professional disease of the vocal apparatus. This disease occurs more frequently in 20- to 50-year-old singers. The nodules form because of vascular disorders secondary to overstrain of the vocal apparatus in phonation and disorders of vegetative innervation. 43 opera singers were treated whose age and singing history ranged from 22 to 57 years and 3 to 26 years, respectively. The treatment combined psychotherapy, medicines with phlogenzym as a basic drug, physiotherapy and phonopedia. Phlogenzym allows to avoid "silence regimen", surgical intervention. This improves treatment efficacy, shortens the time of disability for singers.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The evaluation of the changes of voice registers in trainee singers by using the two-channel signal processing method.

This study was done at the ENT Department of the Ege University Medical Faculty on twenty trainee singers. Using the two-channel signal processing method, the electroglottographic (EGG) signals and the voice signals were digitized with an analog-digital converting card during an ascending and descending glissando exercised by the trainee singer. These signals were recorded on the computer's hard disk and the obtained data was analysed. It has been determined that the EGG signals were more irregular the singing formant of the voice signal was very weak or absent and the change of register was more significant in less trained singers. This method can be used to evaluate objectively the change of voice registers in the training of the singers and be easily performed by adding an analog-digital converting card to a PC computer, without the need of expensive modern devices.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

[Lung function in singers].

With the intention of conducting a more comprehensive study among students at the Department of Music, University of Oslo, a pilot study was carried out at the Clinical-physiological laboratory, Ullevål Hospital, in the 1970s. The author briefly reviews earlier studies, and compares their findings with those of the pilot study. There seems to be no difference between experienced and non-experienced singers as regards lung capacity, but the ratio residual volume/total lung capacity is much smaller for experienced singers, compared with non-experienced singers. Experienced singers seem to achieve more efficient use of pressure and air flow.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

[Singer--and no end in sight? Or: can severely handicapped patients be "persons"?].

Children with profound disablement (hence, in conclusion, all individuals with profound mental retardation) are denied to possess personhood by the bioethicist Peter Singer, on the ground that they lack the capability of reason, of consciousness of self, and of self-determination. The article seeks to point out that Singer's concept of the person is too narrow: the very disposition for development of these abilities in itself is a constituent of personhood. Human social and spiritual interwovenness is considered another essential constituent. Finally, the fundamental difference between "life worth" and "quality of life" is pointed out, a differentiation which goes unnoticed with Singer. From the premises outlined, and in contrast to Singer's ethics of (one's own) personal happiness, emerges an ethics of solidarity, and of love, bearing also on the issues of euthanasia, abortion, and prenatal diagnostics.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Comparisons of voice onset time for trained male singers and male nonsingers during speaking and singing.

This study was designed to examine the temporal acoustic differences between male trained singers and nonsingers during speaking and singing across voiced and voiceless English stop consonants. Recordings were made of 5 trained singers and 5 nonsingers, and acoustically analyzed for voice onset time (VOT). A mixed analysis of variance showed that the male trained singers had significantly longer mean VOT than did the nonsingers during voiceless stop production. Sung productions of voiceless stops had significantly longer mean VOTs than did the spoken productions. No significant differences were observed for the voiced stops, nor were any interactions observed. These results indicated that vocal training and phonatory task have a significant influence on VOT.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2006

Vocal fold polyp in a professional brass/wind instrumentalist and singer.

Wind instrumentalists, especially brass players, and singers share common factors, including vocal tract shape, function and pressure, vocal fold opening and closure, breath vector of force and air flow rates. To understand the mechanism and function of the vocal folds with a pathological lesion, it is necessary to visualize the differing interactions of the vocal tract during wind and brass instrument playing and in singing. A school band director, singer, wind and brass instrumentalist, was referred by musician colleagues with intermittent dysphonia, aphonia, and inability to sing high notes. Simultaneous videolaryngoscopy, with and without stroboscopy, and external video examination were documented. An hourglass glottis with a sessile, cystic polyp of the left vocal fold were recorded and studied during phonation and the playing of 3 instruments. The techniques of glottic opening, closure, configuration and function varied with the type of instrument and phonatory function. Singing was adversely affected by the vocal fold polyp but no harmful interaction occurred during wind/brass instrument playing. Down-stream loading in singers is at the laryngeal level and in wind/brass instrumentalists is at the embouchure. Preoperative voice therapy, phonomicrosurgery, and postoperative voice rest followed by voice therapy, succeeded in restoring her combined wind/brass instrumental and singing career.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Jaw opening in novice and experienced classically trained singers.

This study examined the amount of jaw opening used by two groups of singers, those with less than 4 years of training (novice) and those with more than 8 years of training (experienced) in the Western tradition of opera and art song. Movement of the jaw in the superior-inferior plane was measured with the use of a lightweight head-mounted cephalostat with a strain gauge. The subjects spoke and then sung a carrier phrase "I say b(v)p," where (v) was each of three vowels, [a], [i], and [u]. The phrase was first spoken with a natural inflection and then sung on a repeated pitch at three notes from the low, medium, and high singing voice range. There was no statistically significant difference in jaw opening between the two groups of singers. Vowel was significant for jaw opening in both groups, with [a] being produced with more jaw opening than [i] or [u]. The voicing condition was also significant for jaw opening with greater jaw opening being used as pitch increased. In general the amount of jaw opening was smallest for the low singing voice condition and greatest for the high singing voice condition. The jaw opening most typically was less in the low voice condition than in the speech condition and then increased for both the medium and high voice tasks. All but two singers used more jaw opening on the [a] vowel than the other two vowels at all voicing conditions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Pedagogical efficiency of melodic contour mapping technology as it relates to vocal timbre in singers of classical music repertoire.

The purpose of this investigation was to ascertain the pedagogical viability of computer-generated melodic contour mapping systems in the classical singing studio, as perceived by their resulting effect (if any) on vocal timbre when a singer's head and neck remained in a normal singing posture. The evaluation of data gathered during the course of the study indicates that the development of consistent vocal timbre produced by the classical singing student may be enhanced through visual/kinesthetic response to melodic contour inversion mapping, as it balances the singer's perception of melodic intervals in standard musical notation. Unexpectedly, it was discovered that the system, in its natural melodic contour mode, may also be useful for teaching a student to sing a consistent legato line. The results of the study also suggest that the continued development of this new technology for the general teaching studio, designed to address standard musical notation and a singer's visual/kinesthetic response to it, may indeed be useful.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Objective measurement of vocal fatigue in classical singers: a vocal dosimetry pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To collect objective vibration dose data on singers and relate them to subjective measurements of vocal fatigue. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Seven subjects completed a 2-week study period. The National Center for Voice and Speech (NCVS) dosimeter recorded vocal load, soft phonation tasks, and subjective soft voice ratings. Three vocal doses (time, distance, and cycle) were measured in classical singers' larynges during an intensive practice period. RESULTS: Spikes in vocal load are reflected as harsher subjective ratings on the same day as well as 24-72 hours later. When at least 48 hours of vocal rest occurred before a vocal load, improved subjective evaluations were seen after the load. CONCLUSIONS: The NCVS dosimeter appears to be an effective tool for data collection on prolonged use of the voice. SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first multi-day study comparing objective and subjective data on vocal fatigue in a group of professional singers.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Vocal fold hemorrhage associated with coumadin therapy in an opera singer.

Vocal fold hemorrhage can represent a disastrous and potentially career ending injury to a singer or professional voice user. The risk factors of vocal fold hemorrhage, including laryngeal trauma, phonotrauma, aspirin and nonsteroidal antiinflammatories, and hormonal imbalances are well known. We present a case of an opera singer who developed recurrent vocal fold hemorrhage associated with coumadin anticoagulation therapy. This case highlights the importance of the risk of vocal fold hemorrhage to professional singers and professional voice users and offers an alternative to long-term coumadin therapy in this select population.

Anticoagulants↗
PubMed2000

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.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

A pilot survey of vocal health in young singers.

The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of vocal problems in young choir singers and to correlate vocal problems with demographic and behavioral information. A questionnaire addressing vocal habits and hygiene was offered to 571 young choir singers, up to 25 years of age, who sing at least weekly; 129 (22.6%) responded. More than one-half of the respondents had experienced vocal difficulty, particularly older adolescents. Detrimental behaviors and circumstances surveyed were not reflective of the incidence of vocal difficulty, except for morning hoarseness, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and female gender after puberty. Voice care professionals should be aware that self-reported voice difficulties are common among young choral singers, especially postpubescent girls, and children with symptoms consistent with reflux (morning hoarseness) and emotional stress (insomnia). Laryngologists should communicate with choral conductors and singing teachers to enhance early identification and treatment of children with voice complaints, and to develop choral educational strategies that help decrease their incidence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Pitch matching accuracy of trained singers, untrained subjects with talented singing voices, and untrained subjects with nontalented singing voices in conditions of varying feedback.

At a physiological level, the act of singing involves control and coordination of several systems involved in the production of sound, including respiration, phonation, resonance, and afferent systems used to monitor production. The ability to produce a melodious singing voice (eg, in tune with accurate pitch) is dependent on control over these motor and sensory systems. To test this position, trained singers and untrained subjects with and without expressed singing talent were asked to match pitches of target pure tones. The ability to match pitch reflected the ability to accurately integrate sensory perception with motor planning and execution. Pitch-matching accuracy was measured at the onset of phonation (prephonatory set) before external feedback could be utilized to adjust the voiced source, during phonation when external auditory feedback could be utilized, and during phonation when external auditory feedback was masked. Results revealed trained singers and untrained subjects with singing talent were no different in their pitch-matching abilities when measured before or after external feedback could be utilized. The untrained subjects with singing talent were also significantly more accurate than the trained singers when external auditory feedback was masked. Both groups were significantly more accurate than the untrained subjects without singing talent.

Adult↗