Once a Professional Singer, Now a Professional Voice Specialist

Experts use the term “professional voice users” to denote the segment of the population for whom the voice is used as a primary tool of their occupation. In the United States, this term applies to a staggering 25–35% of the national workforce (Titze, Lemke, & Montequin, 1997; Wingate, Brown, Shrivastav, Davenport, & Sapienza, 2007). Professional singers are a highly visible and specialized cohort within the population of professional voice users and can present an unusual but not insurmountable challenge for physicians and speech-language pathologists charged with their voice care.

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Assessment of Tongue Position and Laryngeal Height in Two Professional Voice Populations

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2019_jslhr-19-00164 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

pp. 109-124

Author(s):

Carly Jo Hosbach-Cannon ◽

Soren Y. Lowell ◽

Raymond H. Colton ◽

Richard T. Kelley ◽

Xue Bao

Keyword(s):

Vocal Fold ◽

Vocal Tract ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Acoustic Resonance ◽

Contact Dynamics ◽

Voice Disorder ◽

Music Program ◽

Tongue Position ◽

Singer Groups ◽

Professional Voice

Purpose To advance our current knowledge of singer physiology by using ultrasonography in combination with acoustic measures to compare physiological differences between musical theater (MT) and opera (OP) singers under controlled phonation conditions. Primary objectives addressed in this study were (a) to determine if differences in hyolaryngeal and vocal fold contact dynamics occur between two professional voice populations (MT and OP) during singing tasks and (b) to determine if differences occur between MT and OP singers in oral configuration and associated acoustic resonance during singing tasks. Method Twenty-one singers (10 MT and 11 OP) were included. All participants were currently enrolled in a music program. Experimental procedures consisted of sustained phonation on the vowels /i/ and /ɑ/ during both a low-pitch task and a high-pitch task. Measures of hyolaryngeal elevation, tongue height, and tongue advancement were assessed using ultrasonography. Vocal fold contact dynamics were measured using electroglottography. Simultaneous acoustic recordings were obtained during all ultrasonography procedures for analysis of the first two formant frequencies. Results Significant oral configuration differences, reflected by measures of tongue height and tongue advancement, were seen between groups. Measures of acoustic resonance also showed significant differences between groups during specific tasks. Both singer groups significantly raised their hyoid position when singing high-pitched vowels, but hyoid elevation was not statistically different between groups. Likewise, vocal fold contact dynamics did not significantly differentiate the two singer groups. Conclusions These findings suggest that, under controlled phonation conditions, MT singers alter their oral configuration and achieve differing resultant formants as compared with OP singers. Because singers are at a high risk of developing a voice disorder, understanding how these two groups of singers adjust their vocal tract configuration during their specific singing genre may help to identify risky vocal behavior and provide a basis for prevention of voice disorders.

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Rheometers, Bioreactors, and Vocalization Forces: Using Basic Science Investigations to Help the Voices of Teachers

Perspectives on Voice and Voice Disorders ◽

10.1044/vvd18.3.119 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 119-125

Author(s):

Sarah Klemuk

Keyword(s):

Basic Science ◽

Tissue Growth ◽

University Of Iowa ◽

Support Cell ◽

Rest Periods ◽

Collaborative Studies ◽

Professional Voice Users ◽

The University ◽

Science Investigations ◽

Professional Voice

Abstract Collaborative studies at the University of Iowa and the National Center for Voice and Speech aim to help the voices of teachers. Investigators study how cells and tissues respond to vibration doses simulating typical vocalization patterns of teachers. A commercially manufactured instrument is uniquely modified to support cell and tissue growth, to subject tissues to vocalization-like forces, and to measure viscoelastic properties of tissues. Through this basic science approach, steps toward safety limits for vocalization and habilitating rest periods for professional voice users will be achieved.

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