Can a natural singing voice be enhanced through digital processing? Implications of voice training and vocology in singers

Introduction. The traditional way of facilitating a good singing voice has been achieved through rigorous voice training. In the modern days, however, there are some aspects of the singing voice that can be enhanced through digital processing. Although in the past, the frequency or intensity manipulations had to be achieved through the various singing techniques of the singer, technology today allows the singing voice to be enhanced from the instruments within recording studios. In essence, the traditional voice pedagogy and the evolution of digital audio processing both strive to achieve a better quality of the singing voice, but with different methods. Nevertheless, the major aspects of how the singing voice can be manipulated are not communicated among the professionals in each field. Objective. This paper offers insights as to how the quality of the singing voice can be changed physiologically through the traditional ways of voice training, and also digitally through various instruments that are now available in recording studios. Reflection. The ways in which singers train their voice must be mediated with the audio technology that is available today. Although there are aspects in which the digital technology can aid the singer’s voice, there remain areas in which the singers must train their singing system in a physiological level to produce a better singing voice.

Pansori today: aesthetic demands vs. vocal health

Introduction: Pansori is a traditional Korean dramatic art form, which likely appeared in the mid-eighteenth century in the southern region of Korea. In pansori, there is a strong inclination toward preserving tradition, especially in regard to training, which is generally considered particularly demanding in terms of risks to vocal health. Nevertheless —as highlighted by recent studies— some innovations took place in pansori characteristics and performances in the last few decades. Objective: We hypothesize that these innovations have impacted the attitudes of singers and teachers towards pansori training and vocal health issues and that a new approach to voice training in pansori might be recommended. Method: Starting with recent evolutions of pansori and considering previous studies, we discuss how these changes might produce innovations —or at least a demand for innovation— in pansori’s training. We also try to capture the viewpoint of pansori students and performers, through an anonymous survey. Results: Although further investigation is required, the results suggest that a new approach in teaching pansori is emerging and it is increasingly requested by the trainee performers, despite some criticisms from traditionalists. Conclusion: Unlike previously thought, perhaps a more scientific and health-conscious approach to pansori voice training will be something from which many pansori singers can benefit.

Perceived gender and client satisfaction in transgender voice work: comparing self and listener rating scales across a training program

Background/Aim: Scales used to collect perceptual ratings related to a speaker’s gender are widely used in gender affirming voice training for trans individuals. Such scales may be used as outcome measures to gain insight into whether training has helped clients meet personal goals related to gender expression. These scales are also widely used in general research investigating the relationship between vocal characteristics and perceptions of speaker gender. However, past studies in these areas have varied in the terminology used to label rating scales and the impact of this variation is currently unknown. Additionally, research has not yet fully explored the relationship between self- and listener-ratings of trans participant voices and trans participant satisfaction with voice, and whether or not these relationships change after trans participants undertake gender affirming voice training. This research paper aimed to explore these relationships and address these research gaps. Methods: A group of 34 trans participants were asked to rate their voices before and after participating in gender affirming voice training. Trans participant voice samples from before and after training were also presented to a group of 25 listeners for rating. Perceptual ratings were made on two Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) with anchors ‘very feminine/very masculine’ and ‘very female/very male’. Trans participants also rated their satisfaction with their current voice on a VAS with anchors ‘very satisfied/very unsatisfied’. Correlation coefficients were calculated to investigate the relationship between collected ratings. Results: Differences in scale labels were found to have minimal impact on ratings made by both trans participants and listeners. Trans participant self-ratings were found to correlate with listener ratings, but this correlation was not strong Trans participant self-ratings had a consistently stronger relationship with their self-rated vocal satisfaction. The study contributed new findings that these differences may be more pronounced after trans participants have completed voice training. Discussion/conclusion: This study suggests that results from past studies that have used differently labelled scales to collect ratings related to gender perception based on voice are suitable to compare. This study also discusses the implications reported differences between trans participant self-ratings and listener ratings may have for research and clinical practice.

Encountering the singing body

Workshops to explore the embodied experiences of creative, relational voicing took place for classically trained singers, and their reflections are discussed and interpreted. Such reflections offer critical insight into a previously developed practice, through which we seek to facilitate performers’ encounters of their own and others’ voices and bodies as unified. This approach is founded on our previously published argument that classical voice training and practice have historically used the voicing body as a tool obedient to a “higher-order” mind. In these workshops, the aim is not only to redress this mind–body–voice segregation, but also to interrogate participants’ impressions and experiences of this effort using a series of questionnaires. Findings suggest that such a reflective experience offers potential benefits to singers’ wellbeing by encouraging them to perceive their own and others’ sounding bodies as something to be understood and explored creatively rather than disciplined and subdued.

Efectividad de la terapia vocal versus tiroplastía en la voz de mujeres transgénero: una revisión integrativa

Introducción. Las mujeres transgénero encuentran frecuentemente problemas en ajustar su voz a la frecuencia femenina. Para favorecer el cambio vocal deseado por estos individuos, se ofrecen dos técnicas: una quirúrgica (tiroplastía) y otra clínica (terapia vocal). Objetivo. Esta revisión integrativa pretende verificar las publicaciones científicas relacionadas con las dos técnicas, observando cuál reporta mayor efectividad. Método. Se realizó una búsqueda en bases de datos, considerando las palabras clave: Transsexual Persons AND Voice Feminization AND Thyroplasty OR Voice Training. Resultados. Nueve artículos corresponden a estudios observacionales y tres utilizaron una metodología cuasi experimental. Los grupos estudiados incluyen un amplio espectro etario. Ninguno de los estudios informa aspectos económicos de las intervenciones. No existe evidencia de seguimiento a largo plazo. Conclusiones. La vía de tratamiento vocal con adición hormonal puede ser una primera línea, y en caso de no reportar mejoras, la cirugía aparece como otra opción. Recomendación. La recomendación es que se realice terapia vocal, que no implica riesgos significativos de complicaciones, siendo además un abordaje relativamente económico.

PRACTICAL WORK ON VOICE TRAINING, PART V. WORK ON A WORK OF ART

The article examines the General provisions of vocal pedagogy: the relevance of the issue, principles, goals, objectives and methods of teaching singing; the criteria, methods of selection and basic skills necessary for those wishing to learn vocal art.