Summary
Objective
The present study aimed to investigate the effect of vocal loading and the immediate
effects of straw phonation in water exercises on parameters of vocal loading in Carnatic
classical singers.
Study Design
A within-subject pretest-posttest design.
Methods
Twelve healthy Carnatic classical singers participated in the vocal loading experiment
for 2 days, referred to as no-treatment and treatment conditions. The vocal loading
task consisted of 1 hour of continuous singing in the presence of background noise.
For the treatment condition, the participants followed a 10-minute straw phonation
in water exercises before the vocal loading task. Acoustic, electroglottographic,
and self-rated perceptual voice measures were recorded before and after the vocal
loading task on both days.
Results
Pretest and posttest comparison of various outcome measures during no-treatment day
suggested a significant increase in shimmer percent, decrease in maximum phonation
duration of vowel /a/, and increase in perceived phonatory effort, perceived vocal
effort, and Evaluation of Ability to Sing Easily scores. Pretest and posttest comparisons
during treatment day showed a significant increase in Mean F0, Highest F0, and Lowest
F0, perceived phonatory effort, and perceived vocal effort scores. However, changes
in Mean F0, Highest F0, and Lowest F0 measures were small in the posttest condition
compared to pretest.
Conclusion
The present results suggest that vocal loading did induce changes in Carnatic classical
singers' voices. However, there is no substantial evidence that straw phonation is
effective in reducing the vocal loading in Carnatic classical singers. Further studies
are required to corroborate the current findings.
Key Words
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of VoiceAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Vocal behavior of popular singers/Comportamento vocal de cantores populares.Revista CEFAC Atualizacao Cientifica Fonoaudiologia Educacao. 2012; 14: 298-308
- The Penguin Dictionary of Indian Music.Penguin Publication, India1995
- The Art and Science of Carnatic Music.Parampara, India, Chennai1999
- Voice Culture with Special Reference to South Indian Music.Indian MusicologicalSociety, Baroda, India1997
- Rate of change of Fo in performance singing.J Acoustic Soc Am. 2008; 123: 3379
- Relationship between Fundamental Frequency of Voice and ‘a:dha:ra shruthi’ in Carnatic Vocal Music [Master's thesis].University of Mysore, India, Mysore2001
- Carnatic singing (South Indian classical): Pitch matching, practice F0range and life style.in: Poster Presentation at the 35th Symposium: Care of the Professional Voice, Philadelphia, USA2006
- Prevalence of and risk factors for self-reported voice problems among Carnatic singers.J Voice. 2020; 34: 303.e1-303.e15https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.09.013
- Frequency and risk factors for voice problems in teachers of singing and control subjects.J Voice. 1995; 9: 348-362https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(05)80197-3
- Self-reported voice problems among three groups of professional singers.J Voice. 1999; 13: 602-611https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(99)80014-9
- The art and craft of phonomicrosurgery in Grammy award-winning elite performers.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2019; 128: 7S-24Shttps://doi.org/10.1177/0003489418810697
- Medical privacy and the professional singer: injury stigma, disclosure, and professional ramifications on Broadway.J Singing. 2018; 74: 513-520
- The vocal score profile in Verdi's characters.J Voice. 2019; 33: 805.e13-805.e20https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.03.013
- Immediate impact of vocal demand on musical theater singers in Brazil.J Voice. 2019; 33: 804.e13-804.e22https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.04.013
- Health status of live theater actors: a systematic literature review.Med Probl Perform Art. 2019; 34: 108-117https://doi.org/10.21091/mppa.2019.2010
- Prevalence, characterization, and impact of voice disorders in Fado singers.J Voice. 2020; 34: 380-386https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2018.10.015
- A vocal health survey among amateur and professional voice users.J Voice. 2018; 32: 474-478https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.07.012
- A profile of the vocal and non-vocal habits of Carnatic singers.Asia Pacific J Speech Lang Hear. 2004; 18: 77-88
- Occupational safety and health aspects of voice and speech professions.Folia Phoniatr Logop. 2004; 56: 220-253https://doi.org/10.1159/000078344
- Quantifying vocal fatigue recovery: dynamic vocal recovery trajectories after a vocal loading exercise.Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2009; 118: 449-460https://doi.org/10.1177/000348940911800608
- Vocal impact of a prolonged reading task in dysphonic versus normophonic female teachers.J Voice. 2012; 26: 820.e1-820.e8213https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2012.06.002
- Occupational voice is a work in progress: active risk management, habilitation and rehabilitation.Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019; 27: 439-447https://doi.org/10.1097/MOO.0000000000000584
- Objective measures of voice production in normal subjects following prolonged voice use.J Voice. 1995; 9: 127-133https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(05)80245-0
- Effects of a vocally fatiguing task and systemic hydration on phonation threshold pressure.J Voice. 2000; 14: 341-362https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(00)80080-6
- Collision and phonation threshold pressures before and after loud, prolonged vocalization in trained and untrained voices.J Voice. 2013; 27: 527-530https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2013.03.008
- Quantitative high-speed laryngoscopic analysis of vocal fold vibration in fatigued voice of young karaoke singers.J Voice. 2013; 27: 753-761https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2013.6.010
- Comparison of vocal vibration-dose measures for potential-damage risk criteria.J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2015; 58: 1425-1439https://doi.org/10.1044/2015_JSLHR-S-13-0128
- Understanding Voice Disorders: A physiology Perspective for Diagnosis and Treatment.Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore1996 (259-8)
- How to use the flow-resistant straws.J Singing. 2002; 58: 429-430
- Voice research and technology: semi-occluded vocal tract postures and their application in the singing voice studio.J Singing. 2008; 64: 339-342
- Comparison of effects produced by physiological versus traditional vocal warm-up in contemporary commercial music singers.J Voice. 2018; 32: 200-208https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.03.022
- Voice training and therapy with a semi-occluded vocal tract: rationale and scientific underpinnings.J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2006; 49: 448-459https://doi.org/10.1044/1092-4388(2006/035)
- Effects of vocal training on the acoustic parameters of the singing voice.J Voice. 2003; 17: 529-543https://doi.org/10.1067/s0892-1997(03)00083-3
- Evaluating the influence of warm-up on singing voice quality using acoustic measures.J Voice. 2005; 19: 252‐260https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2004.02.008
- Effects of a semioccluded vocal tract on laryngeal muscle activity and glottal adduction in a single female subject.Folia Phoniatr Logop. 2008; 60: 298‐311https://doi.org/10.1159/000170080
- Case-study magnetic resonance imaging and acoustic investigation of the effects of vocal warm-up on two voice professionals.Logoped Phoniatr Vocol. 2012; 37: 75‐82https://doi.org/10.3109/14015439.2012.660502
- Laryngeal adduction in resonant voice.J Voice. 1998; 12: 315‐327https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(98)80021-0
- Acoustic impedance of an artificially lengthened and constricted vocal tract.J Voice. 2000; 14: 455‐469https://doi.org/10.1016/s0892-1997(00)80003-x
- Characterization of flow-resistant tubes used for semi-occluded vocal tract voice training and therapy.J Voice. 2017; 31: 113.e1-113.e8https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2016.04.001
- Clinical Examination of Voice.Springer Verlag, New York1981: 81-84
- Effect of three semi-occluded vocal tract therapy programmes on the phonation of patients with dysphonia: lip trill, water-resistance therapy and straw phonation.Int J Lang Commun Disord. 2019; 54: 50‐61https://doi.org/10.1111/1460-6984.12431
- Diagnosis and Evaluation in Speech Pathology.5th ed. Allyn and Bacon, Boston: MA1998
- Acoustic vocal measures in women without voice complaints and with normal larynxes.BrazJ Otorhinolaryngol. 2009; 75: 432-440
- Effects of prolonged loud reading on selected measures of vocal function in trained and untrained singers.J Voice. 1991; 5: 158-167
- Relationship between subjective voice complaints and acoustic parameters in female teachers' voices.J Voice. 1999; 13: 484-495
- Clinical Voice Pathology: Theory and Management.3rd ed. Singular Publishing Group, San Diego1995
- Effects of prolonged oral reading on F0, SPL, subglottal pressure and amplitude characteristics of glottal flow waveforms.J Voice. 1999; 13: 303-312
- Voice changes during work: subjective complaints and objective measurements for female primary and secondary schoolteachers.J Voice. 2002; 16: 344-355
- Vocal behavior and vocal loading factors for preschool teachers at work studied with binaural DAT recordings.J Voice. 2002; 16: 356-371
- Effects of vocal constitution and autonomic stress-related reactivity on vocal endurance in female student teachers.J Voice. 2006; 20: 242-250
- Objective dysphonia measures in the program Praat: smoothed cepstral peak prominence and acoustic voice quality index.J Voice. 2015; 29: 35‐43https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.06.015
- The Relationship between cepstral peak prominence and selected parameters of dysphonia.J Voice. 2002; 16: 20-27
- Properties of the cepstral peak prominence and its usefulness in vocal quality measurements.Maveba. 2007; 2007: 93-96
- Objective dysphonia measures in the program Praat: smoothed cepstral peak prominence and acoustic voice quality index.J Voice. 2015; 29: 35-43
- Speech Correction: Principles and Methods.Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs1954
- Vocal stability in functional dysphonic versus healthy voices at different times of voice loading.J Voice. 2004; 18 (15567046): 443-453https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2004.01.002
- Vocal loading and environmental humidity effects in older adults.J Voice. 2017; 31: 707‐713https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.02.002
- Development and preliminary validation of the EASE: a tool to measure perceived singing voice function.J Voice. 2013; 27: 454‐462https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2013.01.019
- Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences.2nd ed. Lawrence Earlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, NJ1988
- Semi-occluded vocal tract exercises: aerodynamic and electroglottographic measurements in singers.J Voice. 2015; 29: 155‐164https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.05.009
- Laryngeal function and vocal fatigue after prolonged reading in individuals with unilateral vocal fold paralysis.J Voice. 2003; 17: 513‐528https://doi.org/10.1067/s0892-1997(03)00067-5
- Perceived phonatory effort and phonation threshold pressure across a prolonged voice loading task: a study of vocal fatigue.J Voice. 2004; 18: 454‐466https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2004.01.004
- Loud speech in realistic environmental noise: phonetogram data, perceptual voice quality, subjective ratings, and gender differences in healthy speakers.J Voice. 2005; 19: 29‐46https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2004.05.002
- The effect of a vocal loading task on vocal function before and after 24 hours of thickened liquid use.J. Speech Pathol. Ther. 2016; 1: 1-5
- A review of vocal loading tasks in the voice literature.J Voice. 2017; 31 (388.e33‐388.e39.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2016.09.019)
- Design of a clinical vocal loading test with long-time measurement of voice.J Voice. 2015; 29 (261.e13‐261.e2.61E27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2014.07.012)
- Measuring vocal function in professional music theater singers: construct validation of the Evaluation of the Ability to Sing Easily (EASE).Folia Phoniatr Logop. 2014; 66: 100-108https://doi.org/10.1159/000366202
- Predicting vocal outcome by means of a vocal endurance test: a 5-year follow-up study in female teachers.Laryngoscope. 1998; 108: 1363‐1367https://doi.org/10.1097/00005537-199809000-00020
- Are voice endurance tests able to assess vocal fatigue?.Clin Otolaryngol Allied Sci. 1998; 23: 533‐538https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2273.1998.2360533.x
- Investigating the effects of caffeine on phonation.J Voice. 2011; 25: e215-e219
- Phonation threshold pressure across the pitch range: preliminary test of a model.J Voice. 2007; 21: 541-550https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2006.04.002
Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 04, 2020
Accepted:
November 12,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2020 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
