Applying science to art is not straightforward in explaining the accomplishment of an art. Difficulties arise when non-performers conduct research on performance, and when non-pedagogues conduct research on pedagogues. My doctoral work used a collaborative research approach to address these communication difficulties between singing pedagogues and singing scientists.
I was uniquely positioned to reconcile the differences between singers and scientists in making singing research relevant and accessible to those who can use and practice it. My body of work examines a singing technique called “open throat” (OT), a pedagogical concept transmitted through the oral tradition of singing, but not yet verified scientifically. I used qualitative, acoustic and perceptual analysis to relate singing instructions, terminology and spectra.
The novelty of this research has been well received by music scholars and vocal pedagogues both locally at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and at international and national conferences where these studies have been presented.
As it is pedagogically informed and verified, my work has the potential to substantially progress the fields of acoustic and perceptual assessment of voice. Experts consistently and reliably defined and identified the use of open throat technique in singing (on average 87% of pedagogues correctly identified the technique in advanced singing students). In acoustic analyses, there is a vast literature of vibrato and spectral energy definitions of good voice, therefore acoustic analyses of these singing samples should have illustrated marked differences, in accordance with the perceptual studies. However, conventional acoustic analyses were not sensitive to the changes identified by experts. These series of findings suggest that current work in singing has not sufficiently incorporated perceptual ratings and descriptions of sound quality. Previous scientific studies have used single subjects or averaged groups of subjects to generate an overview of a ‘perfect’ voice. I have rejected this methodological approach because it creates a mythical voice that is representative of no actual voice. My work is the first of its kind to use a comprehensive approach to all aspects of singing research and suggests that current methods are limited in defining vocal quality, as opposed to vocal energy.
As part of my PhD, I published 6 papers which you can download below.
- Mitchell, H. F., Kenny, D. T., Ryan, M., & Davis, P. J. (2003). Defining open throat through content analysis of experts' pedagogical practices. Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 28(4), 167-180.
- Mitchell, H. F., & Kenny, D. T. (2004a). The effects of open throat technique on long term average spectra (LTAS) of female classical voices. Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 29(3), 99-118.
- Mitchell, H. F., & Kenny, D. T. (2004b). The impact of "open throat" technique on vibrato rate, extent and onset in classical singing. Logopedics Phoniatrics Vocology, 29(4), 171-182.
- Kenny, D. T., & Mitchell, H. F. (2006). Acoustic and perceptual appraisal of vocal gestures in the female classical voice, Journal of Voice, 20(1), 55-70.
- Mitchell, H. F., & Kenny, D. T. (2006). Can experts identify “open throat” technique as a perceptual phenomenon? Musicae Scientiae, X(1), 33-58.
- Mitchell, H. F., & Kenny, D. T. (2008). Open throat: acoustic and perceptual support for pedagogic practice. Journal of Singing, 64(1), 429-441.
The study below assessed the effect of the concept and imagery of ‘halo’ (developed from the Marchesi pedagogical model for achieving vocal quality in different registers) on voice quality of four female singing students of western classical voice. Using a repeated measures design, acoustic analysis of Long Term Average Spectra (LTAS), Energy Ratio, and Singing Power Ratio were assessed for each of the students while the singer was using and not using the halo technique. The voice samples were randomised and placed on CD for blind perceptual analysis. Experienced adjudicators assessed the overall quality, vibrato, and richness of each sample. Although acoustic analyses revealed no significant differences between the two conditions, the judges consistently rated the halo samples higher than the non-halo samples. Further research with larger samples is needed to determine the effectiveness of this method for improving voice quality in the western classical female voice.
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