Previous literature suggests that musical performers may be influenced to some extent by the acoustic environment in which they sing or play. This study investigates the influence of room acoustics on singers' voice production, by analyzing consecutive sung performances of classically trained students in five different performance spaces. The analyzed voice parameters were vibrato rate, extent, and pitch inaccuracy. Nine classically trained student-singers performed the same aria unaccompanied on a variable starting pitch that was consistent between spaces. Variance in vibrato rate and pitch inaccuracy was primarily explained by individual differences between singers. Conversely, the variance attributable to the rooms for the parameter of vibrato extent was larger compared to the variance attributable to the performers. Vibrato extent tended to increase with room clarity (C80) and was inversely associated with early decay time (EDT). Additionally, pitch inaccuracy showed a significant negative association with room support (STv). Singers seem to adjust their vocal production when performing in different acoustic environments. Likewise, the degree to which a singer can hear themself on stage may influence pitch accuracy.

While the acoustic design of concert halls and other performance venues has evolved over time, the fact remains that the acoustic environments are generally designed for the benefit of the listening audiences rather than that of the performers. However, singers adapt their voice to room acoustics. This paper expands upon our current understanding of how a room’s acoustic environment influences a singer’s performance from the perceptions, observations, and lived experiences of performers. The subjects were nine classically-trained singers. Subjects sang the same aria in five different performance venues. After the performance, the singers filled out a questionnaire. Questions were subdivided into five major sections that were designed to capture their perceptions of (1) overall impressions; (2) background noise levels; (3) voice support; (4) Voice clarity. It was observed the overall impression of the room was mostly correlated with STv and IACClate. The perception of reverberation and the noisiness were correlated with C80 and EDT. The perceived voice support and clarity were mostly correlated with STv. This finding indicates the importance of auditory feedback in singers’ performance and the need for an acoustical design that takes into account the performers perception.

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This study sought to investigate how voice clinicians perceive vibrato rate alterations when presented with controlled, synthesized singing voice samples which vary in vibrato rate and vibrato extent. Thirty-four professional voice teachers completed a twelve-item demographic survey and performed a visual sort and rate task (VSR). For the VSR task, each participant listened to twenty synthesized samples and sorted them from slowest vibrato rate to fastest vibrato rate. This task resulted in distance (i.e. individual perception of vibrato rate) and rank-difference measurements for each sample. Two generalized linear mixed effects models (GLMM) and one linear model (LM) were computed. Results for GLMM’s found significant associations between vibrato extent and vibrato rate and both individual perception of vibrato rate and rank-difference. Results for the LM found no significant relationships between demographic information and absolute total ranking error. From the results of this study, it seems that both vibrato extent and vibrato rate influence the perception of vibrato rate for professional voice teachers. Neither age nor teaching experience seemed to relate to the ability to discern vibrato rate accurately.