Effects of Vocal Demands on Voice Performance of Student Singers

Speech and Language Pathologists’ Voice Use in Working Environments: A Field Study Using Ambulatory Phonation Monitoring

“…Cantarella et al [8] found similar values in call centre operators, but these results are difficult to compare since the mean duration of data sampling in the study by Cantarella et al [8] was significantly longer (>7 h). Finally, the average F 0 in SLPs is similar to that reported in female call centre operators (F 0 average 217.8 Hz [8]), while it is lower than that reported in teachers (F 0 average ranging from 237 to 245 Hz [15]), in a previous study on SLPs (F 0 average 247.92 Hz [17]) and in female music students (F 0 average 287.078 Hz [5]), even if the high F 0 in the latter might simply be related to the specific needs essentially pertinent to singing performance. It is possible that these diverging results are related to differences in the studied populations and to the amount of phonation-monitoring performed.…”

“…Lyberg Ahlander et al [15] reported a percentage of phonation time during teaching of 23.6% in a group of 52 teachers, while Hunter et al [17], who analysed a group of 57 teachers, found an average vocalization of 29.9% of the time during working hours. On the other hand, the amplitude average during working activities in SLPs appears to be lower than that of football coaches (amplitude average 83.67 dB SPL [3]) and music students majoring in voice (amplitude average 84.339 dB SPL [5]), while it appears to be similar to that found in call centre operators (amplitude average 70.5 dB SPL [8]), in a previous study on SLPs (amplitude average 75.46 dB SPL) and in teachers (amplitude average ranging from 71 to 75 dB SPL [15]). Moreover, the total cycles of vibration and the total distance dose appear to be similar to those previously reported in SLPs [16].…”

“…This finding is probably related to a tendency to expose their voices to more risk factors [5], such as long durations of voice use, loud talking, yelling over distances, suboptimal room acoustics, background noise, vocal tract irritants, stress and workload demands [3, 6, 7]. In particular, sustained vocal effort, accompanied by prolonged vocal loading, seems to play a pivotal role in increasing the risk of VPs in PVUs [8-11].…”

“…Cantarella et al [8] studied the phonation time and intensity in a group of call centre operators in order to define the main risk factors for voice disorders in this category and to assess whether the vocal dose had an impact on the subjects’ quality of life. Franca and Wagner [5] analysed the effect of cumulative vocal demands on the voices of music students majoring in voice. Buckley et al [3] explored the occupational voice use and vocal health of elite football coaches using APM, semistructured interviews and a voice symptom questionnaire.…”

Effect of Noise on Vocal Loudness and Pitch in Natural Environments: An Accelerometer (Ambulatory Phonation Monitor) Study

“…17,18 This instrument is marketed as Ambulatory Phonation Analyzer and has been used rather extensively to study the voice use in student singers 19 ; monitoring and logging voice use in call center operators, 20 teachers, 21 after surgery 22 ; and for clinical use with patients with voice disorders. 18 With the attachment of the accelerometer to the neck above the sternal notch, the accelerometer detects the skin vibration during phonation.…”