The effects of preventive vocal hygiene education on the vocal hygiene habits and perceptual vocal characteristics of training singers

Intervenção fonoaudiológica em grupo a cantores populares: estudo prospectivo controlado

“…Such aspects did not suffer significant alterations after the intervention program. This finding agrees with the previous study that mentions that orientations regarding vocal hygiene does not result necessarily in reduction of behaviors of bad vocal use, and does not also interfere positively in the increase of hydration or in the practice of exercises for vocal warming up (10) .…”

“…This aspect is also observed in studies with specific populations that have the voice as an important working tool (3,10,(14)(15)(16) .…”

“…These factors may contribute for the overload on the phonetic system, and, as a consequence, for the vocal wear and tear that may be potentially prevented (8,20) . Numerous homemade recipes and beliefs that are followed in an attempt to improve voice quality were also observed in the studied population, especially in an attempt to correct problems and/or reduce disagreeable sensations connected with the use of the voice for singing (1,10,12,(20)(21)(22)(23)(24) .…”

“…In the pre-(t 0 ) and post-intervention (t 1 ) periods, all participants filled a protocol (Appendix 1) based on publications of references in this area (7,(10)(11)(12)(13)22) about habits potentially related to voice and vocal health, vocal requirements at work and leisure, as well as aspects related to self-perception of demands and fragilities related to the use of the voice, especially for popular songs. In addition, a perceptive-hearing evaluation took place comparing the two periods, to verify if there had been any improvement on vocal quality as a whole, indirectly considering parameters such as: a) types of voice: adapted, hoarse, breathy or rough (the last ones considered as exclusion factors at the beginning of the study) b) resonance: oral, hyponasal/denasal, hypernasal or balanced c) vocal register: modal, basal or falsetto d) vocal attack: isochronic, abrupt or aspirated e) articulation: adequate, inadequate f) speed of speech and singing: adapted or not adapted g) pitch: low, normal or high h) loudness: weak, medium, strong …”

Acoustics characteristics of voice and vocal care in acting and other students

“…phonetic exercises for voice improvement), some perceptual dimensions of phonetic settings can be evaluated better even after a shorter period (Varošanec-Š karić, 2003), but, unfortunately, as this research has shown, it seems that instruction about voice care and hygiene does not prevent a bad personal lifestyle, because future actors continue to smoke, drink, and eat their last meal relatively late, despite knowing the disadvantages of such habits. Other researchers have also noticed that smoking is popular in artistic and media society (Raphael, 1991;Broaddus-Lawrence, Treole, McCabe, Allen, and Toppin, 2000;Timmermans et al, 2003;2005), and some physicians notice the psychological lability and social insecurity caused by the actors' obligation that, because of the risk of losing a job, they cannot miss a performance and that despite laryngitis and other illnesses they must perform, which causes even more problems (Mitchell, 1994). This could partially be ascribed to the constant stress and to the individual personality of future artists, but also to the schedule of obligations during the present study, which in some ways makes a completely normal lifestyle impossible, especially concerning the time of last meal.…”