En traditionell sånguppvärmning består ofta av att man fonerar (bildar ljud) olika frekvenser (Hz) med varierande ljudstyrka (dB SPL). I viss mån utförs även uppvärmningsövningar såsom stretch av nacke och olika kroppsliga rörelser för att öka blodcirkulationen. En del sångpedagoger förespråkar träning före sång. Några fördelar med fysisk träning före sång kan vara ökat luftflöde, sänkt ”Phonation Threshold Pressure” (PTP) och högre tonsäkerhet. Det finns även studier som visar fördelar med en traditionell sånguppvärmning däribland högre tonsäkerhet och en sänkning av PTP. I denna uppsats undersöks hur fysisk träning fungerar som sånguppvärmning och att jämföra detta med en traditionell sånguppvärmning. Fyra testpersoner rekryterades till studien via personliga kontakter, samtliga män och i 30-årsåldern. Personerna utförde två tester vid två olika tillfällen vardera enligt en counterbalance strategi, det vill säga att två av personerna utförde en traditionell uppvärmning vid det första testtillfället och de andra två utförde en fysisk uppvärmning vid det första testtillfället. Efter att ha utfört en uppvärmning fick de sjunga en sång, utföra en ”Voice range profile” (VRP) samt skatta sina egna upplevelser av testtillfället via enkät. Eftersom det ingick fyra personer i undersökningen går det inte att dra några generella slutsatser men i studien sjöng alla med svagare ljudstyrka (dB SPL) efter utförandet av den fysiska uppvärmningen. Detta kan tyda på en sänkning av PTP. Alla testpersoner hade även ett större frekvensomfång (Hz) efter den fysiska uppvärmningen. Tre av fyra sjöng med högre amplitud (dB SPL) och hade även ett större omfång gällande dB SPL efter den traditionella uppvärmningen. Föreliggande studie visar på fördelar med både den fysiska uppvärmningen och den traditionella. Den som svarade bäst på den fysiska uppvärmningen var den mest erfarne sångaren.

This thesis presents tools and components necessary to further develop an implementation of a method. The method attempts to use the non invasive electroglottographic signal to locate rapid transitions between voice registers. Implementations for sample entropy and the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) implemented for the programming language SuperCollider are presented along with tools necessary to evaluate the method and present the results in real time. Since different algorithms have been used, both for clustering and cycle separation, a comparison between algorithms for both of these steps has also been done. / Denna rapport presenterar verktyg och komponenter som är nödvändiga för att vidareutveckla en implementation av en metod. Metoden försöker att använda en icke invasiv elektroglottografisk signal för att hitta snabba övergångar mellan röstregister. Det presenteras implementationer för sampelentropi och den diskreta fourier transformen för programspråket SuperCollider samt verktyg som behövs för att utvärdera metoden och presentera resultaten i realtid. Då olika algoritmer har använts för både klustring och cykelseparation så har även en jämförelse mellan algoritmer för dessa steg gjorts.

The aim of this study was to describe the laryngeal anatomy, perceptual, acoustic and aerodynamic vocal characteristics of school-aged children with and without ADHD. The predisposition that children with ADHD have for laryngeal injuries are recurrent in nature and are more often than not overlooked as laryngitis. Previous studies have reported varied results on the prevalence rates of paediatric VFN within the school-aged ADHD population. A static, two-group comparison was used in the study to investigate the clinical, perceptual, acoustic and aerodynamic vocal characteristics of children between 7 and 9 years old with and without ADHD. The study replicated the protocol as executed by Barona-Lleo and Fernandez (2016) with additions. The Multidimensional Voice Program (MDVP) and the Voice Range Profile (VRP) as additions to the assessment of vocal parameters were used with which comparable dysphonia severity index (DSI) scores were calculated. Once-off clinical, perceptual, acoustic and aerodynamic voice assessments were conducted on 20 age-gender matched participants. The difference in assessment results between the vocal characteristics of children without a history of ADHD (control group) and those of children with ADHD (ADHD group) was then investigated and described. Forty five percent (n=9) of the total sample population had laryngeal pathology. Comparable parent reported etiological voice symptoms and vocal habits were seen across both groups. Both groups performed similarly across both perceptual and aerodynamic voice assessments. Acoustically, the control group achieved significantly higher producible pitches than the ADHD group (p=0.028) and were found to have more dysphonic DSI scores than their ADHD group peers (p=0.034). Prepubertal, school-aged children with or without ADHD may have similar vocal characteristics than previously thought. This variation in school-aged children warrants further research into larger sample sizes with this population with a special focus on the effect that CNS stimulants may have on the voice. / Dissertation (MCommunication Pathology)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology / MCommunication Pathology / Unrestricted

Diagnostic and evaluative methods used in voice care are mostly designedfor the speaking voice, and are not necessarily directly applicable to thesinging voice. This thesis investigated the possibilities of fine tuning, improvingand quantifying the voice status assessment of the singer, focusingespecially on the Western operatic female voice. In Paper I, possible singer-specific Voice Range Profile (VRP) characteristicsand tasks were explored and VRP data for 30 professional female Western opera singers was collected. Vocal productions were controlled for a physiological VRP (VRPphys) and for a stage performance context (VRPperf) and outcome differences were identified. Task design was critical for the(VRPphys) but had very little effect on the VRPperf. Significant voice category differences (between soprano,mezzo-soprano and contralto) were limited to frequencyrelated metrics. Two new VRP metrics, the area above 90 dB (Perc90dB) and the sound pressure level extent (SPLext), were found to be key metrics to the study of VRPs for singers. Paper II investigated, in conjunction with the VRP, whether the sound pressure level (SPL) or the skin acceleration level (SAL) was more correlated to the subglottal pressure (Ps). SAL was much less F0 dependent than SPL and facilitated the interpretation of VRP data. However, the correlation between SAL and Ps was found to be weaker than that between SPL and Ps. Papers III and IV explored the mapping of self-perceived impairmentrelated difficulties into the VRP. A modified phonetograph was tested first with a healthy singer population and then with a singer-patient group. Subjects used a button device to communicate their self-perceptions while singing, and were consistent in task replications as well as across different tasks. Healthy singers pressed mostly at the extreme limits of the VRP, where loss of vocal control could be expected and their presses were mostly concentrated on the periphery of the VRP area. Singer patient button- press patterns were distinct from patterns observed in healthy singers. Singer patients pressed mainly inside the VRP boundaries, in the higher range and at intermediate intensities. In Paper V, the Voice Handicap Index for singers was translated and adapted to Swedish (Röst Handikap Index för sångare or RHI-s). The questionnaire was found to be a reliable and a valid instrument. High correlations between general perceptual patient VAS ratings and the questionnaire scores underscored the instrument’s internal coherence. Overall, patient scores (including subscales) were significantly higher than healthy singer scores. The results showed implicitly the necessity and usefulness of adapting clinical procedures to specific patient populations.Together, the results of these five papers can ultimately be of value tovoice clinicians who are treating singers. The results obtained also contributeto the understanding of the singing voice and underline the importance ofproperly documenting the singing voice. / QC 20100726

This master thesis describes early attempts at using electroglottography (EGG) to capture such changes in vocal fold vibration patterns that could be of interest to teachers of contemporary commercial music. After initial explorations, focus is placed on detecting potentially detrimental phonation; more specifically on the pressed quality often associated with loud singing in high register (belting). FonaDyn, a program written in the SuperCollider language, is used to detect pressedness using an algorithm based on K-means clustering of Fourier components of EGG cycles. Results indicate that pressedness affects phonation in ways detectable using EGG. Changes caused by pressedness seem to vary between registers and this variation is similar between subjects. Detection of pressedness in a subject is quite successful when training the algorithm on the same subject, but not always across subjects. / Denna masteruppsats beskriver inledande försök att använda elektroglottografi (EGG) för att avläsa sådana förändringar i stämbandens vibrationsmönster som skulle kunna vara av intresse för sånglärare inom icke-klassisk stil. Tidiga undersökningar leder till att fortsatt fokus läggs på att detektera fonationstyper som kan orsaka röstskador; mer specifikt den typ av pressad röstkvalitet som ofta förknippas med stark sång i högt register (s.k. belting). FonaDyn, ett datorprogram skrivet i språket SuperCollider, används för att detektera pressad fonation med hjälp av K-means-klustring av EGG-cykler baserat på deras Fourierkomponenter. Resultaten indikerar att pressad fonation går att urskilja med hjälp av EGG. Kännetecknen för pressad fonation tycks skilja sig mellan röstregister och denna skillnad är snarlik hos olika försökspersoner. Programmet klarar av att känna igen pressad fonation hos samma person som algoritmen tränats på men inte alltid om algoritmen tränats på en annan sångare.

This dissertation thesis deals with the demands on teachers' voice and proper use of voice in the teacher's profession. The whole thesis consists of two parts: theoretical and practical. The theoretical part is divided into nine sections: the anatomy and physiology of the vocal tract, voice developement, comparison of spoken and singing voice, psychological impact on voice, voice defects and hygiene, voice reeducation, methods of voice diagnostics and voice acoustics. The research part presents the findings of acoustic voice measurement. Students (only women) of Faculty of Education in Prague participed in the research. The objective of this part was to asses the quality of students' voice and their voice readiness for future teaching.