Vowel equalization is a technique that can be used by singers to achieve a more balanced vocal tone. The technique balances corresponding front and back vowels, which share approximate tongue heights, and also balances high and low vowels in a more neutral or centralized lingual posture. Formants are resonance peaks that define each specific vowel. This study measured shifts in the first and second formants (F1 and F2) of the vowels /e, i, ɑ, o, u/ following training in vowel equalization. Prior to the training, the vowel formants were measured in amateur 15 college-aged singers. They sang the first two stanzas of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and then sustained each vowel for approximately 2 seconds. Following a 15-minute instruction in the vowel equalization technique, the singers repeated the exercises and the formants were re-measured. Shifts in F1 and F2 represent changes in lingual placement within the oral cavity. Vowel equalization pulls the lingual posture of a particular vowel to a more neutral or central position. While singing, a neutral placement is perceived as a pleasing balance between bright and dark tones. This study showed that following training the singers' formant values changed in a manner reflective of a more central tongue posture. These findings support the suggestion that the vowel equalization technique does indeed alter the articulation of sung vowels, shifting the formants to produce the desired chiaroscuro or balance between bright and dark sounds.

Syftet med undersökningen är att få en uppfattning om vilka matematiska aktiviteter som genomförs och kan genomföras under sångstunder på förskolor i Sverige och om de genomförs på ett sätt så att barnen arbetar mot målen i läroplanen. Detta eftersom mycket forskning tyder på att mycket matematikinlärning kan ske under sångstunder/musiklektioner. Teori och forskning säger att musik kan utveckla matematiken hos barn på många olika sätt.Min metod var att observera en sångstund på tre förskolor i en kommun och därefter intervjua förskollärarna som höll i sångstunderna.Resultatet visade att lärarna använde en hel del matematik under sångstunderna som det är, några mer medvetna om det än andra. Det visades även att pedagogerna anser att matematiken passar bra ihop med musik. Jag kan se vilka matematiska och musikaliska aktiviteter som genomfördes.Min önskan är att pedagoger ska ge barnen mycket matematikkunskaper under en sångstund. Det märks att där finns matematik till och med om vi inte lyfter det speciellt mycket. Tänk då vad som händer när pedagogen verkligen tänker på att lägga upp det matematiskt. Det jag i synnerhet ser i resultatet är att det är enkelt att få in matematik under sångstunderna och tycker därför att vi borde passa på att göra det. / The purpose of the survey is to get an idea of ​​what mathematical activities thats being used and can be implemented in singing while at nursery schools in Sweden and if implemented in a way so that the children are working towards the goals of the curriculum. This is because much research suggests that much mathematics learning can take place during the singing moments / music lessons. Theory and research says that music can develop mathematics in children in many different ways.My method was to observe a time of singing at three preschools in a municipality and then interviewing the preschool teachers who held the singing moments.The results showed that teachers used a lot of math in time of singing as it is, some more aware of it than others. It was also shown that teachers believe that mathematics fit well with music. I can see what mathematical and musical activities that were carried out.My wish is that teachers should give children much mathematics skills during a time of singing. It is noticeable that there are math even if we do not lift it very much. Imagine then what happens when the teacher really think about doing it mathematically. What I particularly see in the results is that it is easy to get into math in singing moments and therefore think that we should take the opportunity to do so.

Previous experiments have shown that voice pitch (the perception of fundamental frequency and/or corresponding harmonics) is positively associated with women’s voice attractiveness, however all of this research is on women’s speaking voices. Singing is important for the mating success of non-human animals, is cross-culturally universal in humans, and is highly sexualized in many cultures. Thus, singing could contribute to mating success and attraction in humans. First, we investigated whether previous findings, that high voice pitch when speaking predicts women’s voice attractiveness, extend to when women sing. We also examined whether pitch- and rhythm accuracy contribute to women’s singing voice attractiveness. Voice pitch was positively related to women’s singing voice attractiveness as judged by men more than when judged by women, and speaking voice attractiveness was positively related to singing voice attractiveness. Thus, men and women may be reacting to the same indicator of women’s underlying quality (i.e. voice pitch) in both women’s speaking and singing voices, differently. Men may be attracted to high pitch, whereas women may show a weaker relationship, as they tend to be more romantically jealous of women with high pitched voices. Pitch- and rhythm accuracy did not predict women’s singing voice attractiveness. This result can be interpreted in different ways. It could mean that women’s voice pitch may be more important in determining men’s perceptions of their singing voice attractiveness than is their singing ability, or our measures were ill suited to the task. Collectively, these results are the first to show that singing voices are more attractive than speaking voices, people with attractive speaking voices tend to have attractive singing voices, and that singing and speaking voices relate to the same underlying qualities. Thus, singing may be an indicator of mate value and could have played a role in the evolution of sex differences in the voice if our ancestors had similar preferences. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

This bachelor thesis concerns an analysis of the concept of lyric improvisation, meaning improvising over the melody and lyrics of a jazz standard within the classic vocal jazz tradition. In order to explore this concept, I have studied the use of melody alteration in the song “Mean to Me” as performed by the renowned jazz vocalists; Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, and Ella Fitzgerald. After transcribing one chorus each from the three singers, where they improvised melodically and rhythmically while maintaining the lyric, I discovered specific vocal improvisational tools they all used, which I then formulated into a list. The list divided the tools into three categories; melodic, rhythmic, and lyric-related tools. Then I practiced applying these tools to my craft as a jazz vocalist and later presented my adaption of the concept of lyric improvisation in a concert at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. In conclusion, studying vocal tools for lyrical improvisation made me discover that it’s not merely the selection of tools but how one uses and combines the tools that define a jazz vocalist’s individualistic, improvisational style. / <p>Repertoar:</p><p>Mean to Me (Fred E. Ahlert/Roy Turk)</p><p>Medley: I Love You/What is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter)</p><p>The Month of May (Emmalisa Hallander)</p><p>Leaving or Arriving (Emmalisa Hallander)</p><p>But Not for Me (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin)</p><p>Lush Life (Billy Strayhorn)</p><p></p><p>Medverkande musiker:</p><p>Emmalisa Hallander - sång</p><p>Milos Lindegren - piano</p><p>Jakob Ulmestrand - kontrabas</p><p>Henrik Jäderberg - trummor</p>

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