American musical theater and film composer Harold Arlen is largely overshadowed by his contemporaries, such as George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, and Cole Porter. However, his music serves as a viable alternative for singers of all skill level studying a classical technique. By studying the music of Harold Arlen, singers will utilize a wide range, legato line, negotiations of register, mood shifts, and varying tessituras. The following document considers the importance of Arlen’s music by analyzing eight of his songs from three prominent decades of compositional output. The eight songs examined are grouped by the decade of their composition: the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. Each song is evaluated by determining the musical benefits included in each song and also the skill level required of the singer.

Straw phonation is a semi-occluded vocal tract exercise (SOVTE) that has long been used as a therapeutic device for the voice. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes following voice lessons that included a straw phonation protocol to those that did not include a protocol. The primary outcome measures were the shortened version of the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI-10), which is a validated health status instrument for singers, and Perceived Vocal Efficiency (PVE). Ten student singers in a large college of music consented into the study and participated in both lesson conditions, serving as their own control. They completed six voice lessons over a six week period with lessons alternating between the straw phonation protocol and no straw phonation protocol conditions. Outcome measures were collected following all six lessons. Repeated measures one-way analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) revealed no statistically significant effect of the straw phonation protocol on either dependent variable. However, a small effect was found for PVE, indicating that straw phonation led to a perceived improvement in vocal efficiency. There was significant variation in individual responses to straw phonation and participants who had more prior experience with the SOVT experienced less perceptual change across lesson conditions. Most singers reported finding straw phonation a useful addition to their voice lesson and felt it improved their vocal efficiency. These results indicate that straw phonation could be regularly integrated into voice lessons and may be most helpful to students who find the SOVTE worthwhile. Future studies should examine the effects of a similar protocol using multiple SOVTEs, tailored to what is most efficacious for individuals, and should use a separate control group.