{"title":"An Interdisciplinary Approach to Gender Affirming Voice Training","authors":"Colleen Conroy, O. Karcher, Kevin Pasternak","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2050001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2050001","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article describes a collaboration between a cisgender speech-language pathologist, a cisgender theatre arts voice practitioner, and a transgender art therapist to construct community-based voice feminization workshops. The evidence-based approach to speech-language pathology pairs well with the expressive methodologies of the theatre arts and the trauma-informed considerations of transpersonal art therapy. There are limitations to viewing gender affirming voice training solely from the lens of one discipline, and gatekeeping of resources is an issue for the transgender community. The literature about voice training presumes the highest discipline is that of the medical/scientific field and reinforces bias that undermines the rigor and legitimacy of the vast resource available in the expressive arts. When these biases and cisgender privilege are examined and humility is employed, powerful results can occur from collaboration. Specific exercises are described, and recommendations are made for practitioners wanting to offer similar programing for transgender people seeking vocal training.","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"16 1","pages":"144 - 158"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45467906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recorded Speech and Virtual Collaboration in Jacob TV’s “Billie”","authors":"Rebecca Flore","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2043578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2043578","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Throughout Western music from the 1960s until today, there is a peculiar phenomenon: musical works in which the music is organized around audio recordings of the speaking voice. This article explores the role of the recorded speaker as a virtual collaborator—distanced by time and space—in creating the structure of the musical work. Both the speaker and the composer are agents in the creation of musical works for recorded speech. The speaker provides emotional expression, linguistic meaning, and a sense of embodied sound, a human focal point for the listener. The composer builds on the sonic resources provided by the speaker and adds musical frameworks that provide additional structure for the vocal utterances, reinforcing the linguistic meaning of the speech and transforming it into a structural feature of the music. Both the speaker and the composer contribute to the resulting musical work, and as such authorship is as distributed between these two agents. To illustrate this point, this article analyzes Jacob TV’s 2003 work “Billie” for saxophone and backing track, which is built around the speaking and singing voice of Billie Holiday. In doing so, the ethical tensions of the composer using an unknowing subject’s voice are considered.","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"192 - 206"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44221279","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Best Practices for Vocal Pedagogy with Gender Diverse People","authors":"D. Azul, Lisa Quoresimo","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2042120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2042120","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Due to a growing number of gender diverse people studying at university and presenting in voice clinics, teaching and clinical practices in the area of voice need to be adapted to allow students and clients to feel safe, supported, and appreciated in all aspects of who they are. In this article, the authors bring together perspectives from speech-language pathology, vocal pedagogy, gender, transgender, and feminist studies to illustrate the theoretical foundations and practical aspects of suggestions for a variety of best practices voice teachers can implement in their work with gender diverse people. The authors begin by situating themselves personally and professionally within the sociocultural contexts from which they write to illustrate the influences that have shaped their perspectives and to emphasize the located nature of their contributions to the topic area. Their suggestions are informed by culturally responsive and person-centered approaches to teaching and clinical practice and draw on a theoretical perspective that acknowledges the complexity and diversity of the experience and construction of gender in social interaction. Best practices and activities are suggested for teachers of both speech and song, and for classroom, theatrical and departmental level policies.","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"16 1","pages":"130 - 143"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42105480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bossa Nova and Beyond: Brazilian CCM Styles and the Hybrid Singer","authors":"L. S. Silva","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2042053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2042053","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Hybrid voice pedagogy is increasingly well-known, but it typically applies to North American styles, genres, and techniques, such as jazz, pop, and musical theater. In this case study, the author describes their own hybrid voice pedagogy with Latin American styles and genres, using five examples from the most popular Brazilian genres: bossa nova, MPB, samba-canção, sertanejo and baião. This eight-year study was developed in a voice program that focuses on a variety of Latin-American genres and applies a cross-training pedagogy for the hybrid singer, to prepare students to sing popular genres in various professional situations. The concepts of “hybrid singer,” “Latin-American cultural hybridity,” and “Brazilian cultural anthropophagy,” the latter from 1920s literature, and the Tropicália movement of the 1960s, are used here as the theoretical basis both technically and stylistically. The conclusion is that the voice teacher who specializes in hybrid singing must be prepared to teach the singer how to change the vocal tract and make adaptations, so the voice will have adequate style, with stamina and vocal health.","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"16 1","pages":"304 - 314"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45534145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Vocal Traditions: Steiner Speech","authors":"Geoffrey Norris","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2044113","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2044113","url":null,"abstract":"Vocal Traditions is a series in the Voice and Speech Review that highlights historically impor-tant voice teachers and schools of thought in the world of vocal pedagogy. This essay explores the background of Steiner Speech, the philosophical overview, and the key features.","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"16 1","pages":"241 - 246"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46477350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Actors and Audiences: Conversations in the Electric Air","authors":"Brian S. Taylor","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2033436","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2033436","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"126 - 127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41620111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"To T or Not to T: The Transmasculine Singing Voice on Hormone Replacement Therapy","authors":"Felix A. Graham","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2038349","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2038349","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Because testosterone-based hormone replacement therapy (HRT) naturally lowers the mean fundamental frequency range of the singer’s voice, the transmasculine voice has historically been treated as a kind of “gold standard” for gender transition—take T, wait a year and voila: a male voice. However, the process of post-pubertal hormonal changes is far more complex than it superficially appears, particularly for the voice. Research on outcomes for transitioning voices is sparse, and anecdotal narratives about poor outcomes give both professional and serious avocational singers pause. This lack of readily available evidence-based research presents a challenge both to trans singers and the voice professionals working with them: given the uncertainty of vocal outcomes, should the transmasculine singer pursue HRT? This article seeks to provide an overview of current knowledge about HRT and the transmasculine voice, contextualize existing data from a singing-voice point of view and highlight the gaps in understanding—offering insight from a transmasculine voice professional’s personal transition and professional teaching experience.","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"16 1","pages":"180 - 199"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42210155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Umm Kalthum’s Voice: Revisited","authors":"A. Azooz","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2034296","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2034296","url":null,"abstract":"Not many Arabs will disagree with the statement that the voice of the late Umm Kalthum was and is still considered one of the very best Arabic female singers (Danielson 1997, 2005). Umm Kalthum’s real name was Fatima Ibrahim es-Sayyid el-Beltagi. She lived from December 31 1898 to February 3, 1975; some sources state her birthday is or May 4, 1904 (Danielson 1997). Besides this famous artistic name of Umm Kalthum, she was addressed by other honoring names such as Kawkab Alshark (Star of the East), Sawt Masr (The Voice of Egypt), or simply Al-Sit (The Lady). The latter name was given to her by the late French President, Charles de Gaulle. She was decorated with the highest state medals of honor in Egypt and many other Arab countries. It is rightly said that if all Arabs are unified about one thing, that thing is Umm Kalthum. Her art was always the subject of many press articles and media programs not only within the Arab world, but also at the international level. Examples of those who praised her singing include Bob Dylan (Hentoff 1978), Maria Callas (Alatrash 2015), Bono (Khalifeh 2015), Robert Plant (Khaled 2018), and many others. Umm Kalthum’s artistic life spanned about 50 years. She lived in the age of gramophone recordings of her early songs. In her later era, her performances were broadcast live on all Egypt radio stations. Those monthly performances were attended by many prestigious people from many Arab countries who could afford the airline ticket every month. Those who were less affluent always made sure to listen to her live singing on a highquality short wave radio in a cafe or as a welcomed guest at a friend’s house. All streets throughout the Arab world would be almost deserted during those performances. Each performance would last 5–6 hours and involve 3–4 songs of between 30–90 minutes each. When Umm Kalthum passed away, four million Egyptians participated in her funeral procession, outnumbering those who participated in the funeral of the president of the time (Danielson 1996). Although the uniqueness of Umm Kalthum’s voice has been the subject of many academic studies (Hussein 2015; Pallesen 2017; Lohman 2012; Nur 2015; Meixell 2002; Goldman 2006), all those studies were of a qualitative rather than quantitative type. This is not surprising since until recently, the experimental means of performing quantitative singing voice analysis studies were limited worldwide. In a review article, Gunjawate, Ravi, and Bellur (2018) argued that there is a lack of standardized criteria for the evaluation of singing voices, and there exists a need for methodical sound studies. Many singing voice analyses emphasize the importance of measuring the fundamental frequency F0","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"16 1","pages":"352 - 361"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42197285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Estill Voice Training and the Gender Non-binary Singer","authors":"Valerie Accetta","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2033437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2033437","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT While there has been a good deal of recent research about teaching transgender singers, less has been written specifically about gender non-binary singers. When the author was approached by a student who shared that they were gender non-binary, the author examined her pedagogy to make the classroom a more inclusive space. Using a Performance as Research methodology, the author surveyed and recorded verbal interviews with her students and discovered that Estill Voice Training (EVT), the foundation of the voice training in her classes, is built to support inclusivity. In this article, the author, an Estill Master Trainer, shares her journey of working with non-binary students. Definitions and vocabulary of gender identity are discussed and the ways in which EVT supports inclusion in the voice studio are explored. At its core, EVT is free of aesthetic bias and aims to train all voices to sing in all voice qualities, supporting students’ identities and natural singing voices. By focusing on anatomy, EVT uses gender bias-free terminology and offers unlimited vocal options. In addition to detailing the ways in which EVT is an ideal model for teaching gender non-binary singers, the author offers other recommendations for fostering an inclusive environment in the classroom.","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"16 1","pages":"200 - 207"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42499677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multiparametric Analysis of Voice at Madhya and Taara Sthayi in Indian Carnatic Singers","authors":"S. Narasimhan, S. Aishwarya","doi":"10.1080/23268263.2022.2030516","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/23268263.2022.2030516","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The objective of the study was to document the vocal parameters in Madhya sthayi and Taara sthayi in Indian Carnatic singers. The study deployed a prospective, observational, repeated-measures group design. The study comprised 15 trained Carnatic singers with a senior degree in Carnatic singing. Participants were asked to sing an ascending glide and descending glide from Madhya sthayi to Taara sthayi and back to the Madhya sthayi. The acoustic and the cepstral parameters were extracted at Madhya sthayi and Taara sthayi. As a part of spectral measures, harmonic amplitude differences were calculated at both registers of singing. The results showed that the average fundamental frequency at Madhya sthayi was equal to G# (C3 on the musical scale). At Taara sthayi, the average fundamental frequency was corresponding to F# (C4 on the musical scale). Among the acoustic measures, namely range of fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and all the spectral measures, showed significantly higher mean values at Taara sthayi. The mean values of harmonic-to-noise ratio and the cepstral peak prominence were significantly higher at Madhya sthayi. The present study results captivate the attention of voice pathologists to develop pitch-specific normative data for the evaluation of voice in Carnatic singers.","PeriodicalId":36249,"journal":{"name":"Voice and Speech Review","volume":"17 1","pages":"36 - 47"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2022-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46035845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}