Pelvic floor status in opera singers. a pilot study using transperineal ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: Control of pelvic floor muscles (PFM) is emphasized as important to obtain functional breath support in opera singing, but there is not much research that proves PFM function as part of breath support in classical singing. Transperineal ultrasound is a reliable method for quantification of PFM contraction in urogynecology. Our aim was to establish if transperineal ultrasound can be used for observation of movement of the PFM during singing and to quantify pelvic floor contraction. METHODS: Cross sectional study of 10 professional opera singers examined with transperineal ultrasound in the supine position at rest and contraction, and standing at rest and during singing. Levator hiatal area was measured in a 3D rendered volume. Levator hiatal anteroposterior (AP) diameter and bladder neck distance from symphysis were measured in 2D images. RESULTS: The AP diameter was shortened from supine rest to contraction (15 mm), standing (6 mm) and singing (9 mm), all p < 0.01. The bladder neck had a non-significant descent of 3 mm during singing. The mean proportional change in AP diameter from rest to contraction was 24.2% (moderate to strong contraction) and from rest to singing was 15% (weak to moderate contraction). CONCLUSIONS: Transperineal ultrasound can be used to examine the PFM during singing. The classically trained singers had good voluntary PFM contraction and moderate contraction during singing. AP diameter was significantly shortened from supine to upright position, with further shortening during singing, confirming that female opera singers contracted their pelvic floor during singing.

Coaching Opera Secco Recitatives by Using Singers' Native Dialects: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated whether individual coaching can improve role portrayal and emotional expression in opera secco recitatives. STUDY DESIGN: An experimental comparative study. METHODS: Eighteen students (mean age 24 years) from Norway and Sweden majoring in opera singing volunteered as test persons. As singing tasks each test person studied a short opera secco recitative in their Voice Fach during 14 days. All recitatives were picked up from renowned Italian operas from the Classical period. The texts were translated in the singers' mother tongue but performed in Italian, a foreign language to all test persons Thirteen test persons were enrolled in a Test group, and they were coached individually for 1h in interpretation of their singing tasks. During the intervention the test persons combined speaking the translated text in their native dialects with singing the recitative in Italian. The test persons were asked to distinguish various emotions and motivation in the singing task, and rehearsed how to express the singing task equally distinctly in Italian as in their native dialects. The singing task was recorded a capella immediately before and after the intervention. The test persons in the Control group recorded their singing tasks pre and post 1 h self-directed rehearsing on their singing tasks, without any coaching.. The recordings of all test persons were presented in randomized order for ten expert listeners to rate the expression of emotions and role portrayal. The samples were also analysed acoustically. RESULTS: Post coaching samples were rated significantly better in expression of various emotions and motivation compared to pre coaching samples. The Control group singers showed no significant changes in perceptual variables. Pausing increased in both groups after rehearsing. CONCLUSIONS: A short individual coaching in performance of an opera recitative seemed to stimulate young opera singers` emotional and motivational expression.

A Nasoendoscopic Study of "Head Resonance" and "Imposto" in Classical Singing.

BACKGROUND: Classical singing pedagogy uses many concepts which lack precise definition and whose acoustic and physiologic correlates are unclear. This study focuses on the concepts "head resonance" and "imposto." In singing guidebooks, head resonance has been described as causing vibratory sensations on the face and head, auditively it has been described as a bright color especially predominating in the higher pitch range. "Imposto" has been related to the sensation of "air flow" or "sympathetic resonance vibrations" on or over the upper bridge of nose, and it also has been pursued using a "closing mechanism of the upper respiratory track" (activation of nasalis muscle). STUDY DESIGN: Experimental cross-sectional study. METHOD: Five subjects (three classical singers, one amateur singer, and a nonsinger) were investigated with nasofiberoscopy during phonation. The singers were instructed to sing [i:] on one comfortable self-chosen pitch in three ways: (1) without head resonance, (2) with head resonance, and (3) using imposto (exploiting the nasalis muscle). The nonsinger was investigated without phonation, while just holding his breath after inhalation first normally and then while producing imposto. The following measurements were made on the fiberoscopic images: (1) height of soft palate, (2) area of the hypopharynx, (3) area of the epilaryngeal tube inlet. RESULTS: The singers raised the soft palate and narrowed the epilaryngeal inlet during head resonance and even more during imposto. The pharynx to epilarynx ratio increased. Similar narrowing of the epilaryngeal tube inlet was observed in the nonsinger when constricting the nasalis, CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that both the head resonance and imposto are related to control of the pharyngeal space and epilaryngeal tube, and that the nasal muscles may be used as an aid in regulating the epilaryngeal tube width, which in turn, improves the voice-source -tract interaction.

The Nasal Musculature as a Control Panel for Singing-Why Classical Singers Use a Special Facial Expression?

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explain the possible reason why classical singers seem to spread their nostrils and raise their cheeks before starting to sing. STUDY DESIGN: This is an experimental study. METHODS: Five subjects (three classical singers, two nonsingers) were investigated with nasofiberoscopy holding their breath after inhalation. The subjects were instructed to have a neutral expression first and then to take the singers' expression characterized by nostril flaring. In case of nonsingers, the special expression was rehearsed beforehand, guided by a classical singer. The following measurements were made: (1) height of soft palate, (2) area of the hypopharynx, (3) area of the epilaryngeal tube inlet (Aditus laryngis), and (4) dimensions of the (visible) glottis (length, width, and length-to-width ratio). RESULTS: All subjects raised the palate and widened the pharyngeal inlet, epilaryngeal inlet, and the glottis during "singer's expression." CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that classical singers may take advantage of breathing- and smelling-related connections between nasal and facial muscles and the larynx to avoid a hard glottal attack and pressed phonation and possibly also to assist the production of mixed register (head voice), characterized by a relatively low adduction between the vocal folds.

Consequences from emotional stimulus on breathing for singing.

This study aimed to investigate the effect from emotional stimulus on the correlation between intercostal (INT)/abdominal (rectus abdominis [RC], lateral abdomen [OBL], and lower lateral abdomen [LOBL]) muscle activity and trunk wall (upper thorax [UTX], lower thorax [LTX], and abdomen [ABD]) movement. An electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from the INT, RC, OBL, and LOBL sites. UTX, LTX, and ABD movement were traced with three strain gauge sensors. Recordings were compared between singing with emotional stimulus (ES) and without emotional stimulus (NES). Muscle activity was recorded by use of an ambulatory four-channel monitoring system (Physiometer PHY 400, Premed, Norway). Seven advanced student singers (three males and four females) participated as subjects. Four sample performances were performed: (1) extreme tones, (2) swell tones, (3) arpeggio, and (4) glissando. All sample performances were sung on the vowel /a:/. We conclude that classical singers change their breathing pattern when they vocalize using ES compared with using NES. The results imply that vocalizing using ES facilitates a more prominent role for LOBL activity in the positioning of the abdominal wall and thorax than observed when vocalizing using NES.

Neck and shoulder muscle activity and thorax movement in singing and speaking tasks with variation in vocal loudness and pitch.

The aim of this study was to examine respiratory phasing and loading levels of sternocleidomastoideus (STM), scalenus (SC), and upper trapezius (TR) muscles in vocalization tasks with variation in vocal loudness and pitch. Eight advanced singing students, aged 22 to 28 years, participated. Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from STM, SC, and TR. Thorax movement was detected by two strain gauge sensors placed around the upper (upper TX) and lower (lower TX) thorax. A glissando and simplified singing and speaking tasks were performed. Sustained vowels /a:-i-ae-o:/ were sung in a glissando from lowest to highest pitch (mixed voice/falsetto) back to lowest pitch and in short singing sequences at comfortable, low, and high pitches. The same vowels were spoken softly and loudly for about the same length. The subjects inhaled between the vowels. It was concluded that the inspiratory phased STM and SC muscles produced a counterforce to compression of upper TX at high pitches in glissando. STM and SC were activated to higher levels during phonation than in inhalation. As breathing demands were reduced, STM and SC activity was lowered and the respiratory phasing of peak amplitude changed to inhalation. TR contributed to exhalation in demanding singing with long breathing cycles, but it was less active in singing tasks with short breathing cycles and was essentially inactive in simplified speaking tasks.