Comparing Intonation and Harmonic to Noise Ratio (HNR) Using Different Arm Movements with Adolescent Estrogen Producing Singers

Though all voices go through changes during puberty, pedagogues often spend less time on the estrogen influenced larynx. Throughout puberty, singers complain of voice breaks as well as losing confidence in their voice. Pedagogues suggest using glottal onsets and breath management tools to exercise the interarytenoid muscles and promote energy. Past researchers have found that movement can energize choral sound. To that end, the purpose of this study was to explore whether singer arm movement assists in intonation and breathiness during voicing for estrogen producing singers.

The following questions guided the research:

Do estrogen producing changing voice singers change their fundamental frequency (intonation) when performing the following conditions: rolling hands in front of the body, painting with a paintbrush, pulling tissue from a tissue box, no movement and free movement?

Does singing while performing these different arm movements affect noise to harmonic ratio (breathiness)?

What do participant comments suggest about perceptions of singing with different arm movements?

Are there differences in small and large iterations of the movements?

Adolescent and changing voice estrogen producing choristers (10-14 years) sang the chorus of “American the Beautiful”, which the singers learned for auditions. The participants sang individually, repeating the phrase and using the arm movements in a random order. The singers then answered open-ended questions about the differences in each condition and how small and large iterations compared. The singers also ranked each condition for musicality and ease of singing.

I explored the harmonic to noise ratio (HNR) as a measure of potential breathiness, and differences in fundamental frequency at three points to measure intonation. I compared student survey data to the HNR and intonation findings, noting especially how the small and large versions of each movement compared to one another. There is no cure for voice change; we all go through it at some point. Yet, teachers can support their students with tools for mitigating some vocal inefficiencies that arise during voice change. With this study, I hoped to promote arm movement as a tool for continuing healthy singing habits throughout voice change.

Data collection for this project begins in January.