Objective: While research on SOVTEs has become plentiful and widely available to voice teachers, it is unknown how or if this population is digesting the current performing arts health research and implementing it within their vocal instruction. Understanding the extent to which SOVTE science is known and implemented by the current voice-teaching population could inform the current and future voice-science community on how to best alter the dissemination of upcoming research. The purpose of this study was to discover the understanding and application of SOVTEs within collegiate voice studios. Specifically, this study investigated what SOVTE intervention were being used, under what conditions and in what settings it was being adopted, and how collegiate voice teachers were applying the intervention.

Methods: After reviewing the literature, a survey was composed in Qualtrics using a mixed-method research (MMR) design, meaning quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously. Institutional review board (IRB) approval was sought and granted first from the University of North Texas’ Health Sciences Center and then from the university. The survey was promptly distributed via Facebook pages and groups, as well as through The Voice Foundation and National Association of Teachers of Singing newsletters. The survey was available for three months, after which time the data was uploaded to SPSS (quantitative) and MAXQDA (qualitative) software programs and the data was analyzed.

Results: The data presents the purposes in which study participants utilize SOVTEs within the collegiate voice studio. As a final result, there were four categories: Glottis, Vocal Tract and Articulators, Habilitation and Rehabilitation, and Technical Work. Additional data addresses institutional beliefs surrounding the use of SOVTEs; for example, questions focusing on instructors’ beliefs of correct or incorrect use of the exercises, factors that negatively impact a teacher’s use of exercises, variability of exercises used, etc.

Conclusions: The data suggests that SOVTEs are used by the majority of collegiate voice teachers. While used for a wide variety of purposes, those purposes pertaining to technical work were the highest conveyed. The lip trill and use of a straw were the two highest reported exercises used by collegiate voice instructors. The data also suggests confusion or malalignment between the purpose of use and reported positive perceptions. For example, working on or towards ‘Resonance’ was a common purpose of use but it was documented at the lowest level of perception. When it came to education on SOVTEs, personal training experience was the highest reported factor, followed by conference/symposium attendance. This last point speaks to the impact and dissemination of voice science across the collegiate instructor population.