The Application of Voice Qualities

in Music Therapy

Joanne Beck, MA, CMT, NMT

Vocal Matching

What we choose and how we deliver music is dependent upon patient emotional, physical state

Our voices are essential. 38% of our language comprehension comes from TONE.

Singing and Speaking (music and language) are two distinctly human abilities.

Music Therapy Goal

Music therapists, through the vehicle of sound and music provide an aural reflection of the expressive needs of our patients.

Instrumental

What would a translation of the following experiences sound like when placed into music?:

Of Joy?

Of Pain?

Of Depression/Sadness?

Of Anger?

Voice

What would a translation of the following experiences sound like using your voice?

Of Joy?

Of Pain?

Of Depression/Sadness

Of Anger?

Mirror Neurons

When we, as trained music therapists access our cerebral empathy centers, we are better able to translate through our voices and our instruments, the present experience/consciousness of our patients.

What We as Music Therapists do…….

How do we Do this? http://www.ted.com/talks/

vs_ramachandran_the_neurons_that_shaped_civilization

Developing our empathy centers.

Observing through multi-sensory systems, we process through empathy pathways multi-sensory information about the state of the other person.

Monkeys have mirror neurons, yet we do not work long and hard enough on the human development of empathy.

What about theVoice?

How do we use our voices as instruments of reflection?

How do we sing with an angry sound, sad, aggressive, without hurting our voices?

What if one client requires live classical and another requires Broadway belting?

Do we still sing like Joan Baez?

(NO!)

Our Beautiful Structure

Power-Source-Filter

Power: Lungs and torso: BREATH: draws vocal folds into vibration

Source: Larynx-true vocal folds: TONE: Pitch generation

Filter: Vocal Tract Structure: frequency components of voice into wave patterns recognized as vowels, voice quality etc.

Power-Breath

Diaphragm, lungs and thoracic musculature

Diaphragm: Dome shaped muscle when contracted pulls air into our lungs

How much is too much? Most Comfortable Effort

Lip trills -sustained

Source

True Vocal Folds

-Uh-Oh (feel the adduction and abduction)

Ligaments covered with thick mucus layer

Muscles, ligaments and cartilages lift, pull taught, slacken and depress the vocal folds.

Without the filter, TVF’s sound like a buzz

FilterThe Filter : the shape of the tube or larynx and associated oral structures (tongue, lips, velum).

A long tube creates lower pitches and a smaller tube has a higher pitch.

Changes in air pressure make sound waves.

Vowel changes, consonants made by modifications in and around the oral cavity.

Cartilages

Thyroid

Cricoid

Epiglottis

2 Arytenoids

Guess what? They all move!

Cartilages

Muscular Anatomy

Different positions of the laryngeal components are the key to creating different vocal fold covers for production of varying vocal qualities.

True and False Vocal Folds

TrueVocal Folds

Ligament layers coated with mucous covering (Lamina Propria).

Arytenoid cartilage adducts and abducts the vocal folds

Varying placement and muscle contractions adjust the tension in the vocal folds and create different sound timbres.

False Vocal Folds Are a protective structure for

glottis and vocal folds

Assist in “scream-O” and Death Growl

When belting, get them OUT OF THE WAY.

Ex. Stretch, grab the seat of your chair and try to lift yourself up.

Singing through a straw on a vowel will retract false vocal folds.

Estill Voicework

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7h5XOUqcJA

A vocalist and musician, Jo Estill researched the mechanics of the voice for over 40 years, studying speech science and applying her findings to the singing voice.

Four Vocal Fold Body Conditions

Slack: (glottal fry, creaky voice) Loose vocal fold body and cover. (on vowels)

Thick: (speech register) short VF’s with muscle contraction in vocalis muscle.

Thin: often in higher pitches/soft voicing. Uses less breath. (ng)

Stiff: vocal folds are elongated pulled taut. Little or no contact during vibration, breathy or not breathy. (on one vowel descending)

Attractor States

Attractor states are where our voices naturally gravitate.

(For example: my attractor states are big breath and thick folds. The problem is I cannot sing in all styles within the range of most songs in that attractor state. This is where the work comes in.)

How to Contact Estill

http://estillvoice.com Here you can access names to Certified Master Teachers and courses in your area.

Mary MacDonald Klimek, MM, MS-CCC/SLP 30 Monroe Rd Lexington, MA 02421 (781) 862-8143mklimek@estillvoice.com http://www.EstillVoice.com

Barbara Wilson Arboleda, MS-CCC/SLP Voicewize Box 126Dedham, MA 02026781-329-2262barbara@voicewize.com http://www.voicewize.com

..And a couple more on the website in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.