Functional Unity of the Singing Voice

Barbara M. Doscher (DMA) was Professor of Music, University of Colorado, Boulder, where she was department chairperson and taught studio voice and vocal pedagogy. Her students are singing professionally throughout Europe, Canada, and the U.S. and have held apprenticeships at well-known opera companies. One of her students was the only American winner of the prestigious Mozart Concours Internationale de Chant. Another was a 1992 Pavarotti Competition winner. Doscher has presented master classes at colleges and universities and has been featured at several national conventions of NATS. Her articles have appeared in several journals.

...her credentials for writing on this subject are impeccable. There is little question that this book will join the body of literature on the act of singing as a valued reference.

• Part 1 PrefacePart 2 International Phonetic Alphabet/Frequency KeyPart 3 INTRODUCTIONPart 4 Technique and ArtPart 5 Rationale for the Study of PhysiologyPart 6 Anatomical and Physiological TerminolgyChapter 7 The Functional Unity of SingingChapter 8 1. RESPIRATIONPart 9 Basic FunctionsPart 10 The Skeletal StructurePart 11 The Respitory SystemPart 12 The LungsPart 13 The ThoraxPart 14 The Inspiratory MusclesPart 15 The DiaphragmPart 16 The External IntercostalsPart 17 The Expiratory MusclesPart 18 The Internal InterncostalsPart 19 The AbdominalsPart 20 Auxilary Respitory MusclesChapter 21 The Breathing CyclePart 22 The Concept of Breath SupportChapter 23 2. ANATOMY OF THE LARYNXPart 24 The Hyoid Bond and Major Cartilages of the LarynxPart 25 The Hyoid BonePart 26 Cartilages of the LarynxPart 27 Definition of Intrinsic and Extrinsic MusclesPart 28 The Intrinsic MusclesPart 29 The Vocal FoldsPart 30 The Falso Vocal FoldsPart 31 The Crico-Thyroid MusclePart 32 The Crico-Arytenoid MusclesPart 33 The Extrinsic MusclesPart 34 The DepressorsPart 35 The ElevatorsPart 36 Benefits of Extrinsic EquilibriumChapter 37 3. PRONATIONChapter 38 4. POSTUREChapter 39 5. tHE PHYSICAL NATURE OF SOUNDPart 40 Characteristics of a Sound WavePart 41 Properties of a Musical SoundPart 42 FrequencyPart 43 AmplitudePart 44 TimbrePart 45 The Phenomenon of ResonancePart 46 Vocal ResonancePart 47 Acoustical DampingPart 48 Acoustical Laws Concerning CavitiesChapter 49 6. VOCAL RESONANCEPart 50 The Voice as a Wind InstrumentPart 51 The Resonance CavitiesPart 52 Tuning the REsonatorsPart 53 The PharynxPart 54 The TonguePart 55 The PalatePart 56 Jaw and Mouth OpeningPart 57 Timbre or Tone QualityChapter 58 7. FIXED FORMANTS AND VOWEL MODIFICATIONPart 59 What are Formants?Part 60 The Fixed Formant LawPart 61 Vowel Formants and Harmonic OvertonesPart 62 The Singing FormantPart 63 Vowel ModificationPart 64 Tuning the Vowel FormantsPart 65 The Importance of the First FormantPart 66 Matching Formants and the Harmonic SeriesPart 67 The First Vowel Formant and the Soprano VoicePart 68 Vowel Modification and IntelligibilityPart 69 Vowel Modification and Dynamic LevelPart 70 The Mirror ImagePart 71 Speaking and SingingPart 72 The Pure VowelChapter 73 8. VOWEL REGISTERSPart 74 How Many Registers?Part 75 The Female RegistersPart 76 The Male RegistersPart 77 BeltingPart 78 Blending RegistersPart 79 Voice ClassificationPart 80 VibratoPart 81 Major CharacteristicsPart 82 The TrillPart 83 Causes of VibratoChapter 84 9. THE FUNCTIONAL UNITY OF THE SINGING VOICE: A GESTALTPart 85 APPENDIX I. VOCAL ABUSE AND MISUSEPart 86 Physical DisordersPart 87 Vocal Nodules and Vocal PolypsPart 88 Physical CharacteristicsPart 89 CausesPart 90 Contact UlcersPart 91 Physical CharacteristicsPart 92 CausesPart 93 Endotracheal IntubationPart 94 Hormonal ChangesPart 95 The Thyroid GlandPart 96 MenstruationPart 97 The Male HormonePart 98 Short-term Tissue ChangesPart 99 The URI (Common Cold)Part 100 TonsilitisPart 101 LaryngitisPart 102 The Effects of DrugsPart 103 Functional DisordersPart 104 Prolonged Phonation or OverusePart 105 "Marking"Part 106 Choral SingingPart 107 The Wrong TessituraPart 108 The Young VoicePart 109 The Aging VoicePart 110 Am I Too Loud?Part 111 Weird NoisesPart 112 Extended Vocal TechniquesPart 113 APPENDIX II. VOCAL HYGIENEPart 114 Common IrritantsPart 115 Commonly Used DrugsPart 116 HydrationPart 117 Rest and ExercisePart 118 Clothing and DietPart 119 Emotional StressPart 120 BIBLIOGRAPHYPart 121 NAME INDEXPart 122 SUBJECT INDEXPart 123 ABOUT THE AUTHOR