Are you a vocal coach who has been avoiding vocal acoustics, you know that topic with words such as formant, harmonic, spectrogram and frequency? Maybe you just aren’t sure how it applies to teaching singers, or maybe you’ve tried but it just seems too much to get to grips with. This week Alexa Terry is joined by Ken Bozeman, who is here to help you understand and apply vocal acoustic pedagogy.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Vocal Acoustic Pedagogy is the study and application of the scientific principles governing the acoustic properties of the singing voice. It informs vocal instruction, focusing on resonance, pitch control, diction, and breath management to enhance vocal technique and performance.
- Acoustic analysis enables teachers to teach effective vowel modification. By adjusting vowel shapes based on acoustic principles, singers can achieve a better balance between clarity and resonance, especially in different parts of their vocal range.
- Mastering the principles of vocal resonance allows teachers to guide students in optimising their resonance for different styles and genres. Knowledge of formants and resonances helps in shaping the vocal tract to achieve desired tonal qualities.
- Understanding articulatory phonetics and its connection to acoustic properties helps teachers guide students in achieving clear diction and precise articulation. This is crucial for effective communication, especially in vocal genres with specific language requirements.
- If you’re trying to understand formants then remember that sounds encompass a spectrum of frequencies. Timbre represents peaks and valleys in frequency strength. The first formant is akin to the lowest peak, defining a sound’s distinctive quality.
BEST MOMENTS
‘If you have no flexibility to explore options your body will move towards efficiency’
‘We’re the only primates that are vocal learners’
‘Frequencies have a vowel like tone colour’
EPISODE RESOURCES
Guest Website:
- kenbozeman.com
- Get Ken’s book ‘Practical Vocal Acoustics’ here: rowman.com/ISBN/9781538174647/Practical-Vocal-Acoustics-Pedagogic-Applications-for-Teachers-and-Singers
- Get Ken’s book ‘Kinesthetic Voice Pedagogy 2’ here: voxped.com/KVP2.html
- Use Ken’s Discount Code: RLFANDF30
Relevant Links & Mentions:
- The work of Ingo Titze: ncvs.org/ingo-titze
- Journal of Singing: nats.org/cgi/page.cgi/about_journal_singing.html
- The work of Heidi Moss Erickson: heidimosserickson.com
- The work of Wolfgang Saus
- The work of Ian Howell: ianhowellcountertenor.com
- The work of Dr Brad Story: vocalpedagogy.com/vocal-pedagogue/brad-story
- Voce Vista: vocevista.com
- Chadley Ballantyne: chadleyballantyne.com
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 52 Getting to Grips with Vocal Acoustics with Chadley Ballantyne
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 102 Understanding Singing and Menopause with Joanne Bozeman
ABOUT THE GUEST
Kenneth Bozeman, BM, MM, Professor Emeritus of Music at Lawrence University for 42 years, chaired the voice department, receiving two teaching excellence awards. Holding degrees from Baylor University and the University of Arizona, he studied at the Munich Conservatory. In 1994, he earned the Van Lawrence Fellowship and was inducted into the American Academy of Teachers of Singing in 2019. As the Journal of Singing’s editorial board chair, Bozeman authored acclaimed books on acoustic voice pedagogy. His students performed globally with esteemed opera companies. A renowned voice acoustics expert, he presented at NATS conferences, served as a master teacher, and spoke at British Voice Association and International Congress of Voice Teachers events.
