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VOCAL ACOUSTICPedagogy
by Kenneth W. Bozeman, MM email: kenneth.w.bozeman@Lawrence.edu website: http:// faculty.lawrence.edu / bozemank/

I recently published a book with Pendragon ing of male passaggio was transformed.
Press, Practical Vocal Acoustics: Pedagogic Over the next decade I tried a few times to
Applications for Teachers and Singers, in which interest members of the voice science commu-
I make a case for a coherent, fact-based ap- nity in testing this hypothesis, but without
proach to the acoustic aspects of teaching sing- success. I didn’t know that at about the same
ing. There are many important facets to a com- time, Donald Miller and Harm Schutte were
prehensive pedagogy, and the acoustic piece is observing this and other acoustic phenomena in
but one. However, due to our increasing know- their lab in Groningen, Netherlands. Though I
ledge of the effects of vocal tract resonances on had real time spectrography in my own studio
vocal fold function, and of how awareness and from 1993 forward, it was not until I was pro-
anticipation of those effects can make our vided with Svante Granqvist’s Madde voice
teaching more effective, there is now a rapidly synthesizer that I could prove with precision
growing interest among voice teachers in mas- what I had long suspected: that the male voice
tering the basic acoustic principles involved. turns over when the second harmonic rises
At the 1981 convention of the National Associ- above the first formant. By this time Miller and
ation of Teachers of Singing in Minneapolis, a Schutte had documented this and related phen-
paper was presented on the relationship of the omena, and in a subsequent visit to Lawrence
singer’s formant frequency to voice category. University where I teach, Donald confirmed my
During the presentation a synthesized tenor observations. I have since enjoyed very infor- caused by a change of pitch, not a change of
voice was played singing an F major scale on the mative conversations with Donald and a number shape. Detailed awareness of these phenomena
vowel /a/. Remarkably, the tenor’s vocal quality of other voice scientists, most of whom now is a great practical aide in training male passag-
migrated through the distinctive color changes acknowledge the phenomenon of the F1/H2 gio. Furthermore, as has long been established
associated with male passaggio, though no turn of the voice. by Johann Sundberg, first formant/first harmonic
changes in the vocal tract formants or source I am not a voice scientist. I am a voice teach- tracking is essential for timbral fullness in treble
input had been programmed other than the er. It is not my intention with this bit of person- voices when singing pitches above normal first
change of pitch (fundamental frequency). al history to encourage voice teachers to pre- formant locations. A chiaroscuro balanced
Although passaggio was not the focus of the sume to know what we don’t—there’s enough timbre, facilitated by a generally convergent,
presentation, I was struck with the notion that of that already in every profession—rather, to voce chiusa resonator orientation creates inter-
the timbral shifts of vocal cover were not due realize that we each bring something of great active resonance, which can assist vocal fold
to changes in laryngeal register, rather to some value to the conversation. While voice teachers efficiency so that greater power can be had at
resonance phenomenon not yet understood. need to be open to learning from the voice lower breath pressure levels. Knowledge of the
Thus began my journey into the area of vocal science community, and willing to relinquish specific roles of formants, the acoustic charac-
acoustics. ideas that run counter to reality, we also have teristics of open, close, yell, and whoop timbres,
Eight years later in a voice lesson with the vitally important things to contribute. Ongoing the ways in which the first formant, second
late Richard Miller during a sabbatical at Ober- open and honest collaborations between voice formant, and the singer’s formant cluster are
lin, my voice “turned over” while singing an /e/ teachers and voice scientists—both of whom are tuned, and the typical pattern of first formant
vowel on D4. I had previously thought that the humble enough to consider perspectives other locations is essential to implementing effective
male voice began to prepare for the upper voice than their own—are needed to advance voice acoustic strategies. Practical Vocal Acoustics
during the zona di passaggio—roughly D4-G4 pedagogy. presents and explains this information in a
for a tenor—but only turned over near the The text Practical Vocal Acoustics represents deliberately user-friendly format, and demon-
secondo passaggio, at G4. I was also surprised an attempt to distill those insights and principles strates its application with a voice synthesis
at the quality of the vowel, which sounded odd emerging from voice research that have proven application and a DVD of student-performed
to my internal hearing. When I asked if what I fruitful for studio pedagogy, and to present exercises.
had just done was acceptable, Richard had me them in a manner that is accessible to the gen- The implications of acoustic pedagogy are
sing the passage again and, without further eral voice community. It aspires to contribute both notable and remarkably practical. For
explanation, affirmed that it was fine. That was both to better pedagogy and to more produc- example, a voice does not turn over or close
the second major step in this journey. I was tive, better-informed, mutually respectful and on the same pitch for all vowels. That simple,
practicing during the sabbatical in the new beneficial conversation between the pedagogic necessary conclusion constituted a paradigm
laboratory Richard was developing at Oberlin, and scientific communities. shift in my own vocal journey. Rather, a voice
and was regularly using the Kay Elemetrics 5500 Awareness of the acoustic events caused by turns over or goes from open to close timbre at
Sonagram with its real time spectrography. In the interactions of voice source harmonics with completely predictable locations: an octave
very short order, I realized that the voice turned vocal tract formants can form the basis of a below the first formant of the vowel being sung.
over and “closed” in a parallel relationship to coherent acoustic pedagogy. A stable vocal tract And since first formant locations vary by as
the first formant locations of vowels. It would length results in harmonic/formant crossings much as an octave in a given voice, so do the
be a few years before I knew precisely what the that are accompanied by passive vowel modifi- pitches of turning vary by vowel by as much as
factors were, but from that point on my teach- cations, that is, timbral migrations that are an octave. The timbre of an /i/ closes at about
 5
an octave below the pitch at which an /a/ closes. and in tutorials on voice acoustics. It is a means
Acoustic pedagogy explains exactly why male to an end that can be quite “natural” and need
and female (or treble) range and resonance not result in inhibitive micro-management. In
strategies have to be handled differently. the final analysis, effective acoustic pedagogy,
Women eventually sing through and above like all good pedagogy and technique, must
the first formant locations of all of their vowels, faithfully and inconspicuously serve intuitive,
resulting in whoop timbre for much of their communicative, heartfelt artistry.
range. Male range (other than countertenor) For more information, please consult:
only includes the pitches of the first formants of Practical Vocal Acoustics: Pedagogic Applica-
the closest vowels /i/, /u/, and /y/. Women fash- tions for Teachers and Singers
ion their timbre out of rather fewer resonated Pendragon Press
harmonics than men—roughly half as many. http://www.pendragonpress.com/
Acoustic pedagogy therefore gives the teacher a book.php?id=731
factual basis for great specificity in guiding Or contact the author:
vowel resonance, and registration choices. Let kenneth.w.bozeman@lawrence.edu
me reassure those who may be concerned about (At press time of this article, only available in Kenneth W. Bozeman
the complexity of acoustic pedagogy that—with spiral bound.) His students have sung with opera companies
a little work up front—it can actually be rather
including Houston Grand, Boston Lyric, Opera
simple. If one is willing to learn the first few
Colorado, Washington, Wolf Trap, Seattle, Deut-
intervals of the harmonic series, the pitch con- Kenneth Bozeman, tenor, Frank C. Shattuck
sche Oper Berlin, New York City, San Francisco,
tour made by the first formant locations of Professor of Music at Lawrence University
the Metropolitan, and Santa Fe. He has both
about seven cardinal vowels, and which har- Conservatory of Music in Appleton, Wisconsin,
been a frequent presenter at voice science con-
monic/formant interactions generate which holds performance degrees from Baylor Uni-
ferences and universities, and written several
effects, pedagogic applications become obvious versity and the University of Arizona. He subse-
articles on the topics of voice acoustics, espe-
and predictable. As with much of what we do, quently studied at the State Conservatory of
cially as applied to male passaggio training
the teacher can decide how much detail the Music in Munich on a fellowship from Rotary
(Choral Journal, Journal of Singing, Logopedics
singer need know in order to find better acou- International. He is chair of the voice department
Phoniatrics Vocology) and a book, Practical Vocal
stic arrangements. As long as the student un- at Lawrence, where he teaches voice, voice
Acoustics: Pedagogic Applications for Teachers
derstands enough of how and why voice acou- science, and pedagogy.
and Singers.
stics work to be able to reproduce in varied Mr. Bozeman has received both of Lawrence
Mr. Bozeman presented on the acoustics of
circumstances beneficially interactive vocal tract University’s Teaching Awards (Young Teacher
male passaggio at the 2012 NATS convention in
configurations, the singing will be greatly im- Award, 1980; Excellence in Teaching Award,
Orlando, was selected to be a master teacher for
proved. I teach in a college conservatory set- 1996). He was awarded the Van Lawrence
the 2013 NATS Intern Program at Vanderbilt
ting, and assume that my students’ futures will Fellowship by the Voice Foundation in 1994 for
University, and will present at the 2014 NATS
eventually include some teaching. Therefore, I his interest in voice science and pedagogy and
convention in Boston on acoustic vocal pedagogy.
cover acoustic pedagogy in some detail, espe- is the chair of the editorial board of the NATS
cially in our voice science and pedagogy course Journal of Singing. kenneth.w.bozeman@Lawrence.edu

“SHATTERED IS MY KINGDOM:” Bringing King Erik’s Songs to Life

The Swedish art song repertoire encom- baritone by Swedish composer Ture Rangström stress: primary and secondary. Stress in Swedish
passes a vast range of styles and subject matter. (1884-1947), Ur Kung Eriks visor [From King is morphological—usually emphasizing mean-
Called romanser (singular romans) in Swedish, Erik’s songs].1 ing-loaded morphemes—and therefore highly
the songs cover a wide aesthetic spectrum, from predictable with some knowledge of Swedish
lush, rhapsodic pieces, to thunderous and rum- The Swedish Language grammar.3 Meaning-loaded morphemes include
bling settings, to spare and simple “folk-like” Many singers shy away from the Swedish the roots of nouns, adjectives, and verbs, to
favorites. Each of these elements has been vari- repertoire due to lack of knowledge of the which other inflectional, derivational, or bound
ously cited as exemplary of the so-called “Swed- Swedish language and pronunciation. However, morphemes attach.
ish style” or “Nordic color” that seem to elude Swedish lyric diction is not inherently more In addition to word stress, Swedish has a
concrete definition. Generalizations about na- difficult than that of German or French; it is system of word intonation. This gives spoken
tional or regional style are always problematic daunting only due to its unfamiliarity. With Swedish its distinctive melodic lilt, famously
and rarely helpful, the very idea of “national diligent preparation, any competent singer has parodied by the Swedish Chef character on The
style” being built around vague assumptions the skills necessary for a successful performance Muppets television program. The rising and fal-
and essentialisms. Understanding national in Swedish. An in-depth exploration of Swedish ling pitch is linked to word stress (as well as to
schools of song, therefore, is more effectively diction is beyond the scope of the present syntax), but is not generally indicated in broad
accomplished by in-depth examination of speci- article,2 but some background information is IPA transcription of Swedish.
fic songs and song cycles. To that end, the pre- necessary. Swedish adheres to the principle of “comple-
sent article explores a little-known song cycle for Swedish has two degrees of movable word mentary quantity,” a language feature that is