INTRODUCTION TO THE ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF TONE PRODUCTION

OBJECTIVE

Through this out-of-studio assignment, students will become familiar with the mechanics and physiology of tone production. Students should have a clearer understanding of the how the voice works, i.e., the parts of the body involved in producing sound.

PURPOSE

As voice majors, students should be informed concerning the physiology of their instruments. They will be better able to relate the act of singing to their bodies as a result of this exercise.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Internet access to www.voiceproblem.org and CD Rom accompanying McCoy, S. (2004). Your voice: an inside view. Princeton, NJ: Inside View Press.

ANTICIPATORY SET

As a lead-in to this exercise, during the previous voice lesson, students were asked if they knew exactly how tone was produced, what parts of the body were involved, etc.

PROCEDURE

Students are asked to visit www.voiceproblem.org. From the menu, click on ≥Anatomy and Physiology of Voice Production.≤ Read the entire unit. Students may download and print the chapter, if needed. After reading the material, they are asked to access the CD Rom, Your Voice: An Inside View. In Part II, go to Chapter 9, ≥Phonation.≤ Read the entire unit: ≥Laryngeal Framework,≤ ≥Physiology,≤ ≥Vocal Folds,≤ Musculature,≤ and ≥Rollover Identification.≤ Then view the ≥Movies≤ section, which provides examples of various types of phonation, i.e., balanced phonation, pressed phonation, aspirate phonation, belting, the head voice, and chest voice.

STUDENT UNDERSTANDING

Students are asked to write a short paper, 4-5 pages, summarizing what they learned. They are asked to react to the information which made the most poignant impact, or provided the most enlightenment, and to relate how this information will be used in their own singing experiences.

CLOSURE

During the next private voice lesson, students will be asked to connect this information to their studio exercises. There will be multiple opportunities for the integration of the information during the lesson.

EXTENSIONS

Additional exercises incorporating chapters from the McCoy book and CD Rom will be utilized. Also, future lessons will further integrate physiology and anatomy and students will be encouraged to do further reading.