Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Velopharyngeal port status during classical singing.

Kristine Tanner1, Nelson Roy, Ray M Merrill

  • 1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City 84112-0252, USA. kristine.tanner@hsc.utah.edu

Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research : JSLHR
|February 16, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Trained singers often exhibit velopharyngeal (VP) opening during classical singing, with nasal airflow observed even in non-nasal sounds. Vowel height, loudness, and pitch significantly influence this VP port behavior.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Development of an adverse childhood experience (ACE) index to help explain adult physical health, mental health, and receiving needed emotional support.

Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy·2026
Same author

Reasons for Using Cannabis Among Adults in the United States: Associations with Demographics, Health Behaviors, Chronic Conditions, and Legal Status.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2026
Same author

Adverse childhood experiences impact unemployment and inability to work among adults in the United States.

Frontiers in psychology·2026
Same author

Adverse Childhood Experiences Promote Increased and Selective Caregiving in Adulthood.

International journal of environmental research and public health·2026
Same author

Cognitive Difficulty Concentrating, Remembering, or Making Decisions According to Chronic Medical Conditions and Cannabis Use Among US Adults in 2022.

Innovations in clinical neuroscience·2025
Same author

Impact of diabetes mellitus on one-year outcomes of bioresorbable versus durable polymer drug-eluting stents in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention following rotational atherectomy: Results from a large prospective registry.

American heart journal plus : cardiology research and practice·2025

Area of Science:

  • Vocal acoustics and physiology
  • Speech-language pathology
  • Singing voice science

Background:

  • The velopharyngeal (VP) port's function is crucial for distinguishing oral and nasal sounds.
  • Understanding VP port dynamics in singing is essential for voice production and pedagogy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the velopharyngeal (VP) port status in classically trained singers during singing versus speaking.
  • To quantify nasal airflow, oral pressure, and VP orifice area during vocal tasks.

Main Methods:

  • Aeromechanical instrumentation was used to measure nasal airflow, oral pressure, and VP orifice area.
  • Ten classically trained sopranos performed standardized nonsense words at varying pitches and loudness levels.
  • A within-subject design analyzed singing and speaking conditions.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Singing produced significantly greater nasal airflow, oral pressure, and VP area estimates compared to speech.
  • Nasal airflow occurred during non-nasal sounds in all participants, with anticipatory airflow noted in 90%.
  • Vowel height, loudness, and pitch interacted to influence nasal airflow.

Conclusions:

  • Trained singers frequently demonstrate velopharyngeal opening during classical singing.
  • Vowel characteristics appear to play a role in velopharyngeal valving during singing.
  • Further research should explore factors like voice type, gender, and singing style.