Respiratory function during speaking and singing in professional country singers

Area of Science:

• Vocal performance science
• Speech and singing physiology

Background:

• Understanding respiratory mechanics is crucial for vocal health.
• Country singers may have unique respiratory patterns due to genre demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the respiratory function of male professional country singers during speaking and singing.
• To compare their respiratory behavior with untrained and classically trained singers.

Main Methods:

• Utilized magnetometers to measure rib cage and abdominal diameter changes.
• Assessed respiratory function during speaking, singing, and specific respiratory maneuvers.

Main Results:

• Respiratory patterns during speaking were similar to non-singers.
• Singing respiratory behavior closely resembled their speaking patterns.

Conclusions:

• Country singers' respiratory function during singing is similar to their speaking patterns.
• Findings suggest potential for voice disorder prevention through targeted training for country singers.