Analyzing Longitudinal Data on Singing Voice Parameters of Boys and Girls Aged 8 to 12.5 and Possible Effects of a Music Pedagogical Intervention

Lennart Heinrich Pieper; Mike Körner; Matthias Wiedemann; Alexandra Ludwig; Franziska Werner; Sylvi Meuret; Michael Fuchs

doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.07.012

Analyzing Longitudinal Data on Singing Voice Parameters of Boys and Girls Aged 8 to 12.5 and Possible Effects of a Music Pedagogical Intervention

J Voice. 2022 Jul;36(4):583.e1-583.e16. doi: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.07.012. Epub 2020 Aug 22.

Authors

Lennart Heinrich Pieper¹, Mike Körner², Matthias Wiedemann³, Alexandra Ludwig⁴, Franziska Werner⁴, Sylvi Meuret⁴, Michael Fuchs⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Section of Phoniatrics and Audiology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. Electronic address: LennartHeinrich.Pieper@medizin.uni-leipzig.de.
² Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology, HELIOS Hospital Aue, 08280 Aue, Germany.
³ School of Music Musikschule Leipzig "Johann Sebastian Bach", 04109 Leipzig, Germany.
⁴ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Section of Phoniatrics and Audiology, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

PMID: 32843260
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.07.012

Abstract

Objective: Controlled and randomized study to analyze longitudinal voice data of boys and girls aged 8-12.5, to describe their physiological development and to evaluate the influence of a one-year music pedagogical interventional program focused on the singing voice.

Methods: Singing voice profiles of 116 children (52 boys, 64 girls) aged 8-12.5 years were collected longitudinally at the beginning and the end of the third school year and the end of the fourth school year. 64 of the 116 children received a music pedagogical program during their third school year (interventional group). Maximum and minimum voice intensity, highest and lowest frequency, maximum phonation time (MPT) and Jitter were investigated.

Results: In two years' time highest frequency increased on average by 100.23 Hz from G1 up to A1 for boys and for girls. Lowest frequency decreased by 18.36Hz from Gis-1 to G-1 (boys: Gis-1-Fis-1; girls: A-1-G-1). There was no clinically relevant development of the intensity parameters for both sexes. However, after the interventional year, minimum voice intensity significantly decreased in the interventional group compared to the control group. The MPT increased by 2.41 seconds from 10.67 seconds up to 13.09 seconds in two years. Here the increase was higher for boys (+3.2 seconds) than for girls (+1.77 seconds). Jitter was found to be 0.84%-1.11%, showing no clinically relevant changes in two years.

Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, for the first time this study presents longitudinal data on singing voice parameters of the voice range profile of boys and girls aged 8-12.5 years. While frequency and intensity parameters develop equally for boys and girls, the MPT is found to develop more distinctly within boys. A music pedagogical intervention of a small extent has a positive effect on the ability to sing as soft as possible.

Keywords: Children; F(0)max; F(0)min; Jitter; Longitudinal data; MPT; Music pedagogy; Musical intervention; SPL; Singing voice.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

Child
Female
Humans
Male
Music*
Phonation / physiology
Singing*
Voice Training
Voice* / physiology