Elsevier

Journal of Voice

Volume 19, Issue 2, June 2005, Pages 202-210
Journal of Voice

Original Article
Analysis and Evaluation of a Voice-Training Program in Future Professional Voice Users

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvoice.2004.04.009Get rights and content

Summary

The goal of this study is to analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of a voice-training program. Twenty-three professional voice users received voice training for 2 years and vocal hygiene education for 1 year. The voice-training program consisted of lectures, technical workshops, and vocal coaching. The European Laryngological Society (ELS) protocol, including the Dysphonia Severity Index (DSI) and the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), was applied before and after, respectively, 9 and 18 months of voice training. A questionnaire on daily habits was presented at study onset and after 18 months. The DSI improvement is more significant after 9 months (P = 0.005) than it is after 18 months (P = 0.2). On the other hand, the perceptual evaluation remained unchanged after 9 months, whereas it improved significantly after 18 months. The results of the daily habit questionnaire are disturbing: the prevalence of smoking, vocal abuse, stress, and late meals were not influenced by the lectures and remained high. This study emphasizes the need for a well-organized voice-training program that is most effective after 9 months. Regarding the low effectiveness of the vocal hygiene program, the concept needs revision.

Introduction

This study concentrates on the effectiveness of a voice-training program for 23 future professional voice users, such as actors and radio directors. As this population needs a well-functioning voice, but also a resonant and beautiful voice, everybody expects that this category of professional voice users receives voice training. Nevertheless, scientific research on the training effect is rare.1

In a previous study, Timmermans et al1 assessed 86 voices of future professional voice users by means of the European Laryngological Society protocol (ELS)2 and concluded that the vocal characteristics and the self-perception of future professional voice users are not as good as expected. However, after 9 and 18 months of voice training, 46 voices were assessed again and a significantly improved objectively measured voice quality (Dysphonia Severity Index, DSI)3 and a significant betterment of the perceptual evaluation (GRBAS scale, where G stands for grade of overall hoarseness, R for roughness, B for breathiness, A for asthenity, and S for strain)4 were found. The self-assessment (Voice Handicap Index, VHI),5 however, showed that the actor and radio students experience their voices as problematic. In spite of this, they neglect the rules of vocal hygiene as a lot of them smoke, many report stress, abuse the voice, and eat very late because of scholar obligations.6, 7

In this study, a comparative analysis of the results of the three assessment moments—at study onset (Time 1), after 9 months (Time 2), and after 18 months (Time 3), was performed to determine the impact of each training phase. Comparing the results over time can reveal important and useful information about the effectiveness of the training program, the optimal period of training, and the effect of vocal hygiene. This information can be helpful in the construction and optimization of a future training program for this population.

Section snippets

Subjects

Subjects are between 19 and 30 years old and students of the Rits,1 ie, school for audiovisual communication. The 23 subjects (13 males and 10 females) received 18 months of voice training, which is a basic element in their study program. This group, further called the

Results and discussion

Table 2 presents the mean and standard error (SE) of the DSI and its variables, the VHI, and the subscores in Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3. The DSI score improves from 2 to 3.7 in Time 2 and to 4.6 in Time 3 (Figure 1). Timmermans et al6, 7 showed that these results are obtained by time and training. The Tukey multiple comparisons test calculated a significant improvement of the DSI score from Time 1 to Time 2 (P = 0.005) and not from Time 2 to Time 3 (P = 0.2), meaning that the improvement is

Conclusion

This study shows that a well-organized voice-training program in future professional voice users results in a significant improvement of voice quality. The training effect is most remarkable after 9 months and seems to consolidate in the subsequent 9 months. This is not the case for vocal hygiene that is not modified as such by this program. Another concept should be formulated to change lifestyle and daily habits. Future vocal professionals have a disproportional perception of their own voices

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  • Outcomes of Vocal Hygiene Program in Facilitating Vocal Health in Female School Teachers With Voice Problems

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    This indicated that teachers felt they used their voice with reduced effort despite their vocal demands. Similar results were reported by Timmermans et al69, where the authors indicated that improvements in the self- perceptual scores were with time rather than the effects of vocal treatment. On the other hand, significant improvement was not observed in part 1 & 2 of vocal fatigue index.

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