#22: Essential Characteristics in Musical Theater Voice Timbre — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

#22: Essential Characteristics in Musical Theater Voice Timbre

Name: Wanying Liang
Major: Music Theatre Vocal Pedagogy
Hometown: Guangzhou, China
Faculty Sponsor: Corinne Ness
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Master's thesis

Abstract

Vocal timbre refers to the quality of a voice that is distinct from its pitch and intensity. One can measure the pitch or decibel level to a relatively exact point. But the quality of the voice is more difficult to pinpoint. Humans assign terms like resonant or reedy to express the character of a sound, but this is not very specific. Researchers have looked at the physiology and acoustics of a voice quality, and studied the style markers for a particular type of singing. All this research attempts to understand vocal timbre — the essential characteristics of a sound.

To explore the intricacies of timbre, the countless internal and external variables that affect it, and ways listeners process hearing it — dissecting these factors reveals something fundamental about the person singing and the emotional truth inherent in their singing. Heidemann (2016) studied the different perceptions of vocal timbre in popular song. She argued that timbre was created by the vocal tract, the position of the mouth and throat, the sensation of the vibrations in the body, and the breathing support system. Heidemann’s framework can be applied to understanding music theatre vocal timbre. This research will focus on Heidemann’s theory of vocal timbre and integrating that theory with Estill Vocal Pedagogy to understand the differences in the four main vocal qualities of music theatre: legit, belt, mix, and pop/rock styles. The research will explore how these different qualities are made, the acoustics of these qualities, and the elements of performance style. It will also address the varied ways that perceivers understand the sounds in music theatre. Finally, the research will also include how extended techniques like vocal growls are perceived as part of vocal timbre.

Poster file