Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Fowler, Linda Pass
Author's Email Address	lpfowler@gsu.edu
URN	etd-11162004-084603
Title	Comparison of Nasalance Between Trained Singers and Non-singers
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Communication Disorders, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Richard Morris Committee Chair Andre Thomas Committee Member Julie Stierwalt Committee Member Leonard LaPoint Committee Member Virginia Walker Committee Member
Keywords	Frequency Non-Singers Trained Singers Vowels Velopharyngeal Port Soft Palate Nasalance
Date of Defense	2004-09-30
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Nasalance measures were reported for two groups, 36 trained female singers and 36 female non-singers. Each group sang and sustained the point vowels (/i/, /ae/, /u/, /a/) for six seconds duration across three frequency levels. Three seconds from the middle of each vowel was measured to generate nasalance scores. No significant differences were found in the mean nasalance scores between the trained singers and the non-singers. The nasalance scores were significantly higher for front vowels as compared to back vowels for both groups. Additionally, both groups displayed a pattern of producing significantly higher nasalance scores at lower frequencies than at higher frequencies. The implication of these results is that most singers spontaneously raise the velum on high frequencies and depress it on lower frequencies. These findings put into question the need to train velar movement in Western classical singing.
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