title: Vocal tract shapes in different singing functions used in musical theater singing-a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Singing styles in Musical Theater singing might differ in many ways from Western Classical singing. However, vocal tract adjustments are not understood in detail.
  
  
  METHODS
  Vocal tract shapes of a single professional Music Theater female subject were analyzed concerning different aspects of singing styles using dynamic real-time magnetic resonance imaging technology with a frame rate of 8 fps. The different tasks include register differences, belting, and vibrato strategies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Articulatory differences were found between head register, modal register, and belting. Also, some vibrato strategies ("jazzy" vibrato) do involve vocal tract adjustments, whereas others (classical vibrato) do not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vocal tract shaping might contribute to the establishment of different singing functions in Musical Theater singing.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Musicians' Medicine, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany. Electronic address: matthias.echternach@uniklinik-freiburg.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Echternach
authors.affiliation: Voiceworks, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Popeil
authors.affiliation: Institute of Musicians' Medicine, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Louisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Traser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Music, Osnabrück University of Applied Science, Osnabrück, Germany.
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wienhausen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Musicians' Medicine, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Richter
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007568:Jaw / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D063346:Singing / Q000502:physiology*; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014833:Voice Quality
keywords: Belting; Chest voice; Head voice; Magnetic resonance imaging; Modal register; Musical Theater; Vibrato; Vocal tract