Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T22:54:10.634Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Potential use of singing in educational settings with pre-pubertal children possessing speech and voice disorders: a psychological perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2008

Tiija Rinta*
Affiliation:
School of Arts and Humanities, Institute of Education, University of London, 20 Bedford Way, London, WC1H 0ALTiija.Rinta@gmail.com

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether children who possess speech and voice disorders could benefit from engaging in singing activities in educational settings, based on the psychological benefits of such activities. The impact of singing on children's psychological state and well-being was investigated with a participant population of 76 pre-pubertal children. Voice recordings, interviews and a survey were conducted. The main finding was that singing has a positive effect on children's overall vocal functioning and on their psychological well-being. Thus, singing could be exploited in educational settings with children suffering from speech and voiced disorders in order to achieve improvement in such domains.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

ALPERT, M., PPUGET, E. R. & SILVA, R. R. (2001) ‘Reflections of depression in acoustic measures of the patient's speech’, Journal of Affective Disorders 66 (1): 123–7.Google Scholar
ANDREWS, M. L. (1991) Voice Therapy for Children. San Diego, CA: Singular Publishing Group, Inc.Google Scholar
ANGSUWARANSEE, T. & MERRISON, M. (2001) ‘Extrinsic laryngeal muscular tension in patients with voice disorders’, Journal of Voice 16 (3): 333–43.Google Scholar
BAARS, G. & GABRIELSON, A. (1997) ‘Emotional expression in singing: a case study’, Proceedings of the Third Triennal ESCOM Conference, Uppsala, Sweden, 7–12 June, 479–83.Google Scholar
BAKER, J. (2002a) ‘Psychogenetic voice disorder and traumatic stress experience: a discussion paper with two case reports’, Journal of Voice 17 (3): 308–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BAKER, J. (2002b) ‘Psychogenic voice disorders – heroes or hysterics? A brief overview with questions and discussion’. Logaoedics Phoniatrics and Vocology 27 (2): 8491.Google Scholar
BARONI, M., CATERINA, R., REGAZZI, F. & ZANARINI, G. (1997) ‘Emotional aspects of singing voice’, Proceedings of the Third Triennal ESCOM Conference, Uppsala, Sweden, 7–12 June, 484–9.Google Scholar
BECK, R. J., CESARIO, T. C., YOUSEFI, A. & ENAMOTO, H. (2000) ‘Choral singing, performance perception, and immune system changes in salivary immunoglobulin A and cortisol’, Music Perception 18 (1): 87106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BOLFAN-STOSIC, N., YLIHERVA, A. & WELCH, G. (2003) ‘Vocal identities – differences and similarities between children from Croatia and Finland’, in Manfredi, I. (Ed.), Models and Analysis of Vocal Emissions for Biomedical Applications (pp. 4750). Proceedings from the 3rd International Workshop, Florence, Italy, December 10–12, 2003.Google Scholar
BONET, M. & CASON, P. (1993) ‘Evaluation of dysphonia in children's choir’, Folia Phoniatrica et Logopedica 46 (1): 2743.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BUNCH, M. (1997) Dynamics of the Singing Voice. New York: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
BUTCHER, P., ELIAS, A., YEATMAN, J. & LITTLEJOHNS, D. (1987) ‘Psychogenetic voice disorder unresponsive to speech therapy’, British Journal of Disorders of Communication 22 (1), 81–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
CLIFT, S. & HANCOCK, G. (2001) ‘The benefits of singing: Findings from preliminary surveys with a university college choral society’, Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health 121 (4), 248–56.Google Scholar
DEEM, J. F. & MILLER, L. (2000) Manual of Voice Therapy. Texas: Pro-ed, Inc.Google Scholar
DRENNAN, W. R. & WATSON, C. S. (2001) ‘Sources of variation in profile analysis. I. Individual differences and extended training’, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 110: 2491–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
EISENSON, J. & OGILVIE, M. (1977) Speech Correction in the Schools – 4th Edition. New York: Macmillan.Google Scholar
GERRATT, B. R. & KREIMAN, J. (2001) ‘Measuring vocal quality with speech synthesis’, Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 110: 2560–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
GRAPE, T., SANDGREN, M., HANSSON, L., ERIKSON, M. & THEORELL, T. (2003) ‘Does singing promote well-being?: An empirical study of professional and amateur singers during a singing lesson’, Integrative Physiological and Behavioural Science 38 (1), 6574.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
HUNT, J. & SLATER, A. (2003) Working with Children's Voice Disorders. Oxon, UK: Speechmark Publishing Ltd.Google Scholar
KOIVUSAARI, R. (1998) ‘Voice disorders in school-aged children – persistence of voice disorders and their links to the psycho-motor functioning of the students’, Doctoral Dissertation from the University of Oulu, Finland.Google Scholar
MARTIN, D. & MILLER, C. (2003) Speech and Language Difficulties in the Classroom. London: David Fulton.Google Scholar
MATHIESON, L. & GREENE, I. (2003) The Voice and its Disorders. London: Whurr Publishers.Google Scholar
MCALLISTER, A. (1997) ‘Acoustic, perceptual and physiological studies of ten-year-old children's voices’, Dissertation from the Department of Logaoedics and Phoniatrics, Karoliska Institute Huddinge University Hospital and from the Department of Speech, Music and Hearing, Royal Institute of technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden.Google Scholar
MENDES, A. P., BROWN, W. S. Jr., ROTHMAN, H. B. & SAPIENZA, C. (2004) ‘Effects of singing training on the speaking voice of voice majors’, Journal of Voice 18 (1): 83–9.Google Scholar
MONTELLO, M. (2002) Essential Musical Intelligence. Illinois: The Theological Publishing House.Google Scholar
MURRAY, K. S., EMPSON, J. A. & WEAVER, S. M. (1987) ‘Rehearsal and preparation for speech in stutterers: a psychological study’, British Journal of Disorders of Communication 22 (2): 145–50.Google Scholar
PERT, C. B. (1986) ‘The wisdon of the receptors: neuropeptides, the emotions and bodymind’, Advances 3 (3): 816.Google Scholar
PERETZ, I., CAGNON, L., HEBERT, S. & MACOIR, J. (2004) ‘Singing in the brain’, Music Perception 21 (3): 373–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
RINTA, T. (2005). ‘Inclusion of singing in the assessment of the child voice: perceptions and practices of professional speech and voice therapists’, An unpublished MRes-dissertation from the Institute of Education, University of London.Google Scholar
RINTA, T. & WELCH, G. F. (2008) ‘Should singing be included in speech and voice therapy settings with pre-pubertal children suffering from speech and voice disorders?’, Journal of Voice 22 (1): 100–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
ROSSI, E. (2000) The Psychobiology of Mind-Body Healing – New Concepts of Therapeutic Hypnosis. London: Norton & Company, Inc.Google Scholar
SEASHORE, C. E. (1967) Psychology of Music. New York: Dover.Google Scholar
SEDERHOLM, E. (1996) ‘Hoarseness in ten-year-old children – perceptual characteristics, prevalence and etiology’, Thesis from the Department of Logaoedics and Phoniatrics Karoliska Institute, Huddinge University Hospital and the Department of Speech, Music and Hearing Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Stockholm, Sweden.Google Scholar
SUNDBERG, J. (2001) ‘How vocal sounds are made’, in Potter, J. (Ed.), Cambridge Companion to Singing (pp. 204–47). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
THURMAN, L. & WELCH, G. F. (eds.) (2000) Bodymind and Voice -3 Foundations of Voice Education. Iowa: National Centre for Voice and Speech.Google Scholar
UNWIN, M. M., KENNY, D. T. & DAVIS, P. J. (2002) ‘The effects of group singing on mood’, Psychology of Music 30 (1): 175–85.Google Scholar
VALENTINE, E. & EVANS, C. (2001) ‘The effects of solo singing, choral singing and swimming on mood and physiological indices’, British Journal of Medical Psychology 74 (2): 115–25.Google Scholar
WELCH, G. F. (2005) ‘Singing as communication’, in Miell, D., MacDonald, R. & Hargreaves, D. J.. (Eds), (Musical Communication (pp. 239–58). Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
WELCH, G. F. & WHITE, P. (1993) ‘The developing voice: education and vocal efficiency – a physical perspective’, Bulletin of the Council of Research in Music Education 119: 146–56.Google Scholar
WHITE, P. (2001) The Child Voice. Stockholm: KTH Voice Research Centre.Google Scholar
WHITESIDE, S. & HODGSON, C. (1999) ‘Acoustic characteristics in 6–10-year-old children's voices: some preliminary findings’, Logaoedics Phoniatrics Vocology 24 (2): 613.Google Scholar
WILSON, D. K. (1987) Voice Problems of Children – Third Edition. London: Williams & Wilkins.Google Scholar