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Ann Aibor, MI 48106 A PERCEPTUAL STUDY OF VOCAL REGISTERS IN THE SINGING VOICES OF CHILDREN DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Pamela Sewell Wurgler, B. M. E., M. M. ********** The Ohio State University 1990 Dissertation Committee: Approved by James E. Major Helen Swank Patricia J. Flowers Adviser School of Music ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank Dr. James E. Major for his guidance and encouragement throughout my doctoral work, culminating in this document. As mentor and friend, he has offered invaluable aid and affirmation. Thanks go also to Professor Helen Swank for her knowledge, wisdom, and unfailing support of my efforts. I would also like to thank Dr. Patricia Flowers for her innovative ideas and enthusiasm for the research process. To my husband, Norman, goes my deepest appreciation for sharing my interest in this project and for supporting and encouraging my dedication to the process of writing this dissertation. I also wish to thank my daughter, Sarah, for putting up with my absences, both physical and mental. She merits extra thanks for serving as my "guinea pig" many times in the preliminary stages of the research project she partially inspired. 11 VITA November 18, 1949 ......................... Born, St. Louis, Missouri 1 9 7 1 ................................................... B. M. E., Baylor University, Waco, Texas 1 9 7 1 -1 9 7 4 ................................Choral Director, Sam Houston High School, Arlington, Texas 1 9 7 4 -1 9 7 6 .................................... Graduate Student, College- Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 1 9 7 6 ......................................... M. M., College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 1 9 7 6 -1 9 7 8 .................... Music Specialist, Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati, Ohio 1978-present .............................Associate Professor of Music, Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio 1 9 8 8 -1 9 8 9...............................Graduate Teaching Associate, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Music i i i TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................. ii VITA ............................................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................ vi LIST OF FIGURES.....................................................................................viii CHAPTER PAGE I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................... 1 Tone Quality..............................................................................2 Pedagogy .....................................................................5 Vocal Registers in Singing..................................................1 0 Vocal Registers and Tone Quality ...............................14 Conclusions ........................................................................ 1 8 Research Questions .........................................................21 n. REVIEW OF LITERATURE .....................................................25 The ChUd Voice ....................................................................25 Vocal Registers in Singing..................................................3 5 m . STUDY DESIGN........................ .................................................5 3 The Instrument ............................................................... 5 5 Pilot Study......................................................................... 6 0 The Study.............................................................................. 7 0 IV. PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS.......... 7 5 Register Overview...........................................................7 6 iv Register Boundaries ..............................................................7 8 Register Transition Ability.......................................... 8 7 Discussion ..............................................................................9 2 Related Observations ....................................................106 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.........................................126 Procedure ............................................................................. 127 F indings ............................................................................ 128 Conclusions .......................................................................140 Implications .....................................................................145 Suggestions for Future Research....................................14 6 REFERENCES CITED...............................................................................14 8 BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................156 APPENDICES............................................................................................170 A. Instrumentation ....................................................................171 B. Pilot Study Rating Forms....................................................172 C Study Rating Forms.............................................................. 182 LIST OF TABLES TABLES PAGE 1. Student Population of Lincoln Elementary School 7 2 2. Chest Mixture Upper Boundaries by Grade (Percentages) 8 0 3. Chest Mixture Upper Boundaries by Gender (Percentages) 8 0 4. Heavy Chest Tone Upper Boundaries by Grade (Percentages) 8 2 5. Heavy Chest Tone Upper Boundaries by Gender (Percentages) 8 2 6. Pure Head Tone Register by Grade (Percentages) 8 5 7. Pure Head Tone Register by Gender (Percentages) 8 5 8. Head Mixture Lower Boundaries by Grade (Percentages) 8 6 9. Head Mixture Lower Boundaries by Gender (Percentages) 8 6 10. Register Transition Ability Rating by Grade (Percentages) 8 9 VI 11. Register Transition Ability Rating by Gender (Percentages) 8 9 12. Register Transition Ability Rating by Grade and Gender (Percentages) 9 0 13. Reliability of the Mean of the Three Raters in the Song Literature Section of the Singing Test 103 Vll LIST OF FIGURES HGURE PAGE 1. Vocal Ranges of Children from Early Research as collected by Welch (1979) 2 8 2. Vocal Ranges by Age as found by Jersild and Bienstock (1934) 2 9 3. Vocal Ranges by Age, Gender and Academic Level as found by Cleall (1970) 3 1 4. "Comfortable" Ranges as reported by Joyner (1971) 3 2 5. Vocal Ranges by Grade Levels as found by Wilson (1973) 3 3 6. Vocal Ranges by Grade Level as found by Wassum (1979) ..3 4 7. Female Registers and Transition Points as reported by Miller (1986)....................... , 5 1 8. Register Boundaries in Children’s Singing Voices 7 7 9. Vocal Ranges (High/Low Pitch Extremes) by Grade and Gender .......................................................... 11 8 vin CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Vocal registers are a natural phenomenon which exist as a means of pitch control for the utilization of range. Register events in the singing voice occur as a function of vocal production in a given pitch range. One aim of vocal education involves the learning of smooth register transitions to facilitate artistic use of one's entire singing range. The vocal range of children has been the topic of many research studies with widely differing conclusions. It would appear the disparity in range generalizations is, in part, due to the fact that these studies were conducted without regard to register effects or the pedagogy of vocal production necessary to sing throughout the entire pitch range presented. While some researchers have observed the presence of several registers in children's singing voices,