Acoustic Resonance of the Voice Poster

Dr. Nicholas MIguel, Assistant Professor of Voice at Western Illinois University, presents a new visual aid for mapping the acoustic resonance of the voice. The “tracks” proposed by Berton Coffin are organized in an easy to reference poster that can be used during instruction to label a teacher’s model or a student’s sound. First formant tuning with the harmonics of the voice are presented with numbers, colors, and easy to understand terms that help singers to quickly comprehend the options for resonant pairings. Guidelines for how pitch, shape and vowel changes affect movement from one formant-harmonic pairing to another help singers navigate options. Traditional passaggio points for the standard voice parts are labeled in relation to the acoustic event they most relate to. The visual aid will be explained and demonstrations given for how it might be used to efficiently instruct vowel modification and resonance choices.