Effects of Sixteen Month Voice Training of Student Actors Applying the Linklater Voice Method.

Objective: This study investigates the perceptual and acoustic changes in student actors' voices after 16 months of Linklater Voice training, which is a holistic method to train actors' voices.

Methods: Eleven (n = 11) actor students' text and Voice Range Profile (VRP) recordings were analyzed pretraining and 16 months posttraining. From text readings at comfortable performance loudness, both perceptual and acoustic analyses were made. Acoustic measures included sound pressure level (SPL), fundamental frequency (fo), and sound level differences between different frequency ranges derived from long-term-average spectrum. Sustained vowels [i:], [o], and [e] abstracted from the text sample were analyzed for formant frequencies F1-F4 and the frequency difference between F4 and F3. The VRP was registered to investigate SPL of the softest and loudest phonations throughout the voice range.

Results: The perceived pitch range during text reading increased significantly. The acoustic result showed a strong trend toward decreasing in minimum fo, and increasing in maximum fo and fo range. The VRP showed a significant increase in the fo range and dynamics (SPL range). Perceived voice production showed a trend toward phonation balance (neither pressed-nor breathy) and darker voice color posttraining.

Conclusion: The perceptual and acoustic analysis of text reading and acoustic measures of VRP suggest that LV training has a positive impact on voice.