What’s really happening inside the larynx when we ‘tilt?’ In this episode, Alexa is joined by voice researcher Dr Mathias Aaen to unpack the science behind thyroid tilt - exploring what his latest studies reveal about pitch, vocal fold lengthening, and healthy singing. The pair cut through common misconceptions, translate research into studio-ready language, and ask the big question: are our teaching prompts actually doing what we think they are? If you love practical pedagogy grounded in solid science, this one’s for you. 

WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?  

2:58 What is tilt? Anatomy & physiology  

6:35 CVT framework 

16:13 Study results  

22:45 Physiology vs the perceptual  

25:36 Teaching prompts  

43:10 Vocal fold length and pitch change  

48:14 Enemies of tilt 

52:37 Common misconceptions about tilt  

About the presenter HERE

RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS 

Investigating Laryngeal “Tilt” on Same-pitch Phonation—Preliminary Findings of Vocal Mode, Metal and Density Parameters as Alternatives to Cricothyroid-Thyroarytenoid “Mix” by Mathias Aaen et al 

Correlating Degree of Thyroid Tilt Independent of fo Control as a Mechanism for Phonatory Density with EGG and Acoustic Measures across Loudness Conditions by Aaen. M et al 

Singing Teachers Talk - Ep.131 Mastering Research Papers: How to Read with Ease and Extract Knowledge  

Complete Vocal Institute  

Dr Ian Howell 

Dr Mark Tempesta 

Kerrie Obert  

Dr Ingo Titze 

Estill 

CVT App 

Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica  

Manuel Garcia  

Praat 

ABOUT THE GUEST 

Mathias Aaen, PhD, is a voice researcher, educator, and certified rehabilitation specialist. He serves as Honorary Researcher at Nottingham University Hospitals and VP of Research & Collaboration at CVI, and was previously a Fulbright Fellow at UC Berkeley. His work focuses on voice physiology, acoustics, auditory-perceptual analysis, and voice habilitation and rehabilitation, with groundbreaking research into the physiology and health of contemporary commercial music styles, including rock and heavy metal. He recently completed a PostDoc investigating the CVT framework as a clinical treatment for dysphonia in MTD and ABI patients. An award-winning researcher and Authorised CVT Teacher, Mathias is also an active performer who has worked with leading opera houses and voice professionals worldwide.  

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