Is there value to teaching the “science of singing” to young kids? I say yes. The goal is not to over-intellectualize the voice. It is to demystify it for young singers.

Part of the Vocal Pedagogy Series

Have you ever asked kids “what is a vowel made of?” Try it! See what answers they give you.

There are ways to help young singers understand this concept. The key is small doses, and practical application.

Summary: What is a vowel “made of”?

Perceptually: The brain interpreting those frequencies as a vowel.

Physically: A voiced sound shaped by the vocal tract.

Acoustically: A specific set of resonant frequencies (formants).

Young singers can often take any timbral criticism or correction personally. Can we train them to think of their voice as an instrument like a clarinet?

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Merch Store!Visit Kaleidescope Today! www.sightreadingfactory.com is the best literacy tool on the market today. Enter Choralosophy at checkout to get 10% off memberships for you AND your students!Be Sure to Find Choralosophy on TikTok!

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Sign up for an annual membership and save over $50 by entering Choralosophy at checkout! Save 15% on monthly or annual subscriptions.1. Sundberg, Johan – The Science of the Singing Voice

• This is the foundational text in vocal acoustics.

He also explains how overtones align or conflict depending on vowel shape and pitch.

2. McCoy, Scott – Your Voice: An Inside View

• A pedagogically friendly yet scholarly resource used in many university voice programs.

Includes spectrogram analysis examples of vowel shaping and overtone reinforcement.

3. Miller, Donald – Registers, Resonance, and Formants

• A deeper dive into acoustic theory applied to singing, especially useful for understanding how register transitions and vowel modification interact with overtone alignment.

4. Bozeman, Kenneth – Practical Vocal Acoustics and Kinesthetic Voice Pedagogy

• Applies acoustic theory directly to classical and choral singing.

Introduces the concept of “acoustic goals” rather than fixed vowel targets.

5. Titze, Ingo – various works, including Principles of Voice Production

• One of the most respected voices in vocal science and voice therapy.

His research supports how formant-harmonic interaction affects perceived pitch, vowel clarity, and vocal efficiency.

6. Benade, Arthur – Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics

• While broader than voice, Benade’s text covers harmonic structures, resonance, and tuning systems in a way that supports overtone theory in ensemble singing.

7. Howard, David M., and Angus, Jamie S. – Acoustics and Psychoacoustics

• Used in both music tech and voice programs.

Covers how humans perceive pitch, timbre, and vowel identity through formant structures and overtone relationships.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles (Examples)

• Titze, I. R. (2008). “Voice research: Where do we stand?” Journal of Singing.

Ternström, S. (1993). “Perceptual evaluation of voice source characteristics of professional and amateur singers.” Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

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