Real-time feedback in the singing studio: an innovatory action-research project using new voice technology

The article reports on a one-year AHRB-funded Innovations project that was designed to evaluate the usefulness, or otherwise, of the application of real-time visual feedback technology in the singing studio. The basis for the research was a multi-disciplinary approach that drew on voice science and acoustics, the psychology of singing and voice education. Participants were based in two different singing studios, one in the north of England and the other in the south. They catered for two different adult singer client groups ranging from skilled amateur to advanced professional. An action-research methodology was adopted in which the two participant singing teachers and their adult students were seen as co-researchers in the research activity. The resultant research data consisted of research diaries, observations and interviews, supplemented by multimedia recordings (audio and video) of actual singing behaviours over time. Data analyses indicate that new technology can impact positively on teacher behaviours and student experiences by providing more meaningful feedback through an enriched pedagogy. This offers the possibility of expanding the professional knowledge and skill base of both groups.