The effects of respiration mechanism on the perceptional, visual, acoustic and aerodynamic properties of voice owing to a programmed voice training

The aim of this study is to determine the effects of respiration mechanism on the perceptional, visual, acoustic, and dynamic properties of voice as the consequence of a programmed voice training in laboratory conditions; to research the extent to which power and support ofrespiratory muscles ? the most basic factor in the formation of respiration - can be improved; and to determine whether or not the obtained findings concerning the properties of voice have significant relationships with the findings obtained in consequence of a voice training programme along an academic year. This research also aims at finding whether one year individual voice training process is suffiicient or not for the would ? be- teachers of music, and at making suggestions in line with the obtained results.The ?single group pre-test ? post-test research model? was employed in conducting the research. The fact that the members of the experiment group had not received a programmed voice training before was taken into consideration in establishing the research sample. Accordingly, the research was conducted on 36 first year students who started university education in 2005- 2006 academic year in the fine Arts Education Department, Music Branch of Gazi University Gazi Teacher Training College.In the pre-test phase of the the experimental process, the perceptional, visual, acoustic and aerodynamic analyses of the voice of the sample group as well as their respiration functional tests were done in pursue of the answers to the research problem. Following the programmed one year- voice training process, in the post-test stage, the same tests were applied on the sample. Afterwards, the data obtained in the pre-test and post-test were evaluated comparatively.Frequency (f) and percentage (%) distributions, Wilcoxen Signs Test, Fisher?s Exact Test, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used in statistical analyses. The statistical significance level was found to be 0.05.In consequence, it was found that - at the end of a programmed voice training- respiratory mechanism was influential over the perceptional, visual, acoustic and aerodynamic properties of voice, that RV (Residual volume), which is a volume of lung, raised MFT by decreasing, that breathing control and support could be assured through voice training and that such training was possible, that MFT did not vary according to sex, that cigarette smoking reduced Fo, and that this caused voice to become lower. It was concluded that voice training period was not sufficient to teach the music teachers of the future how to use their voice consciously, effectively and correctly. Suggestions were made on the basis of the results obtained.Key Words: Phonation, respiration, anatomic structure, voice training, voice characters?s studies.