Psychoacoustic and professional evaluation on vocal performance by singing students

Abstract

Some software can be useful tools for teacher evaluation and self-evaluation of professional singing students. The present study aims to verify whether the data emerging from the psychoacoustic analysis of these students' recordings when they perform a musical passage match the evaluation made by expert teachers. We analyze the performance of a musical excerpt recorded to three students from different academic levels. The recordings correspond to two different moments separated by several months of study during which utilized visual images to reinforce the understanding of vocal technique. The Praat and Sonic Visualiser software and the responses of five teachers obtained from perceptual evaluation tests and interviews carried out for this purpose are used. The results show relevant matches regarding vocal quality, intonation, expression and phrasing, in both types of evaluation.