Experiential Learning Reflective Essay - Research
Part 1: What?
For this honors experiential learning project, I (1) completed research on a topic related to my interests in vocal physiology and music expression, (2) collected and analyzed the data, then corroborated the results, (3) composed the full abstract and article describing the research, (4) presented this research at the 42nd Annual Voice Symposium in Philadelphia, and (5) submitted the article for publication in the national Journal of Voice, where it was accepted for publication in June 2013. My research concerned the factors associated with singers' perceptions of choral singing wellbeing. Choral singing is a popular vocational pastime across cultures. The potential health benefits associated with choral singing, including positive effect on wellbeing, are a topic of interest in health research. However, anecdotal reports from voice professionals suggest that the unique demands of choral singing may enforce unhealthy singing habits. This study explored suboptimal vocal behaviors that are sometimes associated with choral singing, which include singing outside comfortable pitch range, singing too loudly, and singing too softly for blend. The relationships between suboptimal choral singing habits, vocal warm-ups, vocal fatigue, and singing-related wellbeing were assessed via a 14-item Likert based response format questionnaire. Participants consisted of attendees of the international World Choir Games.
This entire experience was extremely educational and rewarding, albeit even more challenging than I had expected. At times, I did not have high hopes that I would be able to complete my plans for both presentation and publication of this research. This experience has become one my proudest achievements in my undergraduate career.
In order to complete this project, it was necessary to demonstrate an ability to frame and develop research project questions via awareness of relevant literature, then to formulate hypotheses based on the literature review. In order to begin this project, I used my previous knowledge of voice performance, choral performance, and voice science. I completed a literature review over many topics, including the acoustic, phonologic, and physiological differences between choral and solo singing, common suboptimal singing behaviors in the choral setting, types of vocal warm ups, the relationship between choral singing and wellness, world health definitions of wellness, international choral singing traditions, and even the science of questionnaire development. From this literature, I determined our hypotheses and constructed the questionnaire on which the research was based. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to identify relationships between common suboptimal vocal behaviors and vocal fatigue, (2) to investigate the effect of suboptimal choral singing on singing-related wellbeing, and (3) to determine if a preference for solo singing has any impact on reported singing technique. Hypotheses were (1) typical suboptimal singing behaviors associated with choral singing will result in vocal fatigue, (2) healthy singing is associated with good singing-related wellbeing, and (3) most amateur singers will prefer choral singing, while most solo-trained singers will prefer solo singing, and most solo singers will alter singing technique when changing tasks.
After designing the research plan, I collected and analyzed data, then disseminated the research results in a publishable paper. In anticipation for data corroboration, I learned some basic statistics in order to understand the kind of results we would wish to report. I also completed Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) certification and Institutional Review Board (IRB) education in order to legally research human subjects. Collecting the data turned out to be a very rare and very inspiring experience because I was able to meet amateur singers from around the world at the international World Choir Games in Cincinnati. After organizing and reviewing the data, I collaborated with a professional statistician in order to obtain our results. Most of our data yielded mild to moderate correlations, which was expected for a simple questionnaire study on human subjects. Perhaps the most humbling and educational aspect of this experience was acquiring an awareness of the key weaknesses/limitations of this research. Soon after our project was accepted as an oral presentation at the Voice Symposium, I submitted our article for peer review in order to receive feedback before the conference. The reviewers were intrigued by our work, yet gave some very intelligent and specific criticisms, mostly pertaining to our lack of discussion on limitations. Going through the process of peer review was amazingly informative and helped me understand how to improve my research plans in the future. Limitations for this particular project include (1) psychometrics for the questionnaire, which were under development and could undergo further validity and reliability testing, (2) the fact that findings were reliant on participant awareness of their own voice production and therefore do not propose a complete objective analysis, (3) the large heterogeneity of subjects, since singers might have preferred choral singing or solo singing depending on age, heritage, etc., (4) the fact that traditional choral sound in some countries may be very different from that of the American choral tradition, which was used as the basis of our study (5) potential factors not studied, including cool downs. Future research may identify additional determinants of choral singing wellbeing, which could eventually result in a comprehensive model that could predict who may benefit from choral singing and describe the necessary conditions for this benefit to occur. Such work has the potential to further describe the therapeutic effects of choral singing.
Part 2: So What?
Through my experiences at CCM, I became increasingly interested in vocal pathology. Over the past years, I have worked closely with Dr. Sid Khosla and Dr. Eva van Leer on research projects regarding the health and bio-mechanics of the vocal mechanism. I also completed the coursework necessary to apply to Speech-Language Pathology MA programs. My background in communication sciences and disorders contributed to my additional interest in the physiology of speech/language and its relationship with music. In short, previous coursework and life experience related to voice performance, speech pathology, and even neuroscience contributed to this research. I would never have pursued this learning project had it not been for my knowledge and interest in these theories and concepts. Many of my current and future projects will investigate the potential health/wellbeing benefits of singing and creative expression, specifically its effects on immune function and stress reduction.
I learned many new concepts and skills through this experience, from fundamental research strategies to intricate tricks of the trade. It was interesting to gain firsthand experience about how knowledge is created within the research process; not only did I learn this through completing the research myself but I was also fortunate enough to be privately mentored throughout the process, and even had the opportunity to discuss with some of the leading researchers in the field at the Voice Symposium. At times, the process required more precision and planning than I had anticipated, especially concerning IRB and publishing procedures. Overall, however, I was surprised to observe how much leeway and imprecision one can get away with in research. It seems to me that researchers can potentially hide error and inexactitude, which concerned me. I vow to always strive to eliminate these issues of precision when pursuing projects in the future.
Part 3: Now What?
I have disseminated my work using many different media for different audiences. I presented my research via a 15-minute oral presentation at an official scientific symposium, for an audience of established researchers in the field of laryngeal biomechanics and physiology. I also composed an article describing my findings, submitted it for peer review, and completed recommended revisions. This resulted in its acceptance for publication in the Journal of Voice, a nationally ranked journal. I will upload my presentation materials and evidence of publication, as well as the actual article, on my portfolio.
This experience had an enormous impact on my academic, professional, and personal goals. Before embarking on this research, I was unsure which career path to take. Due to my previous experience in voice performance and speech-language pathology, I had considered applying to graduate schools and eventually pursuing a PhD that would combine my two interests. However, while I loved my research, I always felt that a specialized research degree in either field would be somewhat of a compromise: I would never perform the hands-on work that I would have liked in either field. I had nearly given up on finding a career that would allow me to combine my interests in research, music, and health care when I started working in Dr. Khosla’s lab. Dr. Khosla is an otolaryngologist with a fellowship in laryngology, whose NIH funded research focuses on the larynx and its related mechanisms. Through medicine, he is able to provide the kind of care I had always dreamed of being able to give. Because of his mentorship and encouragement, I have decided to finish my degree from CCM and, rather than pursue a Masters in the arts, remain in Cincinnati to complete the undergraduate requirements for application to medical school. Because of this experience, I am now pursuing a career that will allow me to combine my interests in vocal physiology and music.
This experience also led to future projects. While at the Voice Symposium, I met another researcher interested in music as a vehicle for disclosure, or the process of effectively expressing and confronting one’s deepest thoughts and emotions. His recent innovative studies have assessed the benefits of active music-making programs that provide opportunities for self-expression without requiring prior music-making experience. In fact, he has created official protocols for Recreation Music Making (RMM) that have been supported by randomized, controlled trials in peer-reviewed publications and have documented psychosocial, biological, and genomic changes in diverse populations. We currently are collaborating on future protocols. I am also assisting Dr. Khosla on an alternative project that will assess the mental and vocal health of singing professionals, specifically those currently studying at CCM. Finally, I was recently asked to speak at the 2nd Annual Music and Medicine Conference in Cincinnati, due to my experience with the subject. I will discuss and explain the term disclosure, perform a lecture recital using vocal works that embody the concept, provide examples of works in which composers invite audiences to disclose, and offer a review on ways in which the general population engages in the combined art of music and disclosure.
In short, this experience changed my entire career and symbolizes the first step in my development as a leader in music and medicine.
Part 1: What?
For this honors experiential learning project, I (1) completed research on a topic related to my interests in vocal physiology and music expression, (2) collected and analyzed the data, then corroborated the results, (3) composed the full abstract and article describing the research, (4) presented this research at the 42nd Annual Voice Symposium in Philadelphia, and (5) submitted the article for publication in the national Journal of Voice, where it was accepted for publication in June 2013. My research concerned the factors associated with singers' perceptions of choral singing wellbeing. Choral singing is a popular vocational pastime across cultures. The potential health benefits associated with choral singing, including positive effect on wellbeing, are a topic of interest in health research. However, anecdotal reports from voice professionals suggest that the unique demands of choral singing may enforce unhealthy singing habits. This study explored suboptimal vocal behaviors that are sometimes associated with choral singing, which include singing outside comfortable pitch range, singing too loudly, and singing too softly for blend. The relationships between suboptimal choral singing habits, vocal warm-ups, vocal fatigue, and singing-related wellbeing were assessed via a 14-item Likert based response format questionnaire. Participants consisted of attendees of the international World Choir Games.
This entire experience was extremely educational and rewarding, albeit even more challenging than I had expected. At times, I did not have high hopes that I would be able to complete my plans for both presentation and publication of this research. This experience has become one my proudest achievements in my undergraduate career.
In order to complete this project, it was necessary to demonstrate an ability to frame and develop research project questions via awareness of relevant literature, then to formulate hypotheses based on the literature review. In order to begin this project, I used my previous knowledge of voice performance, choral performance, and voice science. I completed a literature review over many topics, including the acoustic, phonologic, and physiological differences between choral and solo singing, common suboptimal singing behaviors in the choral setting, types of vocal warm ups, the relationship between choral singing and wellness, world health definitions of wellness, international choral singing traditions, and even the science of questionnaire development. From this literature, I determined our hypotheses and constructed the questionnaire on which the research was based. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to identify relationships between common suboptimal vocal behaviors and vocal fatigue, (2) to investigate the effect of suboptimal choral singing on singing-related wellbeing, and (3) to determine if a preference for solo singing has any impact on reported singing technique. Hypotheses were (1) typical suboptimal singing behaviors associated with choral singing will result in vocal fatigue, (2) healthy singing is associated with good singing-related wellbeing, and (3) most amateur singers will prefer choral singing, while most solo-trained singers will prefer solo singing, and most solo singers will alter singing technique when changing tasks.
After designing the research plan, I collected and analyzed data, then disseminated the research results in a publishable paper. In anticipation for data corroboration, I learned some basic statistics in order to understand the kind of results we would wish to report. I also completed Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) certification and Institutional Review Board (IRB) education in order to legally research human subjects. Collecting the data turned out to be a very rare and very inspiring experience because I was able to meet amateur singers from around the world at the international World Choir Games in Cincinnati. After organizing and reviewing the data, I collaborated with a professional statistician in order to obtain our results. Most of our data yielded mild to moderate correlations, which was expected for a simple questionnaire study on human subjects. Perhaps the most humbling and educational aspect of this experience was acquiring an awareness of the key weaknesses/limitations of this research. Soon after our project was accepted as an oral presentation at the Voice Symposium, I submitted our article for peer review in order to receive feedback before the conference. The reviewers were intrigued by our work, yet gave some very intelligent and specific criticisms, mostly pertaining to our lack of discussion on limitations. Going through the process of peer review was amazingly informative and helped me understand how to improve my research plans in the future. Limitations for this particular project include (1) psychometrics for the questionnaire, which were under development and could undergo further validity and reliability testing, (2) the fact that findings were reliant on participant awareness of their own voice production and therefore do not propose a complete objective analysis, (3) the large heterogeneity of subjects, since singers might have preferred choral singing or solo singing depending on age, heritage, etc., (4) the fact that traditional choral sound in some countries may be very different from that of the American choral tradition, which was used as the basis of our study (5) potential factors not studied, including cool downs. Future research may identify additional determinants of choral singing wellbeing, which could eventually result in a comprehensive model that could predict who may benefit from choral singing and describe the necessary conditions for this benefit to occur. Such work has the potential to further describe the therapeutic effects of choral singing.
Part 2: So What?
Through my experiences at CCM, I became increasingly interested in vocal pathology. Over the past years, I have worked closely with Dr. Sid Khosla and Dr. Eva van Leer on research projects regarding the health and bio-mechanics of the vocal mechanism. I also completed the coursework necessary to apply to Speech-Language Pathology MA programs. My background in communication sciences and disorders contributed to my additional interest in the physiology of speech/language and its relationship with music. In short, previous coursework and life experience related to voice performance, speech pathology, and even neuroscience contributed to this research. I would never have pursued this learning project had it not been for my knowledge and interest in these theories and concepts. Many of my current and future projects will investigate the potential health/wellbeing benefits of singing and creative expression, specifically its effects on immune function and stress reduction.
I learned many new concepts and skills through this experience, from fundamental research strategies to intricate tricks of the trade. It was interesting to gain firsthand experience about how knowledge is created within the research process; not only did I learn this through completing the research myself but I was also fortunate enough to be privately mentored throughout the process, and even had the opportunity to discuss with some of the leading researchers in the field at the Voice Symposium. At times, the process required more precision and planning than I had anticipated, especially concerning IRB and publishing procedures. Overall, however, I was surprised to observe how much leeway and imprecision one can get away with in research. It seems to me that researchers can potentially hide error and inexactitude, which concerned me. I vow to always strive to eliminate these issues of precision when pursuing projects in the future.
Part 3: Now What?
I have disseminated my work using many different media for different audiences. I presented my research via a 15-minute oral presentation at an official scientific symposium, for an audience of established researchers in the field of laryngeal biomechanics and physiology. I also composed an article describing my findings, submitted it for peer review, and completed recommended revisions. This resulted in its acceptance for publication in the Journal of Voice, a nationally ranked journal. I will upload my presentation materials and evidence of publication, as well as the actual article, on my portfolio.
This experience had an enormous impact on my academic, professional, and personal goals. Before embarking on this research, I was unsure which career path to take. Due to my previous experience in voice performance and speech-language pathology, I had considered applying to graduate schools and eventually pursuing a PhD that would combine my two interests. However, while I loved my research, I always felt that a specialized research degree in either field would be somewhat of a compromise: I would never perform the hands-on work that I would have liked in either field. I had nearly given up on finding a career that would allow me to combine my interests in research, music, and health care when I started working in Dr. Khosla’s lab. Dr. Khosla is an otolaryngologist with a fellowship in laryngology, whose NIH funded research focuses on the larynx and its related mechanisms. Through medicine, he is able to provide the kind of care I had always dreamed of being able to give. Because of his mentorship and encouragement, I have decided to finish my degree from CCM and, rather than pursue a Masters in the arts, remain in Cincinnati to complete the undergraduate requirements for application to medical school. Because of this experience, I am now pursuing a career that will allow me to combine my interests in vocal physiology and music.
This experience also led to future projects. While at the Voice Symposium, I met another researcher interested in music as a vehicle for disclosure, or the process of effectively expressing and confronting one’s deepest thoughts and emotions. His recent innovative studies have assessed the benefits of active music-making programs that provide opportunities for self-expression without requiring prior music-making experience. In fact, he has created official protocols for Recreation Music Making (RMM) that have been supported by randomized, controlled trials in peer-reviewed publications and have documented psychosocial, biological, and genomic changes in diverse populations. We currently are collaborating on future protocols. I am also assisting Dr. Khosla on an alternative project that will assess the mental and vocal health of singing professionals, specifically those currently studying at CCM. Finally, I was recently asked to speak at the 2nd Annual Music and Medicine Conference in Cincinnati, due to my experience with the subject. I will discuss and explain the term disclosure, perform a lecture recital using vocal works that embody the concept, provide examples of works in which composers invite audiences to disclose, and offer a review on ways in which the general population engages in the combined art of music and disclosure.
In short, this experience changed my entire career and symbolizes the first step in my development as a leader in music and medicine.