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io8 TRAINING THE SINGING VOICE |
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parts (e.g.» stemchthyroid muscle; omo-hyoid muscle) are not consistently
found in vocal texts; hence, to avoid technical digressions they are employed herein only when necessary.
According to Negus, "there is great confusion with regard to the relation of the vocal cords and [all] their underlying muscles, and to the function of each in phonadon." [418, p. 369] Inasmuch as extrinsic muscles are related to the posture of the body in singing, they are occasionally referred to in texts and articles on singing. But little is known about their specific function in the act of phonation and most authors either mention them cursorily or ignore them entirely.
Witherspoon stresses the fact that the larynx is not relaxed during phonation- Rather, it is in a state of tensed equilibrium, a condition which is distributed among its intrinsic and extrinsic muscles proportionate to the intensity of the tone desired. [677* p. 61] Gescheidt claims that certain laryngeal muscles (extrinsic) connect the larynx with the cervical vertebrae of the spine, thus providing the means of "conducting sympathetic vibrations from the larynx to the spinal column" and contributing to the amplification of the initial tone phonated. [200, p. 12] Curry also mentions extrinsic attachments in a brief description of vocal action. These muscles serve to brace the larynx back against the spinal vertebrae for support while the thyroid cartilage "swivels on the cricoid." [124, p. 64; also Negus 418, p. 380] Orton gives a more elaborate description of the extrinsic mechanisms of the voice in which he claims that downward pulling extrinsic muscles (e.g., sterna-thyroid and omo-hyoid) are counterbalanced by upward pulling muscles that connect the hyoid bone with the tongue muscle (hyo-glossus) and cranium so as to stabilize the position of the voice box (larynx) during phonation. The hyoid bone is also considered a part of the laryngeal unit in that it lies directly above the thyroid cartilage and is firmly attached to the latter at all times. "The hyoid bone helps to keep the tube open above the larynx." [439, p. 45]
The epiglottis is another extrinsic mechanism mentioned by vocal theorists. It is a thin, leaf-like extension of "yellow elastic cartilage that ordinarily projects upward behind the tongue and just in front of the glottis." (W) It is commonly believed to fold back and protect the glottis during the act of swallowing, although this action has not been clearly established. Its possible function in voice production has also been open to scrutiny by vocal theorists. Negus claims that the epiglottis is of slight importance in singing, respiration or deglutition (swallowing). After extensive research in comparative anatomy, embryology and physiology he arrives at the conclusion that "its original function [in animals] is to maintain the integrity of the olfactory sense by shutting off the mouth |
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