Breath - Body - Voice

Nascent Desire: Building Rapport with Juliana Hodkinson and Niels Rønsholdt's Fish & Fowl

by Danielle Sofer

Gastroesophageal Reflux and Voice Changes: Objective Assessment of Voice Quality and Impact of Antireflux Therapy

by Shahin Ayazi

The Vocal Performance Text as Historiography

by Flloyd Kennedy

presented at "Capturing the Essence of Performance: The Challenge of Intangible Heritage" SIBMAS conference, RSAMD 2008

The human voice in the performance of text is ephemeral and yet not intangible.  It has substance, meaning and... more The human voice in the performance of text is ephemeral and yet not intangible.  It has substance, meaning and effect over and above the language it speaks. In historiographical analyses, the vocal performance text is often ignored in favour of visual elements, and textual interpretation.      Mechanical, or ‘technological’ recordings may render a vocal performance in a repeatable medium, however the use of such recordings for analysis is subject to the changing state of the listener over time, apart from any degradation in the quality of the sound recording over time.  Phonetic transcription transforms the living, breathed and mobile sound into a static representation, and while phonology provides the settings within which linguistic and para-linguistic components exist, these are still generally defined in terms which promote the language, rather than the uniquely spoken event.  This paper proposes that the vocal performance text has material substance, it cannot be predicted, and argues that it has rarely – if ever – been captured adequately because certain elements are always ignored, specifically those elements which constitute an original vocal performance text.

The role of breathing training in asthma management

by Anne Bruton

This is an uncorrected version of an invited review now published in Current Opinion in Allergy and Immunology 2011;11:53-57

Purpose of review
There is considerable public interest in the use of breathing modification techniques in the... more Purpose of review
There is considerable public interest in the use of breathing modification techniques in the treatment of asthma. Surveys suggest many people with asthma use them, often without the knowledge of their medical attendants. Extravagant claims have been made about the effectiveness of some techniques, resulting in scepticism from orthodox clinicians. The evidence supporting breathing training for asthma was previously weak, and limited by the small size and methodological limitations of published research.

Recent findings
The evidence base for the effectiveness of breathing training has recently improved, with reports from several larger and more methodologically robust controlled trials. These trials are reviewed in this paper, and the findings placed in context. Trials have investigated a variety of breathing training programmes delivered by different therapists in different ways. All incorporate some instruction in breathing pattern, usually focusing on slow, regular, nasal, abdominal breathing and reduced ventilation, with subjects instructed to practice exercises at home and when symptomatic.

Summary
Current evidence suggests that breathing training programmes can be effective in improving patient reported outcomes such as symptoms, quality of life and psychological impact; and may reduce the use of rescue bronchodilator medication. There is little evidence that airways physiology, hyperresponsiveness or inflammation is affected by such training. The optimal way of providing breathing training within the context of routine asthma care is still uncertain.

“Breathing Space.”

by Ruth Barcan

UTS Review 6.1 (May 2000): 130-49.