Demonstrable effect of vocal changes on singing voices of post-menopausal women

There is little research concerning the impacts of menopause on the female singing voice, and few research studies examine any treatment methods or exercises to help sustain vocal quality throughout and after menopause. To determine areas in which more detailed studies could be completed, I completed a thorough literature review of current research studies that investigate relationships between menopause and the voice. Many studies examined vocal symptoms of menopause, such as a lowered fundamental frequency (F0) and decreased vocal quality. However, there exists no formally researched or published vocal exercises that help to mitigate these menopausal voice symptoms. In response, I created a research plan that addresses these topics. In the proposed study, selected postmenopausal participants would complete a six-week regimen of daily vocal exercises that target respiration, resonance, and phonation. Participants would visit a voice lab three times throughout the study, where their frequency range, intensity range, and harmonic/noise ratio would be measured using Computerized Speech Lab (CSL) software. Vocal changes would be tracked over time and analyzed by the principal investigator. A study such as this would hopefully improve the singing voices of the participants and provide postmenopausal women with a researched vocal exercise regimen that would allow them to retain their singing voices for as long as possible