Hormonal influences on female classical voice

Maree Ryan, MMus DSCM LMusA is Chair of Vocal Studies & Opera, Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Dianna Kenny, PhD, MA, BA (Hons), Dip Ed, ATCL (Piano), MAPsS, MAPA is Professor of Psychology, Professor of Music and Director, Australian Centre for Applied Research in Music Performance, University of Sydney, Australia.

We investigated perceived effects of the hormonal cycle on female classical singing students. Singers completed a questionnaire and daily diary that assessed singers physical symptoms, mood states and vocal production in the first and third months of the study. 81% female singers reported regular menstrual cycles and 43% reported using an oral contraceptive; neither of these factors was related to voice quality variables measured on the first day of the cycle. Singers not taking a contraceptive pill rated their voice quality lower and their mood higher than those on the pill. Perceived voice quality was lower on days 1-3 compared with the remainder of the cycle; ratings tended to improve through days 1-7. Reduced voice quality was associated with more negative mood. The six most severely affected females completed voice recordings on the first day of the cycle and in mid- cycle. These recordings were randomly presented to both the singers and expert vocal pedagogues to ascertain whether significant differences in vocal quality were perceptually identifiable. Singers, but not pedagogues, accurately identified the timing of the recordings.