The Influence of Individual Singing Lessons on Voice Quality and Voice-Related Quality of Life in Adults with Parkinson’s Disease

Andrew Richard York

The purpose of this case study was to investigate the influence of individualsinging lessons on voice quality and voice-related quality of life in adults withParkinson’s disease (PD). Three individuals diagnosed with PD participated in thepresent case study. Each participant received nine singing lessons, individually, over atime frame of four and one-half weeks. Each sixty-minute session consisted ofmovement, breathing, and vocal exercises and concluded with the singing of a song of theparticipant’s choice. This case study consisted of a pre-test and post-test treatment-onlyresearch design and involved assessing quantitative data of voice and speech variablesand participants’ narrative data. Voice and speech variables included the following: 1)Voice Quality (Jitter and Shimmer), 2) Maximum Phonation Time, 3) Singing PitchRange, 4) Average Speaking Intensity, and 5) Speech Intelligibility. All measures wereadministered prior to and immediately following each voice lesson. The voice-relatedquality of life questionnaire (V-RQOL) was administered prior to the first lesson andonce again at the end of the case study. A researcher-designed singing rubric wasimplemented to evaluate each participant’s progress of each lesson. Voice lessonprogress forms were maintained for each participant throughout the study to reflect on theeffectiveness of the singing lessons and to log acoustic and timing measures. Participantsalso completed an exit questionnaire to determine their satisfaction with the singinglessons. All lessons were provided by the researcher and were tailored to the needs ofeach participant. Due to the small sample size, the results of the present case studyshould be used as preliminary data for future research.     The singing lesson intervention revealed that voice quality, pertaining to jitter andshimmer, singing pitch range, maximum phonation time, and average speaking intensitylevels, improved for each participant in most sessions. Though speech intelligibilityimproved overall for Participant A and somewhat for Participant B, speech intelligibilityremained nearly unchanged for Participant C. Nonetheless, each participant improvedfrom pre-study to post-study on the voice-related quality of life questionnaire, whichsuggests that the singing lesson intervention had a positive influence on each participant’sperception of his/her voice. An improved self-perception of voice indicates that thesinging lesson intervention has the potential to improve one’s psychological well-being.While modest, the results from the present case study provide important informationabout the benefits of individual singing lessons on certain vocal parameters ofParkinson’s disease and merit further investigation.

The Influence of Individual Singing Lessons on Voice Quality and Voice-Related Quality of Life in Adults with Parkinson’s Disease

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