Emotional Expression in Contemporary Singing: A Performer-Oriented Model of Voice Quality and Vocal Production

Resumen

Research Question/Problem

Research in music cognition has examined how listeners perceive emotions in musical performance. Studies of vocal expression have largely focused on acoustic correlates of emotion and their perception by listeners (e.g., Scherer, 1995; Juslin & Laukka, 2003). However, comparatively less attention has been given to how singers intentionally shape emotional expression through vocal production in singing performance.

Objectives

The objective of this study is to develop a conceptual model describing how singers may employ different voice qualities to communicate emotional expression in contemporary singing. The proposed framework links three levels of analysis: emotional intention in performance, perceptible voice qualities in singing, and the physiological configurations of vocal production associated with these qualities.

Method

The study employs conceptual and interdisciplinary analysis integrating literature from music cognition, research on emotional expression in vocal communication, and voice science. Studies on emotional communication in vocal expression by Juslin and Laukka are considered alongside research in voice science, particularly the work of Johan Sundberg on the acoustic and physiological characteristics of the singing voice.

Based on this synthesis, the study proposes a conceptual framework describing commonly discussed voice qualities in singing and the physiological configurations of the vocal apparatus associated with these expressive vocal sounds.

Results and/or Main contributions

The proposed framework identifies seven commonly discussed voice qualities used in expressive singing: breathy phonation, often perceived as intimacy, tenderness, or vulnerability; belt, linked to intensity, dramatic tension, or anger/forcefulness; speech-like or neutral phonation, commonly associated with narrative sincerity, conversational directness, or groundedness; falsetto, often perceived as fragility, emotional distance, or delicacy; epilaryngeal resonance (“twang”), associated with brightness, energy, or excitement/triumph; operatic or resonant configuration, associated with grandeur, solemnity, or elevated drama; and cry/sob, often associated with longing, grief-like affect, or emotional pleading.

Each voice quality corresponds to characteristic physiological configurations of vocal fold vibration, subglottal pressure, and vocal tract shaping described in voice science literature. The model proposes that singers may intentionally select and sequence these voice qualities to communicate expressive emotional meanings in contemporary singing performance.

This study proposes a performer-oriented conceptual model linking emotional intention, voice quality selection, and physiological mechanisms of vocal production. By focusing on vocal production processes rather than solely on acoustic analysis or listener perception, the framework provides a new perspective on emotional communication in singing.

Conclusions and/or Implications

The proposed model contributes to research on emotional expression in music by offering a systematic description of how singers may employ different voice qualities to shape expressive meaning. The framework may inform future research in music cognition, vocal performance studies, and voice science, and may also provide conceptual tools for further empirical investigation of emotional communication in contemporary singing.